Phil's July Uplifting Newsletter

When you go to the museum, are you really fully appreciating the art on display? This month’s Links You Can Use are all about how to be fully present and get the most out of what you’re witnessing.

The Orlando Museum of Art has published tips for better observing, interpreting, reflecting and, overall, enjoying the art you see, not just at their gallery but in any other one. https://tinyurl.com/uplift06261

Artist Abi Afandi expands upon this with physical, philosophical and cultural elements to look out for in art and an appreciation exercise to try. https://tinyurl.com/uplift06262

Art is not just visual. Music is an art form central to most of our lives, but how often do we actively appreciate what’s going on? Here’s Music Corners’s guide. https://tinyurl.com/uplift06263

Art is not just in the museum. The work of artists is everywhere you look in everyday life, and publications such as It’s Nice That spotlight such art and design. https://tinyurl.com/uplift06264

Style has no age. Forget the idea that fashion is for the younger generations, let alone the notion that office wear has to be dull or predictable. Seventy-six-year-old Carmella has become a viral sensation for shattering both stereotypes. Each day she turns up to her office in outfits even more bold and vibrant than the last, turning the hallways at work into fashion runways. People takes a dive into her refreshing take on self-expression and how her daily fashion choices are inspiring people of all generations to dress for themselves More: https://tinyurl.com/uplift0626a

The future of sustainable packaging. Researchers have made a breakthrough in packaging technology by accident. Jie Wu was studying pigments in beetles and crabs when she discovered that a transparent film could be created from natural fibers in discarded crab shells. Those same fibers can also be extracted from mushrooms and other food waste, paving the way for a fully biodegradable alternative to traditional plastics. More: https://tinyurl.com/uplift0626b

Someone got my message in a bottle. When Diane discovered a glass bottle washed up on the beach in Tasmania, Australia, she opened it to find a message that had traveled thousands of miles across the ocean. So began the incredible start of Diane’s friendship with Erika from Colombia, which has lasted a quarter of a century and counting. Read the incredible story of this maritime time capsule here. More: https://tinyurl.com/uplift0626c

In the small town of Alpine, California, not far from San Diego, great pizza isn’t the only thing helping a new restaurant become a success. Pizzabilities is a food spot run with workplace inclusion at the heart of its values, and it has very quickly become a community staple since opening last year.

The casual pizzeria was opened by the Baker family with a mission beyond just selling tasty pies. The inspiration behind the venture came from their 19-year-old daughter, Grace, who has Down syndrome. Like many young people with disabilities, Grace had been finding the transition from high school to the workplace difficult, with closed doors and constant barriers to finding meaningful employment.

It left her family desperate to help her find the independence and sense of purpose she craved, and instead of waiting for an opportunity to appear, her parents, Josh and Amy, decided to create one. The Bakers decided to open a pizza restaurant with a business model specifically tailored to support employees with diverse abilities. Grace helps to make pizzas and is also a co-owner of the restaurant, but Pizzabilities has not just stopped at Grace.

During the process of hiring other staff, the family was met with overwhelming interest from the special needs community. For many of those employed by the restaurant, it’s seen as being far more than a paycheck: rather, it’s an opportunity to unlock their potential at an employer who looks past their diagnosis. Once hired, every member of the team is cross-trained in a manner that works for them so they can properly contribute without the high-stress barriers traditional kitchens often present.

The business is now thriving, and interest has been great enough that there are now aspirations to expand throughout the county and perhaps nationwide. Customer numbers have not only grown, but previous customers also keep coming back: the uniqueness of the venture brings in new diners looking to help the cause, but the sheer deliciousness of the pizza has them returning time and time again.

In a leafy corner of South West London, UK, a revolutionary approach to early education is bringing together the generations for a unique learning experience. Apples and Honey Nightingale made history in 2017 as the UK’s first “intergenerational preschool” and has become a blueprint for community-focused care.

Within the grounds of Nightingale House, a residential home for older adults, the preschool operates from a cozy dedicated bungalow. Children aged between three months and five years are cared for by, and alongside, the older adults, and the interactions between the two groups is what makes it such an innovative concept. It’s not just about sharing a space; it’s also about sharing experiences and giving children the opportunity to learn about the human life cycle with their older friends.

The curriculum focuses on “care that connects” that works for both groups. Gardening, storytelling and creative play are some of the activities that the children and older adults engage in together, helping the children develop a natural and sophisticated understanding of the human life cycle and foster a sense of empathy and respect that the traditional classroom just can’t replicate.

The benefits are mutual. For the children, the older residents provide a stable, wise and nurturing presence, while for the care home residents, the energy, curiosity and childhood joy brought by the children helps to form an antidote to the social isolation and mundanity that many older adults can often be subject to.

The intergenerational nature of Apples and Honey Nightingale is an approach that could go a long way in helping to contribute towards a stronger social ecosystem in society. Breaking down the walls between generations right from the start can help to create an overall more compassionate society, especially in our modern era where the age demographics are changing.