Dear Learners,
Jude Kelly writes and I read,
Do We Want a Different World? If so, how are we going to achieve it? For
over a decade, modern societies have flirted with the word "creative" as
an aspiration for their economies, education systems, management styles,
city planning. It is recognised that only disciplined lateral thinking
produces new paradigms of effective change. And yet, artists trained and
practised in this kind of thinking are largely excluded from the key
discussions on how to develop creative starting points. Why? Is it because
they appear too idealistic? Is it because decision-makers become nervous
when faced with new landscapes ... dizzy heights ... unknown terrain? Are
they embarrassed by thinking the seemingly impossible before having
organised the method of achieving it? That caution costs us dear.
Artists have highly developed creative capacity and the ability to use it
for good purpose.
I believe that acknowledging and harnessing this capacity would contribute
enormously to the world's health and wealth in an emotional as well as a
practical economic sense.
Artists are a touchstone for their own culture and can serve as a conduit
for understanding the culture of others.
So why don't we ask artists for their advice and help in building the
future?
Why don't we call on artists to help us explore the complicated emotional
terrain of racism, cultural divide, social dysfunction and poverty of
aspiration?
The main difficulty lies not in any external condition but in the national
character with its instinctive shrinking from anything that savours of
idealism.
There is always the need to grow a generation of artists/thinkers. Artists
comment on the present and speculate on the future. They can analyse the
modern psyche with precision and often apprehend future trends with
seemingly mystic accuracy. They take the lead in defining "ways of seeing"
and history shows us that the beliefs and value systems of a society will
be revealed through its art ... or lack of it.
As the world talks of a combined attack against the worst of mankind's
deeds, it is imperative that we continue to pay regard to and nurture the
best of the human capacity for the extraordinary. The international
exchange of artists working at all levels in society becomes as vital to
our stock of knowledge as any other kind of shared intelligence.
We know that creativity releases powerful energy and vision and can
transform an individual, a neighbourhood, a workforce ... possibly even a
nation. We also know that creativity untouched by the complex influences
of human empathy, compassion and desire to build meaning, purpose and
curiosity degenerates into self-serving drive for selfish outcomes.
Think the impossible and then make it happen. Few of us would wish to
imagine planning the total destruction of the twin towers. Few of us could
bear to contemplate creating carnage and despair on such a scale. But the
imaginations of those who orchestrated that apocalyptic moment were fully
committed to producing both terror and disbelief in their audience of
global billions.
They achieved more than the devastation of thousands of lives, and more
than the ravaging of economic stability. Like the Nazis, they revealed the
human imagination as potentially the most potent weapon in any armoury and
made us fear the evil potential of our own species. On September 11, a
surrealist nightmare became a certainty and the imagination, used for
destruction, not creativity, triumphed.
So now we're committed to this malignant victory being short-term. The
world is summoning the power of its global networks; for an assault on
terrorist bases, layers of new legislation are being put in place;
hundreds of practical safeguards previously too costly or bureaucratic to
consider are aiming to alter aspects of society in order to protect us
from other horrifying imaginative possibilities. But it's not going to be
sufficient in the long-term. Fighting idealism with pragmatic
determination is not as daring, audacious or inventive as the terrorist
act ... it doesn't finally convince. What convinces is evidence that we
too can think the impossible ... and then make it happen. end citation.
That's hopeful isn't it? We can get there can't we?
Constructive creativity versus destructive creativity, connecting,
begetting, communicating, deep listening, deep and open dialogue....mmmm
maybe a vision encircled in a wilderness is a more proper and pragmatic
instrument for a renaissance than some imagined. Perhaps in the deep and
playful creative constructivity of seven essentialities we can build a new
world more designed for the good of EVERYone <><> everyONE I said. A new
world without ground? An old world with new ground? Living more in the
builder and less the buildings. There's only one building, and it's round,
and blue and floating like a pearl in space.
>From the Cloud of Unknowing: I pray thee: But do forth ever more and more, so
>that thou be ever doing.
Maturanna and Varela might express it as 'walking the walking'.
Bucket!!!! Time again to enter the fields, - I see a man before us, he's
caught in a storm and his boots have no souls;-)
I pray thee: But do forth ever more and more, so that thou be ever doing.
Love,
Andrew
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