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I found this picture compelling in its quirk. Savage's way of combining sophistication with silliness, I mean why's a yankee wearing a Stetson

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this picture of a young Bob Dylan is a reminder of the leap of faith in embarking on a career journey that many would consider unreliable, and at such a young age no less

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Here I am with my family in Jerusalem, celebrating my Bar Mitzvah. Today I am in awe that this picture captures a moment of three generations of my family surviving and traveling thousands of miles to uphold the legacy of our ancestors

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Bob would often read fan mail from his show The Joy of Painting. He knew he was reaching people far and wide, and you can see the joy in his eyes of making such positive connections with complete strangers

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Costume designer Laura Jean Shannon with displays of the Robin and Nightwing suits from the DC TV show Titans- need I say more?

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this is my favorite song from my favorite band. Think of this as theme music underlying the rest of this introspective

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One thing I loved growing up was watching Adam Savage on Mythbusters, and something I hated was those stupid assignments asking me to write about who my “hero” was. Something about Savage’s personality fascinated me- I mean with a last name like that, c’mon. I was amazed with the diverse skill set he presented on that show, jumpinging from something delicate and “artistic” to exorbitant calculations of how to achieve a perfect explosion. Maybe all the explosions on that show are why I like fire so much. I’m not sure about that one, but I am certain that looking back, the term hero may not be the most fitting, but the journey of his career inspires me, and emboldens me to take my passions seriously.

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As I grew older, and continued following Savage’s personal exploits, I discovered his career started in theatre, and then transitioned into prop and model making, before achieving stardom with Mythbusters. Today he spends most of his time working in his shop fabricating pretty much whatever he wants, mostly for himself and the enjoyment of his audience. While I don’t have a specific desire to be famous, I do look up to his ability to maintain a love and passion for making things that has sustained his career for decades, and hope I too can embody that inertia in my own life.

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https://www.npr.org/2019/02/11/693471041/try-this-at-home-kids-adam-savage-on-the-next-generation-of-mythbusters

This article discusses Adam's encouragement for children to be physical hands on learners, experimenting on their own (with supervision of course) but I think beyond that, he also indirectly encourages you to embrace your inner kid as you age- not to lose that youthful glee

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I am not a musician, that really isn’t an artform I identify with. I do strongly identify with the artistic endeavors of Robert Zimmerman, better known as Bob Dylan. Infamous folk singer turned rock star turned cultural icon. His lyrics and their expression in his raw, untrained voice remind me of the liberty to do what feels right to me, as well as the feeling of necessity in trying to do find my part in the turmoil of the vast uncertain world I was born into.

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While Dylan is known chiefly as a musician, that title alone encompasses a wide swath of art forms. He is a poet, lyricist, performer, pianist, and the list goes on. What many may not know is that he has also identified as a painter for decades, even having exhibits across the world display his works. This multifaceted nature has influenced me to be vocal about my various hobbies and artistic endeavors. In the same vein as my appreciation for Adam Savage, I believe Dylan has influenced me to be a jack of all trades in this respect.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/06/05/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature-lecture-speech/102515518/

Bob Dylan's award of the 2016 Nobel prize in literature perfectly depicts his talents in creating art plain and simple, and not being tied down to a single title

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I don’t know much about LJ Shannon’s personal life. To be honest I don’t even really know how she got to where she is today, but that isn’t what matters. Her and her team’s work speaks well enough on its own. Beyond my appreciation for her work, I aspire to be able to work on similar projects in my own future, and being able to have my own imagination come to life in whatever form it may take.

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When people ask me why I have an interest in costume design, I need to start referring them to this. Two of my biggest identities are hobbies I picked up later in my childhood, I feel. I didn’t really become a comic book fan until the 7th grade, and didn’t join theatre until high school, but I love both worlds deeply. Costuming is a meld of two of my favorite things; bringing to life words and drawings of fantastical fictional universes, and the magic of performance, and being a part of something bigger than myself.

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https://boldentrance.com/titans-design-and-construction-nightwing-suit/

my favorite part of this article is just the fact that it exists, and that we get to have such greater exposure to what happens behind the scenes and behind the curtains of production

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For those who do not know, painter Bob Ross made a conscious choice to speak in a soft, gentle tone because he hated having to use an aggressive tone in his twenty years in the air force. The most important word to me in that statement is conscious. I find it very important to be aware of my own actions, and how they impact those around me.

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The snowy mountainscape found in many of Ross’s paintings come directly from his time spent living in Alaska while serving in the air force. His style of speaking and painting are renowned for being peaceful and tranquil, the paintings mostly sparse of human contact. The way I choose to carry this impact on me is through the idea of leaving things better than you found them.

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https://www.npr.org/2016/08/29/490923502/the-real-bob-ross-meet-the-meticulous-artist-behind-those-happy-trees

this article attests at the positive impact Bob had on those he touched in his life, and how he continues to brighten people's lives to this day

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This is the most important section to me. The most personal. I am one with my Jewish identity, and I would need thousands upon thousands of words to properly articulate what exactly that means. We are a tenacious people. We have survived thousands of years of oppression, and yet we persevere. I choose to identify with the hardships beyond my control, to defy them, and not be defined by them, but rather be defined by the beauty and joy of my community.

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I want to acknowledge the fortunes I have despite my struggles. I am fortunate enough to come physically unscathed from my experiences with hate and ignorance. I am lucky to be able to have shared some of the most important moments in my life as a Jewish man with my family, in the heart of our nation. I do not want to take these moments for granted.

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https://jewishunpacked.com/repairing-the-world-is-tikkun-olam-jewish/

being Jewish does not make me inherently different than any other human on Earth. While I do not wish to erase the distinction of us as a community, this video perfectly highlights just how universal some of our most important values