Mary Lou Cook

She was quoted today in my women who do too much calendar - "Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun."
I love the quote but hadn't heard of her - but through the wonders of google here she is:
Mary Lou Cook



“Santa Fe’s Living Treasure,” Mary Lou Cook, is a force to be reckoned with. Mother of three grown children, teacher, counselor, reverend, writer, lecturer, not to mention calligrapher, bookbinder, basket maker and tree planter, Cook lives through example, showing us life can be a joyous and wondrous adventure. Inspired by Ghandi, ‘you must be the change you wish to see in the world,’ Mary Lou Cook serves as mentor and activist on several fronts, including: nuclear issues, the environment, women’s issues, Peace Corps, politics and peace.
Throughout her life, Cook has been blazing trails: she was the first woman bank director in Santa Fe at United Southwest Bank; co-founder of the New Mexico acupuncture association which was instrumental in bringing acupuncture to the mainstream and protecting it under the laws of the state; co-founder of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety and Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, which focuses on educating the public; founder of the Santa Fe Living Treasures, a group garnering huge national attention which honors elders who have made a significant difference to the community; City of Santa Fe’s Official Calligrapher in the 1980s, (Santa Fe was the second city to create the position, after Los Angeles); founder of the MLC (Mary Lou Cook) Creativity Center; creator of the popular Black Kindness bracelet, with the word ‘kindness’ printed in seventeen languages to promote peace around the world and Minister and Bishop of the Eternal Life Church, performing ceremonies throughout the year for people from over the world and last, but certainly not least, co-founder of the New Mexico Department of Peace.
For Mary Lou Cook, peace and creativity go hand in hand, “It is so important for us to use our creativity. We are all born with it, but not all of us use it. Creativity is about original thinking, being happy and positive. It is important to understand our main job is to be happy. We always have a choice between peace and fear, why would we choose fear over peace?” Cook’s creativity has inspired her to co-author twelve books including Open Endings, Beyond Fear, When I Listen and Let Your Clown Out of the Closet.