Sharing Questions from Young Artists

On Jan. 7, 2014, I gave a talk at Marin School of the Arts called “Art is Rewiring the Human Race.” I asked the photography, film, and painting high school students to write questions throughout my talk to support further exploration of the topic – The practice of art as a tool to help human evolution grow from seeing “Differences as Dangerous” to “Differences as Opportunity.” I was moved by the students questions, which stimulated deep thought as I wrote responses. We watched two of my videos, A Call to End War and The Redwood Singing Tree of Biodiversity, which some of their questions refer to.

Why did you think of making the video “A Call for the End of War”?

There was a contest by the Pachamama Alliance called “Positive Futures.” When I saw the Urban Apache Crew dancing in San Rafael, I filmed them because they were so inspiring. Reviewing the footage, I knew the dancers were modeling the kind of positive future I want – the opposite of war. The video unfolded from there.

Why do you say a prayer just for sons in the End of War video?

Most wars are planned and fought by male soldiers. This includes the drug wars in our country. Much of the aggression on our planet is carried out by men. It is masculinity that is serving itself, instead of the women, children and life. The latter is what I call “Sacred Masculinity.” I am aware that women and children are the victims of war. I absolutely agree that women and LGTB people are part of the new wiring. In fact, many are leading the way. “Divine Femininity” and “Sacred Masculinity” are needed on our planet to balance the huge amount of aggression that is going on.

Is this a realistic goal – to make a world that is based on respect and cooperation instead of greed and manipulation?

When I make collaborative murals, I see the joy and cooperation that is possible. Over and over, I witness groups of people creating something more powerful than they could by themselves. I see people working out their conflicts with respect. As former Army Captain, Paul Chappell, points out in his book “The End of War,” people thought it was unrealistic for slavery to be abolished or for women to vote. These things changed. I probably won’t see a world that works for all in my lifetime, but every cell of my body is committed to helping create a safe world for “all of the children of all the species for all of time.” That’s the standard biomimicry architect William McDonough has set. Pretty high, huh? I believe it is worth working for.

Making one painting is good, but does it actually influence change?

No, on-going social contact influences change. Making a painting is one step among many that are needed.

Where do imagination and improvisation relate and have similarity?

They are intertwined. Imagination is the flow of vision and ideas. Improvisation is the act of bringing ideas into physical form. Our country had the vision of “Liberty and Justice for All.” We’ve been improvising ever since. We have a vast expanse of land with many nationalities creating together. As a painter, when I bring my ideas into physical form and put paint to canvas, the painting starts feeding me new ideas. Reality is always feeding imagination, which, in turns, gives new forms to reality. More and more people are talking about a world that works for all. Novato High School, where the culture is one of acceptance and appreciation, reflects that. You will take that out into the work world, and into the amazing unknown future that will demand imagination and improvisation.

How do all these kids cooperate, collaborate and brainstorm together as one?

I have found a deep hunger in the people I work with to bring their individual creativity in service of a larger community of purpose. I hold the vision that everyone has a valuable contribution to make, and, guess what, they do! Synergy happens, and what we create is more amazing than we dreamed of. Here is a video of the most recent Singing Tree I made in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina in June, 2014, which demonstrates what I’m talking about. The young people who created the mural had families from different religions who had fought each other in a civil war in 1990’s. You can watch the video by clicking this link: The Sarajevo Singing Tree of Renewed Togetherness

It is good to think this way (ending war, unity through creativity), but is it realistic? How is change actually made? People are too optimistic.

Change is mysterious and big. One way it begins is by having a vision that a different possibility exists. ”Without vision, the people perish.” Again, I ask you to think about when slavery was legal in this country. No one thought it could change. You were arrested or killed for trying to change it. People self-organized to free slaves, to tell the story that all people are created equal on a new level (not just white men), to fight to change laws. Harriet Tubman saw each of the people she helped to escape as free souls already. She never lost a single person in the Underground Railroad. Change happened from the ground up, like a tree growing. The problems of our times seem overwhelming and huge, like a blue whale that takes 10 miles to turn 180 degrees. Think of our messy, heart-breaking, gridlocked situation like a school of sardines, which is as big as a blue whale. When 8% of the school starts to go in a different direction, the whole school follows. (Metaphor from Clayton Mueller of the Cree Nation). If we keep working on our own problems, increasing our mastery, autonomy, and higher purpose; and connect with others who are doing the same, something powerful will happen. On the issue of optimism, I hold the vision of a world that works for all people and all species with great conviction. I doubt if it will happen in my lifetime. My conviction is not dependent on the outcome. Frederick Douglass said in 1888 “Do not be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem, nor the power of the opposition,” in regard to women’s suffrage. He did not see women get the right to vote in his lifetime. This did not disway his efforts. In 1913, when women could finally vote in our nation, his devotion to the vision of “Liberty and Justice for All” was finally fruitful. In other words, we don’t know when change will actually happens. We know what we are committed to and work for that.

How can we spread this message?

First, by living it. Honoring our gifts. Developing our talents. Looking for the gifts of others, instead of focusing on their flaws. Bravely learning from our differences, so we become wiser and deeper. Not taking anything for granted, especially the people and planet that give us life. Second, using our creativity to spread the message in all we do. Photograph it. Speak it. Dance it. Perform it. Video it. Paint it. Sing it. Write it. Research it. Measure it. Evaluate it. Share it. Get together with our friends and figure out how to distribute the message. I’m here to help as well, as are your teachers.

How do we make opportunities like this available to more people?

By first listening to what people are concerned about and coming up with driving questions to create around. How can we make a high school where everyone loves learning and knows they are important? How can we make a town where everyone loves their work? How can we be free from addiction? How can we maximize the use and sharing of scarce water? Then we envision projects and invite people to join. We can make a school wide mural. We can make an intergenerational mural with NHS students and the people in Novato’s Nursing homes or with the grandparents of the students in Novato High. We can make a mural with students in another country. We can make collaborative plays and musicals in front of the mural that tells the stories unlocked by the mural creation. Our imagination is the limit…..

How do I start to make these changes? What do I do to help?

You have already started by asking these questions. I’ll also repeat what I said in my talk. Seek your own spark and the spark in everyone you meet. Put those sparks together and make a big, beautiful light in the darkness of fear and hatred. Know that we are here together on a rare and precious planet that has life, while there is no life around us for billions of miles. Our differences are here to learn from and to bring us joy. Thank you for asking such important questions.

Nourishing Creativity

Dear Young Mother,

I am thrilled that you have embarked upon this rigorous, holy career – to raise a child, or to raise more than one child. I’m going to focus on one aspect of Green mothering – the importance of nourishing creativity in ourselves and our children, just as Mother Earth does. Nature is our first teacher.

As mothers, we are Nature! We are privileged to feel our close connection to Nature as a child grows in our body and we learn what it is to share on a whole new level. If you have adopted a child, you are witnessing the miracle of the growth of a small body growing into an adult body, supporting the blossoming of his or her gifts. I’ve had the privilege of raising two healthy, productive sons who are now 30 and 27, one traditionally gifted and one untraditionally gifted.

And, yes, your child is gifted. No question about it. Each of us comes into the world blessed with affinities, talents and uniqueness that are needed by the world. As each plant and animal has a role in its eco-system, so does each person have an important role in the human eco-system, as well as the earth’s ecosystem.

Green motherhood is about looking to Nature to instruct us about how to be the healthiest, happiest mother possible, raising the happiest, healthiest children possible. As I’m sure you’ve observed, nature is endlessly abundant in its creativity. Life adapts to the environment it is offered with ever-changing forms. The gorgeous designs and patterns on fish, birds, mammals, leaves, and flowers endlessly move me. National Geographic reports that 500 new species of orchids are evolving each year! As a mother, you have participated in the creation of a new human life. What a miracle! Rest assured that you are a creative being and can bring that force to your child-rearing on a daily basis.

As our babies grow, so do their imaginations. We mothers hold the sacred space to protect the endless stream of possibility our children enter the world with. As they develop and become critical of themselves and are saturated by media, they often shut off the natural valve of new ideas. In order to hang in there for the long haul, we need to give ourselves a safe space to make use of our own imaginations. So we have to practice quieting our inner critic and getting out of our own way so that new ideas will come to nourish the child in our charge. I encourage you to sing, paint, act with other mothers as well as your children. Our behavior will forever be the model to our children.

I once had a mother say to me, “I’m just not creative,” as if it were an in-born trait that couldn’t be learned. You make new decisions every day as you come up against hard situations with your children. You find new ways to explain the world or demonstrate skills when your child is frustrated. You are creative all day long! When you care about child as you do, you are always searching for what works. That care drives your creativity.

Practical Ideas: Nature is constantly experimenting. Many seeds are blown on soil, concrete, grass, water. Who knows where a seed will sprout and take hold? Children mimic Nature and love to experiment. They love to play. If it’s not experimenting, it’s not play. In other words, if you know the outcome of a game, it’s no fun. So here are some ways we can turn the work of life into games that transform drudgery into drama.

*Dress Up Box – Having a dress up box with hats, capes, crowns, boots was a great boon to the fun of raising my children. Putting a hat on to fold laundry, wearing crowns while washing dishes, donning the cape while vacuuming changes the doing of daily tasks into a playful paradigm.

*The Race Against Time – On your mark, get set, go! – How fast can we put away the toys. Can we beat our record? How fast can you make your bed without any wrinkles? Got the stop watch ready. How slow can we put away the toys? Uh-oh, you’re moving too quickly.

*The Art Corner – Paper, crayons, scissors, glue, tempera paint, brushes, a table allows endless hours of expression and experimentation. Just like an iris seed grows up to be an iris and will thrive best with the right kind of soil, sun and water, your child is a particular being who will grow up to be herself with the right space for self-expression and experimentation.

*Delight in Differences – Nature sets clear goals and doesn’t micro-manage how they are achieved. For instance, all water has the goal of getting to the ocean, but the Mississippi River doesn’t tell the Colorado River how to get there. So when you set a clear goal for your child – like washing the dishes, putting away the laundry, doing homework – help them find their way to achieve it, giving ideas, delighting in theirs.

*Mastery, Autonomy and Purpose – The essence of human nature is that we want to learn (think of your child learning to walk), we want to be independent (think of your child wanting to have choices) and we want to have a bigger purpose (think of how your child wants to help). Daniel Pink articulates this so well in his book Drive. Holding a picture of your child’s love of learning, love of independence and desire helps in the midst of your daily overwhelming challenges. Your attitude will shift instantly if you focus on your picture of their success instead of what isn’t working. My younger son was told by a high school counselor that his learning challenges were so great he couldn’t go to college. When he asked me through his tears in 10th grade why God had given him disabilities, I told him he had what he needed to reach his dreams. He graduated from University of Texas (it was not easy) and is one of Dell’s top sales people. I always held the picture of his capability and shared that with him.

Send your stories….

Laurie Marshall, Artist and Educator

Author of Beating the Odds Now

Dancing the Odds, Ending War

I just had an interesting conversation with my 25 year old son, Daniel, about a video I just made entitled “A Call for the End of War”. He asked me who I was making it for, because it seemed to him that only people who already agreed with me would hear its message.