We Are Building A Better World, With Steemit!
The Steemit platform looks like it might be the world's greatest amplifier for the arts. At the moment, I'm just a tiny minnow in an expanding ocean, with very little audibility compared to the resoundingly loud whales out there. But I have hope–I aspire to be a seastar! What inspires me most about Steemit is its invitation to innovate and imagine a better world. I also admire Steemit for its inclusion of multiple voices and perspectives, which allows us all to grow together. Steemit in itself is already working to create a better world, as far as I see.
I Am Envisioning A Brighter, More Colorful World.
Cabe Lindsay and kids, illustrating the importance of art and imagination as we work to co-create a better world.
I Hold Three Commitments For My Family, For All Of Us.
1. Create Space For Art In Everyday Life.
My first commitment is to tap into the creative flow on a daily basis. Recently, I started dedicating time and energy into art every single day, through journaling, and sketching, and creating artwork with my kids. Wow, it is making a positive difference in myself, and I'm seeing breakthroughs in the kids too. One of my negative patterns is to be overly rational, and serious, with workaholic tendencies, all rooted in fears. I'm a father of three, and so I imagine there is a natural drive to provide for my family. But much of my fixation on money-making is damaging, because the fears have a way of distancing me from my true nature as an artist, and a parent.
Because I know what a gift it is to create art in my own life, I know how vital it is to others, and to all of us, really. We are all artists. These days, we live in a world where creative thinking is essential for survival. Some of us artists may downplay the importance of our art, because it might not pay the bills, or whatever. But the truth is that creative expression serves many valuable purposes. It provides an outlet for the emotions and gives life meaning, to name a few of art's purposes. It's high-time we appreciate the artist in us, and nurture the living art we are designed to be. It is my belief that the Creator created us with the natural talent to create the world we wish to live in. This is our duty as co-creators.
2. Show Children The Value Of Creative Thinking.
In my public schooling, in the 80s and 90s, my art and music classes were exceptional. My dad was an elementary art teacher, and this was his dream job, really. Today's kids might not have the same luxuries, but last time I checked the art and music classes are still there. Here in Austin, Texas, I also know of a dozen or more music schools, and there are also schools for performance art, and schools of dance. I know many thriving artists here, making a living solely on their artistic talents, including myself, a videographer. A friend of mine is Mike "Truth" Johnston, a prominent street artist who quit his job as an art teacher in order to pursue a full-time career as a muralist. He is a prolific artist, with artworks visible all across the city, and he is a homeowner now, successful in every way.
Here in the Live Music Capital of the World, it seems like everyone is a musician. Some of us are professionals, paying the bills this way, while others of us treat the music like a hobby. But some things are consistent: Music moves us all! Music strums our heartstrings. Music gives us a healthy outlet for our emotions. Music draws us closer to others, making harmony happen. And the same is true of all varieties of artistic expression. It "pays" to be an artist, in more ways that one.
We parents are the first people our kids look to for teaching, and modeling. They mirror our behaviors. It can be extremely rewarding to sing together with kids, and color together, and build together, and daydream together. Each one of these activities is a way of growing together, and this is the ultimate goal in family life, in my opinion. In these past few months, since I decided to dedicate more time toward drawing and writing, I've noticed that my kids are asking more than ever for paper! They want to be like us. So let's be the people who we want to be.
3. Encourage Children To Find And Refine Their Own Artistic Talents.
The future depends on the children to be the next-level creative thinkers they're designed to be. And the way to boost their creativity is to enable them to try something, practice it, explore alternatives, and generally open the doors to new possibilities. Many doors are already opening to the children. It's our job as parents to show them the doors and wish them well on their journeys through these new doors.
A Better World Is On The Horizon.
The world is turning in the artist’s favor for the future. Strong evidence of this is the fact that technology is helping to level the artists’ playing field. For example, independent artists can mass produce their artwork now, if they desire to, with print-on-demand services that safeguard their investments. This commercialization model works for digital art, i.e. books and audio recordings, and nearly any artwork can be digitized. There are marketplaces for one-of-a-kind art too, e.g. Etsy, the “global handmade and vintage marketplace.” For performance artists, there are tools for promoting events, e.g. Eventbrite.
Today’s top talent is now measured by community curators, aided by tools like Steemit! New media enables creative participation, and when creative communities interact with art, the lines between artists and audiences blur—artwork inspires more artwork. Audiences take an active role, rallying behind the art, investing in it, sharing it, and communicating about it as the “credible masses,” collectively determining quality, thereby enabling creative professionals to get new opportunities based on the quality of their work.
As a result, remarkable talent is emerging in all creative genres, around the world. Proof is Ai Weiwei. Proof is Miranda July. Proof is Peter Donnelly, Marina Abramovic, Wes Anderson… Proof is the globalization of dance festivals and street art, both provocative and profitable. Proof is the success stories of independent authors, recording artists, and filmmakers. Proof is the fact that creativity now occurs in everyday life, and everyone everywhere is making creative decisions, which means we can all can let go of our old notions of artists as lone, tortured geniuses. Here and now, creativity is a simple, bare necessity of life. Creativity has changed. Creativity is normal now.
In fact, creative thinkers are the most valued human resource today (Kluger, 2013) (Andrew, Manget, Michael, Taylor, & Zablit, 2010) and the value placed on creative services is expected to rise further (Florida, 2013) (Pink, 2006) (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010) (UNCTAD, 2010). If the predictions prove true, then the public desire for right-brained thinking will exceed the desire for left-brained thinking, and there will be a greater need for creative services. With the increasing demand for creativity comes more opportunities for artists, more recognition, and a higher likelihood of success and achievement. This is the brighter, more colorful future I envision for my children.
Supportive Sources
- Andrew, J.P., Manget, J., Michael, D.C., Taylor, A., & Zablit, H. (2010). Innovation 2010: A Return to Prominence—and the Emergence of a New World Order. Boston, MA: The Boston Consulting Group.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2010). Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. Retrieved 9/7/13 from http://bls.gov/oco/
- Florida, R. (2012). The Rise of the Creative Class--Revisited (2nd edition). New York, NY: Basic Books.
- Kluger, J. (2013). Assessing the Creative Spark: What Americans think about creativity. Time, 181(19), 58.
- Pink, D.H. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York, New York: Penguin Group.
- UNCTAD. (2010). Creative Economy Report 2010. Retrieved 9/7/13 from http://unctad.org/en/Docs/ditctab20103_en.pdf
Thank You For Your Encouragement!
