Enthusiasts! Thank you SO much for your comments. Just a note... I will be a little slower responding to comments than is typical for me over the next few weeks. We're in the midst of helping with summer camp and traveling for some projects. However, I'm continuing to check in! I love love love this community and it gives me a boost to read your notes. Thank you!
As a retired 2nd grade teacher, I see what you're illustrating here. I feel it!
Thank you so much, Brad. Really. From the depths of my despair over the state of our country and our world, the intensity of frustration and anger about the greed that makes war, you pulled me up and reminded me of what we all need; the antidote to greed: "seeing, being seen, and slowly becoming" .
You you you! Thank you. I'm so grateful you shared this and I'm so grateful for your words and I'm so grateful to get to play some small part in offering a bit of light to a heart like yours. I often feel the same weight and keep returning to the thoughts you share here. Sending you so much hope and encouragement
YOU!!!! Emily, you just keep reflecting it right back, my friend. Thank you for always cheering the best of the internet (and the world) on. You make the heavy feel light and the possibility bright.
This breath of fresh air is filled with the love that we all need. What is beautiful to me is, there's a space for each and every one of us. We can each see, be seen, and are slowly becoming no matter the age. Thanks for your words of generative love, Brad!
BECKY!!!! Seeing your name and reading your words here makes me SO happy. Your life and work have embodied this kind of generative love for so many! I feel deeply honored to get to add even a small ripple alongside yours. I continue to pinch myself that we got to meet up this year! Just showed someone the book you sent me earlier this week. Your goodness keeps spreading!
Mark, I'm so glad that one resonated. It's been sitting with me a lot lately too. I think if we all walked around remembering that truth, it'd be a much different world! Thanks for seeing it and for these encouraging words.
Yes yes yes!!! That hallway filled me whole heart. So much work and so much thought. We feel lucky to get to witness little glimpses like that. Grateful for kind voices like yours to celebrate it with us!
15 years ago, I started a school, and the driving question was: what would love look like expressed as a school? This line sums it up perfectly. "We are all walking around with something precious inside us, hoping someone will notice." We all want to be seen and appreciated for what is most true inside us. I'm so grateful that there are so many good folks out there doing the quiet work of love. And I'm grateful that you share and name it so faithfully and remind us that there is more of it than we know!
The bit about creativity, yes! Isn't it amazing the way it can be a multiplier? We often lead the kids through a game of creative telephone inspired by Sally Taylor's http://consenses.org. It seems that your art naturally inspires this game of artistic telephone. Love seeing what you've inspired in others and how the ripples of the creation continue well beyond each of us.
Wow. Kelly. I've loved reading and revisiting this comment. So grateful you included the piece about creative telephone! Really fascinated by that. love it so much. I love that question you carried into your school (Also YOU STARTED A SCHOOL?!?) but what a wonderful way to start anything: what would love look like expressed as ... Phew. That will lead somewhere lovely. And different. And needed. I am so grateful for you, for your light and for being part of the quiet work of love in the world. THANK YOU!!!
I sometimes cannot believe that I started a school...who does that? I was just naive and young enough to believe I could do it. Super proud of what we've created and the lives we've had the privilege of being invited into.
But so much of your work over the years has shown up at Anastasis and helped shape us all! The ripples...they are good :)
Ha! My friend. I promise I'm not trying to ruin your resentment. I know you and your heart. You don't make any decision lightly and I'm certain any choice you've made is done from a place of pursuing love and being whole and healthy and the best you possible. With you, Jason!
Love this article- it is what we need to remember during these challenging times. I did try to click on the links for a visit or having you speak at a conference and I can't get any of them to work. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you.
Heather! Thank you for reading and for these super kind words. I also appreciate your note on the links. I did inspect and they appear to be working now. I tried in a few different contexts and on other devices and they worked. Sometimes there are windows of time where Substack glitches out a little. Also sometimes links are funky when clicked directly from email? either way, I'm happy you let me know and even happier that you're here! for speaking: http://montagueworkshop.com/speaking Thanks so much!
ANDREW!!! I loved seeing glimpses of your recent workshop with students! Was honored to get to chat beforehand. Felt like talking to an old friend. Here's to more conversations and truly being old friends! I hope you have more chances to be with kids in this way. You have a needed message.
Brad - I cannot express how the students, staff and I are STILL floating around on another level after your visit to us at Somers Elementary School at the end of May! This was such a bucket list experience for me. Reading your books to our SES students while preparing for your arrival, sharing and discussing your videos and messages with them, and encouraging them with the kindness you've thrown into the world...and then your visit????? I'm still trying to process it all!!! Last week, THIS POST was sent to me and the tears came....several times, if I'm being honest! Hearing our students' little voices asking their questions, and reading that YOU, Brad Montague, were touched by our hallway inspired by your work is surreal. Thank you for being exactly who this world needs. We can't wait to see what you do next, and rest assured, we will ALL be following along! From the bottom of my heart....thank you!
I read the last three lines of your kind comment in the singing voice of Billy Joel: "Don't goOOooo changin'!" Ha. I'll do my best to keep the heart-wrenching going. haha. Thank you for letting my words be part of your week. So grateful for you, your kind words and the way your encouragement helps fuel my work more than you know.
Enthusiasts! Thank you SO much for your comments. Just a note... I will be a little slower responding to comments than is typical for me over the next few weeks. We're in the midst of helping with summer camp and traveling for some projects. However, I'm continuing to check in! I love love love this community and it gives me a boost to read your notes. Thank you!
As a retired 2nd grade teacher, I see what you're illustrating here. I feel it!
Thank you so much, Brad. Really. From the depths of my despair over the state of our country and our world, the intensity of frustration and anger about the greed that makes war, you pulled me up and reminded me of what we all need; the antidote to greed: "seeing, being seen, and slowly becoming" .
You you you! Thank you. I'm so grateful you shared this and I'm so grateful for your words and I'm so grateful to get to play some small part in offering a bit of light to a heart like yours. I often feel the same weight and keep returning to the thoughts you share here. Sending you so much hope and encouragement
Beautify and filled with hope as always Brad. Thank you for continuing to reflect that wonderful light 💡💛✨
YOU!!!! Emily, you just keep reflecting it right back, my friend. Thank you for always cheering the best of the internet (and the world) on. You make the heavy feel light and the possibility bright.
This breath of fresh air is filled with the love that we all need. What is beautiful to me is, there's a space for each and every one of us. We can each see, be seen, and are slowly becoming no matter the age. Thanks for your words of generative love, Brad!
BECKY!!!! Seeing your name and reading your words here makes me SO happy. Your life and work have embodied this kind of generative love for so many! I feel deeply honored to get to add even a small ripple alongside yours. I continue to pinch myself that we got to meet up this year! Just showed someone the book you sent me earlier this week. Your goodness keeps spreading!
Thank you for making these visits and sharing these insights. I love your positivity! I especially appreciate No. 1.
Mark, I'm so glad that one resonated. It's been sitting with me a lot lately too. I think if we all walked around remembering that truth, it'd be a much different world! Thanks for seeing it and for these encouraging words.
How very special for you to see all that inspiration you give, reflected back with such enthusiasm. That hallway! What a gift for you and your wife. 😍
Yes yes yes!!! That hallway filled me whole heart. So much work and so much thought. We feel lucky to get to witness little glimpses like that. Grateful for kind voices like yours to celebrate it with us!
15 years ago, I started a school, and the driving question was: what would love look like expressed as a school? This line sums it up perfectly. "We are all walking around with something precious inside us, hoping someone will notice." We all want to be seen and appreciated for what is most true inside us. I'm so grateful that there are so many good folks out there doing the quiet work of love. And I'm grateful that you share and name it so faithfully and remind us that there is more of it than we know!
The bit about creativity, yes! Isn't it amazing the way it can be a multiplier? We often lead the kids through a game of creative telephone inspired by Sally Taylor's http://consenses.org. It seems that your art naturally inspires this game of artistic telephone. Love seeing what you've inspired in others and how the ripples of the creation continue well beyond each of us.
Thanks for this bit of Tuesday happy!
Wow. Kelly. I've loved reading and revisiting this comment. So grateful you included the piece about creative telephone! Really fascinated by that. love it so much. I love that question you carried into your school (Also YOU STARTED A SCHOOL?!?) but what a wonderful way to start anything: what would love look like expressed as ... Phew. That will lead somewhere lovely. And different. And needed. I am so grateful for you, for your light and for being part of the quiet work of love in the world. THANK YOU!!!
I sometimes cannot believe that I started a school...who does that? I was just naive and young enough to believe I could do it. Super proud of what we've created and the lives we've had the privilege of being invited into.
But so much of your work over the years has shown up at Anastasis and helped shape us all! The ripples...they are good :)
Good grief. I was trying to make peace with never returning to the classroom. You’re ruining my resentment!
Ha! My friend. I promise I'm not trying to ruin your resentment. I know you and your heart. You don't make any decision lightly and I'm certain any choice you've made is done from a place of pursuing love and being whole and healthy and the best you possible. With you, Jason!
Love this article- it is what we need to remember during these challenging times. I did try to click on the links for a visit or having you speak at a conference and I can't get any of them to work. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you.
Heather! Thank you for reading and for these super kind words. I also appreciate your note on the links. I did inspect and they appear to be working now. I tried in a few different contexts and on other devices and they worked. Sometimes there are windows of time where Substack glitches out a little. Also sometimes links are funky when clicked directly from email? either way, I'm happy you let me know and even happier that you're here! for speaking: http://montagueworkshop.com/speaking Thanks so much!
Beautiful.
Thanks so much, Leah!
Thanks for being so generous with your experience and insight and brilliance, Brad ❤️
ANDREW!!! I loved seeing glimpses of your recent workshop with students! Was honored to get to chat beforehand. Felt like talking to an old friend. Here's to more conversations and truly being old friends! I hope you have more chances to be with kids in this way. You have a needed message.
These are all so very true and not often thought about or realized! Thank you for the reminders!
Thank YOU, Marc!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
SO happy you're here!
Brad - I cannot express how the students, staff and I are STILL floating around on another level after your visit to us at Somers Elementary School at the end of May! This was such a bucket list experience for me. Reading your books to our SES students while preparing for your arrival, sharing and discussing your videos and messages with them, and encouraging them with the kindness you've thrown into the world...and then your visit????? I'm still trying to process it all!!! Last week, THIS POST was sent to me and the tears came....several times, if I'm being honest! Hearing our students' little voices asking their questions, and reading that YOU, Brad Montague, were touched by our hallway inspired by your work is surreal. Thank you for being exactly who this world needs. We can't wait to see what you do next, and rest assured, we will ALL be following along! From the bottom of my heart....thank you!
This post can easily make the day for so many people, talking about the questions kids have, their dreams and hopes, acceptance and humor.
I don't know how you do it Brad, but you manage to crack open my rusty, crusty old heart every time! Don't go changin'!
I read the last three lines of your kind comment in the singing voice of Billy Joel: "Don't goOOooo changin'!" Ha. I'll do my best to keep the heart-wrenching going. haha. Thank you for letting my words be part of your week. So grateful for you, your kind words and the way your encouragement helps fuel my work more than you know.