PROJECT: To launch the exploration of the numerous strategies available to you as an eco artist, complete the following survey.
INTRODUCTION: Will the Earth be a wonderland or a wasteland in the future? Both outcomes seem possible because humanity’s ability to control the material world and command the matrix of its causes and effects can be both a triumph and a calamity. The history of humanity’s achievements is commonly accompanied by a parallel history of its blunders. Although this scenario has been playing since the dawn of civilization, what seems new is growing awareness that our gleaming record of accomplishments might be seriously tarnished by the adverse conditions they engender. What will 21st century humans contribute to this contradictory narrative of environmental interactions? The Earth’s uncertain future is likely to be determined by multitudes of individual choices and not mandated by a a few multinational authorities. As such, the answer will depend upon routine choices made each day by you, by me, and by the seven billion other humans who currently inhabit the planet. For this reason, strategies are keys to determining the prospects for life on Earth in the coming centuries. They are important right now for you as an individual, but they are particularly crucial for you as an eco-artist. This is because art can play formative role in designing the new world order – one in which risks and gains are assessed with consideration for the well-being of all species, now and into the future. What follows is an opportunity to explore a broad range of strategies in pursuit of this inspirational goal.
READ – TO LIFE! pages 3 – 16.
PROJECT: To launch the exploration of the numerous strategies available to you as an eco artist, complete the following survey. It is designed to help you identify your personal needs and wants. The results of this survey may help you select those strategies that are advantageous to the environment and satisfying to you.
MY NEEDS / MY WANTS
- Physiological – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( ) - Safety – protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( ) - Belongingness and love – work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( ) - Esteem – self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, etc.
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( ) - Cognitive stimulation – knowledge, meaning, etc..
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( ) - Aesthetic stimulation – beauty, balance, etc.
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( ) - Self-actualization – self-fulfillment, personal growth, peak experiences.
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( ) - Transcendence – spiritual fulfillment
Negligible ( ). Slight ( ). Moderate ( ). Strong ( ). Intense ( ). Crucial ( ). Excessive ( )
PROJECT: Identify one strong personal need that has the potential of contributing to the vitality, health, and resilience to an ecosystem. For example, if you have a strong craving for knowledge, or a keen appreciation of aesthetics, or your need for belonging extends to animals, or your moderate biological needs avoid wasteful consumption.
How might you capitalize on this personal need as an environmental remedy, protection, or enhancement?