A “Spark of Inspiration” can go a long way!

Events, Reflection, talent January 20th, 2009

This morning while excitedly participating in the live CNN-Facebook coverage of Obama’s Inauguration Day activities, I happened upon my Facebook friend Brandy Agerbeck, who is a talented graphic facilitator. I asked her if she was going to draw the speech to commemorate it. She said that she hadn’t thought of it at all! She grabbed her paper and pens and went to work. Great Job, Brandy! The result: Obama’s Inauguration Speech. Click link to read Brandy’s accounting of the drawing and conceptual process; and visit her online portfolio. Her incredible talent puts me at awe!

Also, if you are reading this post, I would be thrilled if you would participate in my PLN Inauguration Day Voicethread. Thanks!

Obama Inaugural Address Wordle

Reflection January 20th, 2009

I made this Wordle graphic of President Obama’s Inaugural Address on January 20, 2009 .. minutes after his speech was completed. Click image to visit Flickr for larger version. Speech was crafted by 27-year-old Jon Favreau in a Starbucks. And, while I was participating in the live CNN-Facebook coverage, I prompted graphic facilitator Brandy Agerbeck to draw the speech, and she DID.

I have a second Wordle desgin that is more formal looking. Wordles hit magazine covers, too!

Also, if you are reading this post, I would be thrilled if you would participate in my PLN Inauguration Day Voicethread. Thanks!

Obama Inaugural Address, Jan 20, 2009

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.

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VoiceThread Barack Obama Inauguration – Your Thoughts

Reflection January 19th, 2009

Please share your thoughts, hopes and dreams for the new Presidency and Administration before, during and after the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. –Frank

Original Voicethread (large version)