Friday, August 13, 2010

International Left-Handers Day

Today I celebrate being left-handed, along without about 10% of the population. I've always heard that left-handers are more likely to be creative, because the right side of the brain (the side known for creativity) controls the left hand. In reading about this, I've found that it may or may not be true--and certainly there are plenty of creative right-handers out there too. There's an interesting article here about brain lateralization and handedness.

I Googled lefthandedness and decided to ignore the articles that say lefties are more likely to have a shorter life span, be more prone to certain diseases, have more accidents. Yikes! I sure hope that isn't the case. Scientists haven't yet determined a genetic link, but say that left-handedness does tend to run in families (my three year old daughter seems to be left-handed). However, I read that there is a high tendency in twins for one to be left-handed--but my twin brother is right-handed (and I would say we are both creative--but I am probably more so). As with many lefthanders (I think), I have learned to do some things with my right hand out of necessity--it's not always possible to find tools made for left-handers, like can openers, cameras, and scissors.

You can find a long list of famous left-handers here (including President Barack Obama--actually there have been a lot of left-handed presidents). There are some interesting tests online too; try:
"How Left are You?" and "Lefty Brain Teasers"

Monday, August 9, 2010

The Beauty of Excess


I'm trying to reinvigorate my blog. I can't promise my posts will be frequent, but I do hope they will at least be occasional.

I love kid art. I love the imagination, the color, the scribbles, the freedom of expression. A few weeks ago, my three year old daughter and I made a drum for her out of an empty coffee can. She wanted lots of glitter, so we used glitter glue, and every sparkly sticker she had.