An Invitation to Participate in the Positive Energy Art Project

THE POSITIVE ENERGY ART PROJECT

WHY?

I don’t know about you, but to me things seem pretty crazy in the world these days. So much violence, so much suffering. Earlier this year, beginning with the earthquake and nuclear crisis in Japan followed by the explosion of violence in the Middle East, disturbing political decisions being made in this country… It all really got to me and helplessness for being able to do anything about it weighed heavily.

Art has always been a vehicle for healing for me. So during this time, I found myself writing and painting more and when I shared this work with others, it seemed to give something positive to them. It also really helped me. After not doing much artwork for a long time, sharing helped inspire me to do more work and share even more. I got to thinking about how I might use art to help in the face of the intense challenges and suffering we face as human beings in the world right now… even if it was just a small way to diffuse the negativity. Every bit counts, right?

So this is the idea. I want to use my artwork to get people thinking about and consciously doing something to create positive energy in the world. What is an “Act of Positive Energy?” Good question. It will be different for each of us. You will have to define that for yourself. It might be doing a kindness for someone, or withholding an automatic judgment or a harsh word, or by creating something beautiful, or by meditating, or having compassion for yourself (often the last person we care for), or something totally different. You know it when you do it.

My starting this project is an act of positive energy—and yes, I will also participate and have been doing so for a while. So think about it. It doesn’t have to be big, although it certainly could be. Sometimes the most powerful acts of positivity are small things, shifts in relating, change in the words we use, opening ourselves up… I guess as the project develops we will all see how we define this collectively.

How the Project Works

YOUR part:

Make the decision to do 1 Act of Positive Energy a day for a week—so 7 acts over the week (of course you are welcome to do lots more if you like).

At the end of your week, write something about the experience. It can be a description of what you did, an impression or something you learned or felt, it could be a word... whatever you wish to share. Then, send it to me in an email: positiveenergyartproject@gmail.com (or let me know if you’d rather send a postcard or letter).


The effort and experience is key here. There is no such thing as a perfect effort or doing this "right." If it is hard, if you forget, but you make the effort, than that is your experience!

MY part:

Using inspiration from what you share about your week-long Positive Energy Act experience, I will create a piece of art. It could be a painting, drawing, photograph or a poem or maybe something constructed, perhaps even a dish of food, or a dance. We shall see! I will then post what you shared about your experience along with the art piece made in your honor on the Positive Energy Art Project Blog for you and all others to enjoy. (http://positiveenergyartproject.blogspot.com/)

Whether you decide to do the week-long positive energy act experience or not, I invite you to follow the blog. You can “join” on the website and share in the project as an observer.

When you send your experience to me please let me know…

1)    How you would like to be identified along with your impressions on the blog (e.g., anonymously, first name only, first and last name, pseudonym, even the letter ‘X’ or ‘Z’—your call).

2)    It would be great if you also shared your age and where you live so we can see who this is reaching and who is part of the community we are creating.

Artist’s Disclaimer:

I can’t promise that you will like the piece made in your honor, or even that it will be good. What I can promise is that it will be made with great respect and love for the effort you made to contribute more positive energy to this world. You will be a part of a community making these collective efforts and perhaps we may even heal the world (or a small corner of it).

This project is an experiment. I have no idea where it will go, how many will participate, and neither do you! I am thinking of a 6-month run at the moment but may shorten or extend it as things go along. My plan is to create art in honor of everyone who takes on the challenge and shares it with me. If it grows to the point where I can’t keep up (this should be the BIGGEST problem, right?) I may hold off on taking new submissions, or have to change things a bit to catch up.

The other thing, is that perhaps, one day, if I am really, really lucky, this project will become an exhibit, or a book, or something that can reach even more people and maybe even help me to do more art and other exciting things. For that reason, I will hold onto the original pieces and share images of them on the blog. This also means that when you send me your impressions of the experience, you are giving it to me to use as I see fit as the project finds its natural course. And for this, I am grateful and promise to use your words with respect. I will always credit your words in the way you ask me to (e.g., anonymously, first name only, first and last… etc.) and quote verbatim.

May we all inspire more positive energy in the world.