Earlier today I recalled a story my Grandfather had told me about his childhood. The gist of the story was that during the Depression there was a season where they had to wear shoes with the soles worn away to the point that they hardly qualified as such. "So what did you do, Grandpa?" I asked. "I went on to school and all else I was s'pose to do." he answered in a tone that suggested I mind my common sense. He went on to tell of going to church with his Mom in those piece of shoes.

Recalling that story today I was impressed with what I feel it ultimately taught me. You don't let what you don't have stop you from doing what you need to do. This is a core lesson that moved me to see the value the SoulFood model
There are many ways of approaching any situation, and some of them lead to overcoming the odds.

In Conceptual Process Installation art the process is part of the art, this is especially true in the Source Artist Process where the results are anchored in growth. There is a significance to the time and levels at which people become engaged. Even from this I am learning about how to distinguish quality of Attention, and gain insight into ways of being/thinking that limit the same.

Originally, I had planned to only share these videos internally with the core team I have been working with, but I changed my mind. One of the reasons I decided to share them although it doesn't perfectly reflect my vision is that this series is largely inspired by my own issues with perfectionism....breaking an old pattern to learn about self-acceptance. This is major issue in creating peace, as the lack of it in the world is a reflection of the same lack in each of us as individuals. See lessons from Project:what is peace?

If we can not accept ourselves then we can accept someone else and this leads to the need to be judgmental, blame, and even punish others.

The opportunity to be loss makes it worth the risk for my ego to share this imperfect video and I see that if I didn't I would miss the chance to be the first or one of the first to chart this new territory.

In addition, this is how space is made for other people to join in. This There has to be room for others to join and express the best of themselves and that means they need to see the change their contribution makes in really clear ways. If I waited until I covered all the pieces myself or just hired professional firms then the chance to engage people at the grassroots level in the most meaningful ways would be loss.

Creatively Social Level

That is fundamental to the concept, expressed ideally in "stone soup" story.

In this case, I show up with an idea and a pot--- Ron was the first to pay attention, which led to everyone else that followed having something to pay attention or contribute to - intangible assets (knowledge, talent, etc.) or physical resources (money, technology, etc.) expressed in the SoulFood model as the vegetables, meat, spices and that is how the meals (aka projects) come to be....we then can document with these videos and artworks that Cultural Fusion process and see how it take shape in a way that to me seems more honest than if it was just written as an article, paper, etc in retrospect.

As this was conceived as an alternative to Protest Art and I have been from the start interested in solutions and models that support transparency each part of the process is a revelation in how these intentions can be realized.

I find that sharing these projects that result from my journey of processing the experiences, dialogues, inspirations and ideas....each one is part of "story boarding" this series but doing so without the traditional trappings of project planning or management. Why?

They stop flow indicated by the fact that synchronicity stops, inspiration from the Source levels slows, and stress creeps in....if I don't get back into flow then more hiccups and problems show up.

The lesson I have learned is that as artist I can only be inspired to move these ideas forward to the degree that I pay attention to my own process in contrast to the way others say things should be done....

Each of these videos, photographs, paintings, installations, is another step in the journey rather than being seen as a finished piece they have represented the path from idea ignited in a dialogue that grows into a hope and then becomes reality.
My mission is to create art that results in systems automating global social responsibility.

When we let the fear of judgment from others stop us from moving our ideas forward ---- that to me is the essence of failure. The only way to fail is if you give up for as Edison said when asked about failing 1000 times to create the light bulb...he replied that he had not failed 1000 times, the invention of the light bulb had 1001 steps.

Instead of competing for market share, create a new market to address an existing need that is based on something you already want to do. The eye towards growth is based on not so much seeing the emerging need but having a relationship that positions you to be the "go to person" for that area.

Here my interest is intangible assets-- Source:Love, Attention, Breath as currency, Source:Vision, etc
Prior to the  situation we now see with the U.S. stock market/economy the whole thing may have seemed for far fetched. Now however, more people are considering how do we fix this and is there a solution that can patch this up or must we rebuild?

Case in point, Sweden Seeks to Tax Virtual Economies open currencies are being seen as competition --- Korea and China have also taken similar action based on what seems to be the same fear.

This is a strong indicator of new economies taking hold and growing without engagement of traditional institutions. I  propose this is also an expression of social capital deficits. 

Many challenges are created by organizations and institutions resisting change, there seems a tendency to deny we have entered the unknown, nothing in history really speaks to the situation we are facing today but it does give hints about some part of it.
 

In addition, avenues for funding likewise do not reflect an understanding of the shift away from traditional organization and towards the radically inclusive and creative. This has led to innovation being pursued and advanced without the support of institutions using peer to peer system models.

However, that will only serve to sharpen and widen the divides....I have proposed that art can act as this bridge, but not art as it has been known. Art like all else is having to find ways to redefine and recreate itself for a new ecosystem if it is to remain a viable environment for growth....and to fulfill its place in society.

 

        

One of the things we are promoting with Cultural Fusion is transparency and Inclusion. I know to many this may seem contrary to developing intellectual property which can maintain its value.

The risk of transparency in concept origination and development is that someone can "steal" your idea, right?

I don't think so.

That's because a truly original idea....one with that special something that comes from Source is just that unique and intimately connected to ones' being. Even if someone reads my words, if their intention is not positive, they will not be able to fully see what is being expressed. This is hiding in plain site, only those with the heart and soul that is in synch will see what is being shared because the true heart of it is what happens through sharing and collaboration. This means that only people who are working in close communication at deeper levels will have been given insight into the magic of the concept being developed.

When someone reads the words and has the intention to steal an idea, what they do is miss the very thing that gives it its highest value....the integrity and passion that are the foundation and the highest security that is based on loving inclusion....the fact that the idea is being freely shared because the heart is not what is seen on the surface it is felt when converging paths meet. That is what fascinates me and has driven me in Cultural Fusion.

This is a radically new way of approaching security and it is as mysterious as invisible ink. And I think in meeting the demands that some businesses have for security new approaches and models based on collaborative models (as refrenced by Anna in her comment). Ultimately in this inquiry that is what I intend to do....perhaps not in this post.

What I have observed in the past when I felt someone had attempted to steal my ideas is this....

What the other person created and what I envisioned were not the same thing.

It has challenged me to understand exactly how inclusion works and more specifically how it works in this context.
There is the personal collaboration level that is about sharing and as that stretches outwards to wider circles the sharing is amplified by a focus on service for humanity...and that is what my attention is constantly brought back to....

In the past I would get upset and feel victimized, but now I smile and thank you for the validation that others saw value in the ideas whether they develop them with me or not... my freedom to do so is not hindered. This  is the lesson of open source movements.

There is space for everyone to express what they feel called to express to move them forward...whether that be in business or life. Now I understand something Ron said some time back about abandoning the idea of ownership of ideas. It is instead value that is based on contrast aka unique expression and quality of attention which is shaped by intention

I can see that what another created is the result of specific efforts and see what is there to learn. Where there is conflict there is something in common and once that area is understood there is no longer conflict.
This is the opportunity I am interested researching that is informed by Ron's Theory of Attention.

I have learned to see my chances to practice inclusion and to explore how value is established and leveraged in this new social capital enhanced economic model. I think inquiry into and effort at defining these issues is key to getting businesses seriously engaged in the open source arena.

The shared vision of those on the Cultural Fusion team is the basis for what I have defined as Convergence. Today it occurs to me that what I mean to draw attention to is the nonverbal soul/intuitive level communication that is understood and felt in a mutually profound way. It is that level of synchronicity which commands your attention and promotes your personal growth, an awakening of consciousness and all that entails. This is why my wish for everyone is that some day you can find a true vision that is unique to your highest being.

In my insights (SoulFood Traditions) service is the path to experiencing ourselves as an expression of Source. This natural flow towards the path of service and integrity as the key to quantifying value of attention, creativity, etc.

In a sense this is the basis for the value of social capital.

What are the traits that either increase or diminish your value in relationship and attention driven economies?

What do you say about my view of risks and rewards? What has been your experience?

This is one of my paintings inspired by issues related to this post...a the end of this post is a video from TED Talks that shows the upside...pointing the rise of projects like this from folks like us :-)

What do you know about collaborative creativity as a driving force in the marketplace?

How do you get organized without an organization?

There have been many experts talking/writing about market disruption as force that will shape the economy as it moves through this transition period. However, I'm not hearing much in terms of insight about the disruptive factors bubbling up right now in the States.  Why?
Because it is happening among what seem to be the mostly agreed upon “invisible people”. 

In The Tipping Point Gladwell underscores the importance of “stickiness” with an example where including a map to a place that the readers were already familiar with made the difference, the status quo of using fear to manipulate behavior failed. This made me question how many people were also wondering about what will deliver the “stickiness” to keep attention on the part we play in the solutions we have to develop as a society and as individuals?

Now before I explain what prompted this post…

Consider what a radically new social landscape we create when we can engage all levels of society based on this idea….Develop systems and operating frameworks that turn users into producers and consumers into creators as an approach to offsetting the demand on community human services AND support development of globalization models that address a significant current problems.

These are not limited to, but include economic development spurring social enterprises/programs and CSR program short falls,  that will have a negative impact on corporation profits (declining social capital).

 Corporations especially are invited to open dialogues to help harness the talent and passion of the individuals within their organizations. Consider the social capital value you lose when your business does not support your employees with a passion for social innovation that can be your key to connecting with market/customer/end user inspired product/service enhancements.

Often social enterprises are built with one large customer, without a growth in market share the endeavors are not sustainable, but these are issues for another time. You see my point, these questions and issues do matter.

At the end of this post there is a link to a talk that I’d like you view and consider those questions.

 Lessons from Freakonomics…there have been no shortage of reports about the anticipated crisis in certain sectors of the financial market. However little attention has gone to the very human side of that scenario, that could also mean an increase in demand on an already under supported human services sector.

 Recently I was having a conversation with a close friend of mine who works in peri/prenatal outreach. She sighed as she said, “I am now where you were a few years ago…now I understand what you meant…and you were right about where things were heading.”  We had a dialogue where I indicated that if nothing changed that exactly what is now happening would happen…hitting hardest the people we had been working with.

 One person with full time employment providing shelter and varying degrees of support for two other single parents under the age of 21, having that one person (head of household) become displaced because of a big increase in their mortgage interest rate or defaulting on the loan because of a change in income actually impacts at least two other families.  If they are barely surviving now what will that mean? Is this reality something to factor into economic policy?  How do you visualize/develop solutions for a problem that has been denied proper attention? See the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina if you doubt this…many of the people who were displaced are still struggling to recover.

In the past I’ve written articles and proposals citing the various homeless statistics from county to county and I have learned that statistics do not tell the story that is the truth that many people live each day. One lesson: Life is more than numbers and you are more than your bank account.

Take for example a state reporting a decline in numbers entering homeless shelters, therefore concluding they have had an impact on the problem by achieving this benchmark of x decline in homeless count. Perhaps there are fewer people going to shelters but is that really because they are no longer “homeless” in the sense that they do not have their own permanent home? My experience and that of the many people I know or have known that work in the human services sector serving those in need…our experience is that people are staying away from shelters for a whole range of reasons from social stigma to fear of their safety. Some shelters for example will not allow a son that is older that 14 to stay with his mother and many women would sleep in their car with their children rather than have them separated.

Some shelters have policies that may deter many most in need of their services and that gets into core issues such as some people believing that certain people (active substance abusers) do not deserve the right to access of emergency shelters. The reality is that many of the women on the streets are also mothers and so this leads to occupancy in abandon or otherwise unfit/dangerous housing. Fear of prosecution on behalf of these women presents another challenge for the women charged with helping them and their children. Often this then leads to issues effecting the senior population living in challenging conditions that take on responsibility to care for their grandchildren rather than see them go into the foster care system.

My point is not to list all the people in need because obviously that is far from a complete list. The intention is to give you the context of the understanding shared between my friend and me. When I was focused on the grassroots level in a different capacity my driving mission was to help strengthen community services to be ready for what I hope would not happen because it represented what I then saw as a worse case scenario. Considering the downsizing of the mental health system I have wondered why no one is discussing how to develop intervention strategies for child and senior abuse victims. Without this it is likely we will have stories of deaths instead of rescues.

 
So when people wonder why I am so focused on the value of “art as philosophy” to develop solutions to increasingly complex social situations…I ask you to think about this.

The opportunity is that in times of great change is that there are opportunities as well as risks. And that is why I want you to be inspired by this post. I hope to share with you a bit of what inspires me and how I am reminded of a quote 

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”  —-Nelson Mandela

 What do the financial indicators foretell for the most vulnerable among us?

 
And so we see a very obvious example of how the poor are treated as if they are invisible and I ask you to consider how do we build a better future if we ignore these realities? Furthermore, since there has not been value previously established for the radically new approaches called for that can bridge disparate situations to improve conditions for all, there exist a great opportunity for frameworks such as SoulFood in context such as Cultural Fusion. There is a place for the positive work of many who are committed to applying their talent for change. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by this post, realize that history will tell the truth of who we are despite what we claim or choose to believe.

 
If you didn’t know before…hadn’t thought of it this way.  What will you do now that you have?

Click the link below and check this out

 

Talks  Charles Leadbeater: The rise of the amateur professional