AHN News Archive:February & March, 2002

February & March 2002 NEWS

CONTENTS:
Featured Book: Marry Your Muse: Making a Lasting Commitment to Your Creativity by Jan Phillips
John F. Martin: A Photojournalists Journey through Kidney Failure
Eco Artist Susan Leibovitz Steinman

FEATURED BOOK

Marry Your Muse: Making a Lasting Commitment to Your Creativity by Jan Phillips

Published in 1997 by Quest Books. 255 pages. Softcover. $18.

This February, why not "fall in love with the artist within and help your creativity soar!" Working and would-be writers, musicians, visual artists, and anyone who wishes to be more creative will find inspiration and practical suggestions in this book. The book includes personal anecdotes, insightful quotations, invocations to the muse, practical exercises, and black and white photographs by the author. Part one of the book examines the fears and insecurities that block creativity. Part two shows how to move past them, offering practical journaling exercises and inspirational music suggestions. Part three tells the stories of 10 creative women, each in their own words. Throughout the book creativity is linked to the spiritual, the sacred, and the mystical - highlighting how the creative process can unify us all. For more information on Jan Phillips, please click here. Or to order the book, click here.

John F. Martin: A Photojournalists Journey through Kidney Failure

In 1998, when photojournalist John F. Martin experienced kidney failure, he turned to the web for answers and information. Although he found a wealth of scientific and medical information, what was lacking on the internet, was a detailed, step-by-step journal of the process from one person's point of view. And so John turned his camera on himself, chronicling his journey through the kidney transplant process, from early discussions with his doctor, to dialysis and ultimately to the surgery. As Martin explains, "My goals with this site are to help patients and families better understandwhat may be ahead for them on the kidney failure road and to demystify the transplant process." Even more than that, Martin has created a visual story that not only educates - it offers humor and humanity to what can be a very clinical procedure. To view his photo documentary, visit his web site at www.johnfmartin.net

Eco Artist Susan Leibovitz Steinman

A Living Machine installed at the Berkely Art Center, Summer 2001

Ecoartist Susan Leibovitz Steinman has had a busy year, creating "Ode to Living Machines" and "Gardens to Go." In Ode to Living Machines, Steinman has turned water purifiers into art sculptures. As she describes, "In Living Machines, nature is model and partner to design. Live plants and organisms clean water, soil, and air without chemicals." In Summer 2001, she installed a living machine at the Berkely Art Center - this artwork helped to purify the polluted water of Cordonices Creek. Water from the creek was diverted through the sculpture, purified by water hyacinths, and then returned to the creek.

Steinman has also masterminded "Gardens to Go" - a community based project in West Oakland, CA. Working with the West Oakland Neighborhood Association, Steinman and community members have created portable sculptural raised beds for organic gardening. The goal of this project is to demonstrate the ease of creating affordable, easy, and artistic gardens that can be of any size and fit on a porch, a window sill or in a narrow yard. The project was unveiled in September 2001 with a celebratory block party.

To learn more about Steinman's projects, please visit her web site at www.steinmanstudio.com or email slsteinman@aol.com

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