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Art Is Fear
Exuberance is beauty
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Eclipse Chaser
Eclipse Chaser
For a brief moment, I considered canceling my trip to see the eclipse last week. We’d booked a flight to Texas almost a year ago because…
Philippa Hughes
Apr 15
Art is the central organizing force of my life
Art is the central organizing force of my life
“Get the Picture” is a new book that’s being touted as a takedown of the Art World and sure there’s a little of that in this funny…
Philippa Hughes
Feb 19
Cultivating the aesthetic mindset
Cultivating the aesthetic mindset
Research-based civic engagement plus good old common sense conversations
Philippa Hughes
Feb 2
Searching for the truth about yourself
Searching for the truth about yourself
I was sobbing by the end of “How to be a Korean Woman,” a play written and performed by Sun Mee Chomet about her search for and reunion…
Philippa Hughes
Jan 10
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
My friend Ken helped me write a mission statement and five guiding values over a decade ago that helped steer me away from directionless…
Philippa Hughes
Jan 2
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Philippa Hughes
Dec 25, 2023
Rainbows and Unicorns in Paris
Rainbows and Unicorns in Paris
Loving Paris is so unoriginal.
Philippa Hughes
Dec 8, 2023
Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite
Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite
Alarming reports of a bed bug infestation filled my social media feeds in the weeks before I flew to Paris for my birthday in mid-October…
Philippa Hughes
Nov 15, 2023
Watch the world go by
Watch the world go by
Parisians are known for café life, but that doesn’t mean they serve great coffee. Paris café coffee is often bland and does not originate…
Philippa Hughes
Nov 13, 2023
Magical birthday encounter
Magical birthday encounter
When we walked up to the ticket desk at the Picasso Museum in Paris, the attendant warned us that there were no paintings by Picasso on…
Philippa Hughes
Oct 16, 2023
What do you do?
What do you do?
“What is your job?” asked a new friend as we sipped wine in the Virginia countryside on a beautiful summer afternoon.
Philippa Hughes
Sep 19, 2023
A cat called Dixie
A cat called Dixie
What stories remain untold on the National Mall?
Philippa Hughes
Sep 15, 2023
How are the arts transformative?
How are the arts transformative?
The last two plays I have seen were written by Asian American playwrights and starred Asian American actors. The cast for one of the plays…
Philippa Hughes
Aug 8, 2023
Cocoon of privilege
Cocoon of privilege
“Do you feel transformed?” asked a friend after I returned from India.
Philippa Hughes
Aug 2, 2023
Hi, I have a problem
Hi, I have a problem
I’ve purged my closets of unwanted clothing multiple times over the past ten years. I’ve donated many bags of clothing to charity and sold…
Philippa Hughes
Jul 31, 2023
Monsoon at the White Lotus
Monsoon at the White Lotus
The Maldives is an archipelago composed of 26 coral atolls and over 1,000 islands stretching over 500 miles across the deep blue depths of…
Philippa Hughes
Jul 21, 2023
Searching for the ghee spot in Mumbai
Searching for the ghee spot in Mumbai
Before heading to India, I acquired a prescription for “traveler’s stomach” and a two-week supply of Pepto Bismol tablets. My plan was to…
Philippa Hughes
Jul 17, 2023
Retail Ramblings in Mumbai
Retail Ramblings in Mumbai
Before setting off for India, multiple people told me to prepare for great shopping. I’m not gonna lie, I love to shop, especially in small…
Philippa Hughes
Jul 13, 2023
Travels in India with Renee Zellweger
Travels in India with Renee Zellweger
I used almost all my United miles so I could fly to India in business class. As I nestled into plush slippers and a snug blankie, one of…
Philippa Hughes
Jul 11, 2023
You were asking for it
You were asking for it
I’ve led several conversations over the past year about exploring ways to create a flourishing society. In preparing for those dialogues, I…
Philippa Hughes
Jun 29, 2023
Four Fathers
Four Fathers
“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”
Philippa Hughes
Jun 18, 2023
Stop stalking me!
Stop stalking me!
The resilience I’ve built up over many years can be momentarily obliterated with a few racist words
Philippa Hughes
May 16, 2023
Why civics matters
Why civics matters
If we want to achieve the country we were promised, then we need to understand the foundation on which it was built
Philippa Hughes
May 9, 2023
Relational thinking is the key to our survival
Relational thinking is the key to our survival
Applying relational thinking to every aspect of our lives leads to human flourishing
Philippa Hughes
May 5, 2023
Trigger Warning
Trigger Warning
When is a trigger warning necessary? When does it cause more harm than good?
Philippa Hughes
Mar 7, 2023
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