We all agree that teaching kids to be creative pays big dividends no matter what field of work they choose as adults.
But often our efforts at teaching creativity have a future pay-off that we don’t get to see. Kids grow up and leave our schools (or our homes) and we never know the full impact that this creativity will have on their adult lives. So when they go on to create something really special and share it with the world, it’s worth talking about!
My daughter’s first published book, Twenty-Two: Letters to a Young Woman Searching for Meaning, was released today in hardcover, and it’s a testament to a life lived creatively!
When Allie was graduating from college, she saw the need for a book that would help young women like herself navigate the ups and downs of this time of life. She looked for something that might inspire and encourage her in her own journey, but nothing like that existed.
Motivated by social justice, she went on to spend most of the last decade traveling the world in her work against human trafficking. She met fascinating people, had incredible adventures, and gained some great wisdom and insight. Then, almost 10 years later she finally decided to write that book she wished she’d had herself all those years ago.
Even though Allie’s book is aimed at young women in their late teens through twenties, I think most anyone could enjoy it.
Okay, I am her mom, and I admit to being just a little bit biased, but I need to add that her writing is really, really good. Her content is unique and absorbing…. you’ll laugh, you’ll relate, you’ll love her metaphors, you’ll want to bookmark pages and write in the margins, you’ll be surprised (and maybe shocked), and you might even cry a little. (And little-known fact just for my blog readers – that’s Allie’s own handwriting on the cover!)
My daughter was blessed to have teachers who valued creativity and worked hard to develop that quality in their students. As one of her (early) teachers it’s inspiring to see her creativity flourishing!
I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Twenty-Two for yourself or for a young woman in your life, and be encouraged by what’s possible when we teach kids to be creative!
#22Letters @alliebridge
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