【推荐1】Childhood is a time of limitless possibilities. And old age is the time of wisdom. But for children who face the monster of cancer, their lives are fast-forwarded into profound wisdom. Not only do they have hand-to-hand struggle with the limits of life, they face it with raw truth and courage. For them, life is hard-won yet full of unbelievable hope, and is to be lived to the fullest.

We have much to learn from these children.

That’s what art therapist, Lisa Murray, believed as she worked to help children with cancer to release their feelings through their drawings, which have turned into a book, Angels & Monsters.

Murray found that in their struggle, kids would tell her constantly, “I’m just a regular kid; I just want to play, to go to school, to go outside ... I just happen to have cancer.”

She was moved and inspired by their simple will to survive. The children were facing the disease head on. She saw some powerful images in their artwork. “What courage does it take to do that?” said Murray.

Murray selected 25 children aged 13 months to 18 years. She asked the four-year-olds and up, “If you could tell the world what it is like to have cancer, what would you say, what would you draw?” For two-to three-year-olds, she asked, “What do you want to tell people about yourself?” And for the youngest, she just took their handprints. It’s such a human expression, “Here’s my mark,” said Murray.

She then asked them about their pictures and wrote down exactly what they said. This gave the artwork a powerful voice. Coupled with Murray’s photographs of the children in the book, the three forms of expression leave both a permanent record and lasting impression with the viewer.

As a therapist, Murray doesn’t give the kids the impression that the drawing process is right or wrong. Whatever they draw is unconditionally acceptable. “Children play, they draw, and that’s the natural language of children. That’s why art therapy is so wonderful,” she said.

【推荐2】Nowadays, people tend to take a selfie (自拍) wherever they are. However, not all of them can take a perfect selfie.     1    So I am going to give you some tips on how to get a perfect one.

Use Several Devices (设备). Before you can even think about uploading a selfie on your social networking site,     2    . Although there are many devices you can use to take a selfie, the best one is a smart phone with a front and back camera. However, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need other devices. You just have to understand how each of them works. In the end, all that matters is how well you practice and how to get the right shots (照片).

Catch Good Lighting and Background. To get a classic selfie, you have to pay close attention to the lighting and background. For an indoor selfie, face a window or door where natural light is shining right on your face. This really brightens up the picture.     3    .

Aim for Unusual Shots. For an eye-catching shots, try taking a selfie with your pet.     4    One great thing about selfie is that you don’t need to wait for the right time or place. You can instantly reach out for your camera, strike a pose, and get a rocking selfie.

    5    Relax, enjoy and click — these are the three basic rules you need to follow. A selfie is not an activity where you need to follow some guidelines or set rules.