CREATIVITY TAKES COURAGE

The great artist Henri Matisse was once quoted saying that "creativity takes courage". It takes courage to continue to move forward with an idea in art, in business and in life.  It takes courage to be an artist, to step away from the norm and create something new. You do this knowing that you will be judged by others and not always kindly. You will hear “What where you thinking?” “That’s ugly.” “Nobody else does it that way.” “Are you crazy?”

History is full of examples of courageous people who presented new and creative ideas to the world, only to be mocked and ridiculed by the majority. Those people stuck to their ideas through trial and tribulation only to come out the other end touted as “visionaries” by the very critics who had ridiculed them in the beginning. Where would we all be without the courage of those who came before us? Think of all the revolutionary ideas that are no just basic parts of everyday life:

1.       The world is round?

2.       Man can fly? Or walk on the moon.

3.       Talk over a wire to a person miles away? Now we don’t even need the wire.

4.       Photos, moving photos, talking pictures.

5.       A computer in every home, and now in every briefcase.

6.       A country where the government is of the people, for the people and by the people.

Really, how much courage did it take for the authors of these ideas to voice them in public? All of these ideas seemed very radical to their critics at the time and now we just take them for granted. It took someone with a tremendous amount of courage to stick with these ideas and prove them possible. Every one of them seemed absolutely impossible when they were put forth, absolutely impossible and yet here we are.

Times are tough these days. Recession, high unemployment, natural disasters and man made ones, wars, famine, etc. etc. etc.  Where will the next “creative – courageous” idea come from? You? What crazy idea has been rolling around in your head waiting for you to voice it? Be courageous and tell it to someone.

Remember, you don’t need a million ideas; it only takes one to change everything.

I am often asked where my ideas come from.  For me, creativity is just the answer to a question and if you don’t ask the question don’t expect the answer. I believe it is the asking for the answer that brings about the creative juice in the form of the answer. When I am stuck for an idea I always ask myself the question, “How can I do this?” Then I wait and usually not very long either when “Boom” the answer comes popping into my head. The answer always comes to me when I am doing something else unrelated to question.  You need to relax and let yourself be open to new ideas and they will flow to you.

Sounds easy doesn’t it? So, what is the problem why aren’t we all more creative?

We either forget to ask ourselves the questions or ask ourselves the wrong questions.  It’s all about asking ourselves the right questions, positive questions! Don’t ask your self questions about "Why am I this way or that way or why is this so hard" , ask the question “How can I do this, be this,  create this.” Answers to the negative questions will always lead to more negativity but he answers to the positive questions will take you where you want to go!

Mike Holberg
www.holbergglass.com
www.personaltemples.com
www.pettemples.com

Paris is the most beautiful city I have ever visted. The French have built the most beautiful monuments to pay homage to their heroes. Museums and memorials cover the landscape in Paris paying tribute and honoring the memory of their leaders. Amazingly, their cemeteries are every bit as splendid as the rest of their city. One spectacular cemetery of Paris, Pere Lachaise, is absolutely stunning! Not just for the people who have been laid to rest there but for the amazing artwork that pays tribute to the lives they lived. It's as if you are strolling through an outdoor art gallery.

Where I grew up the cemeteries are large green fields full of inconspicious, flat headstones with an occasional bench or random statue. The columbarium niches are just full of the same repetitive
brass urns. You can track some of the designs back over 100 years.

Today, people want to have an urn that represents them and the life they lived, a physical reminder to their loved ones that will bring fond memories to mind. We should all be proud of the life we lived; shouldn't we be proud of our last resting place to?

 

It is my goal to change the way we memorialize our loved ones, one vessel at a time. You will never see a "Holberg" urn (Personal Temples) that could be mistaken for a "cremation urn"! Each will be a work of art designed to be the perfect reminder of the person it cradles.

 

Ancient Roman Glass cremation urn

Made in one of the western provinces of the Roman Empire, about AD 50-200

Like many other examples this urn was found in a cemetery. However, before its funerary use it probably had a domestic purpose and is likely to have served as a storage jar in the home. Many vessels of this type have M-shaped handles, though other versions have no handles at all. Such urns were in common use throughout Italy, North Africa and the western provinces of the Roman Empire, such as Gaul (modern France) and the Rhineland, from about AD 50-200. Tripoli in Libya is the most eastern find-spot for this type of vessel so far recorded.

The urn is made of natural bluish-green glass. Glass consists of a mixture of soda, silica and lime. In Roman times soda for making glass came from naturally-occurring natron; silica came from sand that probably contained the third necessary ingredient, lime. Iron is present in most sand and, if nothing is added to the mixture, the resulting glass is nearly always a bluish-green colour, like this vessel. It seems likely that glass was made from raw materials in only a few places in the Roman period. The glass was distributed from these centres to glasshouses throughout the Roman Empire to be formed into vessels and other items. Roman glasshouses also used cullet (pieces of broken glass) that could be re-melted, either to form new items or to be added to other molten glass. The Romans used 'natural' glass for much of their everyday blown glass.

H. Tait (ed.), Five thousand years of glass-1, 2nd paperback edition (London, The British Museum Press, 1999)

For the updated version of a Roman Urn go to www.personaltemples.com

I have had some people ask me why get a Personal Temple (memorial) for a loved one’s remains. After all, the funeral home or the cremation facility provides a box of some sort in the price of cremation. I can only tell you what my clients have told me. It is about doing one last special act of love. Each client ends up with a sense of fulfillment and closure about giving their loved one such a special final resting place. Some will choose a special color that was important to them and some will even want something more custom in design. When the process is done they have all said to me that each memorial was the perfect way to remember that loved one. Every time they look at the memorial it fills them with fond memories as well as a feeling of contentment knowing that they have taken great care of their loved one.

 

They may be gone but it is important how we honor their memory and the life they lived.

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Pet Memorial Urns
    
The loss of a pet can be devastating for a pet owner. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of trying to set their grief aside and get on with life as usual, without stopping to take some time and grieve the loss of their pet.

If you've lost a pet, you need to know that pet loss grief is normal, and you should take the time to acknowledge what your pet meant in your life. Our pets are members of our families. After all, they're often with us for many years as our loyal and trusted companions. It's fitting that we acknowledge their loving presence in our lives, and allow ourselves some time to heal.

Like all kinds of grief, pet grief takes pet owners through a very real and painful process. This process involves disbelief, bargaining, grief, anger, and finally, moving on. Those us who have lost pets often don't allow ourselves to complete each of these important grief processing stages.

There are some things you can do to ensure that you move through this process to heal and recover from the loss of your pet.

First, consider a pet memorial. A ceremonial acknowledgment of your pet's passing will help you achieve closure and say a final goodbye to your beloved pet.

Another way to remember your pet is by creating a special video montage or photo album that you can keep to remind you of the good times you shared. While it may be painful at first to look at these reminders, over time, these can bring you joy and let you remember the wonderful ways in which your pet enriched your life.

Finally, you will want to lay your pet to rest in a place of honor, like a pet cemetery or a Traditional Urns enshrined in a special place in your home. For pet owners who choose cremation, pets' ashes can be housed a special shelf or mantle, or even interred in a pet cemetery. Knowing your pet is laid to rest in a suitable place will help put your mind at ease and bring much-needed closure.

Cremation urns for pets can provide you with a special way to keep your pet close to your heart. Pet urns also safely house your pet's ashes and ensure that they'll be kept permanently in a place of honor. You can choose from a variety of decorative urns that represent the special bond you shared with your pet. Some options include digital photo pet urns, which can be used to display a slide show of photos that showcase the special times you shared with your pet, or instead choose traditional photo urns. Pets can also be memorialized with a figurine style urns. For example, your beloved dog's ashes can be stored in a figurine urn representing their breed.

If you choose pet cremation, cremation pet urns are a special way to honor the memory of your pet. Pet crematories provide a way for you to honor the earthly remains of your pet in a way that you cannot do through burial. Pets' urns allow you to keep your pet close to you both literally and figuratively.

The most important thing is to honor the memory of your pet, talk about your grief, and memorialize your pet in a fitting way that acknowledges their importance in your life.

Our thank to: http://funeralideas.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Pet-Memorial-Urns.html&Itemid=53

www.personaltemples.com

 

Trends in Funeral Service      

As a leading voice for funeral service, NFDA has been tracking trends and working with funeral directors and consumers for 125 years. Today's families are bringing new values, preferences and opinions that are changing the world of funeral service. They are thinking differently about how they want to honor their loved ones and have new perceptions of the funeral service profession. The following are current key funeral service trends:
 
The Popularity of Personalization

As baby boomers age and find themselves having to plan funerals for loved ones and themselves, they are making funeral choices based on values that are different than previous generations. Baby boomers see funerals as a valuable part of the grieving process and are seeking ways to make them meaningful.
 
Today, funeral service consumers are planning funeral services that are as unique as the person who died. The idea of personalization has resulted in an explosion of unique services that reflect the hobbies, passions and interests of someone who has died. Through personalization, funeral services can be more meaningful. Funeral directors can offer ideas on how families can personalize their loved one's funeral and are open to family suggestions and creativity. NFDA encourages all funeral service consumers to discuss their ideas with the funeral director to ensure an individualized ceremony fitting of the person who died.

Advance Funeral Planning

No one likes to think about funerals, but an increasing number of adults find that preparing for the inevitable is a wise decision. Planning one's funeral in advance allows individuals to do their homework and select a funeral home that will meet the emotional and financial needs of their family. Planning funerals in advance allows individuals to plan a memorable funeral service that reflects their wishes. With advance planning, families today can plan celebrations of life as unique as the individual being remembered. Today's funerals include adding personal touches such as favorite music and incorporating hobbies and life's accomplishments. An NFDA-member funeral director can walk you through the decisions necessary to create a meaningful funeral service. Planning one's funeral in advance does not mean one must prepay for the funeral. Many people who preplan their funeral also choose to prepay because it will alleviate the financial burden for their families. There are several ways to prepay for a funeral and a licensed funeral director can help individuals choose the method that best suits their needs.

Cremation on the Rise

The public's interest in cremation continues to rise. In 2007, cremation accounted for 34.89 percent of final dispositions in the United States. As the popularity of cremations has grown, so has its acceptance among various religious faiths. Religions that previously frowned upon cremation are now understanding its value to families and adjusting their doctrines to accommodate this choice.
Cremation is just one way a family can lay their loved one to rest; it is another option in addition to earth burial or entombment in a mausoleum. Cremation does not preclude a visitation or funeral service. A visitation and/or funeral with the body present can be held prior to cremation. Alternatively, a memorial service with the cremated remains present, can be held after the body has been cremated.

Meeting Consumer Needs Through Technology

In recent years, consumers have increasingly relied on the Internet as a leading resource for information. In response, businesses have increased their presence on the Web and funeral service is no exception. In order to enhance service to families and community, many funeral homes now have their own Web site. Having a presence in cyberspace allows funeral homes to easily display their products and services, which, in turn, provides the consumer with the freedom to conduct research at-will.
Many funeral homes can help families create memorial videos which include photographs accompanied by music. These videos can be shown at visitation or funeral service and are a special keepsake to treasure forever. Because visitation and memorial services often take place shortly after a person's death, it may be impossible for all family members and friends, especially those living far away, to attend these functions. Some funeral homes have begun to accommodate those distant loved ones by providing a live online broadcast of the funeral service. These broadcasts can be archived on the funeral home's Web site for viewing at a later date or made into a DVD the family can keep.

Green Funerals

Being green in funeral service is a natural consequence of today's American eco-consciousness. Consumer lifestyles and values, whether environmental, spiritual, philosophical or conservation oriented, are reflected in consumer attitudes toward products and services in the market and affect decision making. This includes attitudes toward death and funerals. Green funeral choices are expected to grow in popularity in the U.S. as this eco-consciousness grows. As with the concept of "green" in general, green in funeral service means practicing environmental consciousness and being eco-friendly. It encompasses green funeral homes, green funerals, and natural burial. Today, funeral directors have the opportunity to adopt green practices to meet the needs of the families they serve. A green funeral incorporates environmentally-friendly options in order to meet the needs of a family requesting a green service. A green funeral may include any or all of the following: a small gathering in a natural setting, use of only recycled paper products, locally-grown organic flowers, carpooling, organic food, no embalming or embalming with formaldehyde-free products, the use of sustainable biodegradable clothing, shroud or casket, and natural or green burial.
In natural burial, the body is buried, without embalming, in a natural setting. Any shroud or casket that is used must be biodegradable, nontoxic, and of sustainable material. Traditional standing headstones are not permitted. Instead, flat rocks, plants or trees may serve as grave markers.

The New Face of the Profession

Funeral service has traditionally been a male-dominated profession. It also has been a "family" profession, with firms being passed down from one generation to the next. Today, people who didn't traditionally choose funeral service as a career are joining the profession and finding it very rewarding. In fact, many of today's mortuary school graduates do not have family members working in funeral service and have decided to join the profession as a second career. There are many opportunities for people thinking about joining funeral service. Today, 60 percent of mortuary science students in the United States are women. Many of these women have discovered and are attracted to the skills and traits needed as a funeral director, including communication skills, compassion, a desire to comfort those coping with a death, as well as organizational and event-planning skills.

Thanks to: www.nfda.org

 

Below is an excerpt from an article by David Whitehouse, the director of the Corning Glass Museum on the history of Roman glass cremation urns.

The use of glass extended from daily life to the grave. In times and places where cremation was customary, mourners would pour libations and sprinkle perfumes on the pyre.

Sometimes the ashes of the deceased were collected in glass urns. These urns were substantially larger than urns of today. The Roman urns had to be able to accommodate the larger remains left whereas today we grind the remains into sand like size of material. Mostly they had a utilitarian look to them because they were placed into a decorative carved stone Columbarium for eternal storage. These might be special cinery urns, occasionally with a perforated, funnel-shaped lid that allowed one to pour libations over the ashes but often a large storage jar was used for the purpose. Many people in the Roman world believed in a conscious existence after death and useful objects, including glass vessels and their contents, frequently accompanied the deceased to their tombs.

In fact, tombs are the source of the majority of the Roman glass objects that have survived intact.

 

For most of the world, cremation is the accepted method of burial. The rate of cremation in the United States is on the  rise and people are choosing cremation for a number of reasons, the least of which is expense.

This has brought about a demand for new and innovative products for handling cremated remains. The problem for many is finding suitable urns to properly memorialize their loved ones in. It is my goal to provide the most artistic urns possible. I want to create memorial urns that completely reflect the person and the life they lived. It is my goal to create works of art that will be the last b est thing you do for a loved one. I believe that each of our lives are a work of art. How large your masterpiece depends on how bold you are with your strokes. No matter the size of your work, it touches a vast number of people by the time you are done.

All of us at Michael Holberg Glass are committed to creating cremation urns that will preserve, celebrate and honor the memory of your loved one.