What if the
locus of one’s life was not consumerism, but one’s giftedness, rendering our
participation in life an act of giving, of culture building, of creation and
contribution to society? Beautiful.
I love the idea
of culture making because of the way it shifts the whole business of life from
mindless consumption of cultural clutter, to mindful participation in the
design and creation of considerate cultural offerings.
It isn’t, for
me, about being a Margaret Atwood or Mary Oliver, or any other version of
greatness as such (though these two are great sources of inspiration), it’s
about being who I am, becoming more of who I am—exploring, essentially, what it
means to be a vibrant, awake participant in my own life and finding ways to
express that.
It’s also about
aligning my compass with that change I would like to see in the world.
Part of my
recent re-location has been fuelled by frustration with a society that
struggles to make room for its citizenry to do much more than just get by.
Perpetually existing in a state of survival mode only erodes our ability to
make a meaningful societal contribution—as I can only too well attest.
In order to
utilize our full potential for participation in life—as an act of giving, of
culture building, of creation and contribution to society—we need a little free
time, time unfettered by the usual demands of putting a roof over our heads and
food in our mouths.
Tell me how in the
absence of this we can possibly give birth to anything that’s got life in it?
Love, beauty,
truth, freedom—these are the touchstones of every great cultural offering.
The artist Kiki
Smith has been quoted as saying, “Just do your work. And if the world needs
your work it will come and get you. And if it doesn’t, do your work anyway.” All
of which is to say, we don’t have control over how the world receives our work,
but it is nonetheless important to commit to the practice.
In this effort
we glean much information about ourselves, about our relationship to family,
society and the world. Participating in this very creative endeavour alters us
for the better, making us more human and nurturing us.
Each of us is
gifted. To develop that gift and exercise it is one of life’s true joys. And shaping
society around a locus of giving in this sense is not only very natural, but
necessary as well.
It’s the gift of
heart and soul.
