By definition, being charitable and philanthropic means removing yourself from your self-absorbed cocoon of cheap beer and a DVR full of Jersey Shore reruns to think about someone else for a little bit. But let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment – even if you’re just looking for a

After brunch one day last spring, I took a sunny stroll along Amsterdam Ave. on the Upper West Side. A brightly colored shop immediately caught my eye; the window was filled with hand-painted pottery and a sandwich-board-sign promise that I, too, could create a work of art. I stepped in,