Dear readers
Artists in the Garden, Kitsilano, summer 2016
Dear Readers,
What books did you read and love this summer?
My top pick was Margaret Trudeau’s latest book, The Time of Your Life, which was full of her personal stories with stunning honesty and openness. “The gift of getting older is that we can look back and gain understanding on the triumphs and tragedies, large and small, of our lives with a depth that we might not have been capable of when they happened………The third act is all about drawing meaning from the seemingly disconnected storylines of our lives,” she writes. How powerful that is to own your truth by speaking for yourself! Trudeau’s book was so good that I not only listened deeply to what is said but also listened deeply to myself.
That kind of creative content in social media is tough to deliver while keeping the audience fully present and reflective. Nonetheless, this summer, my incredible team of Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society (VACS) worked tirelessly to make our SkillShare Project go beyond our creative goals to bring meaningful and real conversations, through both print media and multimedia. Piecing together personal stories is indeed instrumental in creating a new community narrative for the sake of our children and grandchildren. I am happy to share some of the fruits of their labor with the Playbook.
In this issue, an interview with Adriane Carr was a highlight for me, as was interviewing Doloris Hrynkiw, an inspiring Kerrisdale mother, to discuss — what else — community engagement. But I especially appreciate Richard Marcus‘s appearance in this issue, who has been a collaborator for in-progress Kerrisdale Permaculture Garden Project. Echoing Adriane’s message, he reminds us of a sense of freedom that comes with passion that we all must seize. The Artists-in-the-Garden Exhibition event together with a stellar team of Kits CC Collaborative Garden was a BIG success. I extend my heartfelt thank you to Georgia Youngs, an art teacher at Kerrisdale CC, who was working behind-the-scenes to encourage many of her art students to showcase their work at the Artists-in-the-Garden Exhibition event.
My cat & the summer arrangement from the garden
With the whole new school year upon us, I want to strive to nurture my 11 yr-old daughter’s love of books and her blossoming into a young woman by listening, reflecting, speaking, sharing emotions, and being 100% present – my cat quietly knows that I can do all of that with her, too!
Happy Reading & Happy Back to School!
Keiko Honda Chair, Community Engagement
