Ralph Waldo Emerson was a writer, thinker and philosopher who, like his father, was an ordained Unitarian minister. He was a leading proponent of Transcendentalism, embracing idealism, focusing on nature and opposing materialism, advocating the idea of a personal knowledge of God, and believing that no intermediary was needed for spiritual insight. 

Throughout history various philosophers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, have held up self-reliance of the individual as an ideal.  UCF welcomes back guest speaker Addie Hirschten, examining Emerson’s 1841 essay on the topic and exploring what it can teach us today. 

BIO: Addie lives in Indianapolis, Indiana and is a contemporary painter, art teacher, author of several books, and host of the Studio Alchemy Podcast. Addie earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from Appalachian State University and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University.  They work as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. A serious master gardener who incorporates botanical images into artwork, Addie is also a blues-style violinist!

“The sky is the ultimate art gallery above us.” -Emerson
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