Recently, walking around Boulder and taking in the sites, I’ve noticed an ample amount of street art, most notably drawn/painted/stenciled by SMiLE, an anonymous Boulder artist. SMiLE’s repertoire ranges from portraits of Jack Kerouac and Brad Pitt, to a menagerie of animals, most especially cats. A little less than a year ago SMiLE had an exhibition in Boulder titled ‘Streets to Canvas’, and made a profound statement on the website promoting the event. SMiLE states, “Art has always been in the vanguard of the worlds changing consciousness, and Street Art is the contemporary form of this... Read More

“I’m writing a book. When I started it, I thought it was going to take no longer than one, maybe two years… so far I’ve been writing it for about seven.” What is the overall message you would like your book to tell? “Well, half of the things I believe in are believable and half are unbelievable. Half the things I write about, the ideas, are believable and half of them are not…. But that is what I would like to give, the option for people to believe in something that others think is unbelievable. People once thought going into space and flying a spaceship... Read More

Dan is a full time musician, currently on the road, with Iowa as his destination. He is originally from the Bay Area near San Fransisco, but travels to perform music, and also tap! He has previously played in Boulder a hand full of times with his band. In fact, his second stop his first time traveling with the band was Boulder! He used to perform for Andy, the owner of Albums on the Hill and also at the Boulder Theater. Now, Dan plays his music at weddings and different special events, but tapping is also part of his creative side. He is going to start offering tap lessons to inspire others to... Read More

Revealing Our Routes: Women of Boulder County was originally developed by the Women of the West Museum back in 2002. Now the exhibit is now hosted by Boulder History Museum’s site. There are dozens of dynamic ladies documented in this collection, and today we’ve brought you a few of our favorites. Ruth Cave Flowers (1903-1980) was a native Boulderite who graduated from Boulder high in 1920. Because she was African-American they refused to award her a diploma featuring her catchy name. Despite her lack of diploma, CU accepted Ruth Flowers as a student. She earned a doctorate in Romance... Read More

Maybe you already know that the comfortable (and allegedly edible) innovation; the Crocs shoe, was created in Boulder County. Today we’re checking out some less explosive, but equally clever, Boulder-based inventions. This is one smart city, and the products created here prove it! Nimbus Cloud Dome The Nimbus Cloud Dome is a deceptively simple invention created by Boulder resident Cindy Litchfield. As a jewelry maker, she struggled to create close-up, glare-free photos of her products. No one had addressed the problem before, so she took on the challenge. The result was the Nimbus Cloud... Read More

With the holidays over, we figured we should refresh our minds with something different today. Boulder has a very interesting architectural history, especially the university campus. We will touch on some defining Boulder architectural projects which you have probably seen around town. Next time you’re out and about, maybe you’ll encounter some of these oh-so-Boulder building projects. The University Campus Of course we cannot skim Boulder’s architectural past without bringing up the University of Colorado campus. It began with the all-brick Old Main and soon grew into several... Read More

Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins are neurotransmitters that regulate our happiness.  A neurotransmitter is a messenger of neurologic information from one cell to another.  Being in a positive mental state has significant impact on our motivation, productivity, and wellbeing. Did you know you can intentionally cause neurotransmitters to flow? Let’s take a look at each one and how you can activate them to make yourself happy. Dopamine motivates us to take action toward goals, desires, and needs, and gives a surge of reinforcing pleasure when achieving them. Procrastination, self-doubt,... Read More

Before Thomas Jefferson signed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and before Colorado became a state in 1876, the area was settled by numerous Native American tribes, predominantly inhabited by the Arapaho. The Arapaho were successful nomadic hunters, expanding their presence through trade, warfare, and alliances with other tribes. They were closely allied with the Cheyenne, which allowed their hunting territory to expand greatly and made them a formidable force. Much of their culture revolved around the idea of a warrior, which included not only skills in combat, but also in keeping peace, and in... Read More

A: “We once once made a deal; I was going to join cross country if she would join the high school musical.” E: “I did it for a little while…” A: “…But then she quit. My friends and I all felt betrayed! hahaha.” E: “Yea and now we mostly hang out making fun of each other and doing homework.” What are you both studying? E: “I’m studying bio-engineering. I know a few disabled people in my life… and they made me want to improve the lives of anyone who is disabled. It’s easy to find a path in bio-engineering that... Read More

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Missouri, found that Boulder Colorado had the highest density of start-up companies per capita in the United States. Most of these sprouting businesses are technology-based, and many start and eventually settle in the city. But what is it about Boulder which makes it a breeding ground for new business? First of all, Boulder’s culture spans the distance between nature-loving outdoorsy people and highly-educated tech creators. To the west are the glorious Flatirons and innumerable natural wonders, meanwhile the university is researching more... Read More

Meet Shelby! “I’ve lived in Boulder for five years now. I studied Environmental Design with an emphasis in Landscape Architecture and a Minor in Studio Arts. This past year I stopped working on my art and now that I’m finally done with school this is one of the things I am most excited for; hanging out in the backyard, listening to music and creating the art that I love.”      Read More

“Someone once told me that I should live my life like it was a message to the world. I liked that! I took it to heart, you know? So now that’s what I try to do. I think to myself, ‘Hey. What is your best advice to those you love?’ And really, it’s simple. Just have fun. Make a difference. Do your best to make others smile. Oh… and dance! You should always find some time to dance!” -George  Read More

Autumn is the season of transformation, and with it there are many metaphors for you to reflect on in creating change in your life. Indigenous traditions from around the world all use metaphors of the earth in their rituals for connecting with the greater whole. This is often reflected in the use of the “medicine wheel” which lays out different elements, seasons, symbols etc. on the compass. In this framework, Fall is located in the West which also represents sunset and generally reflects a time of harvesting before the dark of night/winter etc. in the North.   The metaphor of harvesting... Read More

“The mountains speak to my faerie soul” Hailing all the way from Florida, Ashley has worked as a professional faerie since she was 10 years old. She does so in pursuit of bringing laughter, love, and joy to the world. Being by the mountains “makes me feel like I’m at home” she says. Right now Ashley is looking for her next great adventure; having worked in costuming, real estate, and her very own faerie business she hopes to keep bringing joy and happiness to those around her wherever her adventures take her.  Read More

  Meet Alex! My favorite quote of all time is by Eleanor Roosevelt. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt “I heard this when I was having trouble with a friend and it ultimately made me feel like I had power in the situation.” Thanks Alex!  Read More

Meet Nyah ‘The didgeridoo is an extension of my soul, so I suffered when I lost it.” Nyah has a spiritual connection with the beautiful sounding wind instrument, the didgeridoo. Nyah first saw one when she was in elementary school, and was immediately drawn to the sound it made. She didn’t see one again until she was visiting San Francisco and saw one that was beautifully made with mushrooms carved on to look like they were wildly flowing from the base. When Nyah was at Mt. Shasta another time for Shasta Solstice, there was a gathering of people and she came across a man with a didgeridoo... Read More

We can’t say for sure if being in Boulder makes you a better or more successful person, but these celebrities from our fair city lend some credibility to the notion. And since we aren’t a gossip site, these won’t all be film and TV stars. We are showing you real people from Boulder who did, and are doing, interesting and popular things with their lives. 3OH!3 Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte make up the electronica group 3OH!3, which received national success with their song “Don’t Trust Me”. They gained even more attention when they collaborated with Ke$ha... Read More

Jack started playing the piano at four years old inspired by his two older sisters. Now, he goes to CU Boulder and studies music composition. He plays a little bit of a lot of things, but focuses on vocals and the piano. He hopes to either do film scoring, or possibly tour with a rock band after he graduates. Jack performs on Pearl Street occasionally. He loves doing this because it’s “a great way to connect with people is through music because there is no barrier between the musician and the audience.” Jack is about to record an album, and is going to host a release party in... Read More

Some of you have heard that Boulder is “25 square miles surrounded by reality”. Which is one way to say that the character of the city of Boulder is extremely different from other nearby cities. Today we will discuss how intellectualism has helped to create this unique reputation. There is a huge focus on anti-intellectualism in the United States. Many folks, especially politicians, discredit Education, Literature, Philosophy, Art, and Science as pursuits which are mostly impractical. None of these subjects seem vital for the “common man” to know. None of them will help... Read More

Meet Jenna I found Jenna sitting outside of Lolita’s on a nice sunny afternoon. She was in an in depth conversation with an older man who seemed to be passing on some good advice. “After I left work today, I knew I needed to gather wisdom from an elder. I ended up talking to this man who was walking by Lolita’s. He ended up teaching me a valuable piece of knowledge when I needed it most. He gave me some general guidance and pointed me in the right direction. We talked for about 15 minutes. He walked away and thought about what I said and came back half an hour later with the advice I needed.... Read More