Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change—it can not only move us, it makes us move.
OSSIE DAVIS
Are you a lover of the arts? A “maker?” (Think writer, songwriter, musician, visual artist, jewelry designer, quilter, crafter … you name it!) A compassionate spirit who believes in the healing power of the arts? Someone who's simply intrigued?
If you said “yes” to any of these questions, the Raft is waiting. You don’t need to navigate life alone. Come aboard!
As we head downstream through this messy, wondrous world, the arts are vital pieces of our life raft. They sustain our spirits, grow our compassion, boost our courage, and help us create the good.
As Rafters, we ...
Hosted by author Phyllis Cole-Dai, the Raft helps us navigate life together, buoyed by what’s hope-filled and luminous, even when the river runs wild and rough.
This is the power of art: The power to transcend our own self-interest, our solipsistic zoom-lens on life, and relate to the world and each other with more integrity, more curiosity, more wholeheartedness.
MARIA POPOVA
Hi! I'm Phyllis Cole-Dai, author and host of the Raft. I hope you'll download my poem"Random Notes from the River Raft" as a free gift. It expresses the spirit that I bring to the Raft, as does my author website.
We’re lovers of the arts. Many of us are “makers,” too. We believe in the restorative power of things made and being made, especially in community.
We seek to balance the active cultivation of relationship with the richness of solitude and contemplation. To honor diversity. To be curious. To collaborate. To practice paying attention. To offer true presence. To tune into the spiritual underpinnings of the creative life.
We want to talk about what matters. To embrace what’s difficult. To ask the uncomfortable questions. To celebrate the ordinary and imperfect. To invest ourselves in what makes us feel more alive. To intentionally contribute, in our own beautiful ways, to the healing of the world.
Phyllis's family of free e-newsletters provide further opportunities for connection, reflection, and growth. Want to know more?
Tell them all about us and invite them aboard!
Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
KURT VONNEGUT