All in Resilience
We can look to myths to help solve today’s problems. The Greenlandic figure of Sassuma Arnaa, the Mother of the Sea enshrines good practice for sustainable living. The 2022 UN Ocean Conference is endeavouring to do the same. On the agenda is a Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights. We have less than thirty years to get this right.
The ice is leaving and fast. Getting up close and personal with a 250,000 year old glacier is an awe inspiring experience. Saying goodbye to a fast receding icesheet leaves me in deep grief about the future of Greenland and the world.
Is great art political? From Eurovision to the Archibald Art prize winner, this week has seen great art making strong political statements with the eyes of the world watching.
In an Icelandic town known for its postcard beauty, trouble looms ahead. Still reeling from an avalanche nearly 18 months ago, the small town of Seydisfjördur is about to have industrial fish farms in the fjord. Locals are up in arms and the arty community is rallying.
It is surprising what art you make when asked to express your emotions, starting with anger. I hadn’t realised how angry I am with a government that denies climate crisis. My art started with bushfires and floods and ended with the happiness I felt being in this Hebridean landscape.
Art plays a huge part in community building. In Hertford, just north of London there is an artists’ initiative called Brothership studio.The Brothership's philosophy is about 'Tribe' - artists working together, collaborating, sharing their knowledge and making art accessible and valued by the local community.
Art and war, chance and serendipity. Intertwining themes for me this week as I attended the Collect art fair at Somerset House in London. How do you make art when all around you is in turmoil.? What role do textiles play in helping to mend the world and disrupt the narrative?
Einstein said “Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way.” I’ve noticed that when I choose to be happy, no matter what is going on in my life or the outside world, my energy lifts and I attract good things into my life.
The greatest Christmas gift you can give yourself this year is getting confident with uncertainty. Artists and creative people in every field have led the way on adaptability. It is my key word for 2022! Merry Christmas to all my readers and supporters.
Anxiety can stop you from being excited at starting a new art project, big or small. This can threaten to overwhelm your self-confidence. What to do? It’s like pulling weeds. There are two choices: strategic retreat or tackling the problem sideways.
