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“Stress is a by-product of subconscious beliefs you have about the world. You can't choose not to believe something. You believe it because you think it's true. To eliminate stress, you must learn to challenge these beliefs so that you see them differently.” Andrew J. Bernstein
What Is Neuroplasticity? Neuroplasticity is the term used to describe the ability of the brain to learn, adapt, and alter its biological networks according to the information it is given. It is how we educate ourselves from childhood, and the brain begins to function as a learning tool well before birth. It has been shown that new-born babies can recognise familiar sounds and speech patterns. This is the budding of the child’s language on its first day out of the womb. It doesn’t stop when we finish school. Our brains continue to change themselves in subtle ways on a daily basis until they no longer function at all. We all have neuroplasticity and the information we put in our minds and then dwell on has a direct correlation to this natural and biological process. How Does Neuroplasticity Work? The brain is a series of different functioning parts that work in unison with each other. The two hemispheres are found on either side of the brain and contain similar roles. Neuroplasticity is the change in how these separate functions work together through adaptation over time. There are four types of neuroplasticity that have equal levels of relevance to our daily lives. Homologous Area Adaptation is when a brain function is assumed by the opposite hemisphere of the brain, effectively handing over control to one or the other hemisphere. The different hemispheres have different cognitive approaches to information and by assigning control to one or the other, a direct choice is made about how to handle particular information. Cross Modal Reassignment is where the brain begins to use other parts of itself to handle information. This is where a new thinking process begins to take place and different perspectives can be found. A Compensatory Masquerade is the term used when the brain resets its approach and begins to look at something from a fresh perspective. Akin to just “giving up”, sometimes it’s necessary to put on a different mask and tackle the information from a subtly novel persona, which can be generated from the psyche. The opposite end to this process is Map Expansion. This is when the area of the brain charged with a function is given the room to grow and build new networks, empowering it and strengthening it. This is usually the most common form of neuroplasticity when we learn as adults, although we all rely on each of the four throughout our lives. How Does Neuroplasticity Relate To Our Subconscious? Our cognitive processing is the way we think. Our thoughts are made of images, feelings, and words. What we think in our waking awareness is called our consciousness. When we are aware of something, we are conscious of it. The subconscious is the part of our cognitive processing that we are not aware of but is still present regardless. It is a direct result of our brain’s functioning and information processing based on what it has been given to work with. The biology of our brains is ancient and the way our brains process information on a basic level is archaic, with the modern, most human parts of our brain originating from a forest floor environment with predators and unforeseen events. Our learning provides the tools we need to put this biological thinking and function to use in the modern world. Each of our thoughts, however, can be rooted in the ancient dialogue of the silent part of our minds.
What Is The Opposite Of Subconscious?
As we have under underlying train of thought that springs from the biological and archaic parts of our natural minds, it seems fitting to account for a higher power or higher thought process that transcends our conscious thought. This can be seen as a balancing function to limit the desires and will of our primeval mental processes. Sometimes called the Id, the sense of being connected to a grander scheme of right thought and right action helps to keep all of us in certain limitations of behaviour. Clearly we are not all the same and the power of this psychological concept can vary from individual to individual and the degrees in which it functions within varying circles of the social realm can differ as well. A higher power, a sense of moral right, and a plausible manifestation of this in persona form all work towards a sense of gravity towards the best outcome. The more refined this sense of Id or moral purpose, the better choices we make in relation to our higher purpose or chosen destiny. How Does The Id Relate To Art And Creativity? By appealing to the sense of right by defining it in contrast to the sense of wrong, we can help to build larger cognitive maps of our environment both socially and environmentally. When we have better maps, we will automatically make better, more informed choices about future actions and observations. The creation of images and feelings within given context can help the mind to build networks that incorporate the dynamics of the scenes it has observed. This is how we learn, and the subconscious part of our mind has no boundary between reality and fantasy. This means you can communicate right ideas and make moral arguments by using abstract and fantastical dialogues. We can talk to the subconscious in terms of the higher consciousness or Id through the medium of the normal consciousness when we can apply ideas and lessons that make sense and leave us feeling content and satisfied. By helping the mind to build networks that appreciate the dynamics of examples from many perspectives, we can begin to understand our lives and the lives of others in greater detail. Things can begin to make sense in new ways that we didn’t notice before and our methods of dealing with various situations can evolve as we learn more about our priorities that we need to be aware of. By exposing the mind to a variety of sensitive and morally sound situations through drama, art, poetry, music, games, and more, we can learn how to think about a variety of situations in a way that benefits us and those around us. It is not necessary to preach or define, a rewarding or peaceful and tranquil setting opposed to a demanding or chaotic and stressful one is the only contrast the subconscious needs to work with. Art That Speaks To The Passions When art is particularly conductive, as in it electrifies you and charges the mind with new thoughts and interest, it has the ability to use thought and feeling together in such a way that appeals. We all have different tastes however the aesthetical acclaim can always be traced back to influences and sources who helped inspire the passion to create in the first place. In fact, all creativity can be traced back to the earliest days of humanity where we made sounds by banging things, painted images with pigments, and began imitating the melodies of the birds and the mountains. A positive experience can be made from the right use of feelings, images, vocabulary, and social dynamic that culminates in a reasonable and understandable fashion. Even surrealism or spontaneity can be seen as a pattern that, once learned, becomes predictable and easy to be carried into. When we empower the mind through the use of fiery rationale or exciting and novel positivity, we can raise the psychological well-being and standing of those who enjoy it. Art can communicate powerful and liberating ideas with description, drama, and abstraction. When we use morally good standings to appeal to the needs of the subconscious to create sense of the world, we can create a linear pattern of thought that people can draw upon when ever they want.
Imagination Is The Bidirectional Conduit To Our Subconscious And Our Awareness
The subconscious and the conscious work in synergy through the imagination. Images and ideas are presented from the under-thoughts in bubbles of inspiration, anxiety, and dream. The conscious mind can manipulate the imagination to produce what ever it thinks of, if given enough information to build a reliable picture. When information is not given, the subconscious will fill in the gaps with its foreseeable possibilities. The types of experience we feed our imagination will communicate with the subconscious and inform it of things to draw upon in future situations. Our subconscious cannot tell the difference between right and wrong, neither can it tell is something is serious, a joke, or pure fantasy. If we feed it with any of these things, it will absorb it and draw upon it as if it were files in a database. It is in the actions of our consciousness, guided by the higher consciousness or id, that we determine if our subconscious mind is providing right or wrong information. Art, therefore, provides a voice to the id or higher consciousness in the way it provides universal messages to the whole at the same time as drawing on conscious thoughts by building on subconscious foundations such emotion, irony, rhythm, synchronicity, and so on. The framework for consensus is built upon the passions derived in creative output ranging from religious thought to art to legal declarations. These consensus ideas about right and wrong action define the direction in which society progresses as a whole. Putting The Power Back Into Language Words have the ability to build reasonable and identifiable mental pictures in the minds of those around us. We can define situations and perspectives that build a scenario model that applies to the world around us. In an infinite realm of possible ideas and thoughts, we like to find a clear and guided path that accounts for our needs and wants by means of our surroundings. This means that the words we use to describe the infinite picture matter. The perspective we choose to adopt when we take on our tasks will determine the quality of the experience and the ability of our mind to operate within the best parameters. We want to make the parameters as empowering as possible by means of healthy and realistic language. Art can provide exactly what we need and provide the opposite, too. When we are given alternative visions of unrestful imaginative scenes, we can use these as the shadow side of what we are aiming towards. The effects of inaction and the effects of failure to think are clearer for the use of the negative view in art. The words we use to describe the picture matter a lot. As the thorn has roses, the rose has thorns. What you use as the primary nomenclature will determine the angle on which the sun shines on the subject. We can shine the light in any direction we like however the most positive and empowering view is the one that enables us to take the best action. Being aware of the negative side helps us to understand why the positive view is the right view. This means art must be prepared to offer all sides of the subject. Acceptance of the negative and empowerment through the positive are what gives us the psychological framework to be more effective in our lives and in the lives of those who we help.
Psychological Reticence That Prevents Personal And Social Growth
We as people can display several types of mental blockage that ultimately prevent our mental growth in particular directions. We can have hang-ups and timorousness that make us avoid particular aspects of our lives and we can have prejudices and presumptions that stop us from taking particular ideas seriously. Hostility toward a subject or something about it can make it difficult to hear necessary information about the situation’s volatility or opposing perspectives. A sense of outrage either moral or social can cause a blindfolding effect by distracting our cognitive process with a primal sense of self-preservation either through language or force. When we are in a hostile frame of mind about something we are a lot more reluctant to listen to or empathise with the subject. Contrary attitudes and aggression are more likely when we bring hostility into the equation. Apathy is when we always have an excuse to not act. There are times when we do need to hold back from acting especially if we are intellectually unsure or emotionally certain. Both of these situations should serve as warnings that the mind is not ready for the responsibility of the action. However, our lives are full of needs that we must aspire to fulfil, and we must act in order to meet these needs. The mind can think of many excuses and reasons why something should not be done, however if it is necessary and within your ability then the excuses are simply holding you back. The subconscious can churn out as many excuses as it can remember and some more from the mixing pot so the conscious mind has to be prepared to handle these. Fear is probably the most common form of psychological reticence. We are normal to fear things, anxiety is something we all have to live with. Being able to recognise it and not let it take control is the way to find courage in the world. Confidence in our ability to learn how to cope with the things that frighten us can help us move forward while acknowledging our natural state and normal anxiety. Our goals and desires keep us working towards them and the effectiveness we are able to manifest is directly proportional to the level of mental blockage we are able to distinguish and work around. We can be realistic and stay in our league when handling new things and be strong enough to stand tall when you find yourself among giants while maintaining a healthy sense of perspective. An awareness of what holds us back and a continual effort to rewrite the patterns can bring our better circumstances given time. What Does Art Have To Do With Mental Blocks? The imagination is the way we communicate with our subconscious and the subconscious is the source of all our immediate thoughts and feelings. If we can talk to the subconscious through art by using rewarding and consistent messages that fit the social picture while identifying with the individual then we have the ability to provide remedies for our psychological blockages and aspects that prevent social cohesion and progress. By offering a variety of perspectives we can offer the plus and minus side to situations from across the realm of human experience and beyond in order to help the mind build a clear and vivid picture of the world it lives in and its metaphorical counterparts. The subconscious is an abstract thinker, it deals in images, symbols, metaphors, and associations. This is why art can be abstract and non-linear as well as sensical and direct. Mental blockages can be addressed by the continual input of new perspectives and alternative modes of perception. The arts have the ability to offer these without directly confronting the issue, as in the art provides a scene outside of the individual that can then be related to self though contemplation. The reticence and prejudices that have formed in our subconscious through the use of strongly worded statements that appeal to the emotion can be challenged again and again by use of probing and examinatory creativity and art.
The Illumination Of Desire And Virtue Through Art
Our deepest desires are based on emotional needs and wants that grow from the subconscious. We use our conscious mind to rationalise these needs and wants and put them into the social context. When we are psychologically healthy, we apply our desires to useful and rewarding activities that do not harm ourselves, other people, or the wider environment. Naturally, we all have flaws and personal quirks that mean our behaviours can challenge the consensus of right and wrong however as long as we remain within the law, we are free to do as we choose. What we choose to do and what we desire to do depends on our subconscious thought process. We then rationalise this according to our priorities, beliefs, and moral grounding. Our wider mental environment paints a picture of ourselves and our abilities within the world at large. The way we see each of these aspects of the living experience defines the way we perceive our desires and needs, and therefore our correct action. Our perspective on ourselves, our capabilities, and the social world we are in will focus our priorities and reasoning. Our subconscious will then interpret itself into our behaviour and thoughts. This feedback mechanism helps to solidify our understanding of the world and builds on certain assumptions about the world and other people. The assumptions and imagined reasons that we carry with us begin to form when we are very young. Before we can talk, our mental landscape is completely sensory. Without cognitive language to articulate our imagination and learn from other people verbatim, our inner perceptions are based on the things we see, feel, smell, and hear. We begin to learn about the world from this stage and by the time we learn language, our basic ideas about reality are already in place. Art can imitate this phase of learning by exposing us to external yet present and relevant situations. When we are provided with a piece of art, be it film, music, picture, sculpture, or something else, we’re presented with a new and fascinating scene from the imagination that provides all the cues we need to adopt a child-like absorption of what’s given. We can enrich the mental environment by manner of providing detailed and vivid expressions of human creativity that draw on universal concepts that we can all relate to in varying degrees. Good art can therefore bring about a bigger picture, offer new perspectives, and increase the cognitive resolution of what we already understand. Art can be used to challenge our predefined assumptions about the world by offering new perspectives. This helps us make better and more informed decisions based on what we already want and need. The Power Of Perspective Strong emotions can be evoked in the presentation of concepts and ideas with unusual or knowingly wrong rationale. The strength of the emotion defines how solidly our subconscious mind incorporates the information. It can be positive or negative and the association of the scene with the emotion can take place very quickly. A strong emotion and a particular setting can result in an immediate transition within the subconscious that can take a long time to undo. This means that art has a lot of power of the mind in the way that it can create scenarios and imagery that directly speaks to the emotions. Strong and powerful emotions can be brought about by redolent scenes created by words and the senses in combination. The way we choose to portray settings, situations, and modes of thinking therefore define the way our subconscious minds learn to associate with these things. Powerful perspectives that inspire courage and forward-thinking work with disempowering perspectives that create hostility and apathy. The two sides of the scene need to be lucid and resolved to draw a picture that the subconscious can relate with our higher aspects of thought. There will often be multiple ways of looking at situations that take account for both positive and negative aspects of our psychology and art can help us to make sense of them all. The more source material we have to draw upon, the more patterns and associations we can become familiar with, the greater our subconscious scope. With the application of conscious thought, we can navigate the output of our inner minds and take on the world with an empowered and strong mentality. As artists, we can be responsible for providing good input that not only enriches the human psyche but enforces positive thinking and strong personal outlooks. If we can create an environment of growth and rewarding collective appreciation with a well-defined antithesis we appreciate and digest, the world will be better off for our efforts. If in doubt, just make art. Interesting book: Dreamer's Journal: An Illustrated Guide to the Subconscious (The Illuminated Art Series) Oh AI, What On Earth Should We Do With You? Saudi Arabia Lead The Way With A Modern Approach18/1/2024
Artificial intelligence is rightfully turning many heads all over the world. With the benefits of super-intelligence akin to Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation and the pitfalls akin to Terminator’s Skynet, the human desire to navigate in the right direction has possibly never been stronger. Do we hand over our weapons codes to a thinking machine, incapable of rage and malevolence, or do we give everyone an extension to their mind that’s a finger push away? These are big questions.
When it comes to the world of art and design, AI can take concepts from thousands of examples and use them to build something seemingly brand new. For a human, a creative process is often blindfolded, with our subconscious images and ideas silently entering our memories as we go about our busy lives. When the computer is visibly doing what we subconsciously do naturally, on purpose and without inhibition, the moral implications suddenly become an issue. Plagiarism is a real crime and robs professional creatives of rightful returns for their work. Rather than just sitting there, wide-eyed, and nervous, it’s important to get stuck in and steer the ship. If we let the technology sail itself, then we will always have what-if questions we could have answered. The Saudi Ministry of Culture have been working hard to make the nation as attractive as possible to the rest of the world. Perhaps by inviting civilisation in, the leadership hopes a bit of modernity will rub off on the millions of citizens. A deeply conservative nation, the desire for change is perhaps best brought in from the outside. One of the projects being put together is the cultural centre at Diriyah. Alongside a brand-new opera house, the UNESCO World Heritage Site will be home to Diriyah Art Futures Institute. Applications are open for generative AI artists from anywhere in the world, so this truly is a global force to harness and direct the use of artificial intelligence. The Saudi Ministry Of Culture wants to include as many future forms of AI enhanced art generation as possible. This means they are inviting AI art in many forms including cinema, interactive installations, sound sculpture, animation, and 3D printing. If AI art can help with it, they want to know about it and are prepared to help the future along with encouragement and guidance – provided by the artists themselves. With top of the range equipment, a year-long work programme, and a community of like-minded individuals who want to support and motivate each other to produce their best results, the opportunities and possibilities seems endless. This is undoubtedly the first of many such AI forums, and I expect it won’t be just the Saudis who want to get their hands dirty and plant the seeds of tomorrow. Something I did last year was release a poetry book with AI generated art that used the verses as prompts. The images were not always great, so I ended up making dozens of images and choosing the one that stuck to my mind in an intuitive knowing. When it just feels right. This means that although the AI system was utilised, it was a minimal input and only filled in the gaps of my personal scope. That’s what I think it will be best used for, to show us what we don’t necessarily see on our own.
As you know, this year is a leap year. To mark the 366 days of this calendar orbit, a total of the same number of feathers have been used to construct a giant angel sculpture. The eight-meter-high symbol of God’s message and law stands bearing down on visitors to Great Yarmouth’s Minster in Norfolk. Intended to attract thousand of visitors for the entire year, seaside goers can be awed by the magnificence of the hand-made statue.
Each of the 366 feathers used to make the statue are said to represent “days of hope and positivity” BBC News. Made by children, who attended Reprezent Project workshops and adults who are part of the Walk and Talk local men’s mental health group, the combining of community and direction helps to unify the true meaning of God’s universality. Even those who don’t necessarily believe can still believe in the goodness of doing the right things and choosing to love over hate whenever possible. By working together, the communities have been able to collaborate on the work and involve each other in the entire process. Bonding different projects together through combined efforts is a serious activity for the forward progression of the wider population. This level of inclusivity can also be represented in the angel symbol, with God’s servants appearing to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and their mythological analogues appearing in various other unrelated cultures around the world. Constructed with willow, bent into a woven figure shape, the body was dressed in paper mâché and then decorated with the feathers to represent the days of 2024. On view to visitors to Great Yarmouth Minster in Norfolk for the whole year, you can get some salty air, eat some ice-cream, and go and see an angel. Recommended read: Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)
A lucky metal-detectorist stumbled upon an ornate yet battered piece of shiny stuff when out and about in a UK field. The village of Langham in Rutland has a rich history of settlement stretching back to Anglo-Saxon days and beyond. So it’s not uncommon to find people with detectors and other gadgets in a search for the next iconic treasure. Although perhaps inconspicuous, this new find is indeed a treasure by law, thanks to the fact it’s made of gilded silver. This mix of silver and gold gild makes the item extremely precious and with its age in the equation, the artefact could be considered priceless.
Although it is clearly of Anglo-Saxon design and from the time of the 8th Century, the actual purpose is the object is unknown. Archaeologists cannot decide between them what it could have been used for. A small dish shaped design with an ornate edging and an animal motif on the top, the pretty object is one of a kind. Perhaps a bespoke creation made by an artisan for a particular need or simply the lesser-known version of something else that never made it past the honeymoon, the possible uses are unending. Some kind of stopper, the protective stub on a walking stick, or an ornamental counter in a collection or a game? Maybe one day we’ll find more solid examples in literature or art hiding in plain view. Two almost similar items have been found in copper and with different shapes, however the craft used to create this new find is something above and beyond. Great care was taken to perfect the design and to make the object as beautiful as possible, using only the best metals. This attention to detail and glory perhaps signifies it had a religious significance, maybe it once carried anointing oil or ash. Or maybe it simply belonged to a wealthy individual who wanted to demonstrate their power by commissioning such a magnificent and unique example. A drawing in the Book of Kells, an ancient version of the Bible, is said to be quite similar to the weave design on the mystery object. Others say it more resembles a image in the Lindisfarne Gospel, another early Christian text with aesthetic roots in traditional indigenous beliefs. The iconography of this pattern clearly signifies a cultural heritage and the continuation of a theme beyond the pages of a particular book. What do you think it was used for? Would you be proud to have discovered this item? What would you call it? Via Artnet Want to get out there with a metal detector? Browse the kit. How Togo Handles The Deconstruction Of Imperial Influence With Decolonisation Through Art And Media3/1/2024
Once colonised by the French, British, and Germans in a European power landgrab that didn’t end until well into the 20th Century, the African nation of Togo now enjoys complete cultural and bureaucratic independence. The first time I’d ever heard of this fascinating county was when I began collecting stamps as a child. The stamps of Togo always appealed to me as interesting and worth a closer look. However, the nation itself is moving away from its westernised appeal and has embraced their own long-lived cultural backstory. Last year saw a grand opening of a cultural centre that once housed foreign governors in all their forcibly imported style.
According to Art News, “they might have found it a nightmare”, as the building is now completely turned around to represent the very culture and set of ideas that the invaders sought to morally overwrite. Indeed, for the main body of people at home, consenting to sending our sons to fight far away, we needed to know we were doing the right thing. So, they sold it as just that to everyone at home and in the country they stole. The comparison of lifestyles and cultural motivations gave rise to the real desire to correct what was introduced as wrong behaviour. Was it any of our business what the people in Togo were doing? I don’t think so. Did they ask for our help? I don’t think so either. Interesting book: Locality, Mobility, and "Nation": Periurban Colonialism in Togo's Eweland, 1900-1960 (Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora) The decision to regenerate the space in the image of the culture it was built to oppress was a noble one and the community can now enjoy the benefits of the genuine installation. Now a cultural space and art gallery, the Palais de Lomé is the nation’s first such dedicated space and will serve the community and genuine tourists for many generations to come. Built to last, and empty of its colonial past, the Togolese have their own spotlight and reservoir of protected heritage right on their doorstep. Currently exhibiting a local high-rising artist, the entire ground floor section is temporarily dedicated to the work of Kossi Aguessy. The Lomé resident had cultural roots in Togo as well as in Benin and Brazil. This modern representation of human life surely resonates in his work, with his influences stretching beyond borders and beyond heroes. Since his death in 2017 aged just 40, the Togolese have endeavoured to display his opus in their home nation, and this has become their perfect opportunity. Aguessy’s works can also be found displayed in various global venues of high reputation including the Museum of Modern Art to the Centre Pompidou. Opened in 2019, the renovated Palais de Lomé gained public interest at the time with a Togolese exhibition that breathed new life into the old and historical building. Now that the pandemic has passed and the world is opening up to tourism and trips, the exhibition centre is banging their drum loudly to remind us all to pay attention to their marvellous museum. The immediate grounds are in fact overflowing with display material. A modern touch extends outward with photography and film exhibits plus workshops spanning across local communities. This helps to emphasise the idea that the regenerated space is for the people at home and not those abroad. Visitors are welcome, and there is probably a gift shop, but it’s the community who benefits in the long run no matter what. All the texts on display are written in the three main languages of the country. English, French, and the local language Ewe all feature in order to unify the speakers and draw everyone in equally. Because Ewe is not a common language in the world, by using it to communicate to a mass audience in this way, the centre is helping to solidify the language for the future. The local setting truly makes its mark on the whole picture being painted by the exhibition centre. Modern and traditional methods feature everywhere with displays made from woodwork, metalwork, pottery, painting, textile as well as photography, video, and more. A massive collection of varied media is what a culture needs to communicate its soul to the outside world and with a growing ocean of opportunity to become part of the story, Togo stands to ring in the new year and beyond with a proud and preserved national heritage.
During renovation work in a kitchen, an elderly French woman stumbled across a dusty old painting stored above the old-fashioned stove. The old picture was put down as rubbish and was destined for the wheely bin. We may never know when the penny dropped for her, but at some point, she decided to have it looked at before the irreversible action. A local expert was called in to have a look and they decided it was likely a genuine artwork from a thousand years ago. Once it was assessed properly, the expert proved that it was a missing masterpiece by the Italian painter Cimabue.
The mosaic maker and painter from Florence lived between 1240 and 1300. He is known as part of the Italo-Byzantine period. Credited with being the first major influence of the day to move away from the traditional Byzantine schema, Cimabue helped to bring in a more diverse and creative edge when depicting scenes from literature. A heavy influence of religious thought dominated the scope of what artists were doing at the time, and Cimabue was no different in that he is best known for his iconography. Christ Mocked is one of the eight panels from a multi-panelled fresco of which five are still at large. The image shows Jesus on his way to the Crucifixion as members of the public amuse themselves on his story and his fate. Painted on a poplar wood panel with a gold-leaf background, the traditional and exquisite style is an ideal example of the era’s work. Discovering the poignant image and rescuing it from its fate in the heat of family cooking, it’s remarkable that the work is still in good condition. When the lost Cimabue was discovered in the old French house, it was snapped into auction. Several interested parties showed up to try their luck at the painting, which was valued at around 400,000 Euros. One of the biggest names present was The Louvre, the world-famous French museum of art. However, when the bidding began it became clear that public funded resources were out of their league when it came to the missing masterpiece. The painting eventually sold for 24 million Euros. The story didn’t end there, though, as the French government stepped in to attempt to secure the work. The Minister for Culture declared the work to be a national treasure and applied an embargo on its export. This meant that the new owner was unable to take their new painting home. The Louvre was given a timeline of 30 months to raise the money to outbid the auction winner by the state secretary at which their patrons came to life. With the reward of tax breaks, several people donated money to the museum in a hope to raise the funds. Eventually, they managed to raise enough to buy the painting from the owner, probably for a profit, and keep the painting in France. Christ Mocked will be on display in The Louvre in 2025. Two days after the sale of the painting for the astonishing sum of money, which put the work in the same graph as Da Vinci and Raphael, the elderly French woman died. It’s sad to know that she’ll never enjoy her fortune, let’s hope that she had grandchildren who can enjoy it in her name.
A lot of us are struggling these days. If it’s not with the fast pace of career and family balance, it’s the far-too-steep slope that we must climb to reach it. The paths laid out for us are many and yet they each require a particular mentality that we may be unsure of. Sometimes we find that we are unsuitable for many or even most of the opportunities that people have provided us with. Maybe we can sense a bad deal when we see one and we see them everywhere. A creative person may feel compelled to work on things in their own way which can be problematic in the modern workplace. Finding opportunities that suit a creative person can be difficult as novelty always starts off small. Even if we mass produce a novelty idea or item, the public opinion will be small.
Communicating the value of creative ideas requires us to have a fundamental understanding of the problem we are solving. If we use what we have at our disposal, be it time, material, knowledge, mental ability, or any combination of these things, to solve known problems that benefit the wider community, then a business model can work. The necessity of any business is to fulfil a need for a price that is competitive with society at large. We need to think creatively to redefine solutions and problems that suit people more accurately than other services. Not only do we limit current competition, but we also provide unique factors that can change the industry over time. When going into business, the thing to remember that happiness and contentment are what you are selling. The services and items on offer are tools for us to bring that about. We exchange contentment for contentment, so the object is to be rewarded in kind. We ask for money if we need to, or a fair provision of service that we would otherwise not receive. Sometimes the largest issues in a community are based on a lack of money and a lack of social leverage, meaning that those perhaps we are best to serve are unable to respond in any kind at all. This means we require a third party that does provide financial or social rewards. The most obvious example of this is a charity. This is how business is done in the modern world.
To achieve authority status in your chosen area of problem solving, it’s necessary to dedicate your whole mind to the problem. A lot of information is likely already available about your chosen problem and the methods in which is has been solved before. If the problem is new, then we can find similarities in other solutions that we can use as metaphorical tools to explore our own example. Having the right solution is only part of the equation as well. To have people be willing to give us a chance, being an authority will only get us so far. We must be easy to talk to, interact with, and a pleasure to spend time with. When you can make your time worth rewards, either financial, social, or both, then you will find making progress natural.
A solution that people can understand means making it simple to apply. If we are a learned expert on a subject, it may become more difficult to see the hurdles in the thought process you’re offering. When choosing solutions to problems and finding ways to provide for us in other ways, people generally choose the easiest and most rewarding option. In general terms, the higher the cost, the higher the quality of service and item. This is because to provide excellence and ease of use, a lot of work is done, and the best ingredients are used. When we pay more for something we generally expect to have a better product because of it. Sometimes sellers use this logic to make products appear better than they are. When establishing yourself as a legitimate source of business and therefore solutions to people's problems, its important to not leave people feeling cheated. This means that using psychology to sell things that people don’t want or at a price that is out of balance will ultimately result in unfriendly feelings and mistrust towards you. When a community loses trust in you then they will no longer feel your services are of any value. The advert and the assurance will mean nothing to them because they don’t know if they should believe it. We can see this in action when politicians draw rosy pictures of rational and functional society when in fact it’s crumbling around them. It’s not long until their narrative no longer makes any sense when compared to reality and the population loses trust in them.
To build trust from a community that doesn’t know if you deserve it, it’s necessary to show that you are present not only to serve yourself but to serve others too. To become trusted and accepted by the wider ecosystem of finance, service, and production, it’s important to be of real benefit to others as much as you are yourself. If a person is unable to look after others or themselves, it becomes unattractive for business. They offer services that do not match the market because the effort and intention to provide is missing. If a person can’t look out for your interests or their own interests, then the service they provide can’t be guaranteed to be adequate.
Business must be beneficial to society, not just for the customer and the seller. If the solution to a problem creates more problems, then it’s not a good service. The nature of modern business gives rise to the need to be socially responsible as well as profitable. Making a profit means more jobs for people and more money sent to governments for public services. Provided the money is made fairly and without causing harm to those around it, it’s a good thing. Our creative solutions and abilities are the tools we have to apply ourselves in wealth generation for ourselves and those around us. Wealth isn’t everything, it’s not the goal. Our problem is in security and in desire. We use money to enable security for ourselves and our loved ones. We also use it to get what we want in life. This is the experience of ownership or time spent. The attraction of money is because of the ability it has to get what we want. It’s power, and in the right hands, it can provide for everyone. When used wisely and creatively, we can use our financial ability to make life better for the community we work in and live in. Making a fair wage is how we get along in society, as the world is prepared for us, and we are prepared for the world. Our ability to solve problems for people and provide genuinely positive experiences is a valuable resource that we can use to fulfil our obligations.
To do this properly, we must accept that we need education. We’re not born into any skill and even highly talented people spend a long time practicing and learning how to do what they do so well. If we want to stand among the talented ones, then we must strive and work as hard to be as reliable as they are in the field we choose. This is why choosing a field that we enjoy working with is essential because to make work for you in your own way then it will take a lot of time, most of which will be unpaid. Doing things in the way other people want it done will earn you money faster, so only follow your creative path if you are prepared to take that route. Sometimes, though, it’s the only route we have. Only when we’ve learned the skills and practiced them until they become a talent will our ability be worth paying for.
Making people happy is what problem solving is all about. If we can make people happy with our skills without making other people directly unhappy, then we have a great business. What is directly unhappy? Some people will just not like you. They might see you as a threat to their business, or a threat to their social status. Overseeing a business is not a job that comes without its pitfalls. Some people have predefined assumptions about businesspeople and those of us who have studied marketing. If you are in the business of selling products, services, or both then marketing is essential reading. Directly making people unhappy involves action that is inconsiderate of their freedoms and rights to thrive. Antisocial business is not good marketing. A service mindset with a creative attitude and a willingness to look after yourself and others in equal amounts will be the foundation to your creative journey. Once you’ve established trust, authority, a genuine solution to a genuine problem, and a way of benefitting from it personally, your business model is ready to go. Naturally, we need continual maintenance, an eye for new growth and necessary cuts, and a continual process of grounding and reassessing the situation. A creative life is well within reach. If you want to learn more, why not try Principles and Practice of Marketing by Professor David Jobber and Fiona Ellis-Chadwick
Since Bloomberg reported on the “Black art gold-rush” back in 2018, many African artists have enjoyed a swift boost in popularity. Especially with social media helping people with an internet connection reach the eyes and ears of anyone else with one, the benefits to developing and newly developed nations are easy to see. Crossing borders and hurdling cultural differences, a good piece of art speaks for itself and often sells for more than reasonable prices. When Godwin Champs Namuyimba found repute with his own exquisite talents, something caught fire and the desire to burn bright with his name spread around the artworld.
The rise in popularity for African artists meant that quality spoke louder than experience, and names that so far had not been seen in big exhibitions or selective showcases were able to stand shoulder to shoulder with more well-known creators. A bright future seemed available for so many who had previously been selling work for pedestrian prices to the mainstream. Being whisked away from the high street stall and into the classy and exclusive venues is a dream for many painters and other artists. When a trend takes place and you’ve positioned yourself well, then the odds are in your favour. With a keen desire to reach some kind of professional standard when it comes to selling art, Namuyimba sought representation and support to raise his game. With an expert understanding of the scene and the way forward for artists in his position, Stjarna Art signed the artist to their books and took care of the process of production and resale. Previously to this arrangement, Namuyimba had worked with a French gallery however during the pandemic he was unable to complete his contract and his visa never materialised for his appearance at the exhibit. If it hadn’t been for Stjarna, Namuyimba may have suffered the same kinds of defeat due to finance and struggle.
During 2020 when Namuyimba’s work first went on sale in auction, his works received good coverage and reached several thousand dollars each. Collectors were very happy to pay decent sums for the so far little-known painter from Uganda. Even with a smudge on his backstory with unkept promises, the community seemed to be able to put it down to the stresses of covid and not the character of the individual. From spending time in a spartan apartment in Uganda with a few pieces of Belgian canvas he’d imported, and very little else, to receiving four and five figure sums for his hard work was a big leap. An advance was provided with a ten-painting deal which gave Namuyimba the tools he needed to thrive.
It didn’t stop there. When he discovered that he was an investment that art collectors saw value in, Namuyimba took his skills to as many beneficiaries as he could. A team of artists had enjoyed his work in the past and he was able to locate one in particular who pushed his financial situation into the next league. Receiving around $450,000 for 25 future works of size and quality, the artist was suddenly free from the constraints of financial dependency. With many conflicting projects that required his complete attention, it seemed that Namuyinba could sit back and get his head down to work. Rumours of a seedy reputation in his old art scene began to rise, possibly from jealous peers who didn’t meet the standard, and these ultimately ended Namuyimba’s deal with Stjarna Art. It was fairly messy with a booked expo being let down in the process. With the breach of contract in place with third-party investors that gave Namuyimba such a large financial boost, and the unsavoury rumours, the art firm not only cut their ties but changed their history, one client claiming to never have represented the artist but only collaborated with him during 2020.
Perhaps the big take home sense from this artist's journey is that when you come from a community that has less experience in something, it’s easy to get lost and swept up by the forces at play there. We can sometimes get caught by the tide of expectation and eager anticipation offered by well-meaning players in the scene. Even then, we can make mistakes, upset a few people, and still find our way to the top of the mountain. It just takes the courage to keep moving forward.
Via ArtNews
It's been a long few days for all of us, the seasons are changing and so is the world around us. In times like these, it's always a good idea to sit back for a while and gather your thoughts. It's in the quiet moments and times of relaxation that we have some of our best ideas. In Britain, and in several places around the world, a cup of tea is the universal symbol for this activity. Brewing tea has been a popular pastime for millennia, with origins in China and India, now tea leaves are grown all over the warm enough world. Rather that using the dusty teabag, many tea connoisseurs prefer to make their favourite drink with loose leaves. Even then, a couple of teabags go into a pot just as well. When you make tea in the cup the teabag often drips over the counter as it makes its way to the bin and there's always a chance of it tearing when you stir it. A pot is the cleaner, more refined option and we should all get one. Have a look at some of these fancy teapots that people are using.
Do you need some tealeaves? Why not visit Art of Tea for a great selection of many delicious varieties. Before October 21st? Enter AFFILIATE15 for 15% off.
Creativity is about finding new ways to look at things and then acting on them according to the novel thinking. Metaphors and flow-charts can be created that guide us through processes and progress, images and stories can be created to apply knowledge across universal circles. Courage is about action, moving through the anxiety and fear by stating your ideas, acting on them, and speaking up when needed. We solve problems by being creative and the right solutions take account of the whole situation. The way forward is directed by the reality of the entire situation and the limitations that it applies. A goal can be in any direction provided it lubricates healthy society and culture. Resistances and frictions are the opportunities for creative input and novel ways of taking responsibility.
It takes courage to be able to look at the whole situation and not just the situation from your perspective. Other people will have their own versions of the story and their own ideas about what the end results should look like. The behaviours and systems that result in the situation will be rooted in a dynamic and shifting consensus that always needs to be addressed. It may feel like our views are the ones that are important because of the way we think about them however society is a complex system of many people who each have their own direct reasoning with an equally as vibrant passion for their experience. Because of the possible conflicts of interest and ideal, it’s important to be confident and know your intrinsic worth. Being spoken over and dismissed is a possibility and you need to be prepared to address this calmly and confidently. A creative solution may require new methods of communication and expression that speaks to others in ways they recognise and can respect. The same works for us, too. We may conflict with the interests and ideals of others and be a source of friction and resistance. Understanding the reasoning for their ideas can be difficult if we’re passionate about their antithesis. Because society involves the fluid working of diverse groups, it’s best to look for the logic and ration in their argument and then using that to make your point sound more valid. We need to address the light of it and not the shadow of it as its hardly ever our intention to cast the shadow even though it’s inevitable. Everyone is a human being with a distinctive history and set of mental pictures that define the way they behave and the things they aspire towards. We all have our own pain points that cause us distress and we have reward senses that help us achieve personal success. These things vary from person to person and community to community. Because we don’t necessarily think and feel in the same way it can be difficult for us to get the idea someone is trying to portray. This means we must be available to humanise situations and accept the rich tapestry on offer rather than tick a box or simply deny relevance. If it’s relevant to them then it’s relevant to the bigger situation they are a part of in equal measure. It can be brave to let go of our predispositions and allow ourselves to validate another person’s point of view. The grey areas are where the definition between what is right, or legal, and what is wrong, or illegal. Right things are affirmative for the culture of the situation and legal things are universal fail-safes. What is legal may not necessarily be right for you or your situation, so these areas become grey in that there is no clear guidance. We need to make space for these grey areas and confront them with our positive attitude towards growth. Each of us has a line drawn that defines what is acceptable and what is not, the combination of these lines needs to manage to stay parallel with the majority without overcrossing the minority and cutting them out. In social dynamics, no lines can be drawn but methods and language are necessary areas of creative collaboration.
We are all unique, not one of us can be completely likened to another. Another person is another story, another background, and another vibrant patchwork of experience that shapes who they are. If we speak up for ourselves and our perspective, we’re usually not acting as a spokesperson for our demographic, but as our own voice. When a person has a view, it’s their view. It’s not the view of their skin colour, their sexual preference, or their age. When we get used to the idea that there are no inherent patterns we can stereotype then although the workload increases exponentially, the validity and reach of what we do will be a lot more precise and a lot less confrontational or abrasive.
It is often human nature to make guesses and assumptions based on what we know from seemingly similar situations. Sometimes this will happen to you and your experience and input can be side-lined in favour of a textbook version. We all know how hurtful this can be, when our senses are overwritten by others because they would rather believe in an intangible archetype, or their own personal experience based on a completely different story. If you’re watching the Matrix and you see the same cat you know they’ve changed something but if you’re watching Tom and Jerry, you know it’s something to do with the mouse. Seeing the same cat twice has many meanings, and the things in real life are just as diverse in their meanings. We need to have the courage to listen and validate everyone’s own experience of meaning and symbolism as these things directly affect the way we feel and our ability to work together. When we work together towards a common goal of progress and peace, conflict resolution and easier living methods, those in our group are our allies. They’re not mirror images of ourselves. In national politics, allies don’t get involved in the internal affairs of their counterparts. The laws and systems that go on within each allied nation are their own business and only soft pressure is applied across borders. People are like this, too. We are allied with those around us who work towards a common goal. We’re not charged with governing them but with helping them create a joint vision and action plan that considers their unique style and ethos. It takes courage to work alongside unique individuals towards a common goal. At first, we know nothing about each other and nothing about what each other want to achieve. This is frightening to accept as not knowing is a source of real anxiety. Having the courage to start at the beginning and assess exactly what needs to be done from the start via a setting that comes from a different backstory requires time and patience. It might be easy to assume that we want the same things as other people and other cultures because we feel strongly about it. We imagine the other people sharing those feelings. Feelings are based on experience and history as much as right and wrong so it’s not possible to fully know what someone else will perceive when given new ideas. We get the job done better when we have the courage you start at the very beginning and accept not knowing. When designing future process and output, whether it is artistic or not, it’s important to speak your true voice. In the same way we must humanise others and accept their experiences verbatim, the same can be said for yourself. It might be easier to lean back on common examples and well-known statements that point at your situation but when we find our own words and describe our experience and desires for ourselves, we can uncover unique and particular elements that so far have been in the blind-spot. Stating our own needs and moving towards them via the existing framework is sometimes a challenge. The world was designed by others with their own individual needs so aligning the various systems at play to achieve your own goals challenges the experience others may want to rely on.
Toxic safety is where we settle for something that is unhelpful or contrary to our goals and objectives but provides stability and security. We can be working for a company that doesn’t listen to your needs or has a culture of aggressive motivation that can cause stress and depression if you’re not suited to it. The opposite may be true in which your organisation relies on self-guided and mature objectives and open concise communication where you would prefer a more hierarchical and assertive style to work with. The organisations and the cooperative groupings we work within are not always the best place for us, it requires a lot of courage to break from this and go out in search of the better option. Knowing our virtues and demonstrating them at each given opportunity will result in a compatibility with those who are likeminded. Standing up for what you believe in, and vocalising concerns, is frightening for most of us.
Courage is about bring brave and working through the sense of fear and anxiety. It require a stable and grounded mindset with enough time to address fleeting sensations that stand in the way. We need a slow and steady walk towards the objective with a guided and open-minded approach. Unifying the whole to produce a clear vision and direction everyone can agree on requires putting the information in place and giving people the opportunity to address it from their own perspective. Being able to play our part and then sit back while the community takes in our input and responds in their own time means letting go of the immediate desire to move forward. We need to remove the blinkers and see things from the bigger picture. This can be frightening as suddenly the scope of our purpose is extended by a large degree however the opportunities and available directions mean this mindset provides the best chance of growth. Creativity uses the ingredients available and makes something that is viable to all viewpoints, either as an address to an issue or a solution to one. We need both if we are going to solve our problems and discovering them on a holistic scale means taking a selfless and impersonal systemic approach as well as listening to ourselves and taking our own experience seriously. You need two eyes open, one to look outside and one to look within. Also: Get inspiration, ideas, and more by browsing Art.com and support Alternative Fruit with any purchase from this link. |
AuthorAlternative Fruit by Rowan B. Colver Archives
April 2024
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