Carol Wiebe

. Gold stars are overrated. Expecting everyone to do their best at all times is oppressive, and can actually squelch creativity. The pressure to consistently perform and produce in a superlative, unsurpassed manner causes so much stress that many simply give up producing anything at all. Fear and inadequacy reign as the overly stringent standard flies. Or, the atmosphere becomes increasingly competitive and aggressive. After all, how can there be more than one who is the best

There’s no need for me to say anything, today. Julianne has said it for me. She is an oil painter and I use acrylics. She is an art teacher, and I am “life taught.” (This seems more accurate than “self taught.”) But that feeling she describes of “just being” and an enveloping sense of oneness? I know that. Go to her site and read about how hard she is working towards her dream of becoming a full time artist. She emphasizes the term “working,” and describes those palpable symp