In the last of a tetrad of articles on promoting creativity in children, I elaborate on the positives of play. Just as painting, playing the piano and participating in pantomimes can endow children with various skills and dispositions, good, old-fashioned…
For Zoom meetings, most of your colleagues dress down. You, however, are more formally turned out, a dab of lipstick and mascara included. Should you tone down your make-up and appear more casual so that you look more like your…
A look into the age-old question of which is better: printed books or e-books? The first time I bought an e-book on Kindle, I was enchanted by the instantness of the transaction. While I have shifted more towards e-books, mainly…
You are walking on the footpath when you trip over a protruding stone that you fail to notice. Fortunately, apart from minor bruises, you aren’t seriously hurt. As you pick yourself up, some passers-by glance at you kindly, making sure…
A car swerves in front and you slam your brakes. Though you are safe after the near-miss, the loud music and the insensitive laughter of the passengers in the car ahead arouse your angry demons. You get down, bang on…
In her book, How Art Works, psychologist Ellen Winner describes a prison program, aptly named, Shakespeare Behind Bars, where inmates, convicted of serious crimes, spent many months rehearsing for a Shakespeare play. Apparently, the recidivism rate of those who took part in…
Whether it’s asking your boss for a raise, a colleague on whether he can fill in for you this week or someone who reports to you to take on more responsibilities, many interactions at work involve skills of negotiation. As…
Being proactive and with high self-control can boost one’s wellbeing Avinash is off for his early morning run even before most people’s alarms whirr them awake. He then practices the violin for half an hour, before jumping into the shower….
While old-age homes are mushrooming in metros and smaller cities, most elderly folks continue to maintain ties with their offspring. That the family is the most central and cohesive unit of our Indian social fabric is practically indisputable. Though the…
Last month, I delineated the skills and dispositions that children acquire when they engage in the visual arts. In this, the second of a four-part series on creative pursuits, I discuss the benefits of music on developing minds. Before diving…
Aruna Sankaranarayanan is the author of Zero Limits: Things Every 20 Something Should Know. She was the Founder & Director of PRAYATNA, a centre for children with learning difficulties in Bengaluru & Chennai for 22 years.