@tburleson.bsky.social
Educator, librarian, and author with 33 years of experience, 2016 SLJ Librarian of the Year, and global speaker. Passionate about reading, tech in education, ethical AI, and finding joy in creativity through photography, design, and storytelling.
As a librarian, I often talk about "learning to learn," but lately, I’ve been thinking about "learning to see". Today’s post explores the pedagogy of the abstract. How do we teach students—and ourselves—to find meaning in the layers of an image rather than just the surface-level facts?
This shift has reminded me that "learning to learn" is a lifelong, iterative process. Sharing some thoughts on the methodology of the blur:
As a librarian, I’ve spent 34 years teaching the power of inquiry. Recently, I applied that same pedagogy to my own photography—moving away from literal "artifacts" toward abstract discovery.
Two young men. A black bear. Nothing on but our boots.
Absurdity and terror under the Sierra Nevada stars—an unforgettable night when survival and laughter blurred together.
#WildernessTales #BearEncounter #Memoir #Adventure
The half-dome, the mosaics, the light — Union Terminal is more than architecture. It’s memory, story, and timeless design all in one.
A morning alone in Cincinnati’s Art Deco icon.
#Cincinnati #Architecture #ArtDeco #Travel #Photography
What happens when you hand over a story you’ve carried for thirteen years?
I’m learning that waiting for feedback is not idle—it’s the work of trust.
Read the full post: Before the Feedback Arrives
#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #BetaReaders #IndieAuthor
A child with butterfly wings, pencil in hand, lost in creation. I sat with coffee and gratitude, realizing I was watching something much bigger than a Saturday morning.
#ChildhoodInnocence #ArtOfNoticing #Gratitude #Photography #Family
Out of collapse, I built something raw: wires, rage, and brokenness set aflame with light. What I love about it isn’t beauty but honesty—a record of survival.
What have you forged from your own fire?
#Creativity #Resilience #Photography #InnerFire
Painting with Light: The Furnace Within
open.substack.com/pub/whereima...
Locked in a dead train car. No air, no way out. I screamed at the platforms flying past, pounded with my shoe, and thought: this might be how I die.
Full story: Trapped: Next Stop Humiliation
#Trapped #MemoirMoments #NearMiss #SurvivalStory #HumiliationStation
Independent publishing has felt like balancing two lives at once—writing the story and building the bridge for it to reach readers.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far.
#IndiePublishing #WritersLife #AmWriting #BookJourney
Everything I’ve Learned So Far About Independent Publishing
open.substack.com/pub/whereima...
Independent publishing has felt like balancing two lives at once—writing the story and building the bridge for it to reach readers.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far.
#IndiePublishing #WritersLife #AmWriting #BookJourney
Everything I’ve Learned So Far About Independent Publishing
open.substack.com/pub/whereima...
What happens when stone meets sky in perfect balance? My new series, Lines and Light, begins with the Al Noor Mosque in Sharjah, where morning light turned architecture into grace.
#LinesAndLight #Architecture #TravelPhotography #Sharjah #UAE
The series began in wonder. It ends the same way — but deeper now, shaped by gratitude and perspective.
This is the final chapter of Streets, Squares, and Stories.
#TravelReflection #EasternEurope #Perspective #Storytelling
Streets, Squares, and Stories: What I Brought Home
open.substack.com/pub/whereima...
In Budapest, a pharmacist slid medicine through an acrylic cylinder. In that simple act, I heard something bigger—kindness flowing across languages, like the Danube itself.
#Budapest #Danube #Kindness #TravelReflections
Streets, Squares, and Stories: A River of Voices
open.substack.com/pub/whereima...
One daisy stood apart this summer—ordinary yet unforgettable. 🌼 Sometimes the simplest bloom carries the heaviest weight of joy and memory.
Read the full post: Friday Flora: A Summer of Daisies
#FridayFlora #DaisyLove #SimpleBeauty #NatureReflection
