We are parents and grandparents with children still growing and living at home. A few of us have young children while the rest have teenagers in different points along their bloom. Regardless of age, each one is developing somewhere new and as their parents, we want them to have the best tools at hand to help guide them to reach their potential.

Often, we depend upon the educational systems to give our children the tools they need to succeed. They spend most of their days at school learning facts and social skills from the academic and social toolboxes around them. The boxes vary depending on the school’s location and funding. At the same time, the majority of schools lack the creative tools necessary for their children’s development. The education systems are once again denying that imagination plays an important role in building life skills. A timely philosophy for them to hold as they decide where to makes cuts in education due to the economic crisis. The reality is the cutbacks have nearly striped the arts.



We walk our creative paths perplexed with the state of imagination. We are all concerned with the lack of creative tools within the schools. They say you need to make change to bring change and that every little part helps. We decided with that thought in mind to do our part and begin the Artful Thought Project. A project to help build the imaginations of children through creative activities integrating literature and art. A project we can bring to our neighborhoods.

The Artful Thought Project is designed in three parts with activities involving at least two creative tools. One of the activities needs to involve literature while another must engage the children in art. The third activity can use any creative tool available. The goal of the project is that a child will engage in an activity with his/her active imagination and will use deductive reasoning skills in completing the project. At the end of the project the children will have created two pieces of work that we will publish in The River Muse.

Everyone is welcome to hold an Artful Thought Project!


please contact River at editor@theriverjournal.org
for details in joining the fight for imagination.