According to “Every Penguin in the World” (affiliate link), a penguin’s call is its identity. Each call is unique. It’s how life mates find each other in a colony of look-alikes. When a king penguin called to Author Charles Bergman, who was standing on the penguin path, the penguin was announcing and identifying itself, and it waited for Bergman to do the same.

What could Bergman answer? Who was he and what response would be appropriate to give to a king penguin?  In part, “Every Penguin in the World” is Bergman’s response, but it goes deeper for him. This one penguin questioned Bergman, wanting to know who he was and what his responsibility to the colony was. Bergman wanted to know the answer as well.

Identity is a powerful motivator. Who are you and what are your responsibilities to the colony? How would you answer the king penguin?

Too often, we hide behind our names and what we do for a living. Those aren’t who we are, we just gird them on like armor to protect us from the difficult journey that involves questioning ourselves and our place in the world. Our identity gets tied up in groups, politics, hobbies – these allow us to connect, give us a sense of certainty, and when done correctly, bring us joy. However, until we use our power to discover our own unique voices, we cannot be as forthright as the king penguin. The inward journey that requires is tough to make. It is continuous, but the rewards may be trumpeted through our entire being.

If you like penguins, check out Jenya’s handmade penguins at Etsy.com. A portion of the adoption fees will go to the Royal Albatross Centre in New Zealand for their work with little penguins and other birds.

Shad’s books “There Are No Penguins in Alaska” and “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly” are available at Amazon or when you use a contact form from Penguinate.com. We have a limited number of “There Are No Penguins In Alaska” in hard copy for coloring. They run $8 each plus shipping and handling. A portion of the sale of each “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly” goes to support Tiritiri Matangi Island for their work with little penguins and other New Zealand wildlife.

At Penguinate, we believe creativity happens at the intersection. When two or more fields of knowledge interconnect, you’ll find something new. That’s why we vary our content. However, creativity cannot happen without a core set of knowledge, and that’s why we focus on some topics more than others. Creativity is a meta-skill that everyone possesses, and with practice, you can improve your creative powers.

This site uses affiliate links. If you buy something from an affiliate link at Amazon, it won’t cost you more than if you went there on your own to get it, and we get a small portion for steering you to the product.