Creativity helps to support our mental health and well-being by allowing for a connection to self-expression. Modern research suggests mindfulness-based meditation practices can help us contact creative flow by:

• allowing for purposeful, attentive mind-wandering
• enhancing focus
• reducing judgement and fear
• encouraging open thinking patterns (Henriksen et al 2020)

Age-old yoga and mindfulness philosophies have always reminded us that when we intentionally pay attention to present moment experience with kind curiosity and care, we create the space to connect with our innate strengths, including creativity.  When we can bring a caring, mindful presence to whatever it is we are doing, we naturally create the conditions necessary for creative intelligence to flow through us.

Looking for a quick creative boost in the middle of your day? Consider trying this mindfulness meditation practice known as the Sky of Awareness. Invite a fresh perspective, and explore what arises.  Enjoy:

1. Taking a few moments to settle into a comfortable seated posture, eyes closed or gazing gently to the floor, allow attention to rest softly upon watching the breath just as it is.  You could also choose to gather attention around an intentional word, mantra, or short prayer as a grounding anchor.
2. Using your anchor for support, invite attention to broaden, imagining the mind as wide and expansive as the Sky.  Opening attention up to include sounds, allow their pitches and tones to come and go in this vast Sky of Awareness.
3. Also held in this Sky are sensations within the body. These too, like sounds, have the quality of arising and falling away.  Returning to your anchor as you need, explore the quality of bodily sensations available right now in the company of sounds, just letting it all be.
4. You may have already noticed that the broad Sky of Awareness also holds space for thoughts, mental images, and emotions.  They shift and change like varying weather patterns within this expansive Sky.  Instead of ignoring them or pushing them aside, see if it is possible to allow them to come, linger, and move on, along with sounds and sensations.  Allow for the unfolding of life just as it is, remembering your anchor is always available to return to whenever you need it.
5. Once you are feeling ready, gather attention back to the breath, or whatever supportive anchor you have been using. Invite a sense of gratitude to yourself for exploring this vast Sky of Awareness within. Thank you. 

by Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, Mindfulness educator and author of Finding Om

The events of this past year have certainly amplified the importance of self care and community care for all. As a kids yoga teacher, one of your priorities has been family wellness. What does that look like for you at home, and where does yoga fit into it?

Family wellness has definitely been the core inspiration behind all that I do. It's a work in progress and often changes. I talk to my family about eating a balanced diet, hydration and exercise to maintain a healthy body, but we also talk about maintaining the spirit within our body. We talk about how breathing can change how you feel, and we practice different ways to do it. The conversation about wellness is continuous in our home. This helps because kids will call you out on just about anything! So when I slip into a funk and am not being mindful of what I am providing for nourishment, or if we haven't moved our bodies in an intentional way they say, "Hey Mom..." One thing that stays pretty consistent is our breath.

What inspires your relationship with yoga?

My relationship with yoga is inspired by the memory of how I felt before beginning a practice with meditation and the difference in how I felt once it became a lifestyle. I was at a breaking point, and not only did I benefit from my practice but my whole family did. My relationship with my husband improved. My interaction with my kids improved, and my perception of things completely changed. When I reflect on the trauma that has affected generations of Black people and the lack of access to heal, I am inspired to share my passion for yoga.

Part of your mission is expanding the face of wellness for Black kids and families. Tell us more about your vision and the @blackkidsdoyoga Instagram movement.

My vision of expanding the face of wellness for kids wellness started with our social media pages, helping others to acknowledge that representation is a problem and supporting the cause to change the media. It extends to providing resources and a community through our books and Black Kids Do Yoga Club. My goal is to flood various platforms with positive images of black children learning, understanding and being empowered by mental and physical wellness. I want those children to have available access to resources that support their practice. Finding books, videos and communities that mirror and embrace parts of your identity should not be a research project. 

Your work has also led you to self-publish a picture book called Our Family’s Doing Yoga and start a YouTube channel to explore yoga as a family. What were some of your inspirations for this book and your YouTube channel? How do you hope kids (and their adults) will be impacted?

As a child I was blessed to have images of people who positively resembled my reflection presented to me in my home. Outside of my home it took more work to find. Books that showed positive images of the Black community weren't readily available. Images on television often portrayed us negatively, and even within our own community we faced internalized racism. When I envisioned motherhood one of my top priorities was to be a mother whose children felt seen and heard. When my children took interest in my yoga practice, I wanted them to know that this practice was for them. I wanted them to visibly see it in the books and videos we used as support but the options were slim.  Writing Our Family's Doing Yoga was a way to share our story and empower my children to embrace their practice as theirs. As we began to influence others, I was often asked about YouTube videos that showed children of color.  Once again our children were underrepresented in the industry on the platform, so we began creating videos to share. I am a mother and an educator. It is woven in my make up to nurture and nourish. That's what I hope my work is doing.

This is such a fun story. What inspired you to write Luna’s Yum-Yum Dim Sum?
This book  was a little bit of a departure from how my books usually get written. Generally, I create a story that I want to write then try to shop it around to publishers to see if anyone is interested in acquiring it. However, on Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum, it was actually my editor at Charlesbridge Publishing, Alyssa Mito-Pusey, who contacted me and asked if I was interested in submitting a story. I was intrigued by their goal of focusing on diversity and building math concepts into fun stories in non-didactic ways. Of course I said, ‘yes’. 

I was a little nervous going in because math was never my strong suit growing up, but how I wished I had fun math stories to read. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so intimidated by math as a child. I was all on board for writing a book that children would love to read and that can engage them in the math concept without it being just another math book!

How long did it take you to write this book? 
Alyssa first asked me to submit a story in Feb. 2018. I think I wrote and sent Alyssa my first draft in July 2018. However, although she liked the setting and the writing, she said they weren’t looking for a straight counting and shape book. She wanted the characters to actually solve a math problem in the story. 

So, it was back to the drawing board for me. I consulted with Marlene Kliman, the math expert at TERC about various math concepts and this very informative discussion led me to explore the idea of Luna and her brothers having to split 5 pork buns among the 3 of them, which would introduce early fractions to the picture book audience, and the question of what does sharing fairly mean (obviously, it meant different things to Luna and her brothers), and is sharing fairly the same as sharing equitably? I re-wrote the entire story in a month (while on vacation on the East Coast for part of that time) and re-submitted it to Alyssa in August 2018.

She and Marlene loved the story, and she sent it up to acquisitions in September. I was offered a publishing contract for Luna in November 2018. 

The siblings really brainstorm to figure out how the dim sum would be split. Is math your favorite subject? 
No! I hated math in school. I felt very intimidated by it because I never felt I was good at math. But math is all around us! I remember taking my children on walks when they were little and counting the petals on a flower, or clouds in the sky. Whenever we ordered pizza, we counted the pizza slices (there are 8 slices of pizza, but 5 of us so how many do each one of us get?), and invariably, it always came down to who gets the last piece? Math can be incorporated in so much of our daily lives. When you bake cookies with your kids, they can help measure ingredients and here is an opportunity to discuss simple math concepts (how many half cups make one cup? How many quarter cups in a cup? etc.) 

Math for me growing up in Southeast Asia was by rote learning - math problems, worksheets, formulas, memorization. It was very boring! And math books were dry and uninteresting to me too. The Storytelling Math books turn that around - the story comes first, and the math learning is a byproduct. But if kids enjoy the story, they’ll get the math concept as well. At the back of each book in the series, there is backmatter on how readers can further explore the math in the book through simple activities. 
​
You incorporated the Chinese horoscope and Chinese food in your story.  How important is it for you to share your culture with children?
In all my books, except my first one, sharing the culture my story is based upon is extremely important. Most of the time, that’s my own Chinese culture. I believe kids do need to see themselves in books, and learn and engage in stories that connect them to their culture. Not every child may be familiar with everything about their own culture. A Chinese child born and raised in the US may not necessarily experience the same cultural traditions and rituals as a child born in China or Taiwan does, so they may actually learn something new about their own culture. It’s also important for them to learn about other cultures. This creates great opportunities for meaningful discussions in the classroom and at home - what’s similar about these traditions and rituals? What’s different? It’s a great way to celebrate diversity. 
​
In my first book, Otto’s Rainy Day, I told a story about a boy who wanted to go outside and play in the rain, but I didn’t have any specific ethnicity in mind. The illustrator drew him as a boy with blonde curls. They’re really cute illustrations, but after that book, I wanted to personally connect more with my own heritage, and subsequently, I wanted to connect kids with my culture and show them the many wonderful rituals, traditions, and celebrations I enjoyed as a child.

What do you hope children learn or take away from Luna’s Yum-Yum Dim Sum? 
That math doesn’t have to be boring. And math can be found in so many daily tasks and rituals that they may not even know about. They’re doing math every day (and hopefully having fun with it!) Who doesn’t like baking (and eating)chocolate chip cookies?​

Mark your calendars for World Read Aloud Day 2021, also know at WRAD! It will take place on Wednesday, February 3, 2021. 

LitWorld started the event in 2010 to celebrate the power of reading aloud and to advance literacy efforts around the world. In support of this work, many authors and illustrators offer free 20-minute virtual read alouds to teachers and classrooms. This year, several members of KidLit in Color are available to read with you!

Most WRAD virtual visits will go something like this: 

1-2 minutes: Author gives a quick introduction & talks a little about their books.
3-5 minutes: Author reads aloud a short picture book, or a short excerpt 
5-10 minutes: Author answers a few questions from students about reading/writing
1-2 minutes: Author book-talks a couple books they love (but didn’t write!) as recommendations for the kids

Before you sign up, you'll need to be able to provide:

• a contact name
• the name of your school, library, or homeschool group
• a virtual meeting link. 

Please check your scheduled time carefully. All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time.

To sign up, go to our form on SignUp Genius and choose an available slot.

#OwnVoices, #OwnVisions: Writing and Illustrating an Arab American Character

When I began writing FARAH ROCKS FIFTH GRADE, my debut chapter book series, I was excited that Capstone books had taken a chance on the idea. It was thrilling to know that I was writing the first chapter book series to feature a Palestinian American character -- Farah Hajjar, who is modeled on my own childhood and some of the experiences I had growing up. 

Growing Arab American was difficult because there are so many negative stereotypes in the media about our community - and very few books and films with authentic representations to counter them. So while writing FARAH ROCKS was fun, it was also worrisome: I felt the pressure to present a character who felt real and who would be embraced by Arab and non-Arab kids alike.

Part of my worry was about how Farah would be illustrated. I still have memories of seeing stereotypical representations of Arabs in movies like Aladdin. Nothing was more vital than making sure Farah was portrayed in a realistic, positive way. 

Enter Ruaida Mannaa, a talented artist and my wonderful illustrator! When I first saw the initial sketches of Farah-- a character who had, until then, existed only in my mind -- I knew Ruaida understood what mattered to me about capturing Farah’s essence. 

Ruaida is of Lebanese origin, which makes FARAH ROCKS a book series written by AND illustrated by Arab women. Recently, I interviewed Ruaida about how she developed the look of Farah!

Susan: You have an interesting background. Where did you grow up? Tell me about your cultural background.

Ruaida: I was born in Colombia, and my background is Lebanese. Both my parents are first generation born in Latin America (mom in Brazil and dad in Colombia). So I definitely grew up in a multicultural environment! Listening to Arab and Brazilian music, eating delicious foods, attending the loudest parties and hearing different languages.

Susan: How long have you been an artist? When did you first know you wanted to make this a career?

Ruaida: I’ve always been creative and passionate about art. This passion became my career very organically. I studied graphic design, worked as a designer and teacher for a few years and then got my masters in illustration from SCAD. I love that my job allows me to always learn something new, each project takes me on a new path and pushes me to think outside of the box.
​

Ruaida Mannaa is a Colombian/Lebanese Illustrator and Designer. Her background includes several design projects as well as experience as a Digital Design professor. Ruaida believes that creativity comes from curiosity so she is constantly exploring and visually interpreting the world around her. Ruaida grew up in a multicultural family, surrounded by different languages, loud parties and delicious food! So culture and cultural exchange are definitely her greatest inspiration.
Ruaida graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration. She is currently based in Barranquilla, Colombia, where she works with clients all over the world.

You can learn more about Ruaida at her website.

As writers we spend so many months and years in our little bubbles writing that we're often clueless when it comes to marketing and promoting our books. This was the primary reason KidLit in Color was started a year ago. Many of our members had limited social media and marketing experience, and the group was a great way to support each other. Even though 2020 was a tough year to release a book, we learned a lot this past year that we hope helps you on your publication journey in 2021.

"My book debuted last in our group so I was able to watch and learn from everyone else.  It's impossible to do everything so make achievable goals and work toward them. For example, instead of 50 blog interviews you may aim for 5.  Instead of spreading yourself thin on all social media outlets you may choose to only participate on 1or 2. It's okay to find what works for you and do that unapologetically." Kirstie Myvett, author of Praline Lady.

Kirstie resides in the rich cultural city of New Orleans with her family. She enjoys foreign films, visits to the beach, and playing board games. Her debut picture book, PRALINE LADY, was published in November 2020 by Pelican Publishing. Her work has also been featured in Country Roads Magazine. 

If you’d like to learn more about Kirstie Myvett please visit her website at kirstiemyvett.com 

With the holidays upon us, there are sure to be many opportunities to share wonderful foods with the little ones in our lives. A playful and engaging activity to explore together can be a pause for Mindful Eating. When we are mindful, we are paying attention to experiences with all of our senses, on purpose, with curious interest and care. Here is a 5-minute practice you can try with some favorite festive treats.
​

1. Decide what food you might like to explore. It could be a fruit or a veggie, a pretzel or a cracker, or maybe a delightful praline (as featured in the new release, Praline Lady by Kirstie Myvett). Anything goes!
2. First, let’s explore this snack using the sense of SIGHT. What does it look like? Use all the descriptive words you might find. 
3. Next, let’s explore with TOUCH. Hold it in your hand. Is it light? Is it heavy? Is it soft? Is it hard? What textures do you feel with your skin?
4. Now comes HEARING. Does your snack make a sound? Hold it to your ear. Is it talking to you? Does it make a noise when you gently shake it in your hand or squeeze it? Maybe you have to unwrap this treat. Does its wrapper make noises as you remove it? 
5. How about SMELL?  Gently hold your treat to your nose, and notice if it has a smell. Is it a pleasant smell? Is it a smell you do not like? Hmmm, does the smell make your mouth water? 
6. We’ve looked. We touched. We listened and smelled. Finally we get to TASTE. Take a small bite of your snack. Before you chew, get curious. Notice what the snack feels like inside your mouth. Do you detect a taste even before you chew?  Now bite into your treat, and chew slowly. Notice all the textures and flavors in your mouth. Does the taste change as you chew? 
7. When you are ready, let yourself swallow your snack. See how far you can follow its sensations, maybe even down to your belly. Notice how you feel now. 
8. We have used all five of our senses, and we can still use even more. We can use the 6th sense of our heart and mind.  Take a moment to notice what memories this snack reminds you of. Can you invite some gratitude in your heart for this food and the hands that prepared it? What does that feel like?
9. If you have another bite or a different snack, is the experience the same? What are the ways it is different? What does it feel like to slow down and share a snack in this way?

There are so many ways to explore! Have fun with this, and notice what you uncover together. We can’t wait to hear all about it!

by Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, Mindfulness educator and author of Finding Om