Today we're talking to J Ruth Gendler. J. Ruth Gedler is the author of the bestselling The Book of Qualities and the award winning Notes on the Need for Beauty and the editor of Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day. Her work as an artist has been featured in all her books and in exhibitions across the country. Ruth has also done an enormous amount of work as a teaching artist in schools for over 35 years and has so much wisdom to share on playfulness and creativity. I was hanging on her every word in this discussion. It is not an exaggeration to say that when I first read "The Book of Qualities," fresh out of college, it changed my life. It's one of those very special books that I've kept with me over the years and every time I revisit it, I find something new and exciting and illuminating. I cannot recommend Ruth's work enough and I was thrilled to spend this time with her.