(4573,48,'2012-01-24 13:57:16','2012-01-24 21:57:16','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices, when one of my friends mentioned Janice Martin, an aerial violinist. We wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this aerial violinist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. We follow the same pattern : go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments solely as a musician is impressive.\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nMy friends and I who were discussing Janice Martin\'s act were still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, careers, and families, and having reached the milestone 30th birthday. We also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Maybe there is still hope that I can combine playing viola, writing, and drinking coffee into a fulfulling career.\n\nI think it is more than that, however.  Maybe we don’t have to find that “one thing” to do for the rest of our lives. Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to do something completely different and change careers every 5 years, or 10 years, or X years. Variety and change in vocations and careers doesn’t necessarily mean there is an inability to commit or  a lack of will power to see things through. It might just mean the project is finished and it’s time for the next thing.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-14','','','2012-01-24 13:57:16','2012-01-24 21:57:16','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(4574,48,'2012-01-24 13:59:49','2012-01-24 21:59:49','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices, when one of my friends mentioned Janice Martin, an aerial violinist. We wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this aerial violinist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nMy friends and I who were discussing Janice Martin\'s act were still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, careers, and families, and having reached the milestone 30th birthday. We also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nI think it is more than that, however.  Maybe we don’t have to find that “one thing” to do for the rest of our lives. Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to do something completely different and change careers every 5 years, or 10 years, or X years. Variety and change in vocations and careers doesn’t necessarily mean there is an inability to commit or  a lack of will power to see things through. It might just mean the project is finished and it’s time for the next thing.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-15','','','2012-01-24 13:59:49','2012-01-24 21:59:49','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(4575,48,'2012-01-24 14:01:14','2012-01-24 22:01:14','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices, when one of my friends mentioned Janice Martin, an aerial violinist. We wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this aerial violinist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nMy friends and I who were discussing Janice Martin\'s act were still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, careers, and families, and having reached the milestone 30th birthday. We also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nI think it is more than that, however.  Maybe we don’t have to find that “one thing” to do for the rest of our lives. Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to do something completely different and change careers every 5 years, or 10 years, or X years. Variety and change in vocations and careers doesn’t necessarily mean there is an inability to commit or  a lack of will power to see things through. It might just mean the project is finished and it’s time for the next thing.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-16','','','2012-01-24 14:01:14','2012-01-24 22:01:14','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(4577,48,'2012-01-24 14:09:38','2012-01-24 22:09:38','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices, when one of my friends mentioned Janice Martin, an aerial violinist. We wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this aerial violinist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\r\n\r\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nMy friends and I who were discussing Janice Martin\'s act were still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, careers, and families, and having reached the milestone 30th birthday. We also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-18','','','2012-01-24 14:09:38','2012-01-24 22:09:38','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-18/',0,'revision','',0),(4576,48,'2012-01-24 14:09:00','2012-01-24 22:09:00','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices, when one of my friends mentioned Janice Martin, an aerial violinist. We wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this aerial violinist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\r\n\r\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nMy friends and I who were discussing Janice Martin\'s act were still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, careers, and families, and having reached the milestone 30th birthday. We also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nI think it is more than that, however.  Maybe we don’t have to find that “one thing” to do for the rest of our lives. Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to do something completely different and change careers every 5 years, or 10 years, or X years. Variety and change in vocations and careers doesn’t necessarily mean there is an inability to commit or  a lack of will power to see things through. It might just mean the project is finished and it’s time for the next thing.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-17','','','2012-01-24 14:09:00','2012-01-24 22:09:00','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-17/',0,'revision','',0),(4578,0,'2012-01-24 14:52:04','2012-01-24 22:52:04','Reposting the guest post by Jamie the Very Worst Missionary for the Women in Ministry Series.\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Ed Cyzewski\nAUTHOR EMAIL: edcyzewski@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://www.inamirrordimly.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 76.181.77.53\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Ed Cyzewski\n    [Email] =&gt; edcyzewski@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; www.inamirrordimly.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Reposting the guest post by Jamie the Very Worst Missionary for the Women in Ministry Series.\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; edcyzewski\n)\n','Ed Cyzewski - 2012-01-24 14:52:04','','publish','open','open','','aa35508946a25c0c99cabfd3a74ea0f6','','','2012-01-24 14:52:04','2012-01-24 22:52:04','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=4578',0,'feedback','',0),(4580,48,'2012-01-24 15:14:05','2012-01-24 23:14:05','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-20','','','2012-01-24 15:14:05','2012-01-24 23:14:05','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-20/',0,'revision','',0),(4581,48,'2012-01-24 15:15:25','2012-01-24 23:15:25','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-21','','','2012-01-24 15:15:25','2012-01-24 23:15:25','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(4583,48,'2012-01-24 15:31:28','2012-01-24 23:31:28','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nour brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, she is a formidable artist. It should be no surprise that such a unique talent would take an equally unique path.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-23','','','2012-01-24 15:31:28','2012-01-24 23:31:28','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-23/',0,'revision','',0),(4582,48,'2012-01-24 15:28:48','2012-01-24 23:28:48','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nIt may be that our ability to categorize things and box things in serves an important purpose. In fact, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, she is a formidable artist. It should be no surprise that s\n\n&nbsp;\n\nTruly, just taking her accomplishments in piecemeal format, she is a formidable artist.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-22','','','2012-01-24 15:28:48','2012-01-24 23:28:48','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-22/',0,'revision','',0),(4584,48,'2012-01-24 15:31:47','2012-01-24 23:31:47','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, she is a formidable artist. It should be no surprise that such a unique talent would take an equally unique path.\r\n\r\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-24','','','2012-01-24 15:31:47','2012-01-24 23:31:47','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-24/',0,'revision','',0),(4585,48,'2012-01-24 15:39:33','2012-01-24 23:39:33','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-25','','','2012-01-24 15:39:33','2012-01-24 23:39:33','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-25/',0,'revision','',0),(4586,48,'2012-01-24 15:43:27','2012-01-24 23:43:27','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlining in Branson, MO with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-26','','','2012-01-24 15:43:27','2012-01-24 23:43:27','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-26/',0,'revision','',0),(4587,48,'2012-01-24 15:46:56','2012-01-24 23:46:56','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for another season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-27','','','2012-01-24 15:46:56','2012-01-24 23:46:56','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-27/',0,'revision','',0),(4588,48,'2012-01-24 15:52:15','2012-01-24 23:52:15','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves or hoops hanging high above the ground), but she also displays an amaTruly, she is a formidale artist, putting tiche often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-28','','','2012-01-24 15:52:15','2012-01-24 23:52:15','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-28/',0,'revision','',0),(4589,48,'2012-01-24 15:53:12','2012-01-24 23:53:12','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves or hoops hanging high above the ground), but she also displays an amazing grace, beauty, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting tiche often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-29','','','2012-01-24 15:53:12','2012-01-24 23:53:12','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-29/',0,'revision','',0),(4590,48,'2012-01-24 15:56:57','2012-01-24 23:56:57','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance,. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting tiche often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMusically trained at The Juilliard and Indiana School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-30','','','2012-01-24 15:56:57','2012-01-24 23:56:57','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-30/',0,'revision','',0),(4591,48,'2012-01-24 15:58:23','2012-01-24 23:58:23','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMusically at the Indiana University and the Juillliard School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-31','','','2012-01-24 15:58:23','2012-01-24 23:58:23','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-31/',0,'revision','',0),(4592,48,'2012-01-24 15:58:25','2012-01-24 23:58:25','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMusically at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-32','','','2012-01-24 15:58:25','2012-01-24 23:58:25','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-32/',0,'revision','',0),(4593,48,'2012-01-24 16:00:19','2012-01-25 00:00:19','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMusically at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she boasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-33','','','2012-01-24 16:00:19','2012-01-25 00:00:19','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-33/',0,'revision','',0),(4594,48,'2012-01-24 16:07:54','2012-01-25 00:07:54','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including\n\nplay at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world\n\nleaders.\n\nboasts such honors as solos with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut. The Stradivari Society even awarded her the honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin in recognition of her accomplishments. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-34','','','2012-01-24 16:07:54','2012-01-25 00:07:54','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-34/',0,'revision','',0),(4604,48,'2012-01-24 16:34:23','2012-01-25 00:34:23','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  Like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration, like Janice Martin, to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves?\n\nGod created us in His image, and like Him, we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-44','','','2012-01-24 16:34:23','2012-01-25 00:34:23','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-44/',0,'revision','',0),(4595,48,'2012-01-24 16:12:32','2012-01-25 00:12:32','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloomg with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, as well as a Carnegie Hall debut.  Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-35','','','2012-01-24 16:12:32','2012-01-25 00:12:32','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-35/',0,'revision','',0),(4606,48,'2012-01-24 16:38:03','2012-01-25 00:38:03','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I do know that life is too short to try to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-46','','','2012-01-24 16:38:03','2012-01-25 00:38:03','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-46/',0,'revision','',0),(4599,48,'2012-01-24 16:21:07','2012-01-25 00:21:07','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-39','','','2012-01-24 16:21:07','2012-01-25 00:21:07','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-39/',0,'revision','',0),(4596,48,'2012-01-24 16:14:46','2012-01-25 00:14:46','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. as well as a Carnegie Hall debut.  Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nBut, I wondered, how did she go from talented classical musician to aerial violinist? Where did the aerobatics\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-36','','','2012-01-24 16:14:46','2012-01-25 00:14:46','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-36/',0,'revision','',0),(4598,48,'2012-01-24 16:16:42','2012-01-25 00:16:42','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, the, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where did the aerobatics come in to this story?\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-38','','','2012-01-24 16:16:42','2012-01-25 00:16:42','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-38/',0,'revision','',0),(4597,48,'2012-01-24 16:15:14','2012-01-25 00:15:14','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also headlines in Branson, MO where she is returning for a second season with the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a>\'s show <em>Encore!</em> Watching the videos of her available on her website, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while playing upside down, holding yourself up by silk scarves high in the air), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while dangling from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. as well as a Carnegie Hall debut.  Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nBut, I wondered, how did she go from talented classical musician to aerial violinist? Where did the aerobatics come in to this story?\r\n\r\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-37','','','2012-01-24 16:15:14','2012-01-25 00:15:14','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-37/',0,'revision','',0),(4600,48,'2012-01-24 16:22:17','2012-01-25 00:22:17','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-40','','','2012-01-24 16:22:17','2012-01-25 00:22:17','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-40/',0,'revision','',0),(4601,48,'2012-01-24 16:22:28','2012-01-25 00:22:28','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\r\n\r\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-41','','','2012-01-24 16:22:28','2012-01-25 00:22:28','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-41/',0,'revision','',0),(4602,48,'2012-01-24 16:23:43','2012-01-25 00:23:43','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Or more importantly, we wanted careers that were uniquely suited to ourselves. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns After Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-42','','','2012-01-24 16:23:43','2012-01-25 00:23:43','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-42/',0,'revision','',0),(4603,48,'2012-01-24 16:29:42','2012-01-25 00:29:42','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWe also wanted careers or callings that were unique and interesting, even beyond moving away from the typical 9-5 office job.  Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  I do long wish for a similar inspiration to break myself out of the \"career/vocation box\"; are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that I previously thought I could not combine, that together would create one exceptionally unique career, much like the dangling aerial violinist? But but I would like to have this woman’s ability to completely bust out of the box.\n\nGod created us in His image, so we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-43','','','2012-01-24 16:29:42','2012-01-25 00:29:42','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-43/',0,'revision','',0),(4605,48,'2012-01-24 16:35:15','2012-01-25 00:35:15','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\r\n\r\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly something that appeals to me for my own career, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves?\r\n\r\nGod created us in His image, and like Him, we too are creative beings. Isn’t it high time we moved in more freedom in creating…and not just in creating more boxes? Life is too short to do things just to fit inside someone else’s or our own self-built boxes.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-45','','','2012-01-24 16:35:15','2012-01-25 00:35:15','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-45/',0,'revision','',0),(4607,48,'2012-01-24 16:39:13','2012-01-25 00:39:13','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-47','','','2012-01-24 16:39:13','2012-01-25 00:39:13','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-47/',0,'revision','',0),(4608,48,'2012-01-24 16:39:16','2012-01-25 00:39:16','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\r\n\r\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-48','','','2012-01-24 16:39:16','2012-01-25 00:39:16','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-48/',0,'revision','',0),(4611,48,'2012-01-24 16:42:09','2012-01-25 00:42:09','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-51','','','2012-01-24 16:42:09','2012-01-25 00:42:09','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-51/',0,'revision','',0),(4609,48,'2012-01-24 16:39:58','2012-01-25 00:39:58','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\r\n\r\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-49','','','2012-01-24 16:39:58','2012-01-25 00:39:58','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-49/',0,'revision','',0),(4610,48,'2012-01-24 16:40:35','2012-01-25 00:40:35','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly?\r\n\r\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-50','','','2012-01-24 16:40:35','2012-01-25 00:40:35','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-50/',0,'revision','',0),(4612,48,'2012-01-24 17:16:30','2012-01-25 01:16:30','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nShe is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, she was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did she go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Janice returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The final breath of inspiration came one evening while in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. That performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. And this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-52','','','2012-01-24 17:16:30','2012-01-25 01:16:30','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-52/',0,'revision','',0),(4613,48,'2012-01-24 17:20:25','2012-01-25 01:20:25','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. This is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-53','','','2012-01-24 17:20:25','2012-01-25 01:20:25','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-53/',0,'revision','',0),(4614,48,'2012-01-24 17:21:03','2012-01-25 01:21:03','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. This is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.\r\n\r\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-54','','','2012-01-24 17:21:03','2012-01-25 01:21:03','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-54/',0,'revision','',0),(4615,48,'2012-01-24 17:24:39','2012-01-25 01:24:39','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.\n\nFrom there, it is all history, as they say. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. She ha\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-55','','','2012-01-24 17:24:39','2012-01-25 01:24:39','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-55/',0,'revision','',0),(4616,48,'2012-01-24 17:26:07','2012-01-25 01:26:07','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nWearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-56','','','2012-01-24 17:26:07','2012-01-25 01:26:07','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-56/',0,'revision','',0),(4617,48,'2012-01-24 17:28:18','2012-01-25 01:28:18','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside one of its already pre-conceived schemas. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  AAnd, like many of my generation, I long for a  career or vocation that  moves away from the typical 9-5 job.  Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-57','','','2012-01-24 17:28:18','2012-01-25 01:28:18','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-57/',0,'revision','',0),(4618,48,'2012-01-24 17:31:15','2012-01-25 01:31:15','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidale artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: The US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C. as a solo violinist, including solos at the White House, the Capitol and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-58','','','2012-01-24 17:31:15','2012-01-25 01:31:15','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-58/',0,'revision','',0),(4619,48,'2012-01-24 17:35:02','2012-01-25 01:35:02','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone is truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-59','','','2012-01-24 17:35:02','2012-01-25 01:35:02','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-59/',0,'revision','',0),(4620,48,'2012-01-24 17:36:26','2012-01-25 01:36:26','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Are there gifts, talents and interests that I have -- or you have-- that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-60','','','2012-01-24 17:36:26','2012-01-25 01:36:26','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-60/',0,'revision','',0),(4621,48,'2012-01-24 17:40:26','2012-01-25 01:40:26','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Thinking Like an Aerial Violinist','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-61','','','2012-01-24 17:40:26','2012-01-25 01:40:26','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-61/',0,'revision','',0),(4622,48,'2012-01-24 17:42:01','2012-01-25 01:42:01','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Breaking Out of Boxes, Dangling From Scarves','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-62','','','2012-01-24 17:42:01','2012-01-25 01:42:01','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-62/',0,'revision','',0),(4623,48,'2012-01-24 17:59:43','2012-01-25 01:59:43','','aerial violinist_1','','inherit','open','open','','aerial-violinist_1','','','2012-01-24 17:59:43','2012-01-25 01:59:43','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/aerial-violinist_1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(4624,48,'2012-01-24 17:46:56','2012-01-25 01:46:56','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I am searching, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Breaking Out of Boxes, Dangling From Scarves','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-63','','','2012-01-24 17:46:56','2012-01-25 01:46:56','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-63/',0,'revision','',0),(4625,48,'2012-01-24 18:46:49','2012-01-25 02:46:49','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHow else can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I continue the searchg, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Breaking Out of Boxes, Dangling From Scarves','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-64','','','2012-01-24 18:46:49','2012-01-25 02:46:49','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-64/',0,'revision','',0),(4626,48,'2012-01-24 18:53:05','2012-01-25 02:53:05','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement for her next career move. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration.\n\nHow else can we  find inspiration to break out of the career/vocation schemata we have created for ourselves? I don\'t have all the answers to that question, but I continue the search, because I do know that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Breaking Out of Boxes, Dangling From Scarves','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-65','','','2012-01-24 18:53:05','2012-01-25 02:53:05','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-65/',0,'revision','',0),(4627,48,'2012-01-24 18:59:26','2012-01-25 02:59:26','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are tu\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Breaking Out of Boxes, Dangling From Scarves','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-66','','','2012-01-24 18:59:26','2012-01-25 02:59:26','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-66/',0,'revision','',0),(4629,48,'2012-01-24 19:04:20','2012-01-25 03:04:20','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-68','','','2012-01-24 19:04:20','2012-01-25 03:04:20','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-68/',0,'revision','',0),(4628,48,'2012-01-24 18:59:34','2012-01-25 02:59:34','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Breaking Out of Boxes, Dangling From Scarves','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-67','','','2012-01-24 18:59:34','2012-01-25 02:59:34','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-67/',0,'revision','',0),(4631,48,'2012-01-24 19:06:04','2012-01-25 03:06:04','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-70','','','2012-01-24 19:06:04','2012-01-25 03:06:04','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-70/',0,'revision','',0),(4630,48,'2012-01-24 19:04:23','2012-01-25 03:04:23','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hopes of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-69','','','2012-01-24 19:04:23','2012-01-25 03:04:23','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-69/',0,'revision','',0),(4633,48,'2012-01-24 19:08:29','2012-01-25 03:08:29','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on  solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-72','','','2012-01-24 19:08:29','2012-01-25 03:08:29','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-72/',0,'revision','',0),(4632,48,'2012-01-24 19:06:54','2012-01-25 03:06:54','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell you, the pieces she plays are difficult enough to play standing on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do; the trouble is, I have so many and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snuggly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-71','','','2012-01-24 19:06:54','2012-01-25 03:06:54','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-71/',0,'revision','',0),(4634,48,'2012-01-24 19:11:44','2012-01-25 03:11:44','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who later dropped it for a Psychology degree), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up to you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-73','','','2012-01-24 19:11:44','2012-01-25 03:11:44','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-73/',0,'revision','',0),(4635,48,'2012-01-24 19:17:29','2012-01-25 03:17:29','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-74','','','2012-01-24 19:17:29','2012-01-25 03:17:29','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-74/',0,'revision','',0),(4637,48,'2012-01-24 19:19:39','2012-01-25 03:19:39','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-76','','','2012-01-24 19:19:39','2012-01-25 03:19:39','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-76/',0,'revision','',0),(4636,48,'2012-01-24 19:17:33','2012-01-25 03:17:33','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this artist does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemas”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside an already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into a schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause an existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for “exceptions from the rule”. The question is, do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.  Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often-touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nSo, then, how did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show. The performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing.  Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n\r\nFurther Credits:\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-75','','','2012-01-24 19:17:33','2012-01-25 03:17:33','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4550-revision-75/',0,'revision','',0),(4640,149,'2012-01-24 21:20:18','2012-01-25 05:20:18','Growing up in the church and in a Christian family, I remember hearing about a lot of different people in our community who weren’t <em>acting </em>very Christian.\n\nHow does one <em>act</em> Christian? It seems simple, but can be very complicated. Don’t Christians just follow the way of Jesus, choosing to live as he lived, engaging as he did?\n\n<strong><em>Christian</em></strong> \\ˈkris-chən, ˈkrish-\\\n<strong>noun</strong> <strong>:</strong> one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ\n<strong>adjective : </strong>of to, or relating to, Christianity or being a Christian; based on or conforming with religion of Christianity\n\nWhen people ask if I am a Christian, I usually say that I am “christian-<em>ish</em>.” This has nothing to do with being lukewarm, but is because of my desire to be viewed separately from the general Christian contingent. Though it boasts many good and desirable qualities, Christianity as a religion has been known to judge, to condemn and to look down upon, at times. There may be those who will judge me and even presume to know me, and in their condescending eyes I’ll seem to <em>act</em> much less Christian then they do.\n\nAnd they’ll be right...because I’m not <em>acting Christian</em> at all.\n\nIt feels more honest to follow Jesus organically then to label myself Christian and become part of the club. I’d rather be found trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus then be found <em>acting</em> like a Christian. I’d rather risk it all, trip and fall while conquering mountains with Jesus than play it safe and just go through the motions, doing chair aerobics in the comfort of the church.\n\nWhether I go to church or label myself “Christian,” does it really matter? It’s written in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3 that even if I were the most amazing “Christian,” doing all the church stuff, I am nothing without love!\n\nI\'d rather spend time with \"non-Christians,” allowing them to notice something different about me that they can’t see and be attracted to the love of Jesus in me, than to be repelled by a “brother” or “sister” in the Lord because I am different than he or she.\n\nI’d rather be good to the bad than blend in with the bland. I\'d rather <em>be</em> loved by someone than be <em>told</em> that someone loves me. I’d rather feel and share the love of Jesus than just talk about it.\n\nIt’s important to me to be a part of my community and not pretend that it’s my “holy” segregation makes me a Jesus freak. The principle of “in the world, but not of it” doesn’t work unless it’s informed by Love.\n\nWhere I once bought into to the fear-based mentality of avoiding this world’s reality, I’m learning to embrace the beauty of a world created for me. I’m learning what it feels like to be free, I’m learning to taste, touch, hear, smell and see. I desire faith that lives, moves and breathes because I’m disgusted with a convenient, oppressive theology. A little less conversation and little more action please!\n\nKeep it real. Follow Jesus.','Acting Christian','','inherit','open','open','','4639-revision','','','2012-01-24 21:20:18','2012-01-25 05:20:18','',4639,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4639-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(4653,48,'2012-01-25 08:43:44','2012-01-25 16:43:44','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.¹‚² Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.³\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society.¹ She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few.¹ Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music.³ The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other.³ No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows.³ From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n<div>\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n[1]<a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n[2]Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n[3]Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n</div>\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-86','','','2012-01-25 08:43:44','2012-01-25 16:43:44','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-86/',0,'revision','',0),(4650,48,'2012-01-25 08:34:55','2012-01-25 16:34:55','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.[1]</sup>,[2]</sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.[3]</sup>\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society.[1]</sup> She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music.[3] The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. [3] No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. [3] From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n<div>\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n[1] <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n[2]Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n[3]Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n</div>\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-84','','','2012-01-25 08:34:55','2012-01-25 16:34:55','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-84/',0,'revision','',0),(4644,48,'2012-01-25 08:18:30','2012-01-25 16:18:30','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a><sup>,<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn2\">[2]</a></sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a>\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. 1 She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. 3 The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. 3 No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. 3 From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n<div>\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref1\">[1]</a> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref2\">[2]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref3\">[3]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n</div>\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-78','','','2012-01-25 08:18:30','2012-01-25 16:18:30','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-78/',0,'revision','',0),(4643,48,'2012-01-25 08:17:05','2012-01-25 16:17:05','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a><sup>,<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn2\">[2]</a></sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a>\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. 1 She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. 3 The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. 3 No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. 3 From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n<div><br />\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref1\">[1]</a> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref2\">[2]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref3\">[3]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n</div>\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of  Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n\nFurther Credits:\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\nSilver Dollar City Publicity (2012). <em>Encore!</em> Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-77','','','2012-01-25 08:17:05','2012-01-25 16:17:05','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-77/',0,'revision','',0),(4645,48,'2012-01-25 08:25:15','2012-01-25 16:25:15','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a><sup>,<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn2\">[2]</a></sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a>\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. 1 She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. 3 The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. 3 No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. 3 From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref1\">[1]</a> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref2\">[2]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref3\">[3]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-79','','','2012-01-25 08:25:15','2012-01-25 16:25:15','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-79/',0,'revision','',0),(4646,48,'2012-01-25 08:25:48','2012-01-25 16:25:48','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a><sup>,<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn2\">[2]</a></sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a>\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. 1 She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. 3 The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. 3 No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. 3 From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref1\">[1]</a> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref2\">[2]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref3\">[3]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-80','','','2012-01-25 08:25:48','2012-01-25 16:25:48','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-80/',0,'revision','',0),(4647,48,'2012-01-25 08:29:07','2012-01-25 16:29:07','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a><sup>,<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn2\">[2]</a></sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a>\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a> She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref1\">[1]</a> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref2\">[2]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref3\">[3]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-81','','','2012-01-25 08:29:07','2012-01-25 16:29:07','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-81/',0,'revision','',0),(4648,48,'2012-01-25 08:29:45','2012-01-25 16:29:45','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a><sup>,<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn2\">[2]</a></sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a>\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a> She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref1\">[1]</a> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref2\">[2]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref3\">[3]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-82','','','2012-01-25 08:29:45','2012-01-25 16:29:45','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-82/',0,'revision','',0),(4649,48,'2012-01-25 08:29:52','2012-01-25 16:29:52','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a><sup>,<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn2\">[2]</a></sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a>\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn1\">[1]</a> She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows. <a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftn3\">[3]</a> From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref1\">[1]</a> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref2\">[2]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<a title=\"\" href=\"/Users/Owner/Desktop/Janice%20Martin%20Doc.docx#_ftnref3\">[3]</a>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-83','','','2012-01-25 08:29:52','2012-01-25 16:29:52','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-83/',0,'revision','',0),(4651,48,'2012-01-25 08:35:42','2012-01-25 16:35:42','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.[1]</sup>,[2]</sup> Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.[3]</sup>\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society.[1]</sup> She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few. 1 Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music.[3]</sup> The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other.[3]</sup> No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows.[3]</sup> From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n[1]</sup> <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n[2]</sup>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n[3]</sup>Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-85','','','2012-01-25 08:35:42','2012-01-25 16:35:42','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-85/',0,'revision','',0),(4654,48,'2012-01-25 08:44:51','2012-01-25 16:44:51','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\n\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\n\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\n\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.¹‚² Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\n\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.³\n\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society.¹ She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few.¹ Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\n\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music.³ The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other.³ No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows.³ From there, it is all history, as they say.\n\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\n\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\n\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\n\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\n\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\n<div>\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n¹<a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n²Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n<div>\n\n³Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\n\n</div>\n</div>\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-87','','','2012-01-25 08:44:51','2012-01-25 16:44:51','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-87/',0,'revision','',0),(4681,0,'2012-01-26 09:12:16','2012-01-26 17:12:16','Primarily I blog under the \"justice\" category, especially politics and social justice.\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Jeff Fulmer\nAUTHOR EMAIL: jeff@hometownprophetbook.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/news/\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 69.138.63.63\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Jeff Fulmer\n    [Email] =&gt; jeff@hometownprophetbook.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; http://www.hometownprophetbook.com/news/\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Primarily I blog under the \"justice\" category, especially politics and social justice. \n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; Hometown Prophet\n)\n','Jeff Fulmer - 2012-01-26 09:12:16','','publish','open','open','','07cebc57ff24206880da2421f77ca8f5','','','2012-01-26 09:12:16','2012-01-26 17:12:16','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=4681',0,'feedback','',0),(4655,48,'2012-01-25 08:44:59','2012-01-25 16:44:59','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.¹‚² Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.³\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society.¹ She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few.¹ Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music.³ The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other.³ No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows.³ From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n¹<a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n²Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n³Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-88','','','2012-01-25 08:44:59','2012-01-25 16:44:59','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-88/',0,'revision','',0),(4656,48,'2012-01-25 08:45:12','2012-01-25 16:45:12','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\", and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.¹‚² Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.³\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society.¹ She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few.¹ Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music.³ The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other.³ No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows.³ From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n¹<a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n²Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n³Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-89','','','2012-01-25 08:45:12','2012-01-25 16:45:12','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-89/',0,'revision','',0),(4657,48,'2012-01-25 08:46:23','2012-01-25 16:46:23','“At what point do you say, ‘Wow, I really want to dangle upside down from silk scarves and play the violin for a living\'?” This question was posed by myself and couple friends of mine as we reconnected over a cup of coffee. We were discussing life paths and career choices-- still trying to figure out what we wanted to do “when we grew up”, despite having  graduated from college and started various jobs, families, and all recently having reached the milestone 30th birthday. It was in this context that one of my friends mentioned the aerial violinist, Janice Martin. We collectively wondered: what is the secret to thinking so decidedly out of the box as this performer does?\r\n\r\nTo be sure, thinking outside of the box is a rather cliché concept now, the subject of countless self-help books, business seminars, and the like. Regardless, it truly is something people seem to have a hard time executing. We learn early on as children to draw inside the lines, follow all the rules, and act orderly and contained. Creativity, while not completely disregarded, is often more of an afterthought. Most follow the same pattern into our adult life: go to school, build a career, get married, have kids, and those who dare to do those in a different order or on a different timeframe are often questioned or ridiculed.\r\n\r\nTo add to this, our brains seem hard-wired to place everything into neat little boxes.  Psychological theory calls these boxes “schemata”:  mental structures to organize information. Every time your brain receives new information, it tries to fit it inside already pre-conceived schemata. It is an efficient and quick way to store, retrieve, and process information, helping us to respond quickly and appropriately to many situations. However, when we encounter new experiences or information that does not fit into an existing schema, a common reaction is to ignore or quickly forget the offending information. Occasionally, new information that differs so completely from a schema but cannot be ignored will cause the existing schema to be altered or to create a separate schema for these “exceptions from the rule”. The question is: do these schemas we have created for ourselves and our roles sometimes needlessly box us in?\r\n\r\nLet’s go back to the aerial violinist. According to her <a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">website</a>, Janice Martin is a classically trained violinist, pianist and vocalist who works with the Cirque du Symphonie, combining her talents with aerial acrobats to be the \"world\'s only aerial violinist\"¹, and also returned to headline the show <em>Encore!</em> aboard the <a href=\"http://www.showboatbransonbelle.com/\">Showboat Branson Belle</a> in Branson, MO for the second season.² Watching the videos of her performances, I am struck by not only her musical prowess (and I am a classically trained violist, so I can tell that the pieces she plays are difficult enough while performing them on solid ground, let alone while dangling by scarves), but she also displays an amazing grace, power, and strength in her aerial performance. Her vocal and piano performances are equally impressive, even if not performed while hanging from the ceiling. Truly, she is a formidable artist, putting the often touted \"triple threats\" to shame.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin is a unique artist to say the least, so it should be no surprise that her path there is equally unique. Musically trained at the Indiana University and the Juilliard School of Music, she found her first job in perhaps an unlikely place: the US Army, where she played in the US Army Band in Washington, D.C., as a solo violinist, including performances at the White House, the Capitol, and the State Department for President Bill Clinton and other world leaders.³\r\n\r\nAfter her enlistment with the army, Martin was awarded honorary use of the 1708 Burstein/Bagshawe Stradivarius Violin by The Stradivari Society.¹ She then toured domestically and internationally, soloing with the Milwaukee Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Portland Symphony, European Union Chamber Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Ensemble, to name just a few.¹ Her career and accomplishments as a musician alone are truly impressive.\r\n\r\nHow then did Janice Martin go from an internationally recognized musician to an aerial violinist? Where do the aerobatics come in to this story, exactly? After the death of her friend and sponsor, Joseph Burstein, Martin returned to New York in hope of creating a show of her own that encompassed more than just the realm of classical music.³ The necessary creative inspiration came one evening while Martin was in the audience of a Cirque du Soleil show; the performance that night moved her so much that she determined to become an aerialist and, combined with her violin virtuosity, have a one-woman show like no other.³ No doubt this is where her training in the Army came in handy once again, what with the vigorous physical training, including rope climbing. Janice Martin debuted at Carnegie Hall and then spent over a decade traveling and performing her self-choreographed shows.³ From there, it is all history, as they say.\r\n\r\nSo, what can we learn from this fascinating woman? Wearing skin-tight outfits and dangling upside down from scarves and rings from great heights while playing the electric violin is not exactly my dream job, but I certainly enjoy watching Janet Martin live out her dream.  And that\'s what I want to do-- live out my dream; the trouble is, I don\'t just have one, and I haven\'t quite figured out how to combine them all so snugly like Ms. Martin has. Do I-- or you-- have gifts, talents and interests that seem incongruous, but somehow together create one exceptionally unique career, much like this daring aerial violinist? How can Ms. Martin\'s unique path help to inform our own search for a fulfilling and interesting career or life?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, Ms. Martin pursued her passions diligently and put in the hard work. Take it from this former music major (who admittedly dropped it only three semesters in to pursue a psychology degree instead), getting into Juilliard doesn\'t happen by doing the bare minimum in your practice sessions. Opportunities to grow, use, and express your talents won\'t open up for you if you aren\'t seeking excellence in whatever it is you do. So, the things you love to do? Learn to do them well. Practice. Practice. And then practice some more.\r\n\r\nMs. Martin also did something a lot of us could do more of: get out there and live life. She didn\'t just sit at home, absorbed in her own brainstorming sessions or creating a mission/purpose/vision statement. No, she was out enjoying life, and it was there, while taking time to attend a Cirque du Soleil show that she found the final inspiration. New experiences, new relationships and new adventures will bring fresh ideas and inspiration. You know what the same old thing brings? More of the same old thing.\r\n\r\nI don\'t have all the answers on how to think outside of the box, as I\'ve gotten myself into some ruts that lasted for years. But at this point in my life, I\'ve realized that life is too short to try to squeeze myself into a box, be it someone else’s or one of my own creation.  And to you, Ms. Martin, I say, \"Bravo.\" You are truly an inspiration.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City Publicity</em>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\r\n\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n¹<a href=\"http://www.janicemartin.com/\">www.janicemartin.com</a>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n²Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). Encore! Returns after Stellar First Season [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<div>\r\n\r\n³Silver Dollar City Publicity (2012). From Humble Beginnings to Carnegie Hall [Press Release].\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n</div>\r\n&nbsp;','Not Your Ordinary Day Job','','inherit','open','open','','4550-revision-90','','','2012-01-25 08:46:23','2012-01-25 16:46:23','',4550,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4550-revision-90/',0,'revision','',0),(4659,1,'2012-01-25 09:05:57','2012-01-25 17:05:57','Growing up in the church and in a Christian family, I remember hearing about a lot of different people in our community who weren’t <em>acting </em>very Christian.\n\nHow does one <em>act</em> Christian? It seems simple, but can be very complicated. Don’t Christians just follow the way of Jesus, choosing to live as he lived, engaging as he did?\n\n<strong><em>Christian</em></strong> \\ˈkris-chən, ˈkrish-\\\n<strong>noun</strong> <strong>:</strong> one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ\n<strong>adjective : </strong>of to, or relating to, Christianity or being a Christian; based on or conforming with religion of Christianity\n\nWhen people ask if I am a Christian, I usually say that I am “christian-<em>ish</em>.” This has nothing to do with being lukewarm, but is because of my desire to be viewed separately from the general Christian contingent. Though it boasts many good and desirable qualities, Christianity as a religion has been known to judge, to condemn and to look down upon, at times. There may be those who will judge me and even presume to know me, and in their condescending eyes I’ll seem to <em>act</em> much less Christian then they do.\n\nAnd they’ll be right...because I’m not <em>acting Christian</em> at all.\n\nIt feels more honest to follow Jesus organically then to label myself Christian and become part of the club. I’d rather be found trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus then be found <em>acting</em> like a Christian. I’d rather risk it all, trip and fall while conquering mountains with Jesus than play it safe and just go through the motions, doing chair aerobics in the comfort of the church.\n\nWhether I go to church or label myself “Christian,” does it really matter? It’s written in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3 that even if I were the most amazing “Christian,” doing all the church stuff, I am nothing without love!\n\nI\'d rather spend time with \"non-Christians,” allowing them to notice something different about me that they can’t see and be attracted to the love of Jesus in me, than to be repelled by a “brother” or “sister” in the Lord because I am different than he or she.\n\nI’d rather be good to the bad than blend in with the bland. I\'d rather <em>be</em> loved by someone than be <em>told</em> that someone loves me. I’d rather feel and share the love of Jesus than just talk about it.\n\nIt’s important to me to be a part of my community and not pretend that it’s my “holy” segregation makes me a Jesus freak. The principle of “in the world, but not of it” doesn’t work unless it’s informed by Love.\n\nWhere I once bought into to the fear-based mentality of avoiding this world’s reality, I’m learning to embrace the beauty of a world created for me. I’m learning what it feels like to be free, I’m learning to taste, touch, hear, smell and see. I desire faith that lives, moves and breathes because I’m disgusted with a convenient, oppressive theology. A little less conversation and little more action please!\n\nKeep it real. Follow Jesus.','Acting Christian','','inherit','open','open','','4639-autosave','','','2012-01-25 09:05:57','2012-01-25 17:05:57','',4639,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/25/4639-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(4660,1,'2012-01-25 09:14:33','2012-01-25 17:14:33','','jesus arms raised','','inherit','open','open','','jesus-arms-raised','','','2012-01-25 09:14:33','2012-01-25 17:14:33','',4639,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/jesus-arms-raised.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(4661,1,'2012-01-24 21:23:54','2012-01-25 05:23:54','Growing up in the church and in a Christian family, I remember hearing about a lot of different people in our community who weren’t <em>acting </em>very Christian.\r\n\r\nHow does one <em>act</em> Christian? It seems simple, but can be very complicated. Don’t Christians just follow the way of Jesus, choosing to live as he lived, engaging as he did?\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Christian</em></strong> \\ˈkris-chən, ˈkrish-\\\r\n<strong>noun</strong> <strong>:</strong> one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ\r\n<strong>adjective : </strong>of to, or relating to, Christianity or being a Christian; based on or conforming with religion of Christianity\r\n\r\nWhen people ask if I am a Christian, I usually say that I am “christian-<em>ish</em>.” This has nothing to do with being lukewarm, but is because of my desire to be viewed separately from the general Christian contingent. Though it boasts many good and desirable qualities, Christianity as a religion has been known to judge, to condemn and to look down upon, at times. There may be those who will judge me and even presume to know me, and in their condescending eyes I’ll seem to <em>act</em> much less Christian then they do.\r\n\r\nAnd they’ll be right...because I’m not <em>acting Christian</em> at all.\r\n\r\nIt feels more honest to follow Jesus organically then to label myself Christian and become part of the club. I’d rather be found trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus then be found <em>acting</em> like a Christian. I’d rather risk it all, trip and fall while conquering mountains with Jesus than play it safe and just go through the motions, doing chair aerobics in the comfort of the church.\r\n\r\nWhether I go to church or label myself “Christian,” does it really matter? It’s written in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3 that even if I were the most amazing “Christian,” doing all the church stuff, I am nothing without love!\r\n\r\nI\'d rather spend time with \"non-Christians,” allowing them to notice something different about me that they can’t see and be attracted to the love of Jesus in me, than to be repelled by a “brother” or “sister” in the Lord because I am different than he or she.\r\n\r\nI’d rather be good to the bad than blend in with the bland. I\'d rather <em>be</em> loved by someone than be <em>told</em> that someone loves me. I’d rather feel and share the love of Jesus than just talk about it.\r\n\r\nIt’s important to me to be a part of my community and not pretend that it’s my “holy” segregation makes me a Jesus freak. The principle of “in the world, but not of it” doesn’t work unless it’s informed by Love.\r\n\r\nWhere I once bought into to the fear-based mentality of avoiding this world’s reality, I’m learning to embrace the beauty of a world created for me. I’m learning what it feels like to be free, I’m learning to taste, touch, hear, smell and see. I desire faith that lives, moves and breathes because I’m disgusted with a convenient, oppressive theology. A little less conversation and little more action please!\r\n\r\nKeep it real. Follow Jesus.','Acting Christian','','inherit','open','open','','4639-revision-2','','','2012-01-24 21:23:54','2012-01-25 05:23:54','',4639,'http://provoketive.com/2012/01/24/4639-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7411,140,'2012-08-02 10:34:32','2012-08-02 17:34:32','This month the Synchroblog is partnering with Provoketive Magazine once again. We will each explore the implications of Jesus’ words: “Take up your cross and follow me.”\n\n<em>“Take up your cross and follow me.” ~</em>Jesus\n\nAs I reflect on the severely polarized and politicized struggles within American Christianity it is evident how little these struggles really have to do with Jesus. Both sides are more interested in isolating an ideology and then vilifying those who hold a different view. And of course, we are all convinced that our ideology is more “biblical” than any other. In all honesty, I think we hold on for dear life to our stances and beliefs so that we may convince ourselves that this is what Jesus really wants from us. It’s like a collective thought disorder. But it’s much easier than following him.\n\nBecause truthfully, who really wants to follow him?\n\nHe did the very thing that our American worldview does not allow. We are all about being upwardly mobile, successful, safe and prosperous and so we have co-opted God into that belief. We believe that God is all about blessing our efforts and that our success proves God’s favor. Our Christianity has become a prop for middle to upper class comfort and security. That ideal is found nowhere in the gospels. Jesus\' movement was decidedly downward. He moved right into the neighborhood of powerlessness and need.\n\nI think what is most difficult for us is that Jesus, though already fairly poor, chose to become homeless. He claimed all humanity as his family and moved away from his nuclear family, which in his culture was a shameful act. (He obviously needs a tutorial in family values.) But in addition to that, while most good Jewish men of his age would have married and started having children, his singleness aligned him with the “non-procreators”, like the eunuchs, who were considered unclean and inferior. There were no categories of gay or straight in Jesus’ day; people were either procreative or non-procreative. Those who did not or could not produce children for any reason were suspect, or outcast. (See Jesus’ words in Matt. 19:11-12.) He chose solidarity with the most despised.\n\nWe know he treated women as full and competent disciples, he welcomed the stranger and the sick, touched the dead, and healed the children of the enemy. In his presence the tight miserly hands that held onto precious silver and gold opened wide. He undermined every structure of religion and empire and really, really ticked off those with power. Let’s just be honest. It’s far, far easier and safer to convince ourselves that being pro-life and justifying the harsh realities of the lives of those with less (money, resources, opportunity), or feeling superior for being more tolerant than thou, is somehow at all like the path Jesus walked.  Instead, Jesus asks us to pick up the instrument of our death and to follow where he goes. Any sane person would count the cost. Any sane person would struggle with it, because to follow Jesus means that we no longer get to co-opt the faith to make our own lives work.\n\nMany of those whom I know that consider themselves to be “biblical” Christians feel that the “dying” that is asked of them means they reject the “world” and its values (hence the dogged political views). However, I wonder if how we have come to understand “the world” has become quite distorted. Blogger and <a href=\"http://wildgoosefestival.org/\">Wild Goose</a> Founder <a href=\"http://www.mikemorrell.org/2012/07/blessings-not-just-for-the-ones-who-kneel-the-promiscuous-love-of-god/\">Mike Morrell</a> says, <em>“Jesus was referring to the world of principalities and powers, those inhuman and dehumanizing forces of religion and empire. He wasn’t referring to culture-as-such, and certainly not to planet earth. Millions of friends-of-God are awakening to the reality that we live in a God-blessed and God-beloved world that God still thinks is ‘very good,’ however marred by egoic haze and degradation its become. We’re all connected – for life or death.”</em>\n\nAnd there it is. What will “kill” us is following Jesus’ movement <em>into</em> the God-blessed and God-beloved world, and receiving those for whom Christ died as we would Christ Himself. That means making a home with them all, in the here and now. That means looking beyond political and doctrinal divisions into the eyes of all humanity, not to minister <em>to</em> them or <em>over</em> them, but to join them and work alongside them. Jesus asks us to do the very thing our religious and political hearts find abhorrent. But by making space within ourselves to receive the other, we are changed by them and ego dies. We begin to become less defined by our certainties and stances, and more defined by love, by becoming <em>“we”. </em>And Kingdom comes. That was Jesus’ prayer for us before he died, and his prayer for us as he continues to live.\n\nIt’s much easier to convince ourselves that we are following Jesus by choosing to eat or not to eat at a certain chicken restaurant. It’s much harder to share your table with those whom you have decided don’t belong. It’s even harder to admit that there is only One Table. However, we are going to need each other because let’s face it, Jesus’ path is more than a little crazy. It will cost us our lives.','Follow Me','','inherit','open','open','','7389-autosave','','','2012-08-02 10:34:32','2012-08-02 17:34:32','',7389,'http://provoketive.com/2012/08/01/7389-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7410,1,'2012-08-01 13:29:49','2012-08-01 20:29:49','This post is a contribution to the August synchroblog.  The theme is \"Follow\" and bloggers are invited to share their thoughts and ideas about what it means to follow Jesus.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/3696616402_ac89c40158.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7377\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/3696616402_ac89c40158.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" /></a>\r\n\r\nMy journey of following Jesus led me to a point where I had to completely start over. Some real life stuff came along and made me take a closer look at what I believed about God, following Jesus, Christianity, the Bible, the church etc. and I realized that most of the stuff that I had been so devoted to ... attending church, listening to sermons, reading the bible, witnessing, maintaining the church building, adding to church membership ... didn\'t seem to have much to do with following Jesus.\r\n\r\nIn recent years I have come to think that following Jesus is more about justice and love than about church and believing - more about community than about me getting into heaven - more about people than about institutions or buildings.\r\n\r\nStarting over hasn\'t been easy. It has often meant enduring criticism, rejection and loneliness. But from where I sit I can\'t see that there was another way for me.  I had to let go of all the preconceived ideas, religious dogma and conventional wisdom in order to get a fresh look at Jesus, his mission and his message.\r\n\r\nThese days following Jesus for me is about accepting the call to follow Jesus into the world as an agent of the Kingdom of Heaven - working to bring the way of heaven to earth.\r\n\r\nSometimes that is as simple as sharing a meal with someone and sometimes it is as complex as working to dismantle an unjust system.\r\n\r\nIn the beginning of my journey of following Jesus I thought the main questions were \"who is going to heaven and who is going to hell?\" but now I think the main questions are \"how can I bring heaven to earth and how can I participate with God to bring restoration to the world?\"\r\n\r\nThe humorist Garrison Keillor said \"give up your good Christian life and follow Jesus\" and that is what I feel like I have had to do.\r\n\r\nThese days I am more committed to following Jesus than any other time in my life and yet I\'m not a member of a church and I don\'t often read the bible. My worship of God usually comes in the form of working for justice, and serving and loving others rather than singing songs in church while clapping or raising my hands. I don\'t care about converting people to Christianity but I do want to influence people to live in a loving and generous way. I am interested in cultivating my faith to be a bridge that connects me to others rather than a barrier that separates me from those who don\'t profess to be followers of Jesus.\r\n\r\nI certainly do not think that I have arrived anywhere and on any given day I would be hard pressed to even tell you where I am going ... but for now I am trying to follow Jesus where he leads me even if that means giving up my good Christian life.','Give Up Your Good Christian Life and Follow Jesus','','inherit','open','open','','7376-revision-8','','','2012-08-01 13:29:49','2012-08-01 20:29:49','',7376,'http://provoketive.com/2012/08/01/7376-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(4663,134,'2012-01-30 09:59:00','2012-01-30 17:59:00','First off, understand that I\'m not an expert in politics or sociology in any way or form. This is me throwing ideas in the air and see what sticks and what falls apart. Having said the latter <em>DISCLAIMER</em>, I can say (type) what I feel.\r\n\r\nHaving two superpowers -- the US and the <a title=\"Soviet Union\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union\" target=\"_blank\">USSR</a> -- kept the world on check as a stalemate game of chess where the queens and kings were nuclear arsenals and trigger-happy men. Aside from the level of animosity between these two unions at the time, which I still don\'t understand, no one wanted to do anything stupid like attacking the other including allies and friends (democracy/capitalism vs communism/socialism). With the Cold War paranoia, many wars could\'ve been prevented as very few countries would\'ve wanted to be on the bad side of one or the other superpower or, worse yet, caught in the middle of both.\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/800px-Berlin-wall.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4669\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/800px-Berlin-wall-300x202.jpg\" alt=\"Berlin wall on November 16, 1989\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAfter the fall of the <a title=\"Berlin Wall\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall\" target=\"_blank\">Berlin Wall</a> (picture on the right) and its domino effect on the <a title=\"Soviet Union\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union\" target=\"_blank\">Soviet Union</a>, the various of the former nations Soviet became unstable and uncontrollable by the rest of the world, especially the US. Lots of arsenal (nuclear or not) hasn\'t been accounted for since. This means that these weapons and/or technologies may still be available to some and most likely in the wrong hands. The latter\'s brought weapons of all kinds to many rogue states worldwide, which in return caused increasing risks of terrorism worldwide.\r\n\r\nAs brutal as mankind\'s proven to be numerous times, I don\'t think we\'d have engaged in a nuclear war -- a <em>\"nuclear error\"</em> (as <em>The Clash</em> mentioned in their song <em>London Calling</em>) maybe, but not war. We\'d have undoubtedly been scared beyond belief, but that might\'ve been the better of two evils.\r\n\r\nAlthough I lived through the last two decades of the <a title=\"Cold War\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War\" target=\"_blank\">Cold War</a>, I was fairly sheltered from it all. Nonetheless my life was somewhat affected by it and I do have an opinion about the <em>possible benefits</em> of knowing who the enemy was.\r\n\r\nBy the way, regardless of the animosity then, I was still attracted by Russian literature (fan of <a title=\"Leo Tolstoy\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Tolstoy\" target=\"_blank\">Leo Tolstoy</a> especially) and science (<a title=\"Ivan Pavlov\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Pavlov\" target=\"_blank\">Ivan Pavlov</a> being an early hero of mine). Well now, I can also enjoy their cinema like <a title=\"Night Watch\" href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403358/\" target=\"_blank\">Night Watch</a>.\r\n\r\nIf you\'re <em>old enough</em> to have lived during the <a title=\"Cold War\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War\" target=\"_blank\">Cold War</a> (approx. 1945-1991), let me know what you think.','What If The USSR Still Existed?','','publish','open','open','','what-if-the-ussr-still-existed','','','2012-01-28 10:00:51','2012-01-28 18:00:51','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=4663',0,'post','',0),(4664,134,'2012-01-25 09:40:55','2012-01-25 17:40:55','','Poster15 (Glory be to the people\'s heroes of the Potemkin, Revolution of 1905)','','inherit','open','open','','poster15_glory_be_to_the_peoples_heroes_of_the_potemkin','','','2012-01-25 09:40:55','2012-01-25 17:40:55','',4663,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Poster15_Glory_be_to_the_peoples_heroes_of_the_Potemkin.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),