Explorando tu Creatividad:
Tras el Origen y Desarrollo de tu Potencial Creativo
Por Rolando Rockoso
En un reciente encuentro de escritores, músicos, y artistas visuales
organizado por la pintora Tanya Torres, conversábamos todos sentados
en un circulo sobre nuestros procesos creativos. La muy animada discusión
fluía libremente con el vino y la risa cuando la escritora Myrna Nieves paso
a leer una historia corta basada en un sueño. Al terminar, Myrna explico el
papel de los sueños en su trabajo literario y como ella los integra en su
proceso creativo. Fue entonces cuando sin perder tiempo y como
instigador principal, aproveche la oportunidad para abrir la discusión de
par en par y poner al centro la noción sobre la naturaleza y origen de la
creatividad. De inmediato, el aire se cargo con una interesante expectativa.
Como si todos hubiesen dicho; ummm..., esto se esta poniendo bueno!
Pero dado a que alguien prontamente indico su rechazo a la idea de un
origen trascendental, decidí usar la teoría psicológica de Freud para avanzar
la discusión y hablar sobre un posible origen de la creatividad.
De acuerdo a la teoría de Freud, los sueños son la expresión del subconsciente en lenguaje simbólico.
El subconsciente, lo cual podríamos llamar la parte mas profunda de nuestra computadora mental, nunca se apaga y mientras dormimos se expresa en su propio lenguaje, los sueños. Este lenguaje esta repleto de simbolismo personal, histórico, e incluso colectivo de acuerdo a Jung y otros psicólogos.
Fundamental para la interpretación psicológica es su énfasis en la necesidad de expresarnos. En este marco, el ser humano busca expresar su realidad mental y emocional; es decir, su realidad interna. Esa realidad es expresada de diferentes maneras: en sueños, de forma verbal, y como neurosis en nuestro comportamiento entre otras. El acto y proceso de sacar hacia fuera nuestra realidad interna, es decir, de purgarnos de nuestras emociones, es lo que Aristóteles llamo catarsis y es la base del expresionismo estético así también como de la sicoterapia. Cabe recalcar que Aristóteles también fue un exponente de la inmanencia metafísica lo cual obviamente no es mera coincidencia.
El Expresionismo
El expresionismo estético establece que el arte crea lo que expresa y lo expresado es una experiencia imaginativa total que nace y brota de adentro. De acuerdo a Collingwood, uno de los mejores expositores del expresionismo, la experiencia estética es una actividad autónoma y no una reacción especifica a un estimulo proveniente de un objeto exterior. El proceso creativo de expresar una emoción conlleva el sentir algo de lo cual no estamos completamente claros, la emoción no es conocida de antemano. Solo la conocemos totalmente a través de su expresión. La expresión concretiza la emoción y permite el reconocimiento y la plena experiencia de esta. Pero es esencialmente un fenómeno imaginativo total y esencialmente subjetivo.
Creo que esto no sorprende a nadie. Aunque la explicación ofrecida
aquí es un poco diferente, quizás mas completa o elaborada, todos hemos dicho alguna vez y probablemente usted también; el arte es una forma de expresión. De igual forma todos soñamos, aunque frecuentemente olvidamos los sueños al despertar, y también todos en algún momento hemos sido profundamente movidos por algo hermoso. Con esto quiero decir simplemente esto; todos somos creativos y usted también.
Usted es Creativo
Todos somos creativos porque la creatividad es parte de nosotros. El simple hecho de usted ser capaz de hablar un idioma lo demuestra. Considere por un momento; de igual forma que un pintor combina colores para crear nuevas imágenes que expresan su sentir, cada vez que usted habla, usted toma uso de palabras y las combina creando frases y oraciones nuevas que le permiten expresar lo que usted piensa y siente. Este milagro creativo del lenguaje es en gran parte lo que nos hace humanos.
Por supuesto que algunos somos mas creativos que otros, pero su creatividad no tiene nada ver con la creatividad de otros. No se trata de ser el mejor, el mas talentoso, o numero uno, aunque la televisión y American Idol le digan lo contrario. El desarrollo de nuestra creatividad y talentos no es asunto de competencia. Como dice el dicho, Dios creo al mundo por amor, no por ganarnos la partida. La creatividad y la expresión propia es un proceso de exploración y auto-descubrimiento. Como tal, se trata de ser quien somos de manera mas plena y completa. Se trata de crecer como seres humanos, desarrollar nuestro potencial, entendernos mejor a nosotros mismos , compartir nuestra visión con el mundo, y mejorar nuestra calidad de vida y relaciones con otros.
Nutra su Creatividad
Si bien es cierto que algunos somos mas creativos que otros, también es cierto que la creatividad necesita ser nutrida y desarrollada. La creatividad es un músculo que hay que ejercitar. Entre mas ejercita ese músculo, mas fuerte se pone y mas responde. En gran parte usted desarrolla su creatividad a través del tiempo y esfuerzo que le dedique. Es por esto que el establecer una practica constante de una disciplina es muy importante. Por ejemplo: el comenzar a aprender un instrumento musical como el piano, la guitarra, u otro conlleva cierto grado de disciplina. Usualmente esta envuelve el tomar clases por una hora a la semana con un maestro y practicar al menos media hora todos los días. Usted tiene que tener la dedicación y empeño para adherirse a esa disciplina. Los escritores también establecen sus disciplinas. Isabel Allende escribe todos los días a la misma hora en el mismo lugar se sienta inspirada o no. Cuando la inspiración llega, simplemente llega y es bienvenida. Pero usted no puede cruzarse de brazos a esperarla. Establezca su propia practica y adhiérase a ella, y no se sienta mal cuando no pueda hacerlo. Si bien la practica y la disciplina son importantes, también lo es la flexibilidad. Si se cae y se sale de la practica, retómela de nuevo cuanto antes.
Si usted a leído hasta aquí, es porque a usted tiene interés en el proceso creativo, la sicología, el arte, o la filosofía. Ese interés, esa curiosidad y deseo de saber mas sobre algo que le llama la atención es muy importante. Explore lo que le atrae y llama su atención. Siga su curiosidad y su intuición. Dese permiso a usted mismo para aprender y tratar cosas nuevas, y para ver las mismas cosas de siempre desde nuevos puntos de vista. Su intuición es la voz de su interior guiándolo de forma no racional. Escúchela y sígala.
Crea en usted mismo y no se deje llevar por las opiniones negativas de otros. Continúe explorando y trabajando en su propio proceso creativo aunque falle y no consiga los resultados deseados. Frecuentemente, lo que la gente considera fallas, solo son escalones en la ruta del desarrollo creativo. En sus años formativos, Beethoven era muy malo tocando el violín y se mantenía tan ocupado trabajando en sus composiciones que desatendia su practica musical. Fue tanto así, que sus maestros le dijeron a sus padres que el joven seria un fracaso en la música y que era muy estupido para ser un compositor. Beethoven sin embargo no hizo caso a eso y se concentro en su proceso propio siendo receptivo a su imaginación. El resultado fue uno de los genios musicales mas grandes que el mundo a escuchado.
No sea perfeccionista. No trate de componer la sinfonía perfecta como Beethoven, o pintar como Monet o Rembrandt. El esperar a crear la obra perfecta en el nivel mas alto para finalmente disfrutar de su trabajo y creatividad es solo una perdida de tiempo y energía. Disfrute de su trabajo creativo y de su proceso personal a cualquier nivel que usted este. Todos podemos crear cosas hermosas y genuinas a cualquier nivel aunque tengan miles desperfectos. No se enfoque en el resultado final como la única cosa con valor. Recuerde que de forma similar, lo que cuenta en nuestras vidas es el viaje mismo y no un resultado final. Celebre sus propios logros y su proceso personal, y de igual forma celebre a otros.
Crear es compartir nuestra propia visión con el mundo, y compartir es unirse a otros. Busque de otros que compartan el viaje con usted, apóyelos, y cree comunidad. Tenga presente que no todos tenemos la misma visión y tampoco creamos de la misma forma. No limite la creatividad al “arte formal” solamente. Usted puede ser creativo de muchas formas: a través de la decoración de interiores, la jardinería, trabajando con madera, cocinando, cosiendo, y de muchas otras formas. Comparta de si mismo y habrase a recibir de los demás. Al final de cuentas, el camino de la creación es el camino del amor, y el amor es lo unico que perdura.
Algunas maneras de nutrir su creatividad:
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Tome un gira en el Museo Metropolitano de Arte. El museo, uno de los mas grandes de la ciudad y del mundo, ofrece giras guiadas en diferentes idiomas y enfocadas en diferentes exhibiciones y ramas del arte. La admisión al museo es una donación de la cantidad que usted quiera. Mas información en metmuseum.org. Otra alternativa relacionada a esta es el asistir a la inauguración o recepción de una exhibición artística y conversar con los artistas y otros asistentes. Mas información en nymuseums.com y nyartbeat.com.
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Comience un blog. Si le gusta escribir, sea ficción, poesía, o prosa, usted puede comenzar un blog de forma gratuita en blooger.com, o wordpress.com.
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Unace a un grupo local. A través de toda la cuidad de Nueva York existen muchos grupos que trabajan en diferentes áreas y procesos creativos. Usualmente estos grupos tienen programas abiertos al publico. Cualquiera que sea su interés, haga una búsqueda al respecto y póngase en contacto con un grupo. Facebook.com y meetup.com son paginas donde puede encontrar toda clase de grupos.
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Tome una clase en el área o disciplina de su interés. Muchas organizaciones y grupos ofrecen clases y talleres donde usted puede aprender sobre diferentes procesos creativos. Otra alternativa relacionada a esta son las clases en internet. Algunas paginas para clases en internet son craftsy.com y universalclass.com.
Estos son algunos grupos y organizaciones que ofrecen clases y eventos:
Northern Manhattan Art Alliance – nomaanyc.org
Bronx River Art Center – bronxriverart.org
Queens Council of the Arts – queenscouncilarts.com
Harlem Arts Alliance – harlemaa.org
Art Students League of New York – theartstudentleague.org
New York Writers Coalition – nywriterscoalition.org
¿Cual es su opinión sobre la creatividad? ¿Como la nutre? ¿Cuáles son sus metas creativas para el nuevo año 2014? ¿Conoce otros recursos no listados aquí? Deje un comentario y comparta con otros lectores su opinión y experiencias.
Rolando Rockoso es un músico y escritor de Nueva York.
Originalmente publicado en nuevayorkdigital.com
Es por esto que las cosas hermosas nos tocan el corazón, no como algo externo, sino mas bien con el amor que la vida siente por la vida misma. La audiencia y el publico conectan con lo expresado cuando recrean en si mismos esa emoción y experiencia que el artista plasma. Como dijo Coleridge, “reconocemos a un poeta cuando nos hace poetas a todos”. Es decir, la expresión de sus emociones nos permite expresar las nuestras. A este respecto y de acuerdo a Tolstoi, el arte es compartir las emociones, y la obra artística el medio a través del cual el artista evoca en otros el mismo sentir.
Affirmations are prayers in the form of positive statements of Truth. They are declarations of something, for example order, healing, wisdom, guidance, inner peace, prosperity, our highest good, or harmony as already existing in our lives. Affirmations help us to recognize and accept these things in our lives as part of an undeniable and unchanging underlying spiritual truth always at work in and through all things, God, Spirit, the Good. They are a way of tuning in to the truth of Spirit and claiming it as our own.
Here are some affirmations that hopefully will work for you. Some of these are very short statements, while others are more like meditations. You can find many more at the Unity website. A great book on affirmative prayer is Your Needs Met by Jack and Cornelia Addington. Julia Cameron also has a book on affirmations/meditations call Transitions.
Ultimately, you create your own affirmations, and incorporate them in your own way into your prayers. Prayer is always an affair of the heart, and is up to you to declare your own spiritual truth.
Hopefully, this list of affirmations will grow through time as I will continue to add more.
Guidance
I am attuned to the wisdom of divine Spirit. I know what is mine to do. Visual Affirmation
I open my heart and mind to the wisdom of Spirit. I am receptive to divine guidance.
Healing
The activity of God renews me. I am now healthy, whole, and healed. Visual Affirmation
World Peace
I hold a vision of peace in my mind and in my heart for all the world.
Prosperity
I now live a full and prosperous life, and I am grateful for it. Visual Affirmation
Spirit is my unfailing source.
God is the source of all things in my life. My good comes to me now.
Inner Peace
I listen to the still, small voice within, and I am drawn to my center of peace. Visual Affirmation
Rolofusion jazzy world fusion
© 2013 by Rolando R. All rights reserved.
spirit music culture
I TRY TO MEDITATE
but
I CANT BREATH
until
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Spiritual Responses to Ferguson and Eric Garner
by Rolando R
From Ferguson, to New York, to DC, the difficult issue of race is back at the forefront of American life. As recent events have shown, the so called post racial America of the Obama era is nothing but wishful thinking. For us Americans, race remains an open wound with a long history that goes back to the foundation of our nation, and that has shaped us all along the way.
As spiritual people, many of us try to stay rooted on the one spiritual principle underlying all things. We recognize that this Principle, Mother Father God, Spirit, The Good, is at work in all things and is part of everything. Yet many of us, sometimes also have a very difficult time understanding how social phenomena and issues such as race are also connected to this Web of Life. If indeed society is a reflection of our collective psyche, what is happening now show us all the great need for healing both at the personal and collective levels and how these two levels are intertwined. However, facing ourselves is difficult. There is much resistance, and we have developed many mechanisms for avoidance both on the personal and collective levels. We don’t want to examine our underlying assumptions in dealing with others who we see as different from ourselves. We don’t want to see the things that are often at the bottom of it: the fear, the anger, the guilt, the resentment, the need to feel superior, the condescension, and the need to prove ourselves among other things. We assume that the way we perceive others is really who they are, and never stop to think that what we see is a reflection of who we are. We take stereotypes for granted, and ignore history. When challenged to look at it, we often try to paper over it with platitudes, or turn and accuse others. Anything but facing ourselves. Sometimes, this avoidance is expressed as “we are all the same” which is another way of saying “let’s not look into it”. It might be true that we are all the same, but what we are called upon is to examine ourselves and how we treat others, to make sure that we are in fact treating them as the same, as equals, and in exactly the same way we would like to be treated ourselves. On the collective level, this means with fairness and justice for all.
Here are a few spiritual responses to the ongoing racial crisis and debate. Unfortunately, and as it seems to be the case often with social issues, the new thought movement and other practioners and segments of similar spiritual paths are being slow to respond. That in itself is problematic as Zen priest angel Kyodo williams notes on her conversation with Lama Rod Owens in their shared video. A much broader article, Beyond Priviledge, also with Kyodo, appears in Shambhala Sun magazine. Buddhist Reverend M. Jamil Scott, addresses the issues straight ahead in his article Do Bodhisattva’s get Angry? Marianne Williamson is direct, fearless, and does not mince her words in her Spirituality and Race in America lecture recently shared on Facebook. Finally, bell hooks and Cornell West bring in the critical analysis on multiple levels at a recent public talk at The New School. This video is long, 1 hour and 27 minutes, but hey! is hooks and West!! Bookmark it and watch it a little at a time, if you don’t have the time.
Maya Angelou
The people's poet remembered.
By Rolando R.
Maya Angelou, one of the most important literary voices of America, passed away on Wednesday, May 28. After the civil rights movement, Angelou’s writings helped pioneer a literary blossoming for African-American women with a new breed of unflinchingly honest writers that included such figures as Alice Walker, Paule Marshall, Toni Cade Bambara and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison.
Her solid literary legacy is made up of more than 10 volumes of poetry, including the inaugural poem “On the Pulse of the Morning”, and her best known book "I know Why the Caged Bird Sings", an autobiographic memoir that is taught in schools all across the nation. I got to know her through her also famous poem "Still I Rise" which, like the rest of her work, is a testament to the African-American experience.
Known as the people's poet, she wore many hats through the years, including those of a singer, actress, professor, and activist.
Angelou won three Grammys for spoken word albums, a Tony award, and countless others awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She also composed songs for musicals and films and wrote or co-wrote the scripts for more than a dozen plays, films and television programs. She spoke six languages and was the second poet in history to recite a poem at a presidential inauguration, but as Oprah pointed out, "what stands out the most about Maya Angelou is not what she has done or written or spoken. It’s how she lived her life. She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence, and a fierce grace".
The links below contain a resource put together by the NY Times to teach her work, her obituary at The Guardian, an Op-Ed piece by Charles M. Blow at the Times, and her famous and beautiful "Still I Rise" poem.
New Arts Organization to Launch
BxArts Factory, a newly created non-profit focused on promoting
artists and the Arts in the Bronx, will be hosting its launch party on
Thursday, February 12th from 6 to 8 pm at the Bronx Museum of
the Arts at 1040 Grand Concourse.
BxArts Factory’s core mission is to increase the number of artists using Art to create social change in the Bronx. This is a multidisciplinary initiative that will be an incubator to artists and arts-based projects to serve underserved minorities in The Bronx.
The roots of BxArts Factory go back to the previous artistic work done in the community by their founders under the name Visiones Culturales (Cultural Visions) which is now a component of BxArts Factory. This is the obvious and natural evolution of a group of artists who have invested their hearts and souls in an effort to ground artistic production in the community. As Twahira Khan, one of the founders explains: “We were lacking a singular space where our artists could come together and our community could come together”. With their soon to open space, BxArts Factory will focus on providing space and resources to local, multimedia artists to work on projects to make art accessible to the community and with an educational component.
The first exhibit organized by BxArts Factory is titled, Innuendos: The Voices of 10 Bronxite Women. The exhibit will open on March 6th.
For more information and a complete description of the upcoming exhibit visit www.bxartsfactory.org
On Being of Service
by Rolando R
On any given day there is a countless group of people engaged in service and trying to make a
difference all around us. The non-profit sector is full of these people, many of whom are
overworked and underpaid staff members working on the frontlines of social issues addressing
the existing needs of our communities. Others are volunteers, or community activists, and many
others work tirelessly in the public sector. As an activist, I’ve been in several of these roles, and
have had the opportunity to work with many different people and groups. Some of these people are spiritual people with strong spiritual roots, but the vast majority is not. Often, their approach to service is from a socio-political perspective exclusively. However, regardless of their different perspectives, all these people care and do their best to try to make a positive contribution. This of course reminds us of Dr. King’s words: “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve”.
For those of us who come from a spiritual perspective, however, service is a little different. Heeding the biblical words we recognize our service as an integral part of our spiritual lives:
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father;… For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’…‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:34-36, 40).
This, for us, is much more than just a moral imperative. It is recognition of our shared oneness and collective journey. We understand our service as service to The One, and we know that we are in a collective journey, not merely because of our inescapable social involvement and participation, but most importantly because of our spiritual participation in the whole as parts and parcels of the Divine.
We also agree to the principle that change begins inside yourself. We’ve all been to the conferences and talks, read it, and heard it a million times. It has even become a popular cliché with many songs written about it. Okay, fine and dandy. We have the theoretical knowledge, and we sense the responsibility, but here comes the practice, and it is here where we often find almost insurmountable difficulties.
Starting to Serve
A spiritual life is among other things an evolutionary process of development and purification of our consciousness and intentions. As such, it’s only natural to initially approach spirituality from the standpoint of the ego, the I and me; what I want, how I will grow, how that will affect me, how I will change, how I will stop the pain, how I will better my life and circumstances. In a sense, what’s in it for me?
We hear it all the time from spiritual beginners: “the law of attraction will bring me what I want, more money, a partner, success, happiness. Here is my laundry list Santa. I want this, this, and that”. While it is true that Spirit is always the source of abundant supply and all good things in our lives, the deeper question is: To what extent is this nothing more than just benevolent but mixed intentions and desires at the expense of real surrender?
It’s also natural to bring this type of conditioning and ego consciousness to our service as well, and it is okay too because everything can be used for our purification. We talk a lot about service in our congregations, temples, and other spiritual groups. We are told, sometimes in over simplistic tones, the truth that the more you give, the more you receive, and we encourage people to volunteer and be of service. Many jump right into it as if it were an investment paying high dividends.
But what happens, when there is friction? What happens when the service you are doing doesn’t go your way? When you are asked to do something you don’t like? When things are not what they seem? When you have to deal with challenging situations, limitations, and the personal shortcomings of others around you, even those you are trying to help? –not to speak of our own which for the most part we fail to see, because as always, it’s someone else’s fault. What do you do when what you thought was going to be a great opportunity to do something good, doesn’t live up to your expectations, or even worst, turns out to be a loosing proposition? Do you stay put and continue? Do you still serve even if it doesn’t go your way? Do you resent it? Do you leave it? More fundamentally: Why are you doing it? What’s the real reason, the real intention behind our service?
I once had the privilege of serving a spiritual master, a guru, as his personal helper. He was an aging man with limited mobility and so I became his helper for a short time. We had a lot of mud around our hermitage and in one occasion his sandals got all muddy after a hard rain. I immediately ran out and tried my best to clean them even though he had told me that it was not necessary. When I returned him his sandals, he pointed out to me: “You didn’t do this for me. You did it for yourself”. He was right.
Authentic Service
Service is not about serving ourselves by serving others. This is not about what we get. As stated in the Bhagavad Gita, service at its core is selfless action on behalf of others done with love and devotion for God:
“Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world; by devotion to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind.…Whatever I’m offered in devotion with a pure heart,…I accept with joy. Whatever you do, make it an offering to me –the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your suffering” (3:19,20 and 9:26,27).
What really defines service is what’s at the center, what’s the consciousness and the real intention behind the action and not the action in itself. Anything can be of service, but are we honestly trying to serve Spirit by doing what we do? Are we putting God’s love at the center? Are we doing it selflessly? Mother Theresa, who like Dr. King also led an exemplary life of service put it this way: “There are no great acts, only small acts done with lots of love”.
However, sometimes we want our service to go a long way. We want our service to be great in whichever way we define that. We want results. If you are struggling with service, consider that maybe, just maybe, the work you are doing doesn’t have to be perfect, live up to your standards, or even please you. Maybe it doesn’t have to be done the way you thought –even if your way or idea was better. Consider that maybe you can get yourself out of the way, work with what you have, and let the greater good be done through you, even when you don’t see it.
Let’s remind ourselves of these ideas next time we encounter difficulties in our service, and let’s hold steadily to love and devotion, for in love there’s a joy that rises above all difficulties.
New York City can wear you out. Get away from it all and take a day trip to some amazing destinations just a train ride away from the city. Here are some places to visit in the Hudson Valley where you can be in nature, enjoy some fine art, and renew yourself. Just be careful, or like me you could be one of the many New Yorkers that came in to visit and ended up staying up here.
Escape From New York: Day Trips to Renew Yourself
DIA: Beacon - a private museum on the Hudson River housing major artworks from the 1960s to the present including works by Serra, Bourgeois, Warhol, LeWitt, Smithson, Joseph Beuys, Louse Bourgeois, Dan Flavin, Gerhard Richter, and many others.
Occupying a former Nabisco box printing factory on the banks of the Hudson River in the town of Beacon, the museum is located next to the train station, which is served by Metro-North Railroad trains from Grand Central Terminal. Since its opening in May 2003, Dia:Beacon has helped transform the city of Beacon into a vibrant arts destination for visitors from the region and beyond. After visiting the museum, you can also catch a bus/loop service to town or walk over and visit the many galleries, restaurants, and antiques shop. During the summer months Beacon hosts many outdoor concerts and events, and for those of you that love nature, you can hike up the trail of Mt. Beacon. The mountain at the edge of town played host to Revolutionary signal fires alerting George Washington of British movements, and, at one time, the world's steepest incline railway. Those reaching the top are rewarded with views of the town below and sweeping vistas of the valley and river. Many trails are doable by even the casual stroller, and for the more serious hiker, Mt Beacon connects up with Sugarloaf, Breakneck Ridge, Bull Hill and other adjoining peaks and valleys, ponds and lakes.
Cold Spring - Take a MetroNorth train from Manhattan's Grand Central Station to the beautiful little village of Cold Spring, located on the banks of the scenic HudsonRiver. Enjoy spectacular scenery and a free summer concert series at the picturesque gazebo on the village waterfront, tour antique and speciality shops and dine at one of the many fine cafes, all conveniently located on Main Street. The best part of this excursion is that it only takes a little over an hour from Grand Central and you DON't need a car to get around when you arrive. You can even take a trolley around the village during the summer months. The trolley will also take you to the very popular hiking trails, and to the city of Beacon. Additionally, if wish to spend more than just a day in Cold Spring, the Hudson River Inn or the Pig Hill Inn (B&B) are excellent overnight lodging choices.
Hyde Park - home of The Vanderbilt Mansion and Garden, and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's homes and libraries.
There's so much to see and do in Hyde Park, NY, and the National Park Service and Metro-North Railroad make it easy for you. Spend the day at the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites. The National Park Service operates the free "Roosevelt Ride" shuttle service from Poughkeepsie Metro-North Station 7 days a week and will take you to your choice of the Roosevelt Sites and the Vanderbilt Mansion from May 1st through October 31st. Hyde Park is one of the region's oldest Hudson River estates. For nearly two centuries, this place has been home to socially prominent New Yorkers. A superb example of its type, Hyde Park represents the domestic ideal of the elite class in the late nineteenth-century America. It provides a glimpse of estate life, the social stratification of the period, and the world of the Gilded Age. The National Park Service preserves over 200 acres of the original property, including historic buildings, original furnishings, manicured landscapes, natural woodlands, formal gardens and associated documents. The centerpiece of the estate is the mansion, a masterpiece of American Beaux-Arts design by the distinguished architectural firm McKim, Mead & White.
Storm King Art Center
Widely celebrated as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center has welcomed visitors from across the globe for fifty years. It is located only one hour north of New York City, in the lower Hudson Valley, where its pristine 500-acre landscape of fields, hills, and woodlands provides the setting for a collection of more than 100 carefully sited sculptures created by some of the most acclaimed artists of our time. This truly expectacular open-air museum contains what is perhaps the largest collection of contemporary outdoor sculpture in the United States.
From New York City you can take a bus Coach USA (Short Line Bus) leaving from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd St. & 8th Ave.).
