What better time to take a minute and think about being less wasteful and having a lighter touch with the planet? We are in the middle of a culture wide season of openness and love, and during the season you are often asked to extend your thinking to the homeless, those displaced by disaster, war or economic losses. It does touch us all personally and when we stop to feel the world around us, it is hard not to shrink back in dismay. There are huge number of agencies and organizations that let you know where to write a check, where to drop of some canned goods and how much to drop in the plate. These are all great, wonderful things to do.
But, you can, day by day, alter the world and help to eliminate these problems, or help bring them down to a scale that is manageable. Really.
Logically, the condition of the world is the result of the actions of billions of people all doing... whatever we are doing. And when we are responsible, empathetic and wise, the world actually improves in the presence of humans. Or suffers less, perhaps, and certainly the suffering of other humans need not be directly attributed to the prosperity of a few, or the ignorance of many.
If there are enough artists out there to create the market share to drive international magazines, books, websites and supply stores then we have an economic impact. Your actions, are repeated, with different results, in studios around the world. And you are intentionally setting out to sway other humans with the brilliance of your insights, creativity and thinking. You are demonstrating your right brained problem solving skills every day. If you have a great idea for saving the world, unlike many others, your work and relationships are perfect mediums for transmitting solutions to problems and new kinds of thinking to the world.
If, for each artist, there are ten people who watch the art work and art making process closely enough to be moved to participate in the dance with us, then we are a movement.
If those ten people touch the lives of one hundred others each year, then we can change the world. Because some of the artists and some of those watching artists use print, film, TV and other broadcast mediums, like say, blogging, then millions are impacted by the work and processes of a handful of artists.
We are a force of nature. Smart, furry mammals with heads full of good and bad lightning. We can set fire to the world around us or we can light the way.
My idea is simple. I learned it from you. I watch the ways that artists save a little money here, plant a good idea there, and extend their care beyond their work and home to the people who watch and students they teach. I see at least three simple things we can all do, and you are probably doing them already.
Teach and model better processes and use of materials and resources.
Think about the long term effects of process, material (choice and use) and ideas on ourselves and the larger world.
Consciously expand your positive impact by learning/teaching, sharing and replacing illogical, irresponsible and unfriendly processes, materials and ideas in our studios and work.
For a start.
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