July 11, 2012

Are you **it-ing** me?

Inspirational Cat Print by Stephanie Lin Roth of SWLstudio -- click for more info

But, more importantly, are you “it-ing” yourself?

Nearly 90 years ago, Martin Buber published I-Thou and introduced a new way of thinking about how we relate to others. In “I-It” relationships, we see others as objects. In “I-Thou” relationship we recognize one another’s whole divine-spark-filled humanness.

Recently, I began thinking about our own tendencies to “It” ourselves — that is, to see ourselves as objects, to see ourselves from the outside in instead of experiencing life from the inside out.

I see this most clearly in my voice students. We “It” ourselves when we guide our singing based on an imaginary sense of what we sound like to other people (as if, from inside our own heads we could even know what we sound like to outside ears). As a voicefinder, it is then my job to hold up the mirror of I-Thou love and help them experience the sensations of letting voice move through them.

Sure, outside perspectives are important.

But using this “It” view of our work, our voice, our bodies from the outset only leads us to be cut off from the Source.

Yes, God willing, your voice, your art will go winging out into the world and have a life of its own. But in its making, in its birthing, it does no good to feel it as anything but internal to you, rooted in the core of your being.

What helps you stop it-ing yourself?

Filed Under: Finding Your Voice, Plot Notes Tagged With: , , , , , 3 Comments
April 27, 2012

the antidote to consumerism isn’t minimalism, it’s art

This is a guest post by Megan Auman.

chair by Margaret Taylor for Uncommon Goods - click for info

If you’re reading this, you probably have some conflicting views when it comes to stuff. If not now, you’ve probably had them at some point.

This conflict can be summed up pretty simply as a desire for beautiful objects (whether that’s to make them or own them) versus a disgust with the rampant consumerism that’s depleting our planet.

This disgust often leads to an inevitable conclusion: “The world doesn’t need more stuff.”

And it’s this conclusion that often leads one towards the minimalist movement, which argues that the solution is to get rid of as much of our stuff as possible.

There’s no denying that our current levels of consumerism are unhealthy. We have an unhealthy relationship to stuff.

But I’d like to argue that getting rid of all our stuff is unhealthy too.

It’s the equivalent of fixing your addiction to food by becoming anorexic. True, you might be eating less. But are you really healthier?

Most of us need stuff in our lives. (Since the word “stuff” might trip you up, we’ll use “objects” instead.) Objects help communicate meaning. Objects help connect us to people – family, friends, makers – alive and dead. And objects provide aesthetic and sensory experiences that can nourish us.

Our need for objects is both culturally and biologically embedded, and it isn’t going away any time soon.

So what is the solution to the problem of consumerism, pollution, and waste?

It’s not minimalsim. It’s art.

When I say art, I’m not just talking about painting or sculpture. Any object that’s made, regardless of its purpose or function, has the potential to be art. Art isn’t a category. It’s a state of mind.

Our current production system is about producing the most stuff possible. Art is about producing special stuff. Stuff that is imbued with meaning, connection, and experience. Stuff that nourishes our minds and our bodies.

Our current problem didn’t arise because we put too much value on stuff. It arose because we don’t value stuff enough.

The sheer volume of stuff has made us lose our appreciation for it. We’ve lost our sense of wonder and attachment to stuff. We’ve lost the ability to connect with stuff on a deeper level. To form a relationship with an object. To understand the small miracle that has to happen for a truly extraordinary object to come into being.

For some, minimalism may be a completely fulfilling life. But for those of us with a biological predisposition to objects (or what Howard Gardner would call a bodily-kinesthetic intelligence), minimalism is unsatisfactory and therefore not a sustainable solution.

Last month, I visited twelve different museums in three different countries. I cannot even imagine a world without stuff. And I don’t have to.

Because the solution to our problem isn’t pretending that stuff doesn’t have value. It’s creating, seeking out, and embracing the stuff that matters most.

- – -
Megan Auman is a designer, metalsmith, educator, and entrepreneur. Her eponymous jewelry line is sold in stores across the US and online. Megan is the founder and editor of Designing an MBA, where she provides business thinking and education for designers and makers. She is currently on a mission to repair our unhealthy relationship with stuff.

Filed Under: Buy You, For You, guest posts Tagged With: , , , , , , , 16 Comments