Welcome to the 127th edition of Conscious Humanity — it’s so good to see you here!
If you’re new here, my name is Emily and I’m a writer, photographer, teacher in higher education, home gardener, single parent, and all-round creative soul. I am in the midst of figuring out how to extract myself from the capitalist-driven, digitally saturated, artificially “busy” life we’re told we must live in order to survive and “succeed.” And I’m helping you do the same.
Below are seven positive things that have entered my orbit in the last two weeks, all chosen as inspiration to slow down and unearth a more creative, nature-connected life. They’re formatted so you can scan through and dive deeper into those that resonate most with you. I offer these things not as noise, but as nourishment. May at least one thing brighten your day, inspire you to take action, or help you return to what matters most.
Firstly, I’ve had a few conversations with friends and colleagues this week about the heaviness of life. Things feel heavy. People are tired. And also, we know we have so much to be grateful for. In a world that’s optimised for outrage, and crazy things are happening, like robots hiring humans to work for them and Elon becoming a trillionaire, it’s not hard to understand how frustration, sadness, and overwhelm can creep in. It’s winter solstice in Australia today (Sunday, 20th of June) and shorter, colder days, provide an opportunity to rest and also, to look for stories of joy and resilience to brighten grey days. Sometimes, it’s about immersing yourself in something joyous, like music, or art, or a community of people.
I was flicking through some old magazines this morning and found a 2021 Dumbo Feather interview with Neda Rahmani, Melbourne-based samba and electro writer, singer and performer. Beside a photo on the page, I had written this:
“Immerse yourself so you reach a place just beyond yourself.”
These exact words don’t appear in the story, and I can’t remember if I heard them in a podcast interview, or just wrote my own interpretation of Neda’s words. Either way, Neda’s approach to dance and percussion is a beautiful antidote to the anti-migrant sentiment rising across the global West right now, and very much aligns with the concept of “artivism” in the next story too…
“Over the years, the music I make, the costuming, the colours, and the concerts and artists I pull together have come to embody inclusion, equality and justice. I’m called to this as a practice to erase misinformation and racism. My work has become a site of resistance, presented to engage audiences in a profound conversation about what it means to live in a multicultural society… Through courageous, artistic risk-taking, music enables participation that transcends barriers and builds new forms of engagement.”
On a smaller scale, you can tap into joy through music and dance without even leaving the house. I put on some music today and danced around the kitchen while I cooked dinner. Perfect food for the soul!
Kumi Naidoo wrote a lovely piece for ArtsHub and Creative Climate about the essential role of artists in shaping narratives around climate justice. As Naidoo points out, “artivism” can be powerful in telling stories about the effects of climate change that are happening right now and not in some distant future (which in turn, helps to shape policy):
“When a young artist in the Pacific paints a disappearing island, or when a rapper in Johannesburg speaks about inequality and environmental injustice, they are doing more than expressing themselves.”
And it’s about who the storytellers are, as well as the stories themselves…
“There is an African proverb that says, ‘Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.’ For too long, the story of development and progress has been told by those in power. It has celebrated extraction, growth and domination over nature. Now, the lions must speak. And art is one of the most powerful ways they can.”
So, let’s keep looking for those different voices (and speaking up through our own art too). More information about Global Artivism here. I also found this guide to environmental action for creative freelancers, which has lots of practical tips in it.
Continuing with a story theme, I stumbled across a 2015 book by Psychologist, Per Espen Stoknes at the library recently called What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming: Toward a New Psychology of Climate Action (long title, I know!) and it answers questions that have been floating around in my brain for ages.
One of those questions is, why are we (humans) still stuck in the fear and denial stage when we know that global warming is happening right now? Stoknes explains the psychological factors at play and the barriers to action when we are mostly exposed to apocalyptic climate stories that make us feel scared, guilty and helpless.
He explains,
“Any story that tells me that my identity and lifestyle are wrong and destructive will be subconsciously resisted.”
That makes sense, doesn’t it?
The book goes on to explain the problems with current storytelling around climate (“we’re all doomed”) and how we can tell better stories about green growth, happiness and the good life, stewardship and ethics, re-wilding, and ecological restoration.
We can find positive climate stories online, but an even better way is to get out in nature and find them ourselves, tapping into our natural “human attraction to all that is alive and vital” (see biophilia, coined by Erich Fromm). When we’re feeling stressed, the best remedy is often to walk in nature, on the land. Even if we know that the natural world is suffering, it doesn’t feel that way when we’re walking in it.
Experiencing the awe of nature and the deep joy we feel in connecting with it can help us to navigate the “despair paradox” where life is both really good and really bad at the same time. As Derrick Jensen (author and activist) said,
“I am full of rage, sorrow, joy, hate, despair, happiness, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and a thousand other feelings. We are really fucked. Life is still really good.”
So, it’s back to that point of stepping outside false binaries that we’ve covered here before. Instead of having to pick a side, or a category, we can embrace the complexity and nuance (and awe) of the life we’re in.
What do you think?
To a slightly different type of story now, and I found a short YouTube documentary from Planet Wild about firestick farming last week. In it, Mark Koolmatrie, a Ngarrindjeri elder who teaches Australian history on the Fleurieu Peninsula in Southern Australia explains that Firestick Farming (managing the landscape with fire to protect diversity and prevent catastrophic bushfires) works because all species, human and non-human, are equal:
“We allow everything to replenish.
And when we do that, when we come back, we have an abundance of it.
Then we leave some for the birds, the insects.
We are all on a level playing field, and we should all be cared for in the same way.”
We’ve talked about the myth of human dominance here before, and it’s so good to see more of these stories emerging, and government bodies engaging with First Nations people to inform better land management practices and prevent devastating bushfires. I found another documentary called “Firekeepers” on Channel 10 (weirdly) that explains cool burning (or cultural burning) beautifully as well.
To another good news story now and Jess Harwood wrote and illustrated this piece for The Guardian about Sydney’s “doomsday” PlantBank. Jess explains that the Australian PlantBank is,
“…like no other place on Earth. It’s a seed bank, conservation hub, lab for climate resilience research, a classroom and a nursery. I’m struck by how many incredible women work here.”
Their collections of seeds and tissue culture provide an “insurance policy” against extinction of native plants in the wild. How amazing! There’s more information about PlantBank on the Botanic Gardens of Sydney website.
Back to creative things now! I was looking for something to watch earlier this week and found On the Roam with Jason Momoa. To be honest, at first I was mainly there for the eye candy, and I found myself having to forgive Jason for some fairly heavy self-promotion at times, but… he interviews some really interesting, creative people and he seems to genuinely have huge respect for their work.
The second episode, Painting with Light is my favourite (so far). It features American photographer, Todd Hido (@toddhido_ on Instagram), who is known for his haunting street photography, landscapes, and portraits.
The story of how Todd sees the world and the decisions he makes when he finds a scene to photograph, was so fascinating, and told in such a sensitive way by Jason. He is truly in awe of Todd’s work. This is a great watch if you’re looking for creative escapism (that’s what I’m calling it anyway). Oh, and I’ve been watching Season 1 but Season 2 is out now too.
This photo of Hannah Moloney with Bob Brown (below) is just so joyous that I had to share it here. As Hannah says in the caption, Bob is…
“A very good egg.
What a joy it is to know this human, an elder of the global environment movement and a generous, kind friend.
Growing up, not only did I watch him consistently speak truth to power at enormous personal risk. But I watched him do it with love. Love for people and planet put firmly before profit and power. Every time. I bloody love him.”
And I’m also sneaking in some extra lighthearted wisdom from comedian, Brad Marchant (and the goat) about how to get through the day when you’re not okay. My favourite part is,
“Tiny victories still count.
Even if you look confused doing them.”
That’s me. All the time. 😆
And that’s the end of this edition! I hope at least one thing brightened your day, inspired you to take action, or helped you return to what matters most.
🙏🏻
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