Beverly, thanks for your wonderful post. I’m with you 100%. I attended a webinar the other day where scholars talked projects aimed at creating hope for a just future—in places where everyday survival is difficult. The stories they help create are based on the needs and challenges of the local people. The emphasis is on co-creation of stories, rather than scholars telling stories about, or for, the people they’re working with. Very inspiring.
Thanks for this link, Randal. Yes, to the co-creation of our stories! More and more artists will facilitate this process. We are witnessing this shift in some profound ways, but we have to look for them.
Yep-- "witnessing this shift in some profound ways, but we have to look for them," sometimes and in some places we gotta look real hard for them... I suspect they are always there, whichever way we turn.
Re-reading this when I needed it most, thank you for your eloquence Bee on behalf of humanity and our more than human world, and your efforts to dream and activate a collective response that is both nurturing and ... fecund! I needed sympathetic, inclusive and informed inspiration today - looking right down into the abyss (once again) and saying Yes, my loves, and now what? -- and (of course) found that here, again.
Not sure if that link works. The overall project is called the Humane Urbanisms Project. The webinar was called Coproducing Counter Narratives of Radical Care, Hope, and Imagined Just Futures. They have branches in South Africa, the US, Brazil, and Bangladesh. They have skilled facilitators who work with local people to create videos. Interesting that they make provisions for cybersecurity so their work isn’t subject to surveillance and misuse. Anyway, your piece made me think of these brilliant scholars—they’re trying to make a difference, rather than just studying these situations.
I've had a real hard life (which pales in comparison to a lotta people's lives) so I've worked up some tricks to get through it all. For me, things always come in 3s, so here goes:
1.) Selectivity: I refuse to read any any any news about Trump and his transition to dictator, his disgusting cohorts, his stupid mistakes and his dishonest triumphs until Inaugural Day, January 20th. Almost all of the opinions are second guessing, and the facts are slippery. Example: Folks are aghast that Matt Gaetz is nominated for Attorney General and fretting all over the place about it. But does anybody truly think that he will become the AG? Do folks really think Trump is gonna sic the military onto American people when military protocol expressly forbids it? I reckon almost all of the talking heads ie pundits are falling all over each other trying to become stars in the media ooze. I say: take a brake, Jake, from the Trump news at least until the time when Trump etc are manifesting their evil plans on-the-ground... Of course, get ready!
2.) These days I am trying to live an "existential life" to the fullest degree. Existential life: A life lived as if the future of civilization depends upon it (it does); a life lived as if my actions have the capacity to utterly change the world (I am); a life lived as if ruthlessness towards oneself and the world at large were not a bad thing (I should). Ruthlessness is likely the hardest pill to swallow, but maybe look at it this way-- how much emotional, intellectual and material things that are merely baggage does you got in life? Drop it all away, burn it all up in ceremony and if it still prevails, kill it all. Be as ruthless on yourself as life has been on you and be ruthless on your friends-- don't let them whine themselves to sleep. Be ruthless in the world so you can pick and choose your fights effectively, efficiently. The existential life means cutting out the fat, leaving just enough for cushion when ya gotta lay down to rest. For me, and I R admittedly all-too-radical, living the existential life means there is no such thing as having a career, no such thing as retirement and, if you will pardon me, there is no such thing as flying out east to go to your 3rd cousins bar mitzvah... Get it? I am still working on this one so I am always looking for feedback.
3.) Take up a really really engrossing hobby. Bee's approach seems to be through her art, through her dance, through her writing and so and so and so much more. My approach for an engrossing hobby is throat singing, at which I have become expert. Throat singing was discovered in southern Siberia about 1000 years ago, where I went 12 years ago and going back soon enough. It entails engaging parts of one's vocalization that we never engage when we are speaking or singing in natural voice-- the ventricular folds and more. We throat singers can sing two, three or four notes at the same time and can sustain our notes far, far longer than a natural voice singer ever can. It is founded upon diaphragmatic breathing-- always a good thing. And, here is the kicker>>> to be able to throat sing you have to go way deep into your body and get infinitesimally intimate with yerself. You will know where your tongue is at all times and what shape it takes, know the shape, size and direction of your mouth aperture, your nasal passages and if'n yer real good at it, if you don't mind me saying, yer lower Sphincter muscles.
That's me and thanks. Bee-- keep up the good work. We need you... crofoot
I really needed to read this. Thank you.
Beverly, thanks for your wonderful post. I’m with you 100%. I attended a webinar the other day where scholars talked projects aimed at creating hope for a just future—in places where everyday survival is difficult. The stories they help create are based on the needs and challenges of the local people. The emphasis is on co-creation of stories, rather than scholars telling stories about, or for, the people they’re working with. Very inspiring.
https://calendars.illinois.edu/detail/732/33505183
Thanks for this link, Randal. Yes, to the co-creation of our stories! More and more artists will facilitate this process. We are witnessing this shift in some profound ways, but we have to look for them.
Yep-- "witnessing this shift in some profound ways, but we have to look for them," sometimes and in some places we gotta look real hard for them... I suspect they are always there, whichever way we turn.
Re-reading this when I needed it most, thank you for your eloquence Bee on behalf of humanity and our more than human world, and your efforts to dream and activate a collective response that is both nurturing and ... fecund! I needed sympathetic, inclusive and informed inspiration today - looking right down into the abyss (once again) and saying Yes, my loves, and now what? -- and (of course) found that here, again.
Not sure if that link works. The overall project is called the Humane Urbanisms Project. The webinar was called Coproducing Counter Narratives of Radical Care, Hope, and Imagined Just Futures. They have branches in South Africa, the US, Brazil, and Bangladesh. They have skilled facilitators who work with local people to create videos. Interesting that they make provisions for cybersecurity so their work isn’t subject to surveillance and misuse. Anyway, your piece made me think of these brilliant scholars—they’re trying to make a difference, rather than just studying these situations.
<3 <3 <3
Finally a month later I can appreciate this that comes from you.
I've had a real hard life (which pales in comparison to a lotta people's lives) so I've worked up some tricks to get through it all. For me, things always come in 3s, so here goes:
1.) Selectivity: I refuse to read any any any news about Trump and his transition to dictator, his disgusting cohorts, his stupid mistakes and his dishonest triumphs until Inaugural Day, January 20th. Almost all of the opinions are second guessing, and the facts are slippery. Example: Folks are aghast that Matt Gaetz is nominated for Attorney General and fretting all over the place about it. But does anybody truly think that he will become the AG? Do folks really think Trump is gonna sic the military onto American people when military protocol expressly forbids it? I reckon almost all of the talking heads ie pundits are falling all over each other trying to become stars in the media ooze. I say: take a brake, Jake, from the Trump news at least until the time when Trump etc are manifesting their evil plans on-the-ground... Of course, get ready!
2.) These days I am trying to live an "existential life" to the fullest degree. Existential life: A life lived as if the future of civilization depends upon it (it does); a life lived as if my actions have the capacity to utterly change the world (I am); a life lived as if ruthlessness towards oneself and the world at large were not a bad thing (I should). Ruthlessness is likely the hardest pill to swallow, but maybe look at it this way-- how much emotional, intellectual and material things that are merely baggage does you got in life? Drop it all away, burn it all up in ceremony and if it still prevails, kill it all. Be as ruthless on yourself as life has been on you and be ruthless on your friends-- don't let them whine themselves to sleep. Be ruthless in the world so you can pick and choose your fights effectively, efficiently. The existential life means cutting out the fat, leaving just enough for cushion when ya gotta lay down to rest. For me, and I R admittedly all-too-radical, living the existential life means there is no such thing as having a career, no such thing as retirement and, if you will pardon me, there is no such thing as flying out east to go to your 3rd cousins bar mitzvah... Get it? I am still working on this one so I am always looking for feedback.
3.) Take up a really really engrossing hobby. Bee's approach seems to be through her art, through her dance, through her writing and so and so and so much more. My approach for an engrossing hobby is throat singing, at which I have become expert. Throat singing was discovered in southern Siberia about 1000 years ago, where I went 12 years ago and going back soon enough. It entails engaging parts of one's vocalization that we never engage when we are speaking or singing in natural voice-- the ventricular folds and more. We throat singers can sing two, three or four notes at the same time and can sustain our notes far, far longer than a natural voice singer ever can. It is founded upon diaphragmatic breathing-- always a good thing. And, here is the kicker>>> to be able to throat sing you have to go way deep into your body and get infinitesimally intimate with yerself. You will know where your tongue is at all times and what shape it takes, know the shape, size and direction of your mouth aperture, your nasal passages and if'n yer real good at it, if you don't mind me saying, yer lower Sphincter muscles.
That's me and thanks. Bee-- keep up the good work. We need you... crofoot