“It is a simple and profound act of faith to venture forth into the unknown; art is an act of faith. It is the search, the process and adventure, the battle well fought on that terrible field of white canvas, the journey that is art, as much or more than the destination, which matters. Art matters.” ~ Mark Zimmerman

Mushrooms suddenly became a big part of Mark Zimmerman’s life this past summer . . .

Painting mushrooms that is.

Now, if you’re wondering how someone with a MFA in painting from Illinois State University and who was the former executive director of The Arts Center in Jamestown, ND lands on mushrooms as his muse, well then, you have to understand the power of place and how it can intersect with the creative process. Mark deeply values and learns a great deal from the land he and his wife, who is also an artist, live on and steward in the Black Hills. It’s the land that fuels his art and his ongoing process of discovery. As he says of his current subject, “I knew I’m going to draw a mushroom and I don’t know how yet.”

In addition to being an artist and a lover of place, Mark is also a poet and passionate art instructor. I’m excited to talk with him about how the power of place intersects with his own creative process and what lessons he’s learned from sharing his craft with others.

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**Video broadcast available** on YouTube @imperfectbest

**Learn more about Jason Freeman** at AwkwardlyAwesome.com

“You have to get to the child’s level by making yourself the best toy in the room.”

~ Kristin Wittmayer

Can profound healing, skill development, and positive change happen through play?

In my youth, I sometimes viewed playtime as a reward for something far less exciting, as in “Clean your room, then you can play with your friends,” or “Finish your homework, then you can play outside until supper”. Even as an adult, the logic lingers: play is a well deserved prize for hard work.

But could play also be a vehicle for helping children (and adults) grow, and accomplish things that are important to their development?

These are the questions and ideas I’ve been pondering after my visit with Kristin Wittmayer at MoveU. Kristin is an occupational therapist who works alongside another OT, physical therapist, and speech therapist at MoveU. The team has the same goal in mind: making social connections, problem solving, confidence, skill development and joyfulness available to children through multisensory play. Kristin firmly believes that if you don’t make therapy fun, you run the risk of kids not wanting to participate in it and as such, increased difficulty in facilitating change and lasting impact. She talks about therapy as an artform and MoveU as the canvas where therapists and clients get to create their masterpieces.

I’m excited to talk with Kristin and explore how we each can reach new heights in our own lives through a little more playtime.

“You’ve got to make the most of where you are, make connections and friendships wherever you are. Even in a small town with not a lot of opportunities, you can still make your own opportunities and go on to do what you want to do.” ~ Zach Anderson

Zach Anderson’s upbringing embodies the definition of idyllic small town life in such a way that you’d swear it couldn’t possibly exist outside of a Hallmark movie. He grew up in Canistota, South Dakota just as his parents had and his grandparents before them. Zach knew everybody in town, he felt he could go wherever he wanted in the community. He played most of the sports offered by his high school, including baseball, football, track and golf. There were 25 students in his high school’s graduating class, the majority of whom he’d known since they were in daycare together. His Dad owned the newspaper on Main Street and his grandparents farmed just outside of town. Zach worked his way from life guard to pool manager at the local swimming pool. “I thought I had all the opportunities I needed.” he says, reflecting on his upbringing. But of course, there often comes a time when the boy outgrows the town he grew up in.

And he did, but Zach took every small town skill and experience he had with him as he set out into the world and built a successful career in a much larger city. Today, he is happily married and a father of his own, doing his best to impart same small town values to his son.

But none of us get to live a perfect, challenge-free life. For Zach, the hardest obstacle came when his mom passed away after a battle with cancer last March. Of his mom, he says, “If you refer to life as a test, she had all the answers. She was the cheat code. She was the one I went to for anything that was difficult or hard. I referred to her as a superhero when I wrote for the newspaper in 7th grade and I still feel that way today. She had high expectations and I continue to try to make her proud.”

I look forward to my talk with Zach, we’ll discuss the joys of small town living and also explore the challenges that life sends our way.

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**Video broadcast available** on YouTube @imperfectbest

**Learn more about Jason Freeman** at AwkwardlyAwesome.com