This weekend I went to The Vault Festival to see “This Charming Man”, by Sian Davies. A stand up comedian who enlightens us with her story. “An exploration of masculinity, gender and identity from a self-identifying butch woman who has an unhealthy obsession with The Smiths.” as the Vaults website describes the show. This show made me self reflect, everything in London seems to be making me reflect. Sian tries to educate her audience in what’s right and what’s wrong. The most important question she asks is: where do we draw the line? She tells a story of how a father figure in her life made her love sports, was an amazing mentor while at the same time was malesting his own daughters (he is now in jail). So should she remember him as the monster he is or as the father figure he was to her? How her pastor made her happy, love God and love her community at the same time making her believe there was something wrong with her for being different.
This reminded me of my heritage and all the things I was taught to believe were right or wrong. So where do we draw the line? The grandmother who taught me to love baking and inspired me to be strong and go against the current but at that same time said homophobic or racist comments. Where do we draw the line? Is this an uncertainty? Do we stand back from all the people that “do something wrong” in our eyes? Or do we let them grow and experience the change? They could than do the same to us for thinking differently. So where do we draw the line?
These are some of my uncertainties . Things I don’t understand why have they are the way they are.
HOW CAN EDUCATION BE MODIFIED TO ACCOMMODATE THE FUTURE?
EDUCATION. Children. Play, innovation, rigidity in education. Is it possible that the structure and planning in the education system has emphasised right and wrong too much? Mistakes are not rewarded but punished. In addition, the use of electronics by young children has limited their capacity to play. Being constantly connected to a device from childhood to old age may be leading to the decline in creativity, joy and well-being. Should we be teaching in different ways? Important to me because I am an art teacher and I think creativity can be taught in all subjects. Maybe train teachers to think differently? With Improv tools? Live experiences?
How can the concepts of improv help improve relationships, productivity, curiosity, joy, being present?. “Improvising invites us to lighten up and look around. It offers alternatives to the controlling way many of us try to lead our lives. It requires that we say yes and be helpful rather than argumentative: it offers us a chance to do things differently.”
Some of the Principles:
Say Yes
Don’t Prepare
Just Show up
Start Anywhere
Be average
Pay Attention to your surroundings
Face the Facts
Stay on Course
Make Mistakes, Please
Act Now
How can we help adults understand the importance of having fun and the benefits of play? Joy. Play. Adults
Picasso said: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”. Is it possible our constant engagement with digital devices is suctioning our time and taking our focus away from the present? Our behaviors have radically changed in the last 2 decades and it seems like no one nowadays has the “opportunity” to be idle or bored. Play is believed to require time and mindfulness.
How can we help people in their old age live through their hardships, loneliness and boredom? Old people and music, art play, company.
How can we convince people that people aren’t necessarily “born” creative, or not. That the brain is not set in its ways and, instead, it continues to change and connect through time, like a muscle that benefits from exercise. That this can be taught at any age.
How can we discover and learn to focus on our strengths instead of constantly trying to fix our faults? I read a book called “Activa tus fortalezas” (Activate your strengths) by Eva Katherina Herber. It really helped me understand myself and others, and helped in my relationship with others. Today I am noticing the strength in a person instead of the thing that bothers me. I have a different view on the world. How can I help other people see this in themselves and in others?
How can people from different backgrounds become more integrated and create a community? My son is having a tough time integrating into his new school and life in London. I see some similarities between his struggle and some people in our class. How can we encourage people who do not know each other to integrate and collaborate.
Group of Moms
How can the Home/work responsibilities between men and women become more balanced in future generations? I ask myself why in almost every household around me does one of the partners take care of the Children and household responsibilities? Is it usually the mother? In the photo above there is an anthropologist, a Chief People officer, two directors of Marketing, a diplomat, and a designer, all with full time jobs, all contribute in some way with the household income and all feel they have their children’s education and their home under their responsibility. Why? Why are they not more balanced between heterosexual couples?
