https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site DesigningThePluriversity Thu, 11 Feb 2021 00:09:47 +0000 https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site en https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/Home Mon, 04 Jan 2021 21:09:51 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/Home <img width="1080" height="500" width_o="1080" height_o="500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9cf1e4af985cb62b74b9f5d42baa14526a622c2afec26c9d58e04f0b089ae70f/logo4.png" data-mid="98516438" border="0" data-scale="92" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9cf1e4af985cb62b74b9f5d42baa14526a622c2afec26c9d58e04f0b089ae70f/logo4.png" /> “Designing the Pluriversity” is a community-building activation space of provocations and responses. Every other week, we will share a new provocation created by a group of artists, scholars, activists, and educators. Through your responses, we hope to build a collective dialogue about how to create the pluriversity. We invite everyone to take up the provocations as an experimental assignment! This project joins a growing chorus of efforts across the globe inspired by the concept of the Pluriverse, a world where many worlds fit. It extends to rethinking the western university as the Pluriversity, inviting other possibilities for knowing and being in the world, where learning is open to epistemic diversity, transcending disciplinary divisions, and creating dialogue among different epistemic traditions to recognize the radical interdependence of all life. &nbsp; Submissions will be accepted on an ongoing basis. The work will be curated into a collection for the “Designing the Pluriversity” website.&nbsp; All respondents’ names will be added to the Pluriversity Collective. &nbsp; Interventions https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/1-Julietta-Singh Mon, 04 Jan 2021 21:09:51 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/1-Julietta-Singh Provocation 1:&nbsp; Julietta Singh ︎ Visit Julietta’s&nbsp;website <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d54d1764d62f4f4080315698a5f23184a984edadc311cb4db261310ed782e582/Julietta-Singh-Headshot.jpg" data-mid="95997960" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d54d1764d62f4f4080315698a5f23184a984edadc311cb4db261310ed782e582/Julietta-Singh-Headshot.jpg" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/45b2fdce44daa53d50a682ae8d7f8b9399222e627444ca115d90eda4dc9c7644/1_JuliettaProvocation.png" data-mid="98237129" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/45b2fdce44daa53d50a682ae8d7f8b9399222e627444ca115d90eda4dc9c7644/1_JuliettaProvocation.png" /> BIO: Julietta Singh is the author of The Breaks (forthcoming, Coffee House Press, 2021), No Archive Will Restore You (Punctum Books, 2018), and Unthinking Mastery: Dehumanism and Decolonial Entanglements (Duke UP, 2018). She teaches in English and Gender Studies at the University of Richmond.Responses:Alyana J. Since having to wear mask, I realized I don’t have to think about my facial expressions, so I decided to record my facial expressions, specifically at home just because I truly don’t care what face expressions I make since there is no one around, I decided to just record/ draw little doodles of my face gestures which turned into a habit of me writing down/ documenting how I feel every evening, it has become a way of me just “letting go” and being more in-tune with myself and emotions. <img width="1032" height="1346" width_o="1032" height_o="1346" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/89bee3359a619dc29fc3627e054ff7dce66b8102e2bfa007b3034085b00ad320/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.41.03.png" data-mid="107539562" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/89bee3359a619dc29fc3627e054ff7dce66b8102e2bfa007b3034085b00ad320/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.41.03.png" /> Douglas Bailey “The Birds” represent many things. the plague doctors of old the current pandemic. and the birds that ask questions are a reflection of the hand-blown glass birds back in the '80s that would constantly dip their heads in the water. as a novelty. here that is echoed by the actions of asking questions. The ceremony involved echos the question answer responses given at secret societies from the masons to eastern star, to the Grove in northern California, and many cults that have developed out of those groups. That type of ritual was turned on its head, to create a modern situation of current dysphoria. &nbsp; My use of the horror motif in the film relates to the strife and the political horror in the streets and on the media today. Our day-to-day continued insanity of fueled and ginned up hate and division. although I was making art, media can twist this as violence which is what has been going on for quite some time. so to mimic this I filmed the making of art, a thoughtful practice to deliberately being misrepresented as violence, and the words of thoughtful practice and kind ritual to be that of something that seeps gloom and doom or that of creepy, further the discomfort of viewing. I must state that the saying that I have included in the ceremony has been my long-standing philosophy in both my blacksmithing practice of recycled material. my offering free karate lessons to inner-city kids paired my 26 years of working with special ed. My statement remains the same. all things with imagination&nbsp;time care and effort can become something new and beautiful.&nbsp;&nbsp; so that simplistic&nbsp;bird feeder may look, it still feeds many birds today as it still hangs in my lemon tree. and will become a school art project for a k-8 school. <img src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif"> Hayden W.This is a response to Julietta Singh’s provocation, asking me to document my typically discarded items and to consider them in a new light.Coffee Filter with Used Grounds. Every morning my day starts with coffee. I have a bad habit of using filters for only a single cup of coffee, which is quite wasteful. An ulterior method would be to get a reusable filter, or a coffee maker designed for single cup production. Upon reflection, I think of what a room filled with every filter I’ve ever used would look like, if there’d be any room to breath. I also consider the coffee grounds, the husk of what flavorful essence the hot water forced out. To this end, I also consider the coffee. I think about how I drink cup after cup, rarely stopping to savor. I also recall an old biology report I did on coffee. Despite its health benefits, coffee farming typically ravages the environment. The best kind of coffee to buy are the brands that are “shade grown”, because forested areas are not chopped down to increase coffee bean production. Coffee bean plants typically grow in the shade, naturally.On top of researching how to properly recycle coffee filters, I found this link on several ways to reuse the old coffee grounds.Plastic Toothpicks.&nbsp; They’re the kind of ones that have little frayed ends that go between the teeth really well. I use like two a day. They’re small, but they surely add up in landfills and the like. I should switch to wooden ones, but they do not get between the teeth properly. I suppose overall, floss is the most environmentally friendly thing. I researched many options for biodegradable floss, so that’s something to think about. Would it be possible to wash a plastic toothpick for repeated use?Orange Peel. This one provides an opportunity for reflection on survival and nature. The orange exists as sustenance for me and I peel off the skin like it's a candy wrapper. But that wrapper exists to protect the orange, so that it can survive and spread its seeds. So in a way, the orange is a sacrifice of a lesser being, just like eating meat. The only difference is that the orange plant never felt any pain when it was harvested. I would like a world where it was guaranteed an animal would never have to suffer for me to eat it.It almost seems like a waste to throw something away so bright and vibrant. I could start putting them in some drinking water to soak in orange flavoring. Disinfectant Wipes. Terrible for the environment, but so convenient for cleaning. To add to the guilt of using them, I often use paper towels to dry off the residue. I clean less than normal people, but it's no excuse. These are some of the two worst offenders of the landfill crisis. I will use this reflection to consciously make an effort to clean via reusable methods. Pizza Box.Such a waste of advertising. Not to mention, the pizza itself still has a plastic wrapping and a cardboard base. When will mankind learn to consider these types of problems? One single wrapper is all you need for a stiff, frozen pizza. It doesn’t even need to be in color, just the brand name, health info, and instructions. I do recycle my cardboard, so I can take some credit for that.I will also take a second to appreciate the artists that create such colorful and attractive boxes for these soulless corporations to make their product. Even though that artist is selling their talents in a problematic way, there's still passion behind the design. To be honest, most other items on my daily list of trash are mostly just variations of these kinds of items. What highlighting these few have done is provided a moment to reflect on all the waste I produce and whether or not I do enough (I don’t).To complete the provocation, I’ve decided to utilize the old coffee grounds to create a small piece of art, to help appreciate the gratuitous amounts of coffee I drink every year.In my piece, which I’ve decided to leave untitled, was a spur of the moment gestural painting. Acrylic paint, raw umber, was combined with water and used coffee grounds to create a gritty, earthy paste. I spread this mixture over unprimed canvas, taped to a board for security. Having just drunk a cup of coffee, I used my energetic brush strokes to frantically create a mass near the center of the canvas and moved outward. The outcome was a static looking blob that seemed to be moving in every direction, as if the coffee grounds were atoms colliding at unfathomable speeds. I noticed that the work could resemble a meteorite, perhaps representing planet Earth's speedy path towards doom.The work does have an urgency to it, possibly brought on by the coffee running through my veins. I think it represents the masses of trash building up in our canvas that we call Earth. <img width="1066" height="794" width_o="1066" height_o="794" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/524dd318dada1f1cc98cfeaa7f142dc3018de86d4d98aaca204542bff87881fe/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.51.22.png" data-mid="107540533" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/524dd318dada1f1cc98cfeaa7f142dc3018de86d4d98aaca204542bff87881fe/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.51.22.png" /> <img width="1066" height="794" width_o="1066" height_o="794" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/00ea7c19faed035a12b0d49bcab67ac1c4de06f8bba4cbfde595b691df124424/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.51.17.png" data-mid="107540532" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/00ea7c19faed035a12b0d49bcab67ac1c4de06f8bba4cbfde595b691df124424/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.51.17.png" /> <img width="1686" height="1216" width_o="1686" height_o="1216" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5c59f11fcf3b6953f18f6066e11069fe9e413d590720201659e431314e80bd43/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.51.28.png" data-mid="107540534" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5c59f11fcf3b6953f18f6066e11069fe9e413d590720201659e431314e80bd43/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.51.28.png" /> Emily P.I choose to waste my time apologizing and caring for others, all while I harm myself without apology. My makeup bag does not have makeup, but the things I use and abuse daily to keep me beautiful in the eyes of those around me. Moisturizer to keep my skin silky smooth, a disposable vape to sustain the oral fixation I have developed from stress, and the xanax prescription I have had since I was fifteen years old to hide the symptoms of my mental illness. I am perceived as put together, yet I flush away pills into my bloodstream. I fill my lungs with smoke. A way of maintaining myself that will surely harm me, the way others do to me, but I find solace in knowing that this harm is my choice. The containers empty day by day, as my needs for consumption scream internally and externally. I honor this waste, for it is the gasoline in my body, as though I am nothing more than a vehicle. I will forever be stuck in the cycle of being a consumer. <img width="468" height="616" width_o="468" height_o="616" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c16957976437f3474be426d327b1ac52987dc3f6905fb321d30b35677142b2c4/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.53.39.png" data-mid="107540675" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/468/i/c16957976437f3474be426d327b1ac52987dc3f6905fb321d30b35677142b2c4/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.53.39.png" /> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Figure 1. “Sorry mom” Katie H.While walking through the park I noticed a landscaper trimming trees and bushes and blowing the stray leaves away with the leaf blower. I collected some of the leaves and sticks and weaved them together with som fibers. I took the artwork back to the same park and hung the weaving on a tree in front of a flat rock to use as a meditation focal point. <img width="948" height="1264" width_o="948" height_o="1264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/51e8845a7e473032888ab2e5200a6eaccc235f41961d68d10c24b13b631e8e2d/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.56.15.png" data-mid="107540803" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/948/i/51e8845a7e473032888ab2e5200a6eaccc235f41961d68d10c24b13b631e8e2d/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.56.15.png" /> <img width="938" height="702" width_o="938" height_o="702" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/47ea5440cabae09a9f213164603ca3af6f410b48d54d6e28504878917525fafc/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.56.09.png" data-mid="107540802" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/938/i/47ea5440cabae09a9f213164603ca3af6f410b48d54d6e28504878917525fafc/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.56.09.png" /> <img width="952" height="1270" width_o="952" height_o="1270" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/938f15029c92ef7e13911d92c557109bcc24739820505da2043ad60f39b17ece/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.56.22.png" data-mid="107540804" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/952/i/938f15029c92ef7e13911d92c557109bcc24739820505da2043ad60f39b17ece/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.56.22.png" /> Oriana G. Every other week my partner buys me a bouquet of flowers, typically roses. We both enjoy keeping fresh flowers in the apartment and at times will have multiple different bouquets. I typically just wait until the flowers have lived their course and dispose of them, but I decided to cleanse some petals as they were slightly drying. After being sanitized, they were laid out on a paper towel in direct sunlight to air dry. After a couple of weeks of collecting, cleansing, and drying, I then collected all the necessary ingredients for a rose petal sugar scrub. I am a resourceful and sustainable queen, so I gathered a reusable jar, coconut oil, sugar (in the Smuckers jar), lavender oil, and of course my rose petals. I cleansed the jar with a “Compassion” incense while setting my intentions by repeating the mantra “I love myself. I am enough. I have everything I need.” I continued to repeat the mantra while crushing up the petals, adding in oils, and mixing in the sugar. At the end of my ritual, I expressed my gratitude to all my ingredients and where they came from. I thanked the roses for their beauty and antioxidants. I thanked the sugar for its sweetness and exfoliating texture. I thanked the coconut oil for its moisture and prosperity. I thanked the lavender for its soothing element and grace. Now I must thank Julietta Singh for the provocation. Thank you! <img width="174" height="208" width_o="174" height_o="208" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1d3c5bf840448aab0caf6fb039d93a919d1ba664120a5b789e74e6a30b8a0634/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-11.00.02.png" data-mid="107541401" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/174/i/1d3c5bf840448aab0caf6fb039d93a919d1ba664120a5b789e74e6a30b8a0634/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-11.00.02.png" /> <img width="202" height="200" width_o="202" height_o="200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b9a61ad1e5864140788f2467da53c398a49a53b1405ce0d88228740fc76e8796/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.59.55.png" data-mid="107541400" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/202/i/b9a61ad1e5864140788f2467da53c398a49a53b1405ce0d88228740fc76e8796/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-10.59.55.png" /> <img width="162" height="170" width_o="162" height_o="170" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8a6fb860b199cf6e360c94ae7d75d848d29926f146e042f497abaa7f5b717a5/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-11.00.10.png" data-mid="107541402" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/162/i/e8a6fb860b199cf6e360c94ae7d75d848d29926f146e042f497abaa7f5b717a5/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-11.00.10.png" /> <img width="200" height="202" width_o="200" height_o="202" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f21273cb89b3f10de99e04e67536533afdccd2a3291bb4118e733225a75edb5d/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-11.00.15.png" data-mid="107541403" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/200/i/f21273cb89b3f10de99e04e67536533afdccd2a3291bb4118e733225a75edb5d/Schermata-2021-05-05-alle-11.00.15.png" /> Mindi R.I grabbed brown paper grocery bags from our continually growing stack, an unwanted product of grocery shopping during the pandemic. I tear off any handles and cut the bags apart, transforming them into long strips. Then using thinned acrylic paints, I paint each side, sometimes swirling colors in a limited palette, sometimes trying spray paint. This time, I used 6 bags.When the first sides dry I flip them and paint the other sides. This process is meditative. It allows reflection on the materials involved, the bag itself, it’s purposes in all its incantations and embodiments. I think of it as a container, a vessel, a repository of gifts and sustenance. This bag is a sign that I am reliant on the labor of others to feed me, to get food to me. I’m grateful.Painting the bags becomes a ceremony of sorts, a deep deliberate engagement with the afterthought artifact that accompanies so many things, that serves me in so many ways. Here, it transforms. Each bag becomes an artistic medium, becomes an art-based process and product. After I paint the strips, I cut them into smaller strips. These smaller strips then become pages I combine into book form. I’m not sure what these books are. Are they books written in/as art? Are they the artifacts of a ritualistic practice of honoring the oft-ignored? Are they sketchbooks? Are they a collection of small paintings? Of cards to give? Other things? I’m not sure if I even need to define them. I might just distribute them and see what happens. <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/db73abb59d2ed00920c7d57efa540b0e19d6d386918392ca4d485aa53ada6cc1/IMG_8073.jpg" data-mid="107542385" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/db73abb59d2ed00920c7d57efa540b0e19d6d386918392ca4d485aa53ada6cc1/IMG_8073.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/284bef386e17d0060be84fc7112cccc429319480f6f38f679e704a12cd5dc113/IMG_8055.jpeg" data-mid="107542384" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/284bef386e17d0060be84fc7112cccc429319480f6f38f679e704a12cd5dc113/IMG_8055.jpeg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/171f329b76ecd8cce7415d0cd3e1613b41e8aa6c9dda1ace45b1b1ba0e82f382/IMG_8091.jpg" data-mid="107542386" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/171f329b76ecd8cce7415d0cd3e1613b41e8aa6c9dda1ace45b1b1ba0e82f382/IMG_8091.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3fba8a1050f536a9089d91e13d614a89b2ce1a2cb342ec1f93853c8e1aec0ea9/IMG_8092.jpg" data-mid="107542387" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3fba8a1050f536a9089d91e13d614a89b2ce1a2cb342ec1f93853c8e1aec0ea9/IMG_8092.jpg" /> Danny&nbsp;Lazcano Discarded Vinegar bottle made new and purposeful. Made ceremony with it and it took flight (literally). Joy and inner child were experienced along with imagination for the next generation. <img width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/86c11753ffe5063711c640475e2c92b1df557a0ef5602e16c8ecd3de11b5dcfa/image1.jpeg" data-mid="107542702" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/640/i/86c11753ffe5063711c640475e2c92b1df557a0ef5602e16c8ecd3de11b5dcfa/image1.jpeg" /> <img width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6824b7ce415f7684c77106c0e7d4aa3cad681dd7037b402672b83839f128c117/image01.jpeg" data-mid="107542701" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/640/i/6824b7ce415f7684c77106c0e7d4aa3cad681dd7037b402672b83839f128c117/image01.jpeg" /> <img width="620" height="640" width_o="620" height_o="640" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9fd7cfb94b95d597d3dd85f83ae0272459bdbbba2c22208499d560eafe15d259/image2.jpeg" data-mid="107542703" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/620/i/9fd7cfb94b95d597d3dd85f83ae0272459bdbbba2c22208499d560eafe15d259/image2.jpeg" /> James Thurman As part of my efforts to live healthier, I eat an orange or mandarin orange every day.&nbsp; I became experimenting with keeping the peels and seeing what happened as they dried.&nbsp; Being a metalsmith and jeweler, I often unconsciously place objects on my body, especially my hands, to see how they look as personal adornment.&nbsp; By simply holding the discarded peels in place with a toothpick as they dried, they became quite wearable rings. <img width="3024" height="3024" width_o="3024" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/040076d5463720164a96c6f0c9b20afae12bea1a8e1c9a6fc7e0dbbd61e0ff1c/Thurman_Provocation-1b.jpeg" data-mid="107768770" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/040076d5463720164a96c6f0c9b20afae12bea1a8e1c9a6fc7e0dbbd61e0ff1c/Thurman_Provocation-1b.jpeg" /> <img width="3024" height="3024" width_o="3024" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/64edac74c3fe5244954bc017e2823df5558a2b11ff204d8f91fe26899133e48d/Thurman_Provocation-1a.jpeg" data-mid="107768769" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/64edac74c3fe5244954bc017e2823df5558a2b11ff204d8f91fe26899133e48d/Thurman_Provocation-1a.jpeg" /> Nikki Fairchild I have a shelf of discarded things (well ok more than one shelf)…why do I keep these things and what do they do? I do not have an inventory of these things (objects/bodies) but, for and with me, they are intra-active nexus points of spacetimemattering. I don’t necessarily ‘dwell’ on them but they affectively connect me to past present and future happenings. These things collaborate with, and co-constitute, my own becomings (as a researcher, teacher, academic, colleagues, parent, spouse). They matter, and in mattering they become a matter of care – maybe dwelling on things becomes reconstituted as a (re)membering of events and practice that influence, trouble and are in relations with us. The things on my shelves are agentic and offer new possibilities for thinking/doing whenever they re-enter my field of vision. These things matter to me, they are productive, they assemble and generate assemblages, they produce new affective resonances in/with me…even though to some they are inanimate objects that should be discarded. <img width="3000" height="4000" width_o="3000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e04d1df93bf671d2ce6baa0ddc50fd200f743ebbc1ba35ebdda70dd73c12c613/2021-05-23-19.58.45.jpg" data-mid="113760992" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e04d1df93bf671d2ce6baa0ddc50fd200f743ebbc1ba35ebdda70dd73c12c613/2021-05-23-19.58.45.jpg" /> <img width="3000" height="4000" width_o="3000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/06041ade0132d1d73089feefd10f737f3c3273e7a9d1157e2e0896ce2b300ad0/2021-05-23-19.58.30.jpg" data-mid="113760991" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/06041ade0132d1d73089feefd10f737f3c3273e7a9d1157e2e0896ce2b300ad0/2021-05-23-19.58.30.jpg" /> <img width="3000" height="4000" width_o="3000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4dbd690193f3ab3e61587d580fbf23d638cdbb6250e8f96fa2cc24fec9cf16db/2021-05-23-19.59.28.jpg" data-mid="113760993" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4dbd690193f3ab3e61587d580fbf23d638cdbb6250e8f96fa2cc24fec9cf16db/2021-05-23-19.59.28.jpg" /> <img width="3000" height="4000" width_o="3000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/55bb0ca11820e7c8e0f328f0782bfb4aa18d9365e19246a22293c3c4a4d4c0fc/2021-07-02-14.12.36.jpg" data-mid="113760997" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/55bb0ca11820e7c8e0f328f0782bfb4aa18d9365e19246a22293c3c4a4d4c0fc/2021-07-02-14.12.36.jpg" /> <img width="3000" height="4000" width_o="3000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6fc0751da7965b7dfee6d1e26667c35d0ca9e09e3dddb170557ce776f788a646/2021-05-23-19.59.47.jpg" data-mid="113760994" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6fc0751da7965b7dfee6d1e26667c35d0ca9e09e3dddb170557ce776f788a646/2021-05-23-19.59.47.jpg" /> <img width="4000" height="3000" width_o="4000" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6f4cbfb1db6ed4ab131b253bc650ef653342eb6e285a49866471c54a24c0f3ce/2021-07-02-14.05.57.jpg" data-mid="113760996" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6f4cbfb1db6ed4ab131b253bc650ef653342eb6e285a49866471c54a24c0f3ce/2021-07-02-14.05.57.jpg" /> <img width="3000" height="4000" width_o="3000" height_o="4000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5b0d571e868e3182732b1f96e07880fda225eb3129017d6746469d476c81f382/2021-05-23-20.00.17.jpg" data-mid="113760995" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5b0d571e868e3182732b1f96e07880fda225eb3129017d6746469d476c81f382/2021-05-23-20.00.17.jpg" /> SPAs a professional portrait photographer, I discard hundreds of photos a day. Each imperfection, a snarl instead of a smile, eyes closed from the bright sunlight, the misery of staring into the sun, all tossed into a virtual recycle bin never to be thought of again. These works of art cast away so easily, are people’s true self. We want the image of perfection shown on our Instagram, our mantle, and given away as Christmas cards, yet we shy away from the silly faces, the awkward moments, and in reality our true self. We think that no one wants to see that and I as the photographer have a role to play in this false sense of reality my clients wish to portray. I can’t send them the photos of silliness, of the awkward moments, or the conversations when they thought I wasn’t taking a photo. These images don’t sell and the clients do not want them. Looking over the images from my shoots this weekend, I see a pattern, I see a flow, I see life in it’s rarest moments. Life happening, people conversing, silly faces, these moments in time are not captured and kept on record any more. Therefore, I have created a collage of those images, preserved in time, showing what people do not want to share; reality. <img width="2550" height="3300" width_o="2550" height_o="3300" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/739bfdddaaa39d3b9fe9a7bc9962de062050cc2ccf9704992692b3613349f193/moments.jpg" data-mid="126330287" border="0" data-scale="58" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/739bfdddaaa39d3b9fe9a7bc9962de062050cc2ccf9704992692b3613349f193/moments.jpg" /> Hermance L. I waste much more than I think I do. For the past few days, I have been paying great attention to the things I discard, from my pasta water to my plastic wrappings of the pasta. The only thing not wasted would be the pasta. Most of my waste and consumption comes from food. The other night I ordered take out (way too tired to cook for myself), and I still have my curry frozen in the freezer. The food came in a paper bag, with single use napkins that I keep in case guests would like to use it instead of a serviette. Instead of using the paper bag for my next trip to the dumpster, I decided this would be my canvas for the week. I was going to do a collage, but I did not have glue, so I looked around to see what else I was planning on discarding and my ashtray came to mind. So, I made a makeshift smudging stick with an old page from my daily journal and decided to draw a face. I have no proper art training, but this ended up being my project for the night, playing with the ashes. I ended up losing track of time with this project. It was mesmerizing seeing how different levels of burnt produce different types of textures and opacities. It was so much fun feeling the paper and ash bits under my finger, seeing the gray beginning to turn into a face. It was very difficult to do the details, as my makeshift smudging tool did not work very well. But it was so fun playing with all these materials I would have thrown away without any thought. What used to be my trash is now my play at the end of the day. <img width="522" height="588" width_o="522" height_o="588" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3d5ecb9cea6c0074b0fa9ecfec25d0cebcad344a1022875cd56f8e3a2ff77d06/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.35.45.png" data-mid="126331232" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/522/i/3d5ecb9cea6c0074b0fa9ecfec25d0cebcad344a1022875cd56f8e3a2ff77d06/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.35.45.png" /> <img width="490" height="668" width_o="490" height_o="668" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/34b2e1c2b66d8cdb81b1422ae5fa92bee7d027e4c4fcbbed4501c3fc685aced0/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.35.38.png" data-mid="126331230" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/490/i/34b2e1c2b66d8cdb81b1422ae5fa92bee7d027e4c4fcbbed4501c3fc685aced0/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.35.38.png" /> Cheyenne H. An Ode to Makeup Wipes&nbsp; At the beginning of the day, I put on a strong face. A veneer that protects me and gives me strength. I straighten my posture and take on the world. By the end of the day, I’m weary, my body aches, I'm tired. I just want to sleep. My body is heavy. The veneer I put so much effort in is wearing away. Smeared and smudged after the stressors of the day. My real self is showing through. My confidence is waning. I don't have the energy to shower. So instead, I pick up a makeup wipe. So simple, so soft. I gently run it over my face. Watching as my mask of confidence wipes away. White now stained with bright vivid colors along with muddled and muted blacks and browns. My raw self is revealed. My true self. A comfort. I pass the wipe over my face again. And when I look up, I see me. I feel like makeup wipes are one of those things that are often taken for granted. I definitely don't think about them too frequently. They are just a convenient invention that makes life very easy. When you're tired at the end of the day and don't feel like showering you can just pick up a wipe and wipe all the stress away. For that reason, I obviously decided to make a little poem just showing my appreciation for makeup wipes. I wanted to memorialize them and really express the comfort that they bring especially at the end of a very rough tiring day. Brandon H.Discarded conscious thoughts: In my daily life I spend a lot of time in my head so taking the time to search through my brain’s "spam emails" was like a decluttering exercise. Some of the “emails” I found were the quick observations that add to the greater picture of the world I walk through everyday, like the details in a person’s face, the wear markings in a chair in a cafe lobby, or the smells in the outside air. Spending time with these thoughts creates a scene of a play in which my life is displayed on the playbill and I’m the leading actor. Taking these senses and emotions that I cast aside throughout my mind’s inbox I can create a priority list that adds to my daily life, and gives value to the otherwise unimportant happenings in my life. Stephanie M. <img width="720" height="556" width_o="720" height_o="556" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/60507aeec7bd9e43b8d60a852ac356296454f2a5f7dfb60527ee6d5fc4c6e694/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.34.41.png" data-mid="141887451" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/720/i/60507aeec7bd9e43b8d60a852ac356296454f2a5f7dfb60527ee6d5fc4c6e694/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.34.41.png" /> Attune yourself to what you routinely discard without conscious thought or feeling. I took a plastic lid and drew small figures. <img width="716" height="498" width_o="716" height_o="498" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/869aa517f9d583261e81b5452b07bf5873577b24c47cc41df01e31c2cc5a100f/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.34.47.png" data-mid="141887455" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/716/i/869aa517f9d583261e81b5452b07bf5873577b24c47cc41df01e31c2cc5a100f/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.34.47.png" /> I cut them out and stuck them in the oven for a few min to shrink them down.&nbsp;I throw away Paper towels Water bottles Glass bottles Cans Glass jars Plastic bottles Plastic packaging. <img width="726" height="504" width_o="726" height_o="504" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c3d13c36615dc9beea637042afff35328547abe349aa032e92029fa39c55b0e0/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.34.51.png" data-mid="141887625" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/726/i/c3d13c36615dc9beea637042afff35328547abe349aa032e92029fa39c55b0e0/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.34.51.png" /> Make something with and for the disposable thing. Create ceremony with it, honoring it by allowing it to emerge as artful practice. Here they are, It doesn’t look like the instructions looked but they are still cute, and now we ceremonially play with them! I didn’t want to make something for it because I didn’t want to create more trash, and I didn’t have a hole puncher otherwise it would have been a necklace. AnonymousI never realized how working from home full time while also taking classes full time really sucks up a majority of the free time I do have. As a result of that, I decided to pick up knitting my blanket again and track how many rows I could accomplish throughout my week. I devoted my late nights to finishing a total of 3 squares (the 4th is half way there). Although there is still a lot of blanket to be knit, I can cover my lap with these 3 (almost 4) squares. Tsz Yu C.“Craft an inventory of things easily disavowed, pitched, or flushed away in your every day life.” Plastic scraps from food and cosmetics packagingThe little burrs and spiky seeds that my dog carries in with her from walksEmpty pensHairs on the ground (both my own and dog’s) I made this list quickly, without thinking too hard, because I didn’t want to give myself an opportunity to justify why things should or shouldn’t be thrown away. I honestly don’t throw too many things away in daily life because I’m Chinese, and in our culture it’s very normal to be thrifty and hold onto material objects for a very long time, even if we’re not sure what we’ll use them for yet. However, I do dispose of things I find dirty or obsolete, which seems extreme in comparison to my parents’ tendencies. A central tenet of Chinese philosophy is to be modest with your things and never wasteful. I chose this prompt, though, because sometimes I feel at odds with this cultural belief since I am more Westernised (and grew up more well-off) than my parents and therefore more entrenched in capitalistic disposability culture. I believe there must be a balance—some things should be thrown out to keep the house clean, or if they truly have no functional use anymore. I live with my parents, and it sometimes frustrates and confuses me that they refuse to throw out even small scraps of dirty fabric. Through this exercise, I hope to understand more about where they’re coming from by simulating the same care and attachment that they do with some things that I perhaps take for granted. “Dwell on these wasted things, lingering with them.” As I consider this empty pen (one of probably a hundred in our house because my mom collects them from hotel lobbies, waiting rooms, special events, basically anywhere that free pens might be given out), I am suddenly awash with sadness. I know that my mom collects objects because she was once so poor, but I forgot that perhaps her special love for pens comes from how hard-won her education was. My mother never made it past high school because in 1960’s-1970’s Hong Kong, the public school system was underfunded and ill-equipped. It follows that adequate school supplies, like pens and paper, were a rarity for my mom. Even now, my mom is a little ashamed that she never went to university, and sometimes tells me that she feels very dumb, and that people told her that she was slow her entire life. Could these pens be an unconscious or conscious symbol for her? A manifestation of her wish to go back to school, to be seen as smart and competent? I know that finishing her education is super precious to her, and a dear dream that she longs to fulfil one day. I decided to use the pen in an abstract drawing of my mom's dream self. She frequently speaks to me about how she wishes she could go back to school and start an educational business to help immigrant mothers like herself. By using the empty pen as a part of this illustration, I'm honouring that though it's not glamorous, it's a symbolic part of my mom's story and I need to respect that. If I am to support her in this dream, I must have deeper compassion for all facets of her and her quirks, even if they don't make sense to me at first. <img width="940" height="1306" width_o="940" height_o="1306" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/202ede6900a32eb244dea4513173e367e62b9f9aa931cf21a3fd8d64b6156639/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.11.15.png" data-mid="141889465" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/940/i/202ede6900a32eb244dea4513173e367e62b9f9aa931cf21a3fd8d64b6156639/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.11.15.png" /> Krizel Z. As an illustrator, I often work with various kinds of paper. In my arts and crafts drawer, I have a collection of cut-up and misprinted papers, as well as post-it notes. Usually, I do not have any plan of using these discarded papers; however, I decided to fold these papers into origami cranes as a way to create something new rather than wasting paper. I also used leftover wires from my past projects to create a mobile out of paper cranes. I was introduced to the art of origami as a child and it was something I enjoyed doing in my free time. Now that I am an adult, I rarely find time to create origami. Essentially, this opportunity to reuse my old papers to make art filled me with nostalgia and allowed me to reflect on how I use the materials that I have. In the end, I realized that I must be more mindful of the materials I waste. <img width="986" height="740" width_o="986" height_o="740" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0046fd42f1d0be123dde419a96a01952447006bc4152eed45d1715ee04e36aa0/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.16.04.png" data-mid="141890119" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/986/i/0046fd42f1d0be123dde419a96a01952447006bc4152eed45d1715ee04e36aa0/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.16.04.png" /><img width="994" height="736" width_o="994" height_o="736" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e56a1c369231cae29c2ad369475644a6598a3782ce9c9803f50abd2c354d80f6/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.15.54.png" data-mid="141890122" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/994/i/e56a1c369231cae29c2ad369475644a6598a3782ce9c9803f50abd2c354d80f6/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.15.54.png" /> <img width="726" height="936" width_o="726" height_o="936" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0f3488e4348250ec5acddc3964211a09a2424a2f0b6e65b52900bb6d5c0c115/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.15.58.png" data-mid="141890126" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/726/i/f0f3488e4348250ec5acddc3964211a09a2424a2f0b6e65b52900bb6d5c0c115/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.15.58.png" />Olivia C. I have a sudden knack for botany and my boyfriend has been made aware of this on SEVERAL accounts while dealing with ramblings of me talking about plants, flowers, landscapes and the language of flowers. I greatly appreciate nature and find that its something that never lets me down without picking me back up with something else I decide to find. With that being said, my cycles of life are also something that I have come to appreciate. I have moments of mental fog and despair in that I have a lot to carry on my heart a lot of the times. My boyfriend is very supportive and during these moments he will bring me flowers. I have an issue where I hoard them, dry them and prop them up in vases and place them around the house. I have saved them all from going straight to the trash because I have also found that putting together something so special and having it serve its purpose in a different state, provides proof that there is not just one way to do things all the time. Now that they are dried, they hold on to the scents around them instead of their natural scent. So I have learned to prop them up and spray them down with a few sprays of my perfume every now and then just to act as kind of a diffuser throughout my house to make my house smell better and also remind me of him.&nbsp;And yes, he gets me the same flowers every time, I love how they fit in my home. <img width="594" height="828" width_o="594" height_o="828" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d8ef9c14f437fcb8e70d2f408687b65efa173c87a044245903d582cb17a414d3/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.52.50.png" data-mid="143021429" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/594/i/d8ef9c14f437fcb8e70d2f408687b65efa173c87a044245903d582cb17a414d3/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.52.50.png" /> <img width="656" height="878" width_o="656" height_o="878" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cb5bd4426a1cc96b54aa466200b09e3b2e2a892a68a4b5f3e3b6f9a233d72d19/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.52.37.png" data-mid="143021428" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/656/i/cb5bd4426a1cc96b54aa466200b09e3b2e2a892a68a4b5f3e3b6f9a233d72d19/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.52.37.png" /> <img width="646" height="846" width_o="646" height_o="846" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2435146f00d3ec587d390551a45eb136ad876dd9f29d7105c73782b256a1642f/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.52.44.png" data-mid="143021442" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/646/i/2435146f00d3ec587d390551a45eb136ad876dd9f29d7105c73782b256a1642f/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.52.44.png" /> Manan D. We pet lovers enjoy spoiling our furry friends with new toys. I personally love to get my dogs new toys very frequently, at one point Amazon was delivering boxes for them on a weekly basis. As excited as my dogs get when they receive something new to play with they always seem to go back to one of their favorite old toys. For instance my German Shepherd, Jasper, loves to play with his squeaky ball. No matter what toy I get for him he always just plays with this ball. Sometimes I feel like dogs are just like children. We feel like we need to get them way more than what they actually need. Yes, there are cheap toys that you can get but those last less than a day in our house since both my dogs are super chewers. I have to get them the indestructible toys which usually end up costing $20 a piece. I realized the unnecessary expenses that I was incurring and so I am now learning to be frugal. I find that the dogs prefer that I play with them with their favorite toy versus them playing with a new toy by themselves. Spending quality time is more valuable than just buying an abundance of toys. &nbsp; <img width="630" height="836" width_o="630" height_o="836" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e85bf9cbe169e65bd43790aaebebd56d977e904198c86cd2cc47fc4613f9b08d/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.25.10.png" data-mid="143023857" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/630/i/e85bf9cbe169e65bd43790aaebebd56d977e904198c86cd2cc47fc4613f9b08d/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.25.10.png" /> Andrea B.Adding more waste Day by day Used for the moment Forgotten about the next Until the trash is full a must be taken out Finally finding a use, even if temporary, for the things I collect while deciding how I’m going to repurpose them, is exactly why I’ve kept these. Hiding in a box, waiting for the right moment, others would say I’m hoarding them but I think it’s hoarding if you keep many things forever and don’t find a use for them. Pill bottles float around my backpack for mini first aid kits, headphone containers, bobby and safety pins. They are used when I gift seeds to my seed exchange group, for keeping small things dry, and storing fire making kits for camping, button and bead containers. The longer I save these bottles and let them linger with me, it empowers me to remember that although I take pills to keep myself going, I’m still going. Going through more pills, going through life, going through things. I’m going here, there and this all will go away someday. Teanna O. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3d1fdb56cbfc78a6aa2f590365072e15b9d7a64dc73ce9c63a143d5ba7e39ca4/PXL_20211202_040213969.jpg" data-mid="143024174" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3d1fdb56cbfc78a6aa2f590365072e15b9d7a64dc73ce9c63a143d5ba7e39ca4/PXL_20211202_040213969.jpg" />Tyler W. As a designer, I am required to work with a variety of materials, such as paper, chipboard, Bristol, and much more. Part of the job, however, requires me to be selective and keen to little details. As much as I try and plan to execution the project as efficiently and cost effectively as possible, I am always left with excess materials. This left me constantly pondering how I can make the most out of the extra supplies. One of my solutions was to recycle my excess materials back into work. As seen in the pictures, I decided to use my left-over chipboard to create a secure and sturdy folder to store my delicate project inside of. Not only did I create a way to protect my work from the elements, I found a somewhat sustainable way to reuse the waste. I also love to have fires in the pit in my backyard, which allows me to use the extra paper scraps as fire starters! Gustavo AlegriaCrafting an inventory of things I easily disavow, pitch or flush away without a second thought. Lime Tree In my backyard, for the past four years since I moved in, I have allowed limes to go to waste. Since the pandemic&nbsp; everything I have learned about myself and everything outside of myself is that nothing ever goes to waste. Applying what I have learned: Internal emotional baggage has always been there for me to unpack and learn from, the pandemic shone a light on what was festering inside, just like limes under a tree.&nbsp; This year limes are getting squeezed, zested and stored for future use, just like the lessons I now see stored in my mind’s baggage. Olive TreeHow many olive trees do you walk, drive or cycle by?&nbsp; For me that number looks like a rough 15. This year I take splendor in everything everyone else misses. Fresh, local free pressed olive oil? YUP!&nbsp; Urban foraging? Just started! Guerilla gardening? Count me in! <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f942796801ca5d311e9a343c3b502b8495d24e099fd9cbec9201699a3adba46d/01ABD986-F5DF-4B08-B879-F0EF577C0547.jpeg" data-mid="143085459" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f942796801ca5d311e9a343c3b502b8495d24e099fd9cbec9201699a3adba46d/01ABD986-F5DF-4B08-B879-F0EF577C0547.jpeg" /> Schylar O. Today I chose to craft an inventory of my discarded things. However, I found myself somewhat disappointed, but happy at the same time. It is now 5:00pm, and I only have one piece of trash—a granola bar wrapper. I was disappointed because I wanted to create something complex out of a variety of things. I am happy that I discard less than I thought previously. It may have been because it was a busy day for me, or maybe I was being more conscious about the things I was getting rid of. Nonetheless, I see this as a good thing, and will continue being aware of the things I abandon. Out of the granola bar wrapper, I made an art piece by cutting up the wrapper and gluing the pieces to a piece of multimedia paper. When I cut it up, I did it organically and did not cut specific shapes, to represent spontaneity and accepting things for what they are. I depicted one of my favorite sceneries—the starry night sky. I love trees also, so I included one as well. Using a piece of trash, I honored it by represented it as things I desire to be, and things that I love. <img width="1356" height="606" width_o="1356" height_o="606" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c93f4d761de178db863ae4983a6ce9650b793c55aba20228d452846d9aaa05f1/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.14.17.png" data-mid="143027641" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c93f4d761de178db863ae4983a6ce9650b793c55aba20228d452846d9aaa05f1/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.14.17.png" /> Anonymous I’ve always had a hard time letting go of the things that people give to me. I save every birthday card, every gift tag, and every handwritten note that is given to me. If someone gifts me an article of clothing, it will stay in my closet for years after it stops fitting me. It doesn’t matter if it’s falling apart, I can’t part with it. Some may consider this somewhat of a hoarding behavior, but to me, each of these things hold sentimental value. One of my favorite gifts in the world is flowers. A fresh bouquet always looks so beautiful. But it’s always so disappointing when they die. For many years, I would throw away all my dead flowers. It always made me sad to do so, because as I mentioned earlier, I hold on to absolutely everything that someone gifts me. However, I didn’t think it would be practical to start collecting entire bouquets of dead flowers. What I have started to do is turn the dead flowers into decoration for my room. I do not keep the entire bouquet, just the petals. I have begun collecting the dried petals from these bouquets and collecting them in a mason jar. I display the mason jar in my room as decoration, and to appreciate the flowers that were gifted to me. I think that it’s a shame for someone to spend $10- $20 on flowers when they will be in the trash within a week. Saving them allows me to appreciate their beauty for a longer amount of time. <img width="1112" height="1352" width_o="1112" height_o="1352" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6b8493d97d34ab49c31f6618904748ca8373cce228448ff6ecc16d1a65b5fd27/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.19.15.png" data-mid="143027969" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6b8493d97d34ab49c31f6618904748ca8373cce228448ff6ecc16d1a65b5fd27/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.19.15.png" /> AnonymousEmpty Paper Towel roll: I use at least one paper towel a day. I find them so convenient for me to take when I’m on the go to protect my food, dry my hands etc. It’s easier to grab a paper towel, instead of looking for a towel to use because after it gets dirty I have to wash it; but on the other hand with a paper towel I can just throw it away. After all of the usable paper towels are gone all that is left is the roll and I would normally just dispose of it. Disposing the roll isn’t the only option, I could hang a kitchen towel to dry my hands and prevent the extensive use. Another way I was also able to put use to the roll was to turn it into room decor. I colored the roll with brown marker on the outside and made this cute flower shaped decoration. <img width="1280" height="1416" width_o="1280" height_o="1416" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/534c0b73d585a02b32e4fd5216a87497f7e40ada0ac0ade2642d9409d2f9f3db/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.20.23.png" data-mid="143028094" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/534c0b73d585a02b32e4fd5216a87497f7e40ada0ac0ade2642d9409d2f9f3db/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.20.23.png" />Anonymous One thing that few people know about me is that when I was younger, I used to go to work with my father, who is a landscaper, and I learned a lot from him. During my time working with my father, I noticed that many of his clients would ask him to remove a plant simply because they didn't like it, so my father would remove it and dispose of it. I didn't think this was fair, so I proposed to my father that we take these plants home and make a small little garden out of all of the plants that his clients didn't want. Our home now has a lot of new plants, which makes it look really lovely and green. <img width="1064" height="1418" width_o="1064" height_o="1418" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/952bcbe5c647cbf592dd188794e60637db6fc66c2bf588795ea022f10ffc837f/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.25.22.png" data-mid="143028441" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/952bcbe5c647cbf592dd188794e60637db6fc66c2bf588795ea022f10ffc837f/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.25.22.png" /> <img width="1062" height="1422" width_o="1062" height_o="1422" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3bc6b5801754079d139096e9f1cc0db76ca42215e3a76d571f557885e07af43d/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.25.53.png" data-mid="143028424" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3bc6b5801754079d139096e9f1cc0db76ca42215e3a76d571f557885e07af43d/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.25.53.png" /> <img width="1068" height="1424" width_o="1068" height_o="1424" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/04b045e9b41fb8c81cd8258e5aafdbbe48d197c959747c4c7a636a15a050415c/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.25.33.png" data-mid="143028470" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/04b045e9b41fb8c81cd8258e5aafdbbe48d197c959747c4c7a636a15a050415c/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.25.33.png" /> Bri B. I find myself walking by strangers and then disregarding their presence and their individuality. As I am walking through campus I see these people as background characters in my story. I need to focus more on other people and how they are all living their own stories and I need to be considerate to remember the importance of each person in my life even if I just see them for a few seconds. Taking time to notice a stranger and tell them that you like their hair or outfit is very important to do sometimes as it can make someone's day and it is so simple. I also tend to be a hoarder in some way as I have a hard time throwing things away as I feel that they will be beneficial to me in the future. I keep a cluster of things on my desk at all times thinking that I will need them at some point. Gen R.Watercolor painting is something I do in my free time. When I paint I try to get unique textures and blends of color every time using the different materials I have on hand. One of those materials is a paper towel. I use ripped-up pieces to soak up the color and normally throw them away once I finish the artwork. However, I look at the small papers full of my expensive and bright watercolor pigments and wonder if I could still find another use for them. The colors of the paper worked well with one another because I recently painted a scene full of nature. I wanted to compose a piece that was full of these bright colors and brought them together with the texture of the paper towel. <img width="1420" height="1450" width_o="1420" height_o="1450" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e0f4549f12dee932f1b524704653881931fac6b247159d829a9d7f84a4e2dc9b/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.48.39.png" data-mid="162151507" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e0f4549f12dee932f1b524704653881931fac6b247159d829a9d7f84a4e2dc9b/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.48.39.png" /> Tomasi M. These strings were a part of a white sage bundle, holding the leaves together. I gave this sage to my mother and took the string as she unraveled it by burning it. I knew I wanted to use it to create something so this activity was perfect for me. The “ceremony” I had was the simple act of creating these “flowers”. They aren’t the prettiest but making them was almost like a ritual with how concentrated I was when placing the string to the board. I had to be precise with my placement otherwise it can easily fall apart. The three flowers are all made differently when it comes to their petals and I think of them as the rejects of the bouquet. <img width="1002" height="1350" width_o="1002" height_o="1350" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/10c25251b0159dc0a9d219341c4e728c39c16a95b0ff824b094a54cf4010ca4b/Screen-Shot-2023-05-25-at-16.19.26.png" data-mid="179998102" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/10c25251b0159dc0a9d219341c4e728c39c16a95b0ff824b094a54cf4010ca4b/Screen-Shot-2023-05-25-at-16.19.26.png" /> <img width="1092" height="1082" width_o="1092" height_o="1082" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2a519ab7486d1e8fba1c20ebd82c89abe0d030fd4887d2d832faf41075bfb58/Screen-Shot-2023-05-25-at-16.19.36.png" data-mid="179998101" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c2a519ab7486d1e8fba1c20ebd82c89abe0d030fd4887d2d832faf41075bfb58/Screen-Shot-2023-05-25-at-16.19.36.png" /> Micah C. https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/2-Jorge-Lucero Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:35:43 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/2-Jorge-Lucero Provocation 2:&nbsp; Jorge Lucero︎Visit Jorge’s&nbsp;website <img width="1080" height="809" width_o="1080" height_o="809" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b48a462fbedb599df89ad18c85426a0a1927ae33ac8df6d1b1b9f4208f42de7a/LuceroBW-by-Abigail-Crandall.jpg" data-mid="98239280" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b48a462fbedb599df89ad18c85426a0a1927ae33ac8df6d1b1b9f4208f42de7a/LuceroBW-by-Abigail-Crandall.jpg" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7f56b00eb7ee18ce4f48b238f11ac66c44fba91d9dd48f2f273c3136fe58d7c6/PROVOCATION2_TODAY.png" data-mid="100980129" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/7f56b00eb7ee18ce4f48b238f11ac66c44fba91d9dd48f2f273c3136fe58d7c6/PROVOCATION2_TODAY.png" /> Provocation 2: Voices in your Pocket The voices of others live in us. Interchangeably with touch, the spoken and sung words of others are primary pedagogy (a first means by which we learn about our worlds). We carry those voices—sometimes through recordings, but mostly through memory—into many of the things we do and become. Voices in Your Pocket is a portable monument that you build yourself and archive in your iPhone. The most exciting thing is that unlike other monuments this artwork can be continuously reworked and even shared with others via text messages.1. To begin, own an iPhone with the capabilities to create personalized Memojis. (Please note: all the Memoji’s on this page should work. Click on them to play them as audio/visual files). 2. Make a quick list of five to ten voices you carry in your memory. These could be people in your intimate sphere of contacts or people you have never met before, but whose words you carry with you. Be careful not to overthink your list. Remember, you can always go back and swap out the “voices”.3. Things to resist during the process of selection. Resist the urge to be too cool. Resist the urge/need to control the optics/narrative of your list (by going “diverse”, witty, or by trying to avoid controversy). Don’t immediately judge your choices too much. Try to be sincere even if your list is disproportionately one kind of person (e.g. men, relatives, authors, dead people, etc.). Remember that Voices in Your Pocket is a modifiable monument; so, if your list is “too much” of anything, you can always alter it later. 4. When you have your list, create one Memoji for each of the persons on your list. My initial group of voices includes Morrissey, JD Salinger, George Lucas, John Cage, Jesus, Yoko Ono, the Edge and Bono, Matthew Goulish, my father and my mother. If needed, use a photograph of the person in order to capture the person’s likeness as close as possible. You may, as I did with a black and white photograph of JD Salinger, chose a photograph from the time of that persons’ life that you prefer.&nbsp; <img width="256" height="364" width_o="256" height_o="364" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/de10a977f4aa597a58bb837da0276339cf754f470bbbc7cbfe4f0a9e1e7fa09b/Schermata-2021-02-26-alle-10.53.24.png" data-mid="100262535" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/256/i/de10a977f4aa597a58bb837da0276339cf754f470bbbc7cbfe4f0a9e1e7fa09b/Schermata-2021-02-26-alle-10.53.24.png" /> <img width="298" height="386" width_o="298" height_o="386" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a310c70fc6d6e46b0fe0d3377f49bf80ac5216e20f4564f55e90121c6388f38a/Salinger.png" data-mid="100262534" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/298/i/a310c70fc6d6e46b0fe0d3377f49bf80ac5216e20f4564f55e90121c6388f38a/Salinger.png" /> My Memoji of JD Salinger listening to the first page of The Catcher in the Rye, 5. Once you have created all of your Memoji’s, use the face recognition function on your phone to activate your avatars with actual sound. This sound can be your voice saying or singing the words from that person that you carry with you (see my mom and dad below), or you can find a an audio clip of your chosen person and then just mouth the words so that you’re controlling the Memoji like a puppet. 6. Once you have created all your Memojis and infused them with the “voice” from your memory, email only your Memojis with a list of their names to “Designing the Pluriversity”.Here are my examples: Morrissey, George Lucas, John Cage, Jesus, Yoko Ono, the Edge, Bono, my mom, my dad, and JD Salinger. BIO: Jorge Lucero is an artist born, raised and educated in Chicago. He currently serves as Chair and Associate Professor of Art Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Lucero's books include Mere and Easy: Collage as a Critical Practice in Pedagogy, Teacher as Artist-in-Residence: The Most Radical Form of Expression to Ever Exist, and the forthcoming What Happens at the Intersection of Conceptual Art and Teaching?. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters in books. Lucero has exhibited, performed, and taught all over the U.S. and abroad. He received his degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Penn State University. He is co-editor of the international journal Visual Arts Research and sits on the editorial boards for the Journal of Social Theory and Art Education, the Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education, and the Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Responses:Gabriela M. G. M. Sadie Garcia-Blanks Nikolas M. Noah T. Gillian F. Chloe Roman Morgann Hopson Anonymous Anonymous Maurice T. Devon M. Tamara S. Menna A. Aaron B. https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/3-Linda-Knight Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:53:51 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/3-Linda-Knight Provocation 3:&nbsp; Linda Knight︎ Visit Linda’s&nbsp;website ︎ Inefficient Mapping IG︎ Guerrilla Knowledge Unit&nbsp;website <img width="970" height="1280" width_o="970" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5c0c518f55465a552e5571174aa8b84255a924e8b3e2ddba93d1d1ee6c65c2e7/Linda-Knight_BW.jpg" data-mid="97010833" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/970/i/5c0c518f55465a552e5571174aa8b84255a924e8b3e2ddba93d1d1ee6c65c2e7/Linda-Knight_BW.jpg" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eb491b36eedbdbdb8d2fe5d29fb975b58ae2c096973c26e4303f11eeaee9fde8/PROVO3_2.png" data-mid="102077575" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/eb491b36eedbdbdb8d2fe5d29fb975b58ae2c096973c26e4303f11eeaee9fde8/PROVO3_2.png" /> Provocation 3: Inefficient MappingIsabelle Stengers describes cosmopolitics as the intention “to slow down the construction of this common world, to create a space for hesitation regarding what it means to say ‘good’ ...[Cosmopolitics] does not lead to answers everyone should finally accept” (2005, pp. 995-996). How are you being-in the pandemic? How is your being-in the pandemic a particular situation and situating? And how does that particularity of situation/situating create a cosmopolitics of a pandemic that is complex and different for everyone? This provocation asks you to watch this video, and then to inefficiently map your situation and situating of being-in the pandemic. The collection will offer a cartography of the pandemic through its disruptions and continual challenges. Stengers, I. (2005) The cosmopolitical proposal. In B. Latour &amp; P. Weibel (Eds.), Making Things Public: Atmospheres of Democracy.&nbsp;Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. <img width="1526" height="1218" width_o="1526" height_o="1218" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c32101f735cca6a78e9868bb311a8c300f72d518c07c0ab51b980b547e86212a/Schermata-2021-03-15-alle-07.03.18.png" data-mid="102077426" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c32101f735cca6a78e9868bb311a8c300f72d518c07c0ab51b980b547e86212a/Schermata-2021-03-15-alle-07.03.18.png" /> BIO: Linda Knight is an artist and academic who specialises in critical and speculative arts practices and methods. Linda devised ‘Inefficient Mapping’ as a methodological protocol for conducting fieldwork in projects informed by ‘post-‘ theories. In her role as Associate Professor at RMIT University, Australia Linda creates transdisciplinary projects across early childhood, creative practice, and digital media. Together with Jacina Leong, Linda is a founding member of the Guerrilla Knowledge Unit, an artist collective that curates interface jamming performances between the public and AI technologies. Linda has exhibited digitally and physically in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, NZ, and South America and has been awarded arts research grants and prizes with international reach and impact, most recently this includes an Australian Research Council Discovery project that designs novel technologies for framing and enabling young children’s active play. Responses: Aidan B. <img width="1538" height="1144" width_o="1538" height_o="1144" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/475f94ae69c5708ef7d9e708efdf81076199bf8c073dbe0d2f876478754da1f7/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.44.37.png" data-mid="107768957" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/475f94ae69c5708ef7d9e708efdf81076199bf8c073dbe0d2f876478754da1f7/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.44.37.png" />Eye of The Storm: an Observation of Movement from Isolation I chose to base my project off the work of Linda Knight,and create inefficient maps of the places I’ve spent a significant amount of time in over the course of the pandemic. After finishing the sporadic sketches and observing the lot of them layered over each other, I noticed that even in crisis, with social distancing and the litany of other COVID restrictions, there is still an incredible amount of movement and interaction in the spaces around us. When I was outside (distanced by myself of course) or at home with my family, activity was more obvious. I marked any person I saw where I saw them, and even drew out sounds from people whether it be talking or footsteps along the ground. However even when I was by myself in either of the bedrooms I’ve been switching between since August, there was so much to take in that I’d never thought to acknowledge before. I found myself visualizing and drawing the relationships between light and shadow, drawing the glow of my computer, and even the sounds I heard from my various appliances or from right outside the door. Gabriel S. <img width="1148" height="1520" width_o="1148" height_o="1520" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/30203547f328c607de560356b4714cb42c7991337fdd6af98fe92e4fae6c8b23/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.46.52.png" data-mid="107769021" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/30203547f328c607de560356b4714cb42c7991337fdd6af98fe92e4fae6c8b23/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.46.52.png" /> Leah S. The pandemic has affected me and my living situation in many different ways over the past year. I’ve had to move three times from one home to another, and now my home is a sacred place that I take sanctuary in. I’ve become accustomed to being at home nearly all the time and I try to make the best of it. Using a charcoal pencil, I decided to map out my small apartment, as I go through each room: coming through the front door, going into the kitchen,visiting the restroom, and finally settling into my bedroom. This represents how far I’ve come toget here and how special it is to have a place to call my own. I made three maps, changing up the steps as they happen in my daily routine, and I will layer them over each other. <img width="1114" height="1502" width_o="1114" height_o="1502" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f8586cae1d1b374d795d45c5e67bd0c2c771bc5587f309d8578385aaf7fb5261/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.48.51.png" data-mid="107769067" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f8586cae1d1b374d795d45c5e67bd0c2c771bc5587f309d8578385aaf7fb5261/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.48.51.png" />Chloe J. <img width="922" height="698" width_o="922" height_o="698" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f370593f6865b3900afc7ee9e252107376acbbe8ae155f60203b43616a34a563/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.50.09.png" data-mid="107769160" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/922/i/f370593f6865b3900afc7ee9e252107376acbbe8ae155f60203b43616a34a563/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.50.09.png" /> Julien P. I knew almost as soon as I saw it that I wanted to respond to this provocation, but I did a littlemore research just to be sure.I went to Linda Kight’s website to find more informationand then looked further into google. Ifound a video where she explains her process and themeaning behind the inefficient mapshowcased on the pluralversity website.From that video I got a pretty good idea of how togo about creating an inefficient map.Then I pulled out a pen and some paper, closed myeyes and began to walk through thepandemic.I went through everything I remember, every feelingand day, and when I saw edges in theimages of my mind. I drew. My hand and mind’s eyeworked as one to create a map of the lastyear!Also I realized later that there was a linked video(somewhat hidden) on the site but I had foundthe same video by luck so it’s okay! <img width="822" height="1096" width_o="822" height_o="1096" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7629dd570573c2c951ddd39799fad05e42e5c2536aef3b965a957892ad797b3f/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.51.43.png" data-mid="107769264" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/822/i/7629dd570573c2c951ddd39799fad05e42e5c2536aef3b965a957892ad797b3f/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.51.43.png" /> Alyana Jauregui I decided to map out how my feelings/emotions progressively got worse throughout the pandemic as either more or less events started to happen, each flower represents either a day or even a week depending on many marks are mapped out on the flower as well as representing how the deep the events affects myself as a human being. <img width="924" height="1152" width_o="924" height_o="1152" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6014228dbc1b9525ca7ef8916352dc1f86bbdab15c85342cebc26a2a1af16d7e/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.53.30.png" data-mid="107769426" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/924/i/6014228dbc1b9525ca7ef8916352dc1f86bbdab15c85342cebc26a2a1af16d7e/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.53.30.png" /> Sadie Garcia-Blanks <img width="1384" height="868" width_o="1384" height_o="868" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/01bfda26de4d405a26a15366cfae3e62c3f943fae490a7197cc17433e9fe50d2/Schermata-2021-04-29-alle-15.57.29.png" data-mid="107387557" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/01bfda26de4d405a26a15366cfae3e62c3f943fae490a7197cc17433e9fe50d2/Schermata-2021-04-29-alle-15.57.29.png" />Mapping the Mind: the tangible edges of anxiety and joyJean Howard “Missing Reminders And Replacing Trails” This Pandemic has tried everyone but I really felt it all come to a boil for me when my good friend from high school disappeared in 2021. I was already wearing thin from the deaths of the virus growing each day but when Khay disappeared I slowly began to fall from my window of tolerance. Everything became agitating. First it was the false information circulating online. Questions of Khay’s morality came into question, blurring help and lonely strangers’ theories together making it impossible to stay updated without becoming enraged by the thoughtless ness of commenters. I did a bit of digging recently on it and found that not only were his missing poster being taken down by unknown parties but the SARS search was severely ill managed. This has left his loved ones turning to the internet. I’ve seen some blogs talk on the strangeness of it all. But what bothered me the most in my search was the review section for the trail my buddy took that day, Weavers Needle. The most recent comment aside from the ones from Khay’s family begging to keep the posters up and to stay vigilant for any signs of him was a comment saying “Beautiful trail, not marked well at all.” It all feels like too much to look at, the trail people are assuming he took before he vanished, the missing signs of a photo he’d hate to have shared around as much as it has, and images of the landscape that surrounded him that day.&nbsp; This visual is the chaos surrounding the case, the loss his loved ones feel as we get closer to a year of now new information. This map is the ambiguous loss. <img width="732" height="512" width_o="732" height_o="512" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/48c9bd5dbac00caaf22cf3d7a0a1c73ad51e8932845908788dfd48899803a345/Prov3JeanHoward.jpg" data-mid="113761673" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/732/i/48c9bd5dbac00caaf22cf3d7a0a1c73ad51e8932845908788dfd48899803a345/Prov3JeanHoward.jpg" />Adnan T. My pandemic experience is not regular and linear. I divided six main terms of my experience. In the beginning, everything was normal to me. I believe that it is a “temporary” situation. After I lost my friends, family members, and relatives, the reality of the pandemic has changed for me. My travel plans, field research, and educational activities were suspended. My life was changed without my will. Pandemic was not only a type of health problem for me; it was a type of secret power. The lines represent my feelings, not how the pandemic changed my life. I noted the important days that have happened since March 2020. I started to draw, and I changed lines based on my feelings on each date. It is a map, but at a point, it looks like the EKG of my heart, and each change represents a heart attack in my pandemic experience. &nbsp; <img width="1314" height="1758" width_o="1314" height_o="1758" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0715533907e3da11bed58b6121701a9b261df10d2834a943ede8afe9fe704f23/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-09.54.40.png" data-mid="119789455" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0715533907e3da11bed58b6121701a9b261df10d2834a943ede8afe9fe704f23/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-09.54.40.png" /> Harrison M.I want to showcase my timeline through, over a year now, how the pandemic has gone for me. My life has felt a little fuzzy since the start, so I wanted to use a background that reflected this. Using digital art, my mouse, and a blind eye I traced out from start to new beginning, where my life has gone. I have not personally experienced the loss of a loved one, I’m greatly thankful for this. Though, it was a time of rapid change for me. My job had me bouncing all over the city. I was locked down with my roommates, and made some wonderful memories. I worked through the entirety of the pandemic face to face with my neighboring people, in partial fear and uncertainty. I went through the biggest revision of my life since living away from family. A breakup that changed my life entirely. I found new work, new friends. I found a new community and family. The pandemic has been a time where I’ve been fearful, cautious, anxious, and frustrated. It has also been a time of love, understanding, rejoicing, and new journey’s. I show the highs, and lows in this picture. Closing my eyes for each movement. The colors depict moods during these different points in my emotional rollercoaster. Through the time I’ve lived in this world altering pandemic. <img width="592" height="396" width_o="592" height_o="396" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a90c1282aeb248916dfba9c207fc023589453da20819c564fdffac9e60951aee/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.18.47.png" data-mid="126329556" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/592/i/a90c1282aeb248916dfba9c207fc023589453da20819c564fdffac9e60951aee/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.18.47.png" /> Angelica G. This was a response to Linda Knight, inefficient mapping. I was super interested in this provocation from the moment I read the first couple of instructions. Instead of reading the rest of the provocations I immediately started working on this one. This photo that was drawn was about my journey through the pandemic. I wanted to map out the emotions I was feeling on paper and so I did. I closed my eyes and begin mapping out what I felt at the beginning of the pandemic with a pencil. Those thin pencil lines were filled with confusion and eventually, I opened my eyes and saw the confusion I was first experiencing. Then I proceed with the mapping with a thick permanent marker. This was the anger and sadness I was mapping out. I had lost my grandmother during the beginning months of the pandemic and I was so saddened and angry by the loss. I began to draw my frustration of being in the pandemic during such a hard time and not getting to see other people made it even harder. My grandmother’s funeral was very small because of the high cases of COVID-19 and it was super upsetting not getting to celebrate my grandmother like she had wanted us to. The meaning of the thin pencil lines that represent my confusion can be a symbol because pencil lines are easily erased after one gains knowledge they are no longer confused. The permanent marker lines signify the depth of my loss and how it will always be permanent. The sadness and frustration that still remain to this day and how it’s something I will continue to carry for the rest of my life. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4b7f41ba2b6b8670fae6db011a7e6049f1939f157a8905490aff3b1de0c67a05/Provocation-3.jpg" data-mid="126332907" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4b7f41ba2b6b8670fae6db011a7e6049f1939f157a8905490aff3b1de0c67a05/Provocation-3.jpg" /> Veyda T.-B. How am I being-in the pandemic? I am disabled. I am chronically ill. I am immunocompromised. And much of humanity and the world does not care while it spins and spins and various strains of Covid-19 continue to circulate. My being-in the pandemic has been a stagnant waiting game, full of frustration. My particular situating has mostly been quarantined and following heavy precautions. I moved back to my parents house in the middle of a college semester and took a leave off of school on my doctor’s orders and have remained nearly as vigilant as that since March 2020. It is currently December 2021 as I write this. 629 days of waiting for the world to listen. During my situating in the beginning, I was not so angry and frustrated as I was sad and annoyed that a pandemic was going to take over my early twenties. There were mask mandates, people were talking about the creation of a vaccine, and they were listening to the truths and science and following safety protocols to protect themselves and others. There was some hope that everything would be under control within the year, and maybe even I could start participating in the world again. As time went on however, the following of safety precautions by most people declined in the face of denial and a selfish desire for normalcy. I call this selfish, but it is completely valid and understandable to crave to go back to the way things were; I do too. While it is normal to wish for this, actually being able to do so comes from a place of privilege and it is ignorant to those around you. I personally think this should be acknowledged more because there are so many at risk- those who cannot get vaccinated, those with suppressed immune systems, the young and the elderly, and many more. Even the vaccinated can continue to spread the disease, and it is less effective or ineffective on some variants. This is why it is a problem that most vaccinated and unvaccinated people stopped wearing masks. Covid itself is perpetuated through this, and it is why we are experiencing so many variants. It is precisely why my life is still on pause, and I am fully trapped. Despite my bitterness, people themselves are not really fully to blame. They are living through a traumatic situation and coping the best they can, and the government itself (who should be modelling how to handle the situation) has removed mandates and requirements. This unsafe practice neglects marginalized peoples, (not a new occurrence in our history) and is one of the major reasons Covid is still as present and the reason people are no longer taking it as seriously. This context lends itself to the particularity of situations that Knight mentions, the many different ways people are experiencing the pandemic. The particularity of my situation is more severe then the majority of people in this time, but the overall situating definitely creates a specific cosmopolitics of the pandemic. It is complex and different for everyone, as is demonstrated by my story. The world literally had to slow down, shut down, and stop for a while there. Everyone was hesitant and did not know where this situation would lead. The lines between good and bad did in fact blur, and centered around an individual's experiences. This is demonstrated in my frustration at people for not wearing masks or being careful, while they believe they are fine and vaccinated. Realistically, they are fine, they are fairly protected from Covid, and my frustration comes from my own experiences, beliefs, and situations. No one is explicitly at fault or a bad person for how they are handling the pandemic, even if it is detrimental to my own wellbeing. There are no clear answers, no one predicted or has a how-to on getting through a pandemic. The average person is doing what they have to in order to get through it and continue living their life. Not everyone can accept or find a single answer to the pandemic, it is unmapped, and not everyone accepts the different ways one may handle it. These differences are exactly what create a cosmopolitics of the pandemic. My personal bias is major in my response, although I feel it is justified, as everyone else’s actions and opinions directly impact my quality of life and literal wellbeing. To finalize the last component of the provocation, I have inefficiently mapped my situation and the situating of my being-in the pandemic. The protocols I followed included mapping my general experience first, and then some of my more personal experience. The general experience was mapped in pencil, detailing unseen challenges and physical things that happened in the world. I decided to overlay a few maps pertaining the situation of the pandemic, and my being-in it. The cool colors were used to map the ideas I was sad about or that depressed me, while the warm colors mapped the moments and ideas I was angry, annoyed, or otherwise fired up during. <img width="1492" height="1142" width_o="1492" height_o="1142" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f9ae2f1a1f2cf47195ebd0cc09ccfb31e2bb6aaa93c5e7c5415f823b86b50eb7/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-11.41.48.png" data-mid="127691756" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f9ae2f1a1f2cf47195ebd0cc09ccfb31e2bb6aaa93c5e7c5415f823b86b50eb7/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-11.41.48.png" /> Hannah W. <img width="894" height="746" width_o="894" height_o="746" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/812d0a37ea612da0bd0f9d169b577ea1273e295efbfa0119e20fd3017f68c4d3/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.04.56.png" data-mid="127703683" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/894/i/812d0a37ea612da0bd0f9d169b577ea1273e295efbfa0119e20fd3017f68c4d3/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.04.56.png" />The biggest roadblock that I experienced throughout the pandemic was confusion, loss, and the insecurity that came with those. The first real, hard-hitting emotion I felt during the pandemic was when I found out I wouldn’t be able to run track that year. Looking back, it was a relatively insignificant loss, but it still mattered to me in the moment. This piece attempts to show that experience and the continued losses that would follow. The first “racetrack” I attempted was messy, but at least resembled something familiar; it wasn’t perfect, but it was sufficient. The next one was drawn in red, with my eyes close. I didn’t know where my pen was, nor did I know how much I needed to move my hand to make everything the right size. The finish line, that sense of accomplishment, was also greatly skewed from where it was expected to be. I also attempted to show where the two tracks intertwined: where I had at least gotten something somewhat right. I then ran around my room, did some jumping jacks, push-ups, and burpees to get my heart rate going. And then I tried to do the same thing with a pencil. With my eyes still closed, I could not make a proper track. So, I would erase it and try again. I never really got anywhere on the racetrack. All that ever happened was the finish line kind of shifted away and I never really figured out how to do it all right. This, of course, applied to my map, my track career, and my life after the pandemic. Bryan C.L. <img width="690" height="520" width_o="690" height_o="520" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1441a15ddbe88467049a6633f715efbbea2c75f1d675e75655d4b14364bb41fa/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.09.07.png" data-mid="127703850" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/690/i/1441a15ddbe88467049a6633f715efbbea2c75f1d675e75655d4b14364bb41fa/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.09.07.png" /> The pandemic has been a little difficult in the start because it forced me adapt to this new lifestyle, where for school, I would sit in my computer, when I wanted to socialize with my friends, I would play games with them on the computer, and when I was looking for entertainment, I would still be at my computer. It was an endless cycle that I was slowly getting used to until one day I thought to myself, “is this really my life now?” After watching the video, I used paper and pencil to draw out a distorted version of me sitting at my desk, with my bed on the left and the rest of my desk on the right. This cycle of being on the computer all day and going to my bed to sleep at night made it feel as I was enclosed in this small corner. Karenna M. <img width="1704" height="1316" width_o="1704" height_o="1316" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/18aefa8a620c9448c76b4e83a14960248e9f73c4017404761b0227bd1a9fd161/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-14.55.49.png" data-mid="141885730" border="0" data-scale="92" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/18aefa8a620c9448c76b4e83a14960248e9f73c4017404761b0227bd1a9fd161/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-14.55.49.png" /> Anonymous <img width="1260" height="936" width_o="1260" height_o="936" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eee3966fc107dfcdbc5ee76b6acef46c360bf9c13005d85ab0854ca2c057e3be/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.05.29.png" data-mid="141886028" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eee3966fc107dfcdbc5ee76b6acef46c360bf9c13005d85ab0854ca2c057e3be/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.05.29.png" /> Anonymous I chose the colors of the markers to represent different emotions I felt throughout the pandemic. Red represents fear. I felt it a few times throughout the pandemic, as I was afraid of getting sick. Though there aren't many lines of red on my map, the intensity of the red illustrates how strong the fear was. When I did feel fear of getting sick, it was intense. The pandemic and my anxiety did not mix well, and though it didn’t happen too often, when I did have panic attacks about getting sick, they were severe. The blue represents the times I felt depressed throughout the pandemic. It’s scattered throughout the map, which shows how I felt depressed a bit throughout the pandemic, but then there’s a point where it’s concentrated. There was a time during the pandemic where I got very depressed, and that’s as much as I would like to share about it. The black represents grief. I wish it was darker but unfortunately my marker wasn’t working well. During the pandemic I lost my grandmother. This destroyed me immensely. It had a major influence on my ability to function for months after it. I was deeply saddened and upset, I was extremely close to her. There’s just too many emotions behind it to be unpacked so I’ll just leave it at that. The greenish color represents the happiness I felt throughout the pandemic. I didn’t expect the color to come out so faintly, I had never used this marker before. But I think that it worked out well, because the moments of happiness throughout I had were small and faint, they didn’t last long. The bigger scribble of green represents when I graduated high school. I was very happy for a while, but it didn’t last long. <img width="902" height="1304" width_o="902" height_o="1304" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4cb6de2f4ada6cf39988eaa765068fb45fe355cc37600c77c92ffd85404db4de/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.19.12.png" data-mid="141886542" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/902/i/4cb6de2f4ada6cf39988eaa765068fb45fe355cc37600c77c92ffd85404db4de/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.19.12.png" /> Matthew H.The pandemic has been difficult for many of us, confining our day to day to a smaller world. I have felt confined to my apartment, especially when the pandemic began. In my practice of inefficient mapping, I decided to create my paths in my apartment. In the way that I walked around, pacing, from bed to desk to kitchen to couch. To anyone else, without context, my map is a bunch of scribbles. To me it shows how I have spent my time in the past two years, how limited my movement has been, yet how much movement has occurred. In this provocation I was able to visualize movement, and know that even in confined space, so much life happens. We all have faced this new difficulty, the space we once occupied has shrunk down to something smaller than our usual. Yet we’ve had to live on, allowing ourselves to shrink&nbsp;and fit our new space. <img width="2736" height="1732" width_o="2736" height_o="1732" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a9906db2331f20fa9ff2bf3f29a8380e705b49b946a60f1e9e9c7dfae46756b9/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.49.46.png" data-mid="141888448" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a9906db2331f20fa9ff2bf3f29a8380e705b49b946a60f1e9e9c7dfae46756b9/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.49.46.png" /> Jackson H. <img width="2494" height="1742" width_o="2494" height_o="1742" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f4b2a78a725a4d77cecfc11fea1b1d2411d629abf7f792c774b938a10a49810d/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.51.22.png" data-mid="141888491" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f4b2a78a725a4d77cecfc11fea1b1d2411d629abf7f792c774b938a10a49810d/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.51.22.png" /> Jackson W. <img width="516" height="690" width_o="516" height_o="690" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7505c89640d5acb2da8bade8596a795efe53d97c4e12010f3c1cc4ba831d82f5/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.51.56.png" data-mid="141888557" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/516/i/7505c89640d5acb2da8bade8596a795efe53d97c4e12010f3c1cc4ba831d82f5/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.51.56.png" /> Zihui Y.At the beginning of the epidemic, I didn't realize its severity and scope of transmission. I think it's like an ordinary epidemic. When I really realized the danger, I was forced to gap the whole semester because I couldn't return to school in the spring of 2020. China's control over the epidemic is quite strict. My family and I were asked not to go out. At first, my mood was very stable, just like in the painting, my pen was very light and almost invisible. However, as I couldn't contact the outside for a long time, I gradually became irritable and couldn't accept that I could only carry out the same activities at home every day, that is, the brush gradually became messy at home, just like my inner activities and anxiety at that time. Although I'm a fan of computer games, after that time, I didn't want to sit in front of the computer for a long time to play the games I've always loved. &nbsp; <img width="553" height="415" width_o="553" height_o="415" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2285dc2640bb904cb5a6a15dcea4ebb8bb6c65e1e17052abbac6065c9e92bbd8/image.png" data-mid="143085646" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/553/i/2285dc2640bb904cb5a6a15dcea4ebb8bb6c65e1e17052abbac6065c9e92bbd8/image.png" /> Anonymous The pandemic has greatly impacted my way of thinking and living, and I attempted to depict the struggles I had faced visibly through Knight’s inefficient map art. The most difficult time I had was adjusting to in-person school to full online. During the peak of the pandemic, I had been a newly introduced college freshman. I had built up these huge expectations and anticipation towards University life to only have all those expectations and anticipations fall short after the pandemic. And now that I’ve become accustomed to online living and working, the sudden switch back to real life has impacted me even more greatly than before. I’ve found myself more stressed, more overwhelmed, etc. It all felt like so much all at once. In my visual art, I had attempted to visibly depict all the mental alteration and intensity of the pandemic’s influence on me and my life. <img width="1116" height="884" width_o="1116" height_o="884" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2b0a7c1144e4a33946f83cd0cf4c98ffb6ea32932e32bc3808c3fcb063f86e30/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.14.59.png" data-mid="143023344" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2b0a7c1144e4a33946f83cd0cf4c98ffb6ea32932e32bc3808c3fcb063f86e30/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.14.59.png" />Manan D. At the start of the pandemic our company opted for most employees to work remotely. It is almost 2 years now and I have really enjoyed it. It has been great not having to rush out the door and trying to beat the daily morning traffic to the office.&nbsp; My two dogs Jasper and Tommy enjoy going on a 2 mile walk in the mornings before I start work. Our neighborhood has a lot of bunnies whom I really enjoy observing. Jasper wants to play with them and Tommy would love to chase them. How different the two species are. One is agile and tiny and cute and our dogs; well, they think they own the road. Many of our neighbors also walk their dogs as early as 5:30 am. I felt like I missed all this if I had to go to work in person. I enjoy listening to music while working. This opportunity to work from home has made me realize how much I love being by myself. I am less distracted and get a lot more done within my 8 hours. I have fewer calls and less interruption. In January of 2022 we will be working at the office twice a week and three days from home. Initially, I wasn’t keen on returning to the office but as the time is nearing I am looking forward to interactions with my colleagues. It will certainly be an adjustment and more so for my dogs as they got used to being around me. I could be wrong though; maybe they will also enjoy the break from me and enjoy being home alone. All in all I realize that I had taken for granted the comforts of home and family and that it can be taken away from us in the spur of the moment. I am grateful I got to experience this time at home. The Pandemic has taught me to adapt to different situations at a moment’s notice. Life can be so unpredictable that at any time anything can change and you have to be able to adjust with the change. <img width="848" height="634" width_o="848" height_o="634" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/68c8bb084b9aef202822a9d5189240acfd4a789a0a1ab8c3f912f8fcb2787895/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.23.02.png" data-mid="143023760" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/848/i/68c8bb084b9aef202822a9d5189240acfd4a789a0a1ab8c3f912f8fcb2787895/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.23.02.png" /> Julian G.While being-in the pandemic, I can recall last year being isolated from home. This mapping expresses the chaotic thoughts that were going on around that time. While my daily routine started to deteriorate, time became non-existent and I left everything behind. Being trapped inside the house all day, trying to keep myself occupied. Although it was a dreadful feeling, it was also a learning experience of trying to adapt to this kind of situation. <img width="1480" height="1144" width_o="1480" height_o="1144" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/223949fd7f083e28215e815dde7e65cbdf8dafb05d448fa2902ef89f48b8b04c/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.26.47.png" data-mid="143023979" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/223949fd7f083e28215e815dde7e65cbdf8dafb05d448fa2902ef89f48b8b04c/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.26.47.png" /> Teanna O. The pandemic has allowed me to have more creative time and space for myself and has also allowed me to make different friends with many people online across the world. As an introvert, staying inside is the best possible situation. There are times when the pandemic does make me depressed but I am doing my best to get through it like everyone else. The different colors within the scribbles and lines reflect my mood throughout the pandemic. The red, yellow and green reflect my passion and energy to get things done. The blues represent my neutral and almost apathetic feelings. The purple and black represent the mess of my mind when I had bad days of no motivation or energy. <img width="1872" height="1396" width_o="1872" height_o="1396" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/67443c1cca95c4c10a2dd036c1c11fdddebf229d087a1351596f893e40771ada/Schermata-2022-05-19-alle-08.33.41.png" data-mid="143085719" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/67443c1cca95c4c10a2dd036c1c11fdddebf229d087a1351596f893e40771ada/Schermata-2022-05-19-alle-08.33.41.png" /> Lorie M. <img width="3936" height="2672" width_o="3936" height_o="2672" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6156949eb7eb46a0b7e3fbe9b7cc4530ab364b1f566617f5994b38f8c020a28/IMG_8764.jpg" data-mid="143026823" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b6156949eb7eb46a0b7e3fbe9b7cc4530ab364b1f566617f5994b38f8c020a28/IMG_8764.jpg" /> Gustavo AlegriaMy pandemic situation is full of unresolved emotional traumas. Anxiety, depression, avoidance, fawning, the list goes on and on. This inefficient map is the map-like representation of all of these unresolved issues arising, all at once, in the silence of exhausted quarantine conversations. &nbsp;Location: tiny California backyard, Characters: First calm, endearing, avoidant partner. Second, anxious, insecure roommate. Lastly, myself Anxious, traumatized, insecure and indecisive. Plot: A large percentage of the global population, has either died, is infected or is at risk for contracting deadly virus. Us three are safely quarantining in our sun kissed backyard, enjoying the sun and unfortunately, all of our insecurities. We project, deflect and gaslight each other till word vomit and mental grandes implode our thoughts, identities and values. <img width="2016" height="1356" width_o="2016" height_o="1356" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0268017b15473519529b7ad4e77c3127664221f3000990b95bdf28a05a10e2ca/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.06.55.png" data-mid="143027246" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0268017b15473519529b7ad4e77c3127664221f3000990b95bdf28a05a10e2ca/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.06.55.png" />Reagan S.The pandemic had a different effect on everyone initially. My experience is unfortunately something more permanent in my life. This assignment was very emotional for me because when I closed my eyes and started free drawing as I walked around the house where my family had to quarantine, I opened my eyes and saw sadness. With the curved round edges, they weren't sharp with emotion but they were soft with sadness. My dad got sick during covid and was in the hospital for 2 weeks. His body is forever changed and now he can’t breathe the same. You can see this sadness in my drawing. <img width="622" height="848" width_o="622" height_o="848" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0eb8a3b3aed4082117bdd62863f3424a83b5e6fce9d62f2afaee0f09fc78c93a/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.38.44.png" data-mid="162150906" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/622/i/0eb8a3b3aed4082117bdd62863f3424a83b5e6fce9d62f2afaee0f09fc78c93a/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.38.44.png" />Tina T. This pandemic has affected me mentally and physically. At the start, I thought it was going to be a temporary problem that we can all work together to fix, but this was clearly wrong; in fact, the pandemic was somehow used as a political tool to further polarize people. It shouldn’t have to be that way, and we should be able to feel comfortable to care for another without having to worry about politics, like how a mask might determine your political affiliation. However, as the pandemic turned from months into years, I found that my anxiety and loneliness had only gotten worse; thus, I decided to map out my growing anxiety, stress, and loneliness that I have had to endure from the start of the pandemic and till now. <img width="808" height="384" width_o="808" height_o="384" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/70a920cac108e4acdd029ac831965dc598463df7aaaf7b1c59e537ae254bad08/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.41.52.png" data-mid="162151079" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/808/i/70a920cac108e4acdd029ac831965dc598463df7aaaf7b1c59e537ae254bad08/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.41.52.png" /> https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/4-Tania-Willard Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:36:16 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/4-Tania-Willard Provocation 4:&nbsp; Tania Willard︎ Visit Tania’s&nbsp;website ︎ Native-Land website <img width="1000" height="1340" width_o="1000" height_o="1340" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e402e7f078fe9ecc37b8d9101a8526b1460adeec78a0bf75e1698f65b31680bf/Willard-bio.jpg" data-mid="98239379" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e402e7f078fe9ecc37b8d9101a8526b1460adeec78a0bf75e1698f65b31680bf/Willard-bio.jpg" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/25686bc92acdfbad80a50bcf8a661a31ac32e3a918cd76a0f43b0b10ab7d75be/Prov4_inside.png" data-mid="103278006" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/25686bc92acdfbad80a50bcf8a661a31ac32e3a918cd76a0f43b0b10ab7d75be/Prov4_inside.png" /> Provocation 4:&nbsp; A Five-Step Site/ation 1. Take the Day off. Take a day off, demand the right to just be. Cancel all zoom or online events. Give yourself permission. 2. Next go outside. Know whose Indigenous territory you are on this website. 3. What can you learn from the land today? How do you read the land? How can the knowledge in and of the land be cited? Write a site/ation of the knowledge you gained from the land today (cite me if you publish/ share it as well as the bushgallery art collective). See example below:<img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/52916563b25b174e1b4fbe4a3af625019075c287519343642a193de3e525ecf7/image0011.jpg" data-mid="103159018" border="0" data-scale="85" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/52916563b25b174e1b4fbe4a3af625019075c287519343642a193de3e525ecf7/image0011.jpg" /> Site/ation of Secwepemculecw, 2021, my home territory Deer hair, weathered cedar, birchbark, charcoal, bone, stones, paper, grass March weather as Spring approaches 4. Rest. 5. Once you have completed the above at some point in the near future please contribute to a cause, as a volunteer, through donating funds or attending a protest/signing petition/using your democratic rights. Activate, Amplify, Decolonize! Thank you for your participation. BIO: Tania Willard, Secwepemc Nation and settler heritage, works within the shifting ideas around contemporary and traditional, often working with bodies of knowledge and skills that are conceptually linked to her interest in intersections between Indigenous and other cultures. Willard’s curatorial work includes the touring exhibition, Beat Nation: Art Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture (2012-2014), co-curated with Kathleen Ritter. In 2016 Willard received the Award for Curatorial Excellence in Contemporary Art from the Hanatyshyn Foundation as well as a City of Vancouver Book Award for the catalogue for the exhibition Unceded Territories: Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. Willard’s artistic projects have been exhibited widely and collections of her work include the Vancouver Art Gallery, Kamloops Art Gallery, Burnaby Art Gallery and more. Her public Art projects include, Rule of the Trees, a public art project at Commercial Broadway sky train station, in Vancouver BC Canada and If the Drumming Stops, with artist Peter Morin and Cheryl L’Hirondelle, on the lands of the Papaschase First Nation in Edmonton, AB. Willard was awarded the VIVA art award for outstanding achievement and commitment in her art practice in 2020. Willard's ongoing collaborative project BUSH gallery, is a land-based gallery grounded in Indigenous knowledges. Willard is an Assistant Professor at UBC Okanagan in Syilx territories and her current research intersects with land-based art practices. Responses:Daniel H.C. <img width="1194" height="766" width_o="1194" height_o="766" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/efe6b51fb5bfa786980066311b868770e08ad5f29744e9027a7998aee5d83b68/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.55.32.png" data-mid="107769536" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/efe6b51fb5bfa786980066311b868770e08ad5f29744e9027a7998aee5d83b68/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.55.32.png" /> <img width="940" height="1528" width_o="940" height_o="1528" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d010ccc34c0697a7eaeaa81d80cd5c0c78a0f9605b20ffbfafc6db7513b31b26/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.55.25.png" data-mid="107769535" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/940/i/d010ccc34c0697a7eaeaa81d80cd5c0c78a0f9605b20ffbfafc6db7513b31b26/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.55.25.png" /> Nic O.Site-ation of Hohokam, 2021, My home:Net-leaf hackberry, Stag-horn cholla, Deserbloom. Cold morning air. It feels like one of last cool spring mornings before the summer heat of may.My Crossroads Altar.I can’t believe how much resistance my body felt to separating myself from my electronics. I feel like it was a withdrawal after the way that I have been tied to these electric rectangles. At first, the pangs were more apparent. It was most difficult to leave everything behind in the car and realize that I would absolutely be able to find my way back. I only meant to spend the morning on a nice long hike. I think that it’s so surprising to me that I have lived near these mountains for months and yet, this is the first time that I have allowed myself to rest and to truly enjoy the land that I have been living on. I took a moment to gather a few beautiful pieces of the nature around me and thank the ground for letting me live here. It’s so fascinating how often we take everything around us for granted. While I was up above the city, it really made me realize how small I truly am in this world sometimes. Up high in the clouds, its not easy to make out each distinguishable face on the streets down below. I could hardly see the cars. I am part of a single breath of time for this earth. This day away from the screen was so necessary, I did not realize how the day in the sun would so greatly influence a lighter mood. <img width="762" height="574" width_o="762" height_o="574" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/07e4b2c94e578ad44643cfa795b0a2f83370ac1c0c1f77d50993b62245433fce/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.57.30.png" data-mid="107769999" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/762/i/07e4b2c94e578ad44643cfa795b0a2f83370ac1c0c1f77d50993b62245433fce/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.57.30.png" /> <img width="680" height="732" width_o="680" height_o="732" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6d9bd85129c842865b186412ed8ddd440aa71f0ca4e51f36fe0480d9e4c922e1/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.57.24.png" data-mid="107769998" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/680/i/6d9bd85129c842865b186412ed8ddd440aa71f0ca4e51f36fe0480d9e4c922e1/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-11.57.24.png" /> Maximiliano D.&nbsp; Site/ations of Hohokam, 2021, Camelback Mountain. Bark, dried leaves, pine needles, flowers, pointy bush branch, three different kinds of rocks End of April beginning of Summer. <img width="614" height="746" width_o="614" height_o="746" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6cf40bdd4056fa358fb035f4b6f6ab9bdd77ebbb59d74fa032667d4a6725be61/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.00.02.png" data-mid="107770191" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/614/i/6cf40bdd4056fa358fb035f4b6f6ab9bdd77ebbb59d74fa032667d4a6725be61/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.00.02.png" /> Morganne Shelley <img width="1544" height="1428" width_o="1544" height_o="1428" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dd9f0c7dbf7ae4bdb682c3bf38a99c0265dbdba80eb5d0fe8080002fac061120/Schermata-2021-04-29-alle-16.08.28.png" data-mid="107387701" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dd9f0c7dbf7ae4bdb682c3bf38a99c0265dbdba80eb5d0fe8080002fac061120/Schermata-2021-04-29-alle-16.08.28.png" />Site/ation of Akimel Au-authm (“River People”) and Xalychidom Pipaash (“People who live toward the water”), 2021, Papago Park in the Sonoran Desert.Bowl, water, dried palm, collection of grass, wood, creosote bush, brittlebush, rocks, velvet mosquite flowers <img width="1554" height="1352" width_o="1554" height_o="1352" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1499daf0928a17cf25dca82300d32c1c295a91dec91688ae78e5e30a575c55cb/Schermata-2021-04-29-alle-16.08.22.png" data-mid="107387703" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1499daf0928a17cf25dca82300d32c1c295a91dec91688ae78e5e30a575c55cb/Schermata-2021-04-29-alle-16.08.22.png" />Site/ation of Akimel Au-authm (“River People”) and Xalychidom Pipaash (“People who live toward the water”), 2021, Sonoran Desert in Phoenix, Arizona.Bowl, water, dried palm, collection of grass, wood, creosote bush, brittlebush, rocks, velvet mosquite leaves and flowers. Douglas Baily 1. An Dusky Dancer (Damselfly) 2. Cotton wood leaf 3. Eucalyptus bark 4. The Gila river 5. Rocks Arizona willow <img width="954" height="954" width_o="954" height_o="954" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2e99bc4c3375f9f5fefa19ae2275f0ed939bb14453a9439ba4ce2a9d6c42406d/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.01.29.png" data-mid="107770247" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/954/i/2e99bc4c3375f9f5fefa19ae2275f0ed939bb14453a9439ba4ce2a9d6c42406d/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.01.29.png" />Jasmine R.-S.This land was once owned by the Akimel O’otham, alsoknown as the Pima. In 1848,gold was discovered in California and many travelersused Southern Arizona as a route to theirtreasures. Many travelers came across the Akimel O’othamtribe, and the tribe gave refuge,water, and food to those damaged from battles betweenthe Apache and Yuma tribes that livedaround their land. The tribe was also taken advantageof and had their water supply, the GilaRiver, was cut off in the 1870s and 80s. The governmenttried to help by providing foods thatwere processed, but ultimately ruined the health ofthe tribe. They proved to be resourceful andstrong, and the creation of the Coolridge Dam andSan Carlos reservoir helped bring theirfarming practices back to life. The tribe has beenshown to be a peaceful and caring tribe anddeeply care about their community. Many of the AkimelO’otham ancestors that live today nowreside in the Gila River Indian Community reservation.Unfortunately, the land that I reside on that wasonce theirs now houses ugly andexpensive apartments that are littered with cigarettebutts and glass. Although the area is not aswell kept as it may have once been, I plan to cherishthis land for what it is and thank whoevermay be listening for allowing me to reside here. Myhope is to visit the community during thesummer and learn more about their history and experiencethe land that they reside on. Ifpossible, I also plan to donate or purchase from thenatives so the community can continue toflourish. <img width="692" height="1110" width_o="692" height_o="1110" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1286c5597f67bc3b6a93f038fcffc5a770fc8c44565177c32291ff8bf4ac305/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.04.31.png" data-mid="107770686" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/692/i/a1286c5597f67bc3b6a93f038fcffc5a770fc8c44565177c32291ff8bf4ac305/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.04.31.png" /> Rawan N.I chose this provocation because I like to explore the natural features in every place I go to, as a mean of adventure. So, I took a day off, went to Papago park in Phoenix, Arizona. I found this very nice combination of natural features, rocks of all sizes, sticks, plants, flowers, and tree bark along with non-natural things like plastic band, glass, and a piece of confetti. While I was taking the picture, my 4-year-old stumbled, and a small rock jumped into the paper as if it wanted to join the picture and make a statement of “little late and maybe pushed, but I am here”! and looking at the spot that little rock chose, it seems like it wanted to be far away from its kind and maybe a little closer to the non-natural features! Or maybe be it did not jump high enough to make it to the other side of the paper. Although I tried my best to collect different elements, on my way to my car I remembered that I did not include sand and gravel in my composition. The sound of gravel made by my shoes actually reminded me of that. Then as I was walking, I saw these amazing elements combination that did not need a paper;&nbsp;a compositing of land (earth and plants), water, air, and a beautiful gradient cloudy/clear sky. I can say that I am now more aware of the elements of my surroundings. I never paid this much attention tonature details. I believe that this experience motivates me to look into the bigger picture, but not to ignore the details at the same time. I can see how all these elements unites together to create what we call territory. It is where we come from, and how our interests, passion, and values are shaped by. <img width="1022" height="1356" width_o="1022" height_o="1356" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0d102729cf1a347992e0c29fa5ac1ad17a89dc04f1147eefcbe8a9e4c695caac/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-09.58.56.png" data-mid="119790852" border="0" data-scale="62" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0d102729cf1a347992e0c29fa5ac1ad17a89dc04f1147eefcbe8a9e4c695caac/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-09.58.56.png" /> <img width="822" height="1096" width_o="822" height_o="1096" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2cf480a397166a13a399bcd7a15bec4425bb77266aacf5da8e74a936dd40c225/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-09.57.52.png" data-mid="119790851" border="0" data-scale="62" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/822/i/2cf480a397166a13a399bcd7a15bec4425bb77266aacf5da8e74a936dd40c225/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-09.57.52.png" /> Cedar F. How many hundreds of years old is Philadelphia (Lenni-Lepane land)? How many scraps of life can be sewn back together from uncovering the rubble? I am already resting – I received surgery last week and took 2 weeks off work to heal. Acknowledging the beauty of nature in a concrete jungle feels like an oxymoron, but I shuffle my way outside to complete the task. I keep my circle small – a radius confined by the fences in my overgrown 8x8 backyard. I find a couple of rocks, and pocket them. I find an abundance ofdead vegetation. I pick a struggling flower off a stubborn vine and end its quick life quicker. A pumpkin, a surprising detection, in its prime in late November. A piece of fallen bark, moss growing over it like a hug. My reconnaissance grows morbid as I step over a mess of small bird’s feathers – from what species, I could not tell. I follow the breadcrumbs and find skeletons, of multiple animals, hiding by the stump of the maple that they cut down last year for being a “hazard when it storms”. I clean the jawbones in a bubble bath of hydrogen peroxide, and set them in the museum of my morning, with the rest of my stolen goods. As I collect these items and squirrel them away inside my home, I realize I am practicing hereditary behaviors – I follow in the footsteps of my white ancestors who took without thinking of the consequences. This collection could be used for food, or, once decomposed, fertile soil for the life of next spring. These items tell me how a city holds many lives, and those lives hold many secrets – did a former tenant of my unit plant a pumpkin and wait for it to grow? Who – or what – chipped the bark off of the tree, if it wasn’t a collaboration between wind and time? How did the bird get its feathers plucked – was it the same perpetrator who’s amassing small bodies of rodents behind the tree stump? This provocation gave birth to more questions than answers, but I know that was the point. I come inside to my warm house and sit down, pensive. I’m unable to do community building as I’m house confined due to my surgery currently but I donated to the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, for recompense. I also moved the dead vegetation out of my backyard, and swept the dirt from the stone ground. <img width="898" height="674" width_o="898" height_o="674" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/26701b2a401cfc791bfb00ae051012b1f47f2b1aa113dd06b4a6aa0cf5d5404a/Schermata-2021-11-29-alle-14.52.16.png" data-mid="125973691" border="0" data-scale="92" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/898/i/26701b2a401cfc791bfb00ae051012b1f47f2b1aa113dd06b4a6aa0cf5d5404a/Schermata-2021-11-29-alle-14.52.16.png" /> Hermance L. Fall, 2021. Site-Actions O’odham Jewed, Hohokam, and Akimel O’odham (Upper Pima). A nearby park I have wanted to visit for three months, I have never taken the time to go. During my visit, I took the time to learn about the trees around me. I did not grow up in Arizona, but I have lived here for half of my life, and I don’t think I can name a single plant other than the Saguaro Cactus. In trying to find a single name for a tree, I have found countless sources explaining how to identify trees, specific to Arizona. I have learned that most trees in the park I visited were not Native to Arizona. I didn’t just focus on trees, I focused on the biodiversity around me. I followed an ant, that led me to a feather moving in the wind, that led my eyes to fallen pollen, and so forth. I let the energies I felt flow through me, letting my curiosity wander, arriving at observations I didn’t think I would see. Yes I saw the ducks. But I also saw their ripples from their movements interacting with the other ripples from the other ducks. I saw the bugs on the surface of the water, being very careful to not break the surface. My site/action account below incorporates everything I learned from today. In summation, the land reminded me how interconnected everything is. <img width="934" height="622" width_o="934" height_o="622" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d9a5cf5a8a1cce4d8405f5348c62f0f6e55ef54a86749e79d562d7e23c90591c/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.44.43.png" data-mid="126331924" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/934/i/d9a5cf5a8a1cce4d8405f5348c62f0f6e55ef54a86749e79d562d7e23c90591c/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.44.43.png" /> Timothy H.Site-ation of a Yankton territory. The traversing of my neighborhood is a common theme in my family. We frequently walk aimlessly to take in natural life and breath freely. A life without wires, electricity, or expectation. The venture out on my ‘day-off’ was enjoyed with my boys. A 2-year-old who picks up every rock he finds, and a 4-year-old that runs through nature fantasizing about fighting off evil spirits. Leaving the modern life behind, we took in the life lost to tar and lumber. Basking in the rays of a distant form, we felt the spirits of past lifeforms blowing on our faces. Of past beast stampeding away from a charging predator, only out to fulfill a life sustaining hunger. “This land was once completely free of housing, streets, and business” I tell the boys. The older being fascinated with a bow-and-arrow toy he once played with at a friend’s house, I demonstrated how the tool was used long before gunpowder. His imagination shifted into overdrive as he began hunting for bison in the field we explored.As we explored, I taught the boys what we could learn from the land. How the trees have moved to be closer to the water and away from the wide-open plots of land. Of how the water that fell on our coats would soak into the ground and find friends, a lake nearby. We felt the change of season approaching and loved every minute of it. We enjoyed the way land and water comforted us. Gave us shade from the drops falling onto us, thrill as we watched the rocks skip across the lake, and joy as we laughed and played running about.Fallen Ash tree branch – hay bale twin – maǧá feather – bark (4yo) – pebble (2yo) <img width="975" height="463" width_o="975" height_o="463" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3685e811b10fe88da7c90e8201804e9d66a90913b58465668da009b65559f27d/site-ation1.jpg" data-mid="126332443" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/975/i/3685e811b10fe88da7c90e8201804e9d66a90913b58465668da009b65559f27d/site-ation1.jpg" /> Miriam B. O’odham Jewed, Hohokam, and Aikmel O’odham (Upper Pima) Site/ation, 2021, El Mirage, Arizona Palo Verde Branch, Pinecone, Bottle cap, Rocks, Stick, Lemon leaves, Lego, Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers, paper, pavement November autumn weather As I walk around my neighborhood, I can feel the warmth of the November mid-day sun. The breeze has a coolness that signifies the coming of cooler weather. I hear the leaves rustle as the gentle breeze blows, but it is interrupted by the sound of a car driving by. I am reminded that nature is disturbed by our modern modes of convenience. This walk is allowing me to appreciate minute details that get overlooked in the daily routine like the bees humming busily as the last warm days permit. My five-year-old son, whom I’ve brought along on this walk, presents me with his own collection; a lego piece, a pinecone, and some rocks. Without knowing, he is helping by doing his own site/ation. As I approach the lemon tree on our way back home, we are greeted by a hummingbird and I take it as a sign to include some leaves from the tree. I feel that by taking a moment to acknowledge our surroundings and our place in nature it can help guide us by uncovering what truly matters to us. <img width="928" height="686" width_o="928" height_o="686" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/43ecf4a3bb906d1b6125370a66a5f6b8bb88abcfb66a0abd6796fe77a9d836e0/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-12.00.02.png" data-mid="126333097" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/928/i/43ecf4a3bb906d1b6125370a66a5f6b8bb88abcfb66a0abd6796fe77a9d836e0/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-12.00.02.png" /> Luke E. <img width="1052" height="1396" width_o="1052" height_o="1396" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f3e2e06221950e88319831a5474af913fb86a27f82376fc2f4f04108d0737055/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-11.52.02.png" data-mid="127692521" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f3e2e06221950e88319831a5474af913fb86a27f82376fc2f4f04108d0737055/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-11.52.02.png" /> Steve L. <img width="932" height="934" width_o="932" height_o="934" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8398d4055288590d2bb33d0a091c914dc38fcaf003b27537828b81f98a356c22/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.02.26.png" data-mid="127703609" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/932/i/8398d4055288590d2bb33d0a091c914dc38fcaf003b27537828b81f98a356c22/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.02.26.png" /> **empty fuel container&nbsp; &gt;&gt;&nbsp; teucrium cossonii ‘carpet’ plant&nbsp; &gt;&gt; solar powered porch light &gt;&gt; native clearie marbles: player, peewee, ittybit size class.&nbsp; &gt;&gt;&nbsp; vintage but non-functional collector sprinkler head &gt;&gt;&nbsp; local sandstone with permanent ittybit marble storage. Welcome to the Coastal Tamien Territory!&nbsp; It is okay if you do not speak in the Tamien tongue.&nbsp; The Tamien, or “Coastonian” people are fluent in both Spanish and English and they love to assist with anything. This is what a brochure from my neighborhood might have sounded like around 1750. Walking around my suburban neighborhood, I realized that I enjoy the laid back pace of these quiet streets.&nbsp; I had the opportunity to live in San Francisco for many years and the street pace there was quite different.&nbsp; I could not help but compare city versus suburban life on my much needed day off.&nbsp; I did take some time before my excursion to wiki dig and discovered that I rent from the Tamien Tribe.&nbsp; The tribe were originally a part of the Ramaytush Territory (Northern California) but eventually migrated south.&nbsp; Their reasons for relocating were rumored to be for better accommodations.&nbsp; The Tamien suburban life seemed different from the busy north.&nbsp; The Tamien Territory did not have heavy agriculture nor large structures like the Ramaytush Territory.&nbsp; The burbs' life was by choice and not due to lack of skills, as proven when they helped the Spanish build the 8th California Mission. My re-exploring felt more like exploring someplace new because I now know a bit more about the history.&nbsp; The “Coastonians” were here long before the 18th century.&nbsp; It is 2021. I find that even with the dramatic differences in technology and culture; we are all still people.&nbsp; That constant ensures familiar non-fictional stories are timeless. Anonymous Baby Birds Today I took a hike on a trail that I am familiar with. It is very close to where I live, and because I do not particularly love to hike, it gives me that freedom to make me feel like I was productive and got some vitamin D. This path is always peaceful and there are not many people that tend to take it - especially not at seven in the morning. I used this time to clear my head of some of the things stressing me out lately, and while it helped, I think the heat outside made me want to get the hike over with faster. I just recently quit my job because of how toxic the environment became and how much damage it ultimately did to my mental health. I was reflecting a lot on my decision as it was my first day off of work and the first day that I had to myself for a while since school is almost over. As I was tearing up thinking about how much I was going to miss my coworkers, I watched a bird bring food to its babies in a nest near a cactus that I pass all the time. I learned in that moment that even in times of confusion, anger, or sadness, there is always a new start somewhere. Either it is within you or it's around you, but either way it will inspire you to change a negative mindset into a positive one. I try my best to not be the victim in my own story because I know that the universe is not against me. I hate the saying “everything happens for a reason”, but I like to say that everything happens for the better. So in this case, the reason is always for the better. It makes everything instantly that much more positive. Just being out in the open on my own with no intention of how far I will go was so liberating, and now it reads to me as a place that I can just keep going and going to see where it takes me. I know this sounds pretty dramatic to relate it to a job that I just quit, but if I am anything I am an extremely loyal person. This job was incredibly labor intensive and I gave a lot of myself to it in order to keep up with everything. It was great for the experience, but the company expected us to put the job before ourselves. That was where I drew the line and decided enough was enough. I cried three times, but I knew it was for the better. The cause that I decided to donate to was The Trevor Project because it has been something near and dear to my heart for so long. I donated a one time amount of $30, but I will be donating again soon. Geoffrey S. 1. Take the day off&nbsp; Life has a crazy way of working itself out at times, typically I have an extremely busy week, with work and other obligations of everyday life. But today was different. The date is 4/26/2022. I started my day as I always do, woke up, got some homework done before work. After getting a few things done I start getting ready for my shift tonight, as I’m doing this I get a text from my job saying “Would you like to have voluntary time off?”. “I absolutely do!” I say to myself, mind you it is extremely rare for me to get a weekday off from work. I go back to working on a “Provocations” assignment which I had started earlier today. I came across one that seems interesting enough to me to explore a bit more: “A five step site/ation”. The first instruction on this list of things to do for the assignment states “Take the day off”. Well here we are. 2. Go outside to survey the territory/ what can I learn? This is when the assignment gets a bit emotional/interesting for me. When I look around, the first thought which comes to mind is “The yard needs TLC”. I see the grass, not quite as green and nurtured since you left, but it still passes as “nice”. Mom and I try our best to make sure the sprinklers wet the dry spots every morning. My eyes begin to gaze upward, I see the trees, I see&nbsp; the flowers that you and mom planted when you moved us into the house, the rose garden looks good, you know those are mom’s favorite.&nbsp; Surprisingly the Petunias that were so stubborn before are more than flourishing. They almost look as good as they did when you used to water them. The oranges on the tree you planted are ripe and delicious, a few have fallen to the ground to let us know they're in season. I hear the birds chirping in the eucalyptus trees singing their praises, they bring a peaceful joy. Mom still keeps the hummingbird feeder filled with sugar water, and that little green bird with the blue belly that you loved so much comes by every morning, sometimes I think it’s you stopping by to see how things are going. There’s still beauty in this place the way you left it, although you were known to have a “green thumb” and you’d have every inch of the yard meticulously manicured the way that only you could. I’m trying, mom and I are trying. I realize that I could do more, I can do better. I realize that I need to invest more time here at home, with mom, with the family.&nbsp; As I look up on this harmonious day I’m blinded by the sun’s mighty ray of light, at that moment I realize that you and I just had a moment, it’s been a while since we’ve had a moment like this, I can feel you in the moistness of the soil, I can hear you in the song by the birds, I can smell you through the fragrance of the flowers, I can see you through the brightness of the light shining upon me. I miss you dad.Jessica V. I learned from the land today that I'm on borrowed land. Technically no one ownes the land that I'm on. I'm placed on this land temporarily. There was others on this land before me and there will be others after me using the same land. The indigenous people of this land are the Chumash. Today I'm in a park near my home in the coast of Santa Barbara. It's spring and the weather outside is warm and breezy. My site/ations includes a rock, a leaf, an orange, and a sharpie. The rock is not like a rock I've seen at the beach but a smaller rock. The leaf that I found is dry from the sun. I also found an orange that fell from an orange tree and is a little brown from the sun. I found a sharpie that was dented and the ink is dried up. <img width="962" height="1284" width_o="962" height_o="1284" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9fb1549afe5d4b9de41175a7a4512e45eb75f633e754203455c299d31464b930/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.58.55.png" data-mid="141888973" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/962/i/9fb1549afe5d4b9de41175a7a4512e45eb75f633e754203455c299d31464b930/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.58.55.png" /> Reva G. <img width="636" height="852" width_o="636" height_o="852" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b982c7f0dd0335bd59170b762a245583342b32c1ba8476e1e069c52cccc5358a/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.00.09.png" data-mid="141889018" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/636/i/b982c7f0dd0335bd59170b762a245583342b32c1ba8476e1e069c52cccc5358a/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.00.09.png" /> Site/ation of Niitsítpiis-stahkoii (Blackfoot/Niitsítapi), 2022 Rocks with moss, rocks with quartz veins, sage brush, sage blossoms, prairie grass, elk shed. Danielle W. Site/ation of Surbanan Miami, home of the Seminole Tribe, 2022, my backyard Rich soilAvacado SeedSnail ShellOld Mango PitBaby Mango Seedling I live on land that was once the home of the Seminole people. The Seminoles have lived in Florida for thousands of years, and here I stand in my suburban neighborhood without any indication of it being native land. As I sat in my backyard, I couldn't help but think about all of the ways that the land has changed since the Seminole people were pushed from these lands in 1832. We have a railroad just a few blocks East, major roadways, and even the new park one block West. Homes have been built, and families have grown here and moved on. So much has changed. Yet, at the same time, there are so many things that feel like they could be exactly the same. The rich soil under my feet is the same soil they used to grow their crops. Shells still litter the area. Avocado trees still flourish, and just like the mango pit and the baby mango seedling- life continues. <img width="240" height="320" width_o="240" height_o="320" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/22e4550e96106bd373ff4ea4c7081eedad984a1c0ac5b4ffa8ae612fa2a4694b/3.jpg" data-mid="143085943" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/240/i/22e4550e96106bd373ff4ea4c7081eedad984a1c0ac5b4ffa8ae612fa2a4694b/3.jpg" /> Laura E. <img width="1638" height="1138" width_o="1638" height_o="1138" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/68b6f740f771b74adf3d4b3682442a645c54385e7c84549703d7a79396a6a13c/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.07.40.png" data-mid="141889283" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/68b6f740f771b74adf3d4b3682442a645c54385e7c84549703d7a79396a6a13c/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.07.40.png" /> The land that I live on used to be called Multnomah, even still the county is called Multnomah county. These were my site/ations from my time reflecting on the nature around me. I feel they represent the area I live in. Oregon is so beautiful and while it is infamous for the downpour, it also has a tulip festival and a gorgeous coastline. These citations show that Oregon is full of life and color. This is the story I read: Oregon is a strong provider. She provides rain for the flowers and grass, she provides an abundance of water necessary for life. She provides beauty as the trees change for spring, and lets the spring blossoms fall away into the summer leaves. She lets the evergreens color her land all year. Her fickle weather catures to the little lives that rely on her. Oregon may be difficult at times, but her beauty makes it worth it. Most of all, her elegant texture and intricate design reflect her original Creator. This week, I hosted a group for a time of bonding and creativity. I cooked and provided paints and such in order for everyone to relax and have a good time. As I get older I realize how important these things are, and when you give to a group that you love it makes it better. I didn’t contribute to an organization, but I contributed to a group of people that I love and that is a beautiful cause. Nhat-Thi B. <img width="748" height="576" width_o="748" height_o="576" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/86b2f4d37f171917335656c9c01297592ed9cab88bb9e3be0abb6362cbf7ec0e/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.18.25.png" data-mid="141890164" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/748/i/86b2f4d37f171917335656c9c01297592ed9cab88bb9e3be0abb6362cbf7ec0e/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.18.25.png" /> Stephanie R. Site/ation of Tempe Arizona, 2022, Neighborhood Street Lemon, Rocks, Grass, Fallen Leaves I am typically not one who is inclined to walk around mindfully and pick up the things I see in order to examine them. However, this site/ation proved to be really interesting for me. I chose to walk around my apartment complex as well as the neighboring roads, and I found some amazing things that I never would have expected. I really appreciated the mindful experience of being electronics free and having the sole focus of finding things in nature. My most surprising find was the lemon, accompanied by two or three full grown lemon trees… something I would have never expected to find in Tempe, Arizona. <img width="1874" height="1394" width_o="1874" height_o="1394" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/130f659f3e6ec0a3911efc167313dc2e879116760ac6af878869771c8b8dea86/Schermata-2022-05-19-alle-08.37.45.png" data-mid="143085993" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/130f659f3e6ec0a3911efc167313dc2e879116760ac6af878869771c8b8dea86/Schermata-2022-05-19-alle-08.37.45.png" /> Andrea B. The Arizona sunsets are mesmerizing to watch, I typically soak these in and appreciate it as natural artwork closing out the end of the day, giving birth to the beauty of the night’s sky. Appreciating the shapes of the clouds and various hues splashed throughout the sky while accepting that they are fleeting images that cannot be captured by photographs. I think we can learn from the land by considering our natural resources and how to use each of these in many different ways. Collecting these items from my backyard I appreciate that the flowers are pretty and bring bee’s by to pollinate my garden. The flowers that sprouted off the basil can be used in tea and the basil can be used in many dishes like pesto or spaghetti sauce. The Aloe came off a huge plant that was given to me by my great aunt after my grandmother died. She would love that I’ve managed to keep this alive and how many times we’ve plucked a piece to sooth a burn or wound. The wood is mulch which help keep my garden alive through our brutal summers and the petrified rock is one of the dozen that are different than the gravel lining my backyard, stupefying me how it got here. The territory I acknowledged today was not native grounds, but it is sacred ground to me. My house is my pride and joy, happy place, calm zone, sign of independence and success. I bought it at a time when bringing together my family was the most important thing to me and it has served us well being the backdrop for our lives continuing following a period of darkness. This house is my light at the end of our tunnel. &nbsp; <img width="2188" height="1748" width_o="2188" height_o="1748" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6578696efe283d807c2a7908e4eb69e985e71f11cea54b2b92897962f0204fc7/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.21.20.png" data-mid="143023648" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6578696efe283d807c2a7908e4eb69e985e71f11cea54b2b92897962f0204fc7/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.21.20.png" /> Teanna O.The first thing I notice from going outside is the open sky. The stark blueness of the sky reminds me of how small I am and reminds me that things will be okay. I would probably go to my backyard and look at the trees and the rocks. We have gravel in our backyard, each tiny stone tells me that despite our similarities as a whole we have individuality. The crunchy leaves under my feet tell me that the seasons are changing and this constant cycle is relieving within our world of instability. The gravel of rocks are placed in a circle to reflect the wholeness of life and how we are all connected together by the earth. The flower represents us, the individual. The acorns/seeds represent our potential. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/525cea33088e935d27f0b214792c4a45bf639dc3a772517699e4492d296b8fc6/PXL_20211201_2358410632.jpg" data-mid="143024005" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/525cea33088e935d27f0b214792c4a45bf639dc3a772517699e4492d296b8fc6/PXL_20211201_2358410632.jpg" />Anonymous My day off began with a five hour drive back up to the place I was born and raised. Three years ago I moved away from home and do not get to visit as often as I would like to. On my day off I began with a walk around the property I had spent my entire childhood on. It seemed much larger back then. Upon walking around I came across a Frisbee Golf Disc, I unfortunately did not get a picture because I went walking without my phone. This disc may not seem like anything special but for me it brought back instant memories. I used to always have to run into my back yard and collect frisbee golf discs that were thrown over the fence. These disks to me represent the community of people I met growing up while I returned them. I used an image of a disk I found on google to represent how it would look when I came across it in my backyard. I have found hundreds of disks laying around my yard and they may not be a piece of nature to all but for me it would almost be unnatural to walk around my yard and not find one of them.&nbsp;Next I decided to venture over to the pond about half a mile down the road from my house and I spotted some turtles sunbathing. I have always loved coming to this pond to see the different wildlife. I have found snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, and spiders while exploring here. Seeing these animals and being reminded of the memories that I made has inspired me to help out in my new community. Myself and a few of my friends have reached out to a local dog park and are going to start volunteering there when they need extra help. We have already been asked to help out this coming weekend and I could not be more excited. <img width="590" height="339" width_o="590" height_o="339" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a6cac41cfc1ed2f4d58b1a25d47ce8121a72795506d032ca1f7f4349c57dda56/pasted-image-0.png" data-mid="143024365" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/590/i/a6cac41cfc1ed2f4d58b1a25d47ce8121a72795506d032ca1f7f4349c57dda56/pasted-image-0.png" /><img width="1126" height="2002" width_o="1126" height_o="2002" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/795b80df3f9a0fb2cb51012fcb59ac1f3220a8f4bc18504f0b30a0fb8e1d29e6/IMG_1077.JPG" data-mid="143024366" border="0" data-scale="64" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/795b80df3f9a0fb2cb51012fcb59ac1f3220a8f4bc18504f0b30a0fb8e1d29e6/IMG_1077.JPG" /> H. Sumlin <img width="480" height="640" width_o="480" height_o="640" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6fa1c5291151a6be31e6fce2f25a47607f59de22d4b7fbc458340f47f0db0d71/IMG_8397.jpg" data-mid="143027081" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/480/i/6fa1c5291151a6be31e6fce2f25a47607f59de22d4b7fbc458340f47f0db0d71/IMG_8397.jpg" /> Gustavo AlegriaI read the land by watching the war between shadows and light , by listening for the noises that most of the time go unnoticed and by keeping my nose up in the air, waiting to sniff for something unusual. The light and shadows dance on the trees as the sun sets only a mile or two away on the ocean. One tree in particular catches my attention from afar. It has already taught me that rain has been plentiful in the past few days as it hums with activity and life. It is home to a variety of fungi and insects. The number of white Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms) &nbsp;inform me that the decaying hardwood may no longer live, but that it continues to support life even in its dead state. Next, the barking coming high above in the canopy of redwoods is like no barking I have heard before. It is guttural and lacks the bass found in a bark from a large mammal. Nevertheless, it alerts and teaches me that not too far away there is a squirrel nest and a proactive mother squirrel.&nbsp; Although the barks may be direct towards my location near a fallen and decaying tree, the alarm is meant to scare off a much more precise predator, a hungry hawk.After the commotion dissipates and all is well, my nose catches a faint smell. The unexpected scent is filled with lemony goodness and decayed deliciousness. I hunt around, move forest fluff out of the way and finally find the patch that wafts with gratifying scents. The patch is made up of bollette mushrooms (Boletus edulis), red capped and probably similar in size to the infant squirrels in a nest above me. Lastly, the gratitude vamp at the end of my time in nature.&nbsp; “I stand here alone, but not lonely I stand here with everything I have and everything that&nbsp; &nbsp; has been given to meI say thank you to self,thank you to all that have come before me, thank you to the ones who tend the land, and thank you to the ones yet to come”. The above vamp was gifted to me by an old Navajo friend back in Arizona, close to ten years ago. But it comes with me everywhere I go, my lips and heart recite it at the end of all my adventures. Be them physical, mental or emotional adventures. Modified gratitude vamp for the The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians “I stand here at home, but not within four wallsI stand here with everything I have and everything that&nbsp; &nbsp; has been given to me,thank you to the Kaisha people,thank you from the Gualala river to the Russian river , thank you to the ones who share these lands” <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b71bd392b19cce822da49ed7bb0175e28210147a2e3ce549c783557465cd44d9/037E3270-2011-4591-A596-61D9C7F32C6E.jpeg" data-mid="143027229" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b71bd392b19cce822da49ed7bb0175e28210147a2e3ce549c783557465cd44d9/037E3270-2011-4591-A596-61D9C7F32C6E.jpeg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b9f3f3f95408ad4b0c58dbf3bc65528c6e8dc53f85641ff3b95e80a4fa04c7a5/6798EA66-05E4-40DC-86B7-E7EE9B5E9488.jpeg" data-mid="143027235" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b9f3f3f95408ad4b0c58dbf3bc65528c6e8dc53f85641ff3b95e80a4fa04c7a5/6798EA66-05E4-40DC-86B7-E7EE9B5E9488.jpeg" /> Chloe M. - Mondays are usually a free day for me, so I was able to take the time today to go outside to my backyard and be with nature. - According to the website, I live on land that is home to three local nations: O’odham Jewed, Akimel O’odham (Upper Pima) and Hohokam. - Site/ation Pictured: quartzite, small purple bush flower, rosemary-like plant, hibiscus-like flower, and small red-orange bush flowers. - Thank you for this opportunity to be with nature and rest! - I will for sure research organizations to donate to! - Statement: Most of the items I found in my backyard, save the quartzite, are living things, part of a bigger living thing. I find that quite interesting; it’s like a little metaphor for a single person like myself amongst a society as a whole. Every flower is a person and has support through their leaves, or their supply. They are connected together into one big plant, or society, by many stems and even more leaves. From these bush flowers I can better understand myself as a person. Even if I feel small compared to my peers, deep down I know I am beautiful and part of something bigger than myself. <img width="920" height="1098" width_o="920" height_o="1098" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9d2cf85c9b13badc373269e8c2bdd266199567a08635070c0cf0de97dfa6b092/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.12.40.png" data-mid="143027584" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/920/i/9d2cf85c9b13badc373269e8c2bdd266199567a08635070c0cf0de97dfa6b092/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.12.40.png" />Hayley H. The Land Around Me An unexpected day off. Forced relaxation…kind of an oxymoron, but I will embrace time off anyway I can get it! When the world begins to spin off-kilter, I immediately head to my safe space, outdoors. My backyard is my oasis, my sanctuary; a place to get away from the world and immerse myself in nature. My backyard is special to me. The bamboo that rims the fence line froze in February 2019 and every plant died. My father and I worked the soil, nurtured it with organic fertilizer and stinky compost, and now there are close to 200 new bamboo stalks, some over 25 feet tall. When I see the bamboo I realize the value of hard work, love, and dedication. I think of time with my dad, bonding over the smells (none which were very good), the feel of the soil, and the dirt under our nails. I also see the flower beds in the distance and think of my dogs, who love to wander and explore. Up until last month we had five rescue dogs. Last month, two of my dogs (ages 15 and 16) passed away after long illnesses. Saying goodbye and rearranging the dynamics of our pack has been so hard, but their presence is still felt. Their ashes have been spread across the yard they once patrolled. Wind chimes hang in their memory and the daily breeze is a gentle reminder of their lingering presence in our hearts. The fern in the foreground is a plant I grew from a transplanted cutting. I nurtured it into a full-fledged plant. It looks a little rough right now due to the change in seasons, but when I see it, I remember how it looked when it started. I feel proud and satisfied that I gave it new life. The rocks at the bottom of the picture are all native Texas river rocks. I have taken many of them, broken them open, and used my rock tumbler to bring a beautiful shine and finish to them. Some of them are filled with beautiful quartzite that shines in the sun. Everywhere I look, I see memories and attachments to people and to the land. I feel peace and calm when I immerse myself in the land around me and am grateful for the lessons I have learned along the way. <img width="678" height="908" width_o="678" height_o="908" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b7f80e7310112825f6e938b63df83022af8b02feea44c8d8e545f9cbba773a2f/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.33.49.png" data-mid="162150722" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/678/i/b7f80e7310112825f6e938b63df83022af8b02feea44c8d8e545f9cbba773a2f/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.33.49.png" />Madylin S.I was a Junior in high school when the pandemic started. Now I am a sophomore in college. Time for me now flies by in a blur. So, this was a good exercise to look back and reflect my experience in the pandemic. I drew my map using a digital art software with my mouse. Drawing it with my mouse represents online school. I am studying 3d computer animation at an art school at a public university. So, this was also nice to dumb down a drawing for once. I decided to draw my map like you are reading an English book from left to right. The beginning of the lines starts as simple paths. Then in the summer of my junior year in 2020, I discovered what I wanted to pursue as a career path. The yellow color of the circles represents my spark. The zigzag line next to it represents my smooth sailing through the pandemic. Then suddenly, I got COVID a few months ago before my second year at college. And I have been dealing with the side effects ever since. School has been a nightmare because now I have heart and lung problems that keep me from being as active as I used to be before COVID. I have a higher heart rate, less oxygen levels, and now I am needing to use an inhaler like I have asthma. It sucks because I don’t feel young and healthy. And I’m only 20. <img width="1326" height="1328" width_o="1326" height_o="1328" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/26dfed5de7b9583ad8116e791d42899e4f7f805f252464f54040349f1b81ebbf/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.50.01.png" data-mid="162151555" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/26dfed5de7b9583ad8116e791d42899e4f7f805f252464f54040349f1b81ebbf/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.50.01.png" /> Joel C. 1) I took the day off, which was a calming experience to finally be able to slow down and get away from an online life. 2) I went outside, starting with my backyard, and then through the house to the front of my yard. After some research, I learned that where my house is located in Tempe once belonged to the Akimel O’odham tribe. 3) I can learn from the land by understanding what I am surrounded by. The climate and the terrain I reside in is hot and dry. It makes me wonder what life was like in an indigenous tribe in the heat of the summer. I read the land as mainly flat, with gorgeous mountains and hilly desert terrain to the north of me. I went outside during the evening, so the sun was about to set. The Western sky is marvelous and I have always under appreciated it.&nbsp; 4) After seeing the sunset and collecting parts of the terrain for my site/action paper, I was able to unwind and understand the true beauty of life and how precious it is. I feel lots of individuals get lost in their daily routine and forget the amazing place we live in. 5) After thinking of ways to contribute to a cause, I found a few environmental projects that I would consider contributing to. These include The Nature Conservancy and the NRDC. <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b94b6dc5db941a7bf6608e05976d336ac7338878934c57a0ca98849b177c78bc/IMG_9904.jpeg" data-mid="166262832" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b94b6dc5db941a7bf6608e05976d336ac7338878934c57a0ca98849b177c78bc/IMG_9904.jpeg" /> Sam P. I took the day off from work and decided to have a rest day. I followed the link on the provocation page and found out that I am living on Hohokam land. I found that to be very interesting because while I am ashamed of admitting this, that is not something that I think about often. Knowing specifically which tribe my home is on made me think a lot more about the land that was stolen from these people and how we, and myself, are not appreciative enough for it and often take it for granted. I walked around the park across the street from my house and found items that I usually overlook. My site/ations were pinecones, a feather, a pine tree branc that had fallen, a broken flower, a piece of what looked like wrapping paper (?), an airpods case, and a jolly rancher lollipop wrapper. At first I was noticing all of the items of nature scattered throughout the park, but then I began to see a lot of trash. The lollipop wrapper and airpod case were only two pieces among many more. It was upsetting to see the amount of times people just leave their trash on the ground, probably without any thought most of the time. We as humans treat the land so unfairly, especially when it does so much for us. What once was luscious forests and beautiful deserts have now become gentrified cities full of litter and pollution. It is just so disappointing that we have done this to land that isn’t even rightfully ours. I learned so much about the land that I visit so often, but don’t pay enough attention to. The land around us has so much to teach us if we just stop to listen to it. After doing this provocation I am going to look for petitions to sign and programs to volunteer with, which is something I have been wanting to do for a while. <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c6258ed6aaa6e3fbb4703ac7896204036f4f314a5b97f06b732b066a3148419e/IMG-4271.jpg" data-mid="166262964" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c6258ed6aaa6e3fbb4703ac7896204036f4f314a5b97f06b732b066a3148419e/IMG-4271.jpg" />Yanine Today, around 6:30 pm, I decided to venture out to explore the territory in Tumbaco,Ecuador. Despite living in a residential area, my complex has green spaces that I had overlooked until now. During my exploration, I collected a variety of items that reveale the beauty and diversity of the nature surrounding me in this place. Among my findings were a coconut palm, a feather, a white leaf, a geranium, a pair of dried leaves, a lemon verbena twig, and a pine twig. Each of these elements seemed to have its own story and contributed to my appreciation of the natural environment that we often overlook in our daily lives. The weather at this time feels cold, indicating that we are entering the winter season. Although in my country, we don't have seasons as clearly defined as in other parts of the world, the coolness in the air and the changing atmosphere are evident. This experience reminded me of the importance of connecting with the land and valuing the small wonders that surround us, even in urban settings. While my community may be far from its original natural state, these small natural treasures remain a vital part of our surroundings. My hope is to continue exploring and learning more about the land I live on and perhaps sharing these discoveries with others to foster a greater appreciation of our natural environment. <img width="1654" height="1108" width_o="1654" height_o="1108" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d20f25d6f0198dcf4dd51083818aba17dc8d2c5e9a460c6a97f95957de7d2748/Screen-Shot-2023-11-30-at-12.39.25.png" data-mid="198275010" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d20f25d6f0198dcf4dd51083818aba17dc8d2c5e9a460c6a97f95957de7d2748/Screen-Shot-2023-11-30-at-12.39.25.png" />Belen T. My expectations were right. I really like to connect with nature and it is important to respect nature a lot at my university we connect a lot with the earth and also with friends and colleagues. Living with students is very important and in my university i have not seen any type of racism in fact the university promotes coexistence and respect for other cultural cultures. If this was my first class project the most important thing i can rescue from this is creativity, perception and respect. the ideas that emerge from the earth are textures and colors. What i expect from this project is to experience more and know the history of this land of our roots which i visited and above all to help the population of this site. <img width="1600" height="1200" width_o="1600" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eaba4317e9752ff95ee2e0c1c1d45ea63b3b648bd974cc4e6d0c3d018043f6a7/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-01-at-17.14.31.jpeg" data-mid="198275763" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eaba4317e9752ff95ee2e0c1c1d45ea63b3b648bd974cc4e6d0c3d018043f6a7/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-01-at-17.14.31.jpeg" /> https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/5-Shauneen-Pete Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:36:34 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/5-Shauneen-Pete Provocation 5:&nbsp; Shauneen Pete︎ <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/68983497390cb11262d9d2e8365e08feff997047fb53a2410d07789af0594adf/PROVO5___6.png" data-mid="104784091" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/68983497390cb11262d9d2e8365e08feff997047fb53a2410d07789af0594adf/PROVO5___6.png" /> BIO: Dr. Shauneen Pete is a professor in Leadership Studies at the University of Victoria.&nbsp; She is from Little Pine First Nation in Treaty 6 territory (Saskatchewan, Canada).&nbsp; I am supporting settler students to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of ongoing settler colonialism.&nbsp; My goal is to expand their understanding of Indigenization and decolonization in higher education with a view toward reconciliation.&nbsp; &nbsp;For me, that work must focus on how we view our relationship with land and non-human others. Responses: Ronni H. I went out to my dad's porch where I like to sit and stare at stray cats while making noises to summon them because it felt like the perfect place to engage in this provocation. As I recited what I saw My mind went on a train of thought connecting the words I was saying. I’d note something like the sewer drain and think: drain to rain, rain to water, water to plants, etc. I formed mental venn diagrams of how the different objects around me related to each other and felt more interconnected with the scene as I asserted that I, too, was the gray cat with yellow eyes. When I asked who called me here today, I felt as though the answer was something communicated in a different kind of language. The way patterns emerge in nature can be a way of communicating a message, just like how math is considered the universal language. I thought of what I saw and doodled the imagery that came to mind, connecting everything to each other just as I’d observed everything was related in nature. The result was a bizarre and cluttered tapestry which reflects my mind mapped out onto the world. <img width="1042" height="1390" width_o="1042" height_o="1390" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c1e48316ddfa6ab89bb7127b86cccc89f2f6af1174fced782c2d535f421a0e24/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.08.17.png" data-mid="107771107" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c1e48316ddfa6ab89bb7127b86cccc89f2f6af1174fced782c2d535f421a0e24/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.08.17.png" /> Athena Y.<img width="1274" height="1514" width_o="1274" height_o="1514" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e7d6df8df970f5baa7b538092c3237cba6831b942753fa0fe93cb96541f2299f/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.10.02.png" data-mid="107771282" border="0" data-scale="70" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e7d6df8df970f5baa7b538092c3237cba6831b942753fa0fe93cb96541f2299f/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.10.02.png" /> George S. <img width="1526" height="1520" width_o="1526" height_o="1520" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/65519793956b44fc08580ca025070492acab9e808e63b93ea94982d2244586e7/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.10.59.png" data-mid="107771301" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/65519793956b44fc08580ca025070492acab9e808e63b93ea94982d2244586e7/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.10.59.png" /> Reagan L. <img width="1154" height="1286" width_o="1154" height_o="1286" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e6666f841b1dde2db3c5be671111b76ff4bce43d3ad054a38428fc753b760df3/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.12.03.png" data-mid="107771359" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e6666f841b1dde2db3c5be671111b76ff4bce43d3ad054a38428fc753b760df3/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.12.03.png" /> Ashley V. <img width="1178" height="1538" width_o="1178" height_o="1538" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/42d5e71ff9e6c4eba592134a86328ef2732db0c86041e054668b7fe929827d71/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.13.11.png" data-mid="107771480" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/42d5e71ff9e6c4eba592134a86328ef2732db0c86041e054668b7fe929827d71/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.13.11.png" /> Abigail B. <img width="1026" height="1540" width_o="1026" height_o="1540" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/060c42a7f56a34a23fdbf4911d0aedca80a759df29dc019e2692a1736def0563/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.14.15.png" data-mid="107771510" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/060c42a7f56a34a23fdbf4911d0aedca80a759df29dc019e2692a1736def0563/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.14.15.png" /> Catherine W. Shauneen’s provocation builds awareness of our surroundings and what we can learn from them. Her provocation centers around land as our teacher. When listening to her audio recording it reminded me of guided meditation. The difference was she was guiding me into an awareness of the land around me. The space I chose for her provocation was my outdoor patio. This space is special to me because it is where I create and where I relax. It is my little slice of nature when I do not have time for a hike or adventure. When listening to her audio recording, I attuned myself to this space. I felt myself become part of this space. I saw my beautiful-raised garden with flowers and new growth stretching toward the sky. I saw the wind chime my mother gifted to me. I saw the table where I sit and have my coffee in the morning. I saw the sculpture I created. I became all these things in which I surrounded myself with. I believe the point of this exercise was to re-center myself in the present and realign with nature. I could feel my focus shift from the many homework assignments and tasks that needed to be done today to just being. All my hurried thoughts dissipated, and I just existed. I existed within and as part of my special space. The world gets quiet, and you feel a pull from the very earth you are sitting on. In that moment you are a part of that space and nothing else. This is the same feeling I get when I hike a mountain, kayak a river or scuba dive in the ocean. I exist only with and as nature. I am no longer bound by the rules and demands of society. I am this organic being that is part of nature. I am no longer separate from it. <img width="752" height="1000" width_o="752" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/48f4d44ea1e25083236be465d34fc29c7a448776c091966ad201f23db0ea213d/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.15.59.png" data-mid="107771692" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/752/i/48f4d44ea1e25083236be465d34fc29c7a448776c091966ad201f23db0ea213d/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.15.59.png" /> Nancy Salas I Am Here These past few months, I hardly had the chance to go to my favorite places, out of the city. Away from being stuck in my apartment. Always on the go, without a chance to slow down. I did a quick visit to Bullhead City, Arizona, where a few family members live. Right next to the majestic Colorado River. It was nice to really look and appreciate it for the beauty that it is. I’ve got so used to visiting and just driving by, I wasn’t really seeing and listening to nature. My mind is always racing to my daily life schedule. I was called to the river to find peace and connect with the land. To say I was all the things that I saw, I noticed the change in me. I felt peaceful, and relaxed. My current everyday life worries gone. I felt as if I belonged. Not just someone who passes by, not just a visitor. I am part of the beauty of life around me. I AM HERE, IN THE NOW. <img width="744" height="688" width_o="744" height_o="688" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4937e8a905b31f66bb231c849a093618584d2368cda9a261cf89b51b3db913fb/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.17.43.png" data-mid="107771883" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/744/i/4937e8a905b31f66bb231c849a093618584d2368cda9a261cf89b51b3db913fb/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.17.43.png" /> Charlton L. I see grandma’s spider web I see fallen baby leaves I see three cousin’s the trees I see father sky in blue I see my protector rocks I see my twin shadow The shift has me thinking I am of all that surrounds me, I am not different but apart, connected to this beautiful existence. Deep breath Connecting to land Soft gentle/tender touches of the wind, the sun warming my right leg, the shadow cooling my left leg, who’s calling me? The wind with its freeness, begins to sing a melody not only for my ears to hear but my mind body soul and what surrounds me. As long as there is wind life is present. The shift brings my brother pencil to dance freely with scribbles but not carelessly. A message that takes meaning only for me. The wind has taught me to take flight in the mist of chaos, I take a deep breath… <img width="998" height="514" width_o="998" height_o="514" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2d83a52583136d20903b47afcd577cdbce546f07eddd51cc4bea8c57bd6160be/Schermata-2021-10-13-alle-16.43.50.png" data-mid="121564300" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/998/i/2d83a52583136d20903b47afcd577cdbce546f07eddd51cc4bea8c57bd6160be/Schermata-2021-10-13-alle-16.43.50.png" /> Close my eyes Thank you, Axhe’hee’ Jocelyn O.I followed Shunee’s voice and found myself on the riverbed down the road from my house. A sacred place, that has seen me in many different forms but all raw and authentically myself. I see the calming river I see the leaves falling from the trees I see kids in the distance playing with the top swing I see soft sand and river rocks I don’t get a lot of opportunities to be quiet. For me, sitting and being still is often a luxury as I always have more work or homework to do. I don’t like this about myself, and I feel the effects of having taken even just 5 minutes to listen through this audio and allow myself a moment to just be connected to the world around me. I am the leaves falling from the tree I am the sunshine peaking through the clouds I am the rushing river - strong but calm I feel much more calm, collected, and peaceful than I did before. My senses are heightened and in tune to the river, birds, and leaves rustling around me. I didn’t rush this moment but allowed it to come to the fullness of what it was designed for, while I laid with my eyes closed focused and attentive. <img width="1316" height="1762" width_o="1316" height_o="1762" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7d40291fb59a7d4224b9ae8d625b1ed16b357ea5d6d4799d591e670cc39e8895/Schermata-2021-12-03-alle-10.14.46.png" data-mid="126422111" border="0" data-scale="67" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7d40291fb59a7d4224b9ae8d625b1ed16b357ea5d6d4799d591e670cc39e8895/Schermata-2021-12-03-alle-10.14.46.png" /> Veyda T.-B. <img width="1016" height="1250" width_o="1016" height_o="1250" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9656751d11927f6181783f04ba6a3ad3dba72175aeaf95915608e62b56c0a443/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-11.36.46.png" data-mid="127691402" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9656751d11927f6181783f04ba6a3ad3dba72175aeaf95915608e62b56c0a443/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-11.36.46.png" /> Anonymous Sitting on the roof,I see a birdThe roofs of other housesA leaf falling from a treeThe sun peeking from behind the mountains, rising to call for the day to commenceThinking deeper,I am the birdI am the treeI am the sunrise.Deep breath in, I become more aware of nature.The wind breezes against my skin. It doesn’t consume my warmth, but it speaks to me. Danger may be upon me as I sit on what could become a fragile component. I am a vessel but all vessels have their breaking point. From there, the element of restoration is not something that can be considered. My consciousness comes back to their senses and alerts me that tranquility can guide me to safety. Safety from physical harm. I reanalyze my surroundings, seeing the birds again. The calmness washes over me again. Nina D. When I close my eyes and try not to focus in on a specific sound, it almost feels like I am mediating. I am one with the nature that surrounds me. Below is a screenshot of one of the samples I recorded when I stepped outside of my house. I ran this sample through the program Sonic Visualizer, which can map out different aspects of recordings and can help give us a better understanding of the nature that surrounds us. This sample mainly follows the calls of a single bird. It chirps 5 times, 4 times, 6, and then immediately follows with continuous trilling. Another bird can be heard calling from time to time at a higher pitch than the other. The spectral centroid line is following the calls of first bird, which is the loudest in the sample. The spectral kurtosis line shows the different frequencies of the bird calls. The two birds’ calls can be distinguished by the height of the purple lines during the sample. Since the second bird chirps at a higher frequency, we can indicate that it chirps within the sample where the purple lines are at its tallest. <img width="1002" height="890" width_o="1002" height_o="890" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/832c99eb31719248742371824f2beebf578221bd07ddd32ce1d1d5e717209b4c/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.33.41.png" data-mid="141887309" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/832c99eb31719248742371824f2beebf578221bd07ddd32ce1d1d5e717209b4c/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.33.41.png" /> Reva G. <img width="472" height="836" width_o="472" height_o="836" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b6dca243c150a3f4db1497a1f9cd92f9886abf4329dd2289548b8e4847ce92d/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.59.25.png" data-mid="141889081" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/472/i/8b6dca243c150a3f4db1497a1f9cd92f9886abf4329dd2289548b8e4847ce92d/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.59.25.png" /> For my serene place, I initially went to a dedicated patch of the game trail that runs through our farm. In summer the prickly pear and wildflowers are in full bloom, and the sage grouse are near the sagebrush here. It is dedicated to my grandfather, a hardworking wildlife biologist, who gave me everything. However, when I looked into the garden right next to the one holding this game trail, I noticed the tumbleweeds piled in the corner of the fence, a stark contrast to the beautiful wildfires. There are an excess of them as we are facing such a horrible drought right not. But it makes one wonder, how did this land become so dry and barren, when it was once full of lively, beautiful flowers. I am the tumbleweeds, as are the other byproducts of colonialization. We have stripped the land of its lusciousness, and now we are left with a barren wasteland. Though, the land is perseverant and strong, and will always find a way to grow new flowers, even if they are lesser in number.&nbsp; AnonymousI went outside to my balcony where I grow my plants and looked out at the expansive overgrown forest beyond it. I sat down on my couch and got comfortable as I stared out into the shiny sea of trees. This is what I noticed: The wind is powerful and strong, peaceful, soothing and calm, and is breath. The trees are collective, breathing, dancing, conversing, overgrown, and wild. The clouds slide across the sky slowly, crawling, expansive, staring at the sun. The balcony plants are confined, connected, growing, happy, lively. I am the wind, I am powerful and strong but also peaceful and calm. I am soothing, the breath of the world. I am the trees, I’m the breathing collective. I dance and talk silently, living overgrown and wild and free. I am the clouds that slide across the sky slowly, I creep and crawl above the ground. I am expansive and of the sky as I stare at the sun. I am the balcony plants, connected though confined. I grow with the rest of my friends, we are lively and happy and connected to each other and the forest beyond.<img width="1830" height="1370" width_o="1830" height_o="1370" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/533cee628160a197a7fd548780e136ab6ed3a7f9eb04c5b86436c672cced0289/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.06.05.png" data-mid="141889224" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/533cee628160a197a7fd548780e136ab6ed3a7f9eb04c5b86436c672cced0289/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.06.05.png" />Laura E. <img width="1650" height="1234" width_o="1650" height_o="1234" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a866b0729eec96a163eb51039fc247f1e796eff099b19f5e94b10fd3469120ab/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.06.40.png" data-mid="141889263" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a866b0729eec96a163eb51039fc247f1e796eff099b19f5e94b10fd3469120ab/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.06.40.png" /> Elegance, the way the orange seamlessly fades into the blue which eventually cloaks the sky with darkness. I am the sky. Soft, the way the sand takes the shape underneath you as you walk. Vast, the way the sand stretches on and reaches deep, there is always more. I am the sand. Alone, the way the cactus stands on its own, resilient in harsh conditions, a contrast against its environment. Sharp, the way the cactus can defend itself against predators. I am the cactus. Alex M. I see the trees; I see the dirt. I see the sky and the birds. I see the weeds intermingling with the flowers, like they might as well be the same thing out here. I see the mountain that has watched me grow all of my life, and the snow on top of that mountain. I see the insects, the ants on the ground and the butterflies in the air. I am all of these things, I feel them as part of the unconscious mind and recognize them as legitimate parts of our reality, things that have just as much right to be here as I do. I also see people, so many people. I see the things these people leave behind too. I see the wrappers of protein bars, and the remains of a plastic water bottle littering the ground. I pick them up and throw them in the trash can not 20 feet from the spot I am occupying. There used to be a huge boulder in my spot, I still see it in my mind’s eye. I sat on that rock for what seems like years, reading, mediating or just existing. It’s gone now, because this spot is now a popular hiking trail that has to accommodate hundreds, if not thousands, of people a day. 10 years ago, it was only me here, now I can’t even hear the sounds of nature around me, only people’s voices and music played on a Bluetooth speaker hanging off some guy’s backpack. Am I also these people, and the trash I scavenged? I feel them far less than I feel the wind and trees and sky. As I leave, I thank this place for being a safe haven for me for so much of my youth by picking up more trash. And then I say goodbye, as I haven’t been here for years, and I may never come back. Tsz Hu C. I took a video of me walking around my own yard actually, but for privacy reasons will submit a transcript of what I saw instead. I chose to do this to first collect information instead of just sitting out there and writing it all down afterwards because I always need to keep my anxious dog with me and I needed a way to keep an eye on her and do the assignment outside at the same time. I also figure that this will help as visual inspiration for the final journal or doodle I create later. “I SEE.. …My little brown dog pick something off the floor (thankfully, she didnt eat it) …Crunchy, yellowing grass getting drier with the summer …A line of pine trees installed as a sound barrier against the freeway …A little brown butterfly with yellow wingtips …Trees from all different kinds in our yard, wonder where in the world they came from …Delicate little weeds amongst spikier little weeds in the dirt …Brown vines (cascading the wall) …A little lizard with its back turned to us, and now it’s gone …A gnarled old stump …Old woodworking projects my dad started and gave up on …Our basil plant …Our old BBQ grill we’ve never used …Bright pink bougainvillea plant right next to my white, iron gate—they’re so common here in Los Angeles, but every time someone from out of town comes here, they’re so fascinated by these things.” I replayed the video to myself and after each time I said “I see ___”, I repeated “I am ___” with intention. When I did this, I felt more enmeshed with the plants and animals in my yard the more I repeated “I am” statements. It helped to have my eyes closed and not see my own physical body as I did this. As the list went on, I noticed that there are themes of contrast that exist everywhere in the natural world that reflect my own being—spiky and soft plants growing together, different species of trees that have different shapes and colours, the old stump being both a living and dead object at the same time. It made me think that suburbia is a strange place of many contradictions. After this, I asked the land, “who called me here today?” In my mind, I heard “you.” This made me consider the concept that my subconscious, my higher self, led me out in nature today and that I can trust my own internal compass to bring me to water—to bring me to the place where I will best be nourished, even if I’m not entirely sure why at first when I first hear the call from my intuition. And here is what I chose to make from my reflections. Thomas B. <img width="1116" height="1496" width_o="1116" height_o="1496" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0912056db7911eeb27ab9d474edc1db36de7ca0e8dafb240e7ef5c585575ee2a/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.13.32.png" data-mid="141889489" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0912056db7911eeb27ab9d474edc1db36de7ca0e8dafb240e7ef5c585575ee2a/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.13.32.png" /> Krizel Z. <img width="736" height="1140" width_o="736" height_o="1140" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/16f2d0e846e38f0549348465470b218448578bbcd08827beedca75c789d704ce/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.15.41.png" data-mid="141890129" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/736/i/16f2d0e846e38f0549348465470b218448578bbcd08827beedca75c789d704ce/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.15.41.png" /> Olivia C.It was starting to get cold this week so I was worried about going outside and how it may feel to sit and be present for a few moments, bundled up nonetheless I went outside and was immediately greeted by the warm voice of Shauneen Pete. She made me feel like the land I was on was always trying to communicate with me. It took a special kind of listening and a special kind of questioning to become the event that it was. I worked through looking at the colors around me in the sky, the few birds that were singing and the trees scattered with branches and brush on the ground below. I was reminded that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I am grounded in that statement as of now and think that it will become my mantara to work through for the next few weeks. I am a busy individual and feel that I always need to be thinking ahead when in reality, I am never actually thinking actively. I just recall how busy I am and then forget where I am for a bit. This video helped me just to take a small moment to love where I was and appreciate it. These are a few pictures of the sky I had taken this week after listening to this little video, I had to stop and slow down to think about how lucky I am to see these little bits of nature even living in the city. <img width="1002" height="982" width_o="1002" height_o="982" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cbb19cd9d6b83b8ced60d85712fe82517e402e3d8a05ab30ff8682a7098130cb/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.55.42.png" data-mid="143021645" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cbb19cd9d6b83b8ced60d85712fe82517e402e3d8a05ab30ff8682a7098130cb/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.55.42.png" /> <img width="1094" height="1086" width_o="1094" height_o="1086" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6da61d2ef31ab941563b05e797aeb36533337e06028df4cd507c0ecb36697658/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.55.35.png" data-mid="143021636" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6da61d2ef31ab941563b05e797aeb36533337e06028df4cd507c0ecb36697658/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.55.35.png" /> Denice M. <img width="1006" height="1346" width_o="1006" height_o="1346" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3e15c3ceee7b0434167ab7faf22bb513f644e777b694b712f1898d2c5363cfb9/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.06.50.png" data-mid="143022860" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3e15c3ceee7b0434167ab7faf22bb513f644e777b694b712f1898d2c5363cfb9/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.06.50.png" /> Indira F. <img width="1280" height="720" width_o="1280" height_o="720" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa03e8656694197ac2c6ab8c4dd5fadce8a80cdbba49d3e586951eacee43d7c6/Slide1.JPG" data-mid="143024268" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aa03e8656694197ac2c6ab8c4dd5fadce8a80cdbba49d3e586951eacee43d7c6/Slide1.JPG" /> J. Allen I just bought a house in a brand new subdivision, and I bought the lot I did because of the waterway behind the house, ensuring my view will never be plagued by neighbors, and instead my backyard slopes gently into a grassy waterway. I went to lay in the grass, in the middle of the yard so my view was not impeded by fence posts, and stared at the sky right at sundown. I see the burnt orange rays from the sun. I see the violet night sky returning. I see the north star, and the little dipper. I see Orion. I see the rain clouds in the distance. I see the grass, growing freely and unmowed, swaying in the breeze. I see milkweed, with it’s white petals and attractive resting place for butterflies. I see the gardenbox I built, barren until spring. I’ve always felt this connection with nature. I am the sunrays. I am the night sky. I am the north star, and I am the little dipper. I am Orion with his mighty sword. I am the rainclouds, inching closer. I am the grass, growing wild and free. I am the milkweed, growing beautifully in a place not meant for me. I am part of this land, even if it was not mine. My roots grow here just as deep as the tree saplings in the front yard. Deep breath, I am rooted to this spot. Who called me here today? Well, who called me here almost every night? My favorite spot to sit and watch the Earth turn while my head is in the stars. I return here often just to hear my own thoughts unencumbered by those around me. No phone, no music, none of my usual distractions. I like to cry here sometimes, when I miss my friend, or I’ve had a rough day at work, and I swear, when I cry the stars seem to lean in a little closer and whisper, “I am here, and I do not judge you.” It helps me feel less alone in those moments. Pete asks us to go to a park for this exercise, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near the suburban park a block away, when I have this little piece of zen heaven in my own backyard. I have spent the better part of an hour laying in the grass, looking at the stars, and letting my problems drift away in the night-kissed breeze. How can I thank the stars? How can I thank the moon shyly playing in the sunset’s last golden hour? Thank you for listening, thank you for reminding me that my problems are not so big. Thank you grass for keeping me warm. Thank you breeze for cooling the summer heat, but staying away during frigid autumn nights. Thank you milkweeds for reminding me that even though I am not originally part of this land, I have a place here. Thank you for the sunset which brings out the olive in my skin and the ocean in my eyes. I am grateful for this place, for this bit of calm. Thank you. Natalia R. <img width="948" height="944" width_o="948" height_o="944" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5af4682e58b36589d59b574df7f3ef8c3f43dbb6581fa98771c8fb5584784216/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.58.58.png" data-mid="143026638" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/948/i/5af4682e58b36589d59b574df7f3ef8c3f43dbb6581fa98771c8fb5584784216/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.58.58.png" /> Anonymous Shauneen’s provocation forced me to see the true innocence and beauty of the world in which I am present. I went to Malibu beach to feel truly present with her voice. It was a soothing activity which grounded me with the world. I set aside my day to do this project and focus on everything going on around me. I took videos and pictures to reflect on later. I see the sand, flowing in the wind. I see the water, coming in and out with the waves as they crash into my legs. I see people laughing with one another. I see quiet. I see peace. I see the birds landing on the sand and pecking away to find food. I see the sun in the sky, going down slowly to reveal a beautiful sunset. <img width="700" height="934" width_o="700" height_o="934" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e502786439f2c5e69d8996f4a8bcc46c2b15a7f1b41bb29af30e46537a87e150/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.09.34.png" data-mid="143027372" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/700/i/e502786439f2c5e69d8996f4a8bcc46c2b15a7f1b41bb29af30e46537a87e150/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.09.34.png" />Nihit G. I close my eyes to take in the cool winter breeze. I hear the howling of wind in perfect harmony with the mating call of coyotes as they scour for food and plants. The height of the fir trees loom over me as I am enveloped in greenery and my senses flourish. The flower beds beckon for nourishment, as they add color to an otherwise blue-gray sky. I am beckoned to call on these trees for advice of my own convoluted path, as they have withstood the tests of time and second to none in experiences. As I sip my coffee underneath the protection of the fir tree I feel at peace and one&nbsp; with nature, taking in the beauty of the Earth I live on as the clean air erases my body of toxins and stress. I am one with nature, as I strive to leave my footprint in this world just as how the flowering buds yearn to add beauty to our monotonous routine of life.&nbsp; <img width="970" height="458" width_o="970" height_o="458" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/697ab3eeddf278734cacb74f7e2e3dc552bd0f061f1668d519618a0fbd0a70c5/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.30.38.png" data-mid="143028898" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/970/i/697ab3eeddf278734cacb74f7e2e3dc552bd0f061f1668d519618a0fbd0a70c5/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.30.38.png" /><img width="316" height="526" width_o="316" height_o="526" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f66c895b6c3e70839ac24253fe3f386fa61fea8153dfd513144152d20c6555d3/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.30.43.png" data-mid="143028907" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/316/i/f66c895b6c3e70839ac24253fe3f386fa61fea8153dfd513144152d20c6555d3/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.30.43.png" /> Hayley H.&nbsp; Sunrise SalutationI see trees in front of me, lining my fence. They are tall clumps of bamboo that are swaying in the morning breeze. I see the sun cresting behind the tall nameless trees on the other side of my fence. I see 3 red cardinals jockeying for position in a holly tree on the back corner of my yard. Here comes a sparrow – I can see her flying delicately, low in the sky. And here is my favorite early morning visitor – the bald eagle that comes every morning to perch on the dead branch belonging to the tallest tree that overlooks the lake behind my house. He arrives at daybreak to fish for his breakfast. I know he gets the best catch because he returns every day for more. I can hear him coming because his giant wings flap so loudly as he flies directly over my house. I can hear him shriek his distinctive sound as he announces his presence, like an alarm clock without fail. I can see his reflection in my pool so whether I look up or down, I am aware of his presence. As I stand, gazed affixed on the eagle, I become him. I feel his hunger and sense his longing for a catch. I feel his strength as he flies higher than the other birds. I embrace his power as he sits parallel to the morning sun. For a moment each morning, I become the eagle and thank him for his daily pilgrimage to the lake. I appreciate his tenacity and am reminded of the gift we are given to embrace life every day. <img width="702" height="864" width_o="702" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c9ff6f804d5cf3717d4b7a7eb7ff50bd315a8fbe0d86c31fee644f99f93a28dd/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.31.55.png" data-mid="162150635" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/702/i/c9ff6f804d5cf3717d4b7a7eb7ff50bd315a8fbe0d86c31fee644f99f93a28dd/Schermata-2022-12-16-alle-13.31.55.png" /> Jason C. I see large trees with leaves of green, yellow and brown scattered across the ground and clinging to its branches I see grass and houses decades old I see painted and unpainted fences I see the bright blue skies and smatterings of white clouds overhead I see the bright sun overhead, shining down on the world below I see cars parked in driveways and the elementary school down the road I see the preschool around the block I am the trees preparing for autumn, shedding its dying leaves awaiting rebirth in the spring I am the grass and the houses who stand the test of time and have seen people come and go and the world change around them. I am the fence that separates others from myself. I am the blue sky smiling with clouds of white, always drifting away to future horizons. I am the sun shining brilliantly onto others and sharing warmth and life with everyone I meet. I am the cars in the driveways, resting in the comfort and safety of the community of family and neighbors I have come to know and love. I am the schools nurturing the future generation. I was called here to heal not just myself, but those around me from the land beneath my feet to the people I can reach out and see. There is so much to do, but in this moment of peace, I can find comfort knowing that, for the moment, all is well. I breathe easily knowing I can rely on others and that others depend on me. I see the world much more clearly now that I am truly a part of it. Rita B. <img width="4167" height="4167" width_o="4167" height_o="4167" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6adccc69775c0310864cf960e70032e4606e3ec20a50c04ff8af35f37eb5abb/provocation5.jpg" data-mid="179998015" border="0" data-scale="95" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b6adccc69775c0310864cf960e70032e4606e3ec20a50c04ff8af35f37eb5abb/provocation5.jpg" /> Cinthya G.My garden is my safe place, before choosing the provocation I was going to carry out I had just come from my safe place, I always go out to my garden to take a break from the chaos that stalks my mind when I am stressed or simply to sunbathe and breathe deep. It is also the favorite space of my cat who likes to enjoy the sunlight that reaches her through the leaves. This provocation really connected me more with Nature, I had never stopped to contemplate what existed in my garden. I see tiny insects, as well as different types of leaves, shapes, sizes and colors. Many intertwined branches and vines that try to embrace my house, I see the rubbed fruits of my grape plant, I see how the leaves dance in the soft breeze, and I see how the sun tries to make itself noticed between the leaves and branches, I see the eyes curious about my cat wanting to know what I was doing. By putting myself in the place of each element it was my moment of connection, I could see how the characteristics of the plants resemble mine, the leaves have veins just like me, and I felt part of the tree that emerges from the earth and its roots are buried. I thanked Nature for letting me feel it and align myself with it. I was able to expand my way of perceiving and be able to continue carrying out my activities with another, more focused perspective. I decided to capture what I experienced and felt through a drawing and added leaves that were already dry and f<img width="1600" height="1150" width_o="1600" height_o="1150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b5a542e8844766b07cfaae0c8e1bbf0018439d5e07630dea4a2acebd929602d9/Provocation-5-Cinthya-Gonzaga.jpeg" data-mid="198274719" border="0" data-scale="90" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b5a542e8844766b07cfaae0c8e1bbf0018439d5e07630dea4a2acebd929602d9/Provocation-5-Cinthya-Gonzaga.jpeg" /> https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/6-Annette-Arlander Tue, 26 Jan 2021 22:42:29 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/6-Annette-Arlander Provocation 6:&nbsp; Annette Arlander ︎ Visit Annette’s&nbsp;website&nbsp; <img width="1907" height="1958" width_o="1907" height_o="1958" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/30ea04bf02a185e106976981dbfb4d21fb7544b7c8c894c4f4df01048b94ef67/AA-IMG_8956-x_BW.jpg" data-mid="96583990" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/30ea04bf02a185e106976981dbfb4d21fb7544b7c8c894c4f4df01048b94ef67/AA-IMG_8956-x_BW.jpg" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2622128abf268f89b69a380137abc17cca0c54d4f150f541590dd7e76aaa6c6/PROVO6_2.png" data-mid="106234159" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/c2622128abf268f89b69a380137abc17cca0c54d4f150f541590dd7e76aaa6c6/PROVO6_2.png" /> Provocation 6: Ask a tree 1. Go to a tree that is important to you – if you do not have such a tree &nbsp; &nbsp;nearby, go to the nearest park and approach a tree that is inviting you. 2. Bring a pen and paper with you. 3. Greet the tree and ask the tree for advice concerning a problem you are &nbsp; &nbsp;struggling with or conduct an interview with the tree about your main &nbsp; &nbsp;research concerns. 4. Write down by hand, while spending time with the tree, the questions and the &nbsp; &nbsp;possible answers that come to your mind. 5. If you wish, you can prepare by watching a video, where I try to interview &nbsp; &nbsp;an old pine tree (here is the link to the video). BIO: Annette Arlander, DA, is an artist, researcher and a pedagogue, one of the pioneers of Finnish performance art and a trailblazer of artistic research. In 2018-2019 she was professor in performance, art and theory at Stockholm University of the Arts with the artistic research project Performing with Plants. She was also the principal investigator of the Academy of Finland funded research project How to Do Things with Performance (2016-2020). At present she is visiting researcher at Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki with the project Meetings with Remarkable and Unremarkable Trees. Her research interests include artistic research, performance-as-research and the environment. Her artwork moves between the traditions of performance art, video art and environmental art. Responses:Nikki Fairchild <img width="7500" height="16667" width_o="7500" height_o="16667" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d8f8246cdac8fb3200f97efe9add4a40314c28ac0fa6cd613e4dbea8ad1c2b2b/2021-01-23-11.32.56.jpg" data-mid="109142058" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d8f8246cdac8fb3200f97efe9add4a40314c28ac0fa6cd613e4dbea8ad1c2b2b/2021-01-23-11.32.56.jpg" /> <img width="12900" height="17200" width_o="12900" height_o="17200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8d80110cb48db722bb9a24ddaf8ecc008838e356174b0db489988ab423e6c0de/2019-03-30-08.50.13.jpg" data-mid="109142057" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8d80110cb48db722bb9a24ddaf8ecc008838e356174b0db489988ab423e6c0de/2019-03-30-08.50.13.jpg" /> <img width="7500" height="16667" width_o="7500" height_o="16667" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c93563c93d88f5c138fdcb95a36f7c4de757bdba3d8abaaea8ee6a2c73c9465/2021-01-23-11.33.05.jpg" data-mid="109142059" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0c93563c93d88f5c138fdcb95a36f7c4de757bdba3d8abaaea8ee6a2c73c9465/2021-01-23-11.33.05.jpg" /> <img width="1296" height="1732" width_o="1296" height_o="1732" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7b3780c6c3d38fc433aeb8d6a5d26dcfcb4051cca260fdfa8c0b51fd67d2cd6b/Schermata-2021-05-21-alle-09.44.53.png" data-mid="109142299" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7b3780c6c3d38fc433aeb8d6a5d26dcfcb4051cca260fdfa8c0b51fd67d2cd6b/Schermata-2021-05-21-alle-09.44.53.png" /> Conversations with a Kowhai K: Of course you know I am an illegal immigrant… N: Hmm…remind me again of your journey. K: Originally I sprouted in Waikato, New Zealand, you remember your neighbour Jean…? N: Yes, she died…oh…6 years ago… K: Oh really, that is sad…anyway she smuggled me back to the UK in her suitcase, I was growing in her cousin’s garden. So now I am here with you. N: I remember she gave you to us when we returned from living in Nelson (New Zealand), that must be more than 11 years ago now. She wanted us to feel part of the community and thought this would remind us of our time there… K: That was very nice of her! N: Yes I thought so too. K: Well do I remind you? N: Yes you do, things were different then…our son was much younger…we wanted a new life…better jobs…better outdoor lifestyle…it didn’t work out like that…we came home as it was getting near to when he (son) would have had to go to school and we didn’t want to disrupt that. K: And now you are talking to me! N: Yes! Do you miss New Zealand? I often wonder if you are still connected as you seem to lose your leaves and flowers at different times to most UK native plants. K: Yes I miss the warmth and the flowers of the Pohutukawa tree…but I am lucky…I have connections in your garden, there is enough food and water and I am safe…what more could you ask for… As I write this I think of all the people who are not safe, who migrate and who are displaced, who ask for asylum, who are desperate. In the UK, the post Brexit climate is very challenging. Some would suggest that the Conservative Government has moved to the right of politics. One of the manifesto promises was a crack down on immigration and asylum seekers. This policy is being ruthlessly enacted at the moment, not only are asylum seekers and ‘illegal’ immigrants being targeted but there are reports this is happening to European job seekers. All Europeans living in the UK had to register for settled status – some are worried this could be revoked. Migrants come to a nation and join a community, they contribute via taxation and also by the relationships they build. A diverse community can enrich our lives. Recently in Scotland the Home Office and Border Force came to arrest what the press reported as ‘two immigrants’. The local community surrounded the vans and peacefully protested. These men were their neighbours and members of their community. They were released but I suspect this will happen again. The Windrush saga also continues to raise its ugly head. Migrants invited from the Caribbean to post War Britain…families who have worked and served their local communities unable to get residence documents…family members being deported for minor crimes even when they have never lived in the Caribbean. Conversations with my Kowhai tree bring these issues into sharp focus. Perhaps the incident in Scotland is the start of a turning tide away from nationalism…I hope so. Mahek M. <img width="1150" height="1530" width_o="1150" height_o="1530" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d103207e56c49fd00b4bbb0d2114bc1f1986e152beae83e065c1d435197d89a5/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.18.51.png" data-mid="107771909" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d103207e56c49fd00b4bbb0d2114bc1f1986e152beae83e065c1d435197d89a5/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.18.51.png" /> Tessa V.B. Shayna P.Good evening Mr. Pine Tree! Would you mind if I asked you a variety of questions tonight?As long as you don’t carve into me like the little kids in this neighborhood do, I’m happy to do anything.I promise, no carving.Ask away.I am really concerned about my future- I feel fairly lost and confused. Do you have any ideas on how I could ease these concerns?Ground yourself. You can’t make wise decisions when you are floating around in space. Take some deep breath, figure out what matters to you, and go from there.I don’t really see how the future will get any better unless our government drastically changes. Is there any way you could see this happening?I think that the answer lies less in the government and more so in your community. You most lilely can’t control how the government is run without either becoming a politician or committing a horrible crime, but you can work to band together with the people aroind you to increase the power of the people.How would you recommend someone deal with a lack of motivation when working in a situation that is much more difficult without immense motivation and passion?Parse down the situation to its base goal and the simplest form of what you must produce. After that, figure out how to reach this goal and produce what you must*without* your perfectionism. What specifically will you not do that your perfectionism drives you towards?How can I better connect with the people around me?Do you really need to connect with the people around you better, or do you need to work on connecting with yourself? you cannot have genuine interactions with the people around you until you improve your relationship with yourself.You cannot connect with others when you are emulating a fake version of yourself.Won’t I just come off conceited if all I focus on is myself?There’s a difference between spending time connecting with yourself and focusing on yourself. You can focus on yourselfby doing many things like getting a manicure or doing face masks or working out - all of those are fine activities but they don’t mean you are actually connecting with yourself. Connecting with yourself can require constant dialogue such as journal writing or being mindful through meditation. Chloe R. Khalena C. <img width="708" height="1540" width_o="708" height_o="1540" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d157bfd4b2e3aa932d375761d94b196c010715bfcd347856e84cf7f4c9a1cd64/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.22.10.png" data-mid="107772480" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/708/i/d157bfd4b2e3aa932d375761d94b196c010715bfcd347856e84cf7f4c9a1cd64/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.22.10.png" /> Katie H. <img width="1116" height="1466" width_o="1116" height_o="1466" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cab63935ed380163262a588f1380c0eb665618ae13667bcd26e8480155359903/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.23.13.png" data-mid="107772568" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cab63935ed380163262a588f1380c0eb665618ae13667bcd26e8480155359903/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-12.23.13.png" /> David R. Prisha Mhatre P: Hi tree! I see that you are as peaceful as always. Did you enjoy the rain yesterday? T: Yes, it is always nice to cool off with some summer showers. The wind felt nice through my leaves. P: You always provide a cool shade for me when I sit outside and your branches are home to many birds. I appreciate that. T: Well I am glad to help, and I love the little songs the birds sing. They’re all so beautiful and unique! P: I love to listen to them too! You seem to know many great things, and you’ve been observing and protecting me since I moved here with my family when I was just 3 years old! May I ask you a few questions? T: Definitely. Ask away! P: I’ve been trying to relax more lately, but sometimes it’s hard to not be stressed with all my responsibilities. How can I stop worrying so much? How are you able to remain calm even during frightful storms? T: It’s quite more simple than you think. Even during a storm, when my branches seem to sway furiously, I still feel safe and secure. Actually, I feel so free! I think during stressful times, it can be hard to see everything that is still going right for you. It is easy to get caught up in the storm and miss all the things that you still have and can be grateful for. P: Hmm, I see. I guess I do focus too much on uncertainty. How do you nourish and take care of yourself even when you’re feeling down? T: I take my time, and take a deep breath in and a deep breath out. I imagine all those icky feelings flowing out as I do. And importantly, I let myself feel. P: Okay, thank you. And how can I stop worrying about the result and focus more on enjoying the process of what I do? The future can be scary. T: Well the future does hold so much uncertainty, but it also holds many possibilities too. Sometimes, we can expect too much out of ourselves and we want everything to go as planned. We want to be perfect. It will take time to realise that everything doesn’t have to be under your control. Someday you will appreciate all the possibilities in your life rather than fear them. P: Well thank you so much for listening to my concerns! I really appreciate your guidance. T: Yes, you are certainly welcome! I appreciate your company too. Don’t feel shy to come talk again. <img width="7500" height="16667" width_o="7500" height_o="16667" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c93563c93d88f5c138fdcb95a36f7c4de757bdba3d8abaaea8ee6a2c73c9465/2021-01-23-11.33.05.jpg" data-mid="109142059" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0c93563c93d88f5c138fdcb95a36f7c4de757bdba3d8abaaea8ee6a2c73c9465/2021-01-23-11.33.05.jpg" /> <img width="7500" height="16667" width_o="7500" height_o="16667" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d8f8246cdac8fb3200f97efe9add4a40314c28ac0fa6cd613e4dbea8ad1c2b2b/2021-01-23-11.32.56.jpg" data-mid="109142058" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d8f8246cdac8fb3200f97efe9add4a40314c28ac0fa6cd613e4dbea8ad1c2b2b/2021-01-23-11.32.56.jpg" /> <img width="1296" height="1732" width_o="1296" height_o="1732" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7b3780c6c3d38fc433aeb8d6a5d26dcfcb4051cca260fdfa8c0b51fd67d2cd6b/Schermata-2021-05-21-alle-09.44.53.png" data-mid="109142299" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7b3780c6c3d38fc433aeb8d6a5d26dcfcb4051cca260fdfa8c0b51fd67d2cd6b/Schermata-2021-05-21-alle-09.44.53.png" /> Cedar F. Did it hurt? They took your height, your fruit, your dignity, and left you naked. Did you feel it? The roots that you bind yourself beneath the earth with are like my hands, holding on for something better, clenching my fists when I get angry, digging my nails into my palms, crumbling bedsheets when I cry. I know you use your hands to connect yourself to the others like you, who still stand tall.&nbsp; Do they know? Do they reach back to you in comfort, or ignore your pain and feel the warmth of the sun on their long bodies as you sit, small and hunched, feeling eons away from the sky? Do the plants around you extend their sympathies, cradling you in recognition, whispering “you are our size now and we love you still, we loved you when you were big and now that you are small like us we still love you”? Or is there silence? Is there cold? Is there a heart that stubbornly beats next to the rings of your life, or is it barren, empty, stripped? I think you are proud. I think you would never expose your wounds to me, especially not the ones that cut deeper than my human eyes can see. I think you are trying. And I think that is enough. <img width="592" height="792" width_o="592" height_o="792" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/59a4cc5d81c9418049e8d8585f9ca3c417857f0f4bce1c4887905db1226ccbf8/Schermata-2021-11-29-alle-14.58.47.png" data-mid="125974222" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/592/i/59a4cc5d81c9418049e8d8585f9ca3c417857f0f4bce1c4887905db1226ccbf8/Schermata-2021-11-29-alle-14.58.47.png" /> Johnny V.I chose to interview a tree that’s been in our yard for about 50 years. My grandfather planted an avocado tree on his property when he was in his early 20s.&nbsp; It is now an enormous tree that provides plenty of avocados.&nbsp; I currently have been at a crossroads in my life and I’m constantly second guessing my choices.&nbsp; I keep asking what-if questions.&nbsp; Asking these questions outloud has confirmed that I should do what makes me happy regardless of others’ opinions.Me:&nbsp; Hello tree! I ask for your advice and wisdom. Tree:&nbsp; Ask away….. Me:&nbsp; Is it normal to have so many crossroads in life? Tree:&nbsp; It is….. Me:&nbsp; Is it bad I left the military in the middle of a pandemic? Tree:&nbsp; No, it's ok to be selfish and prioritize your mental health. Me:&nbsp; Is it ok I don’t want to be a healthcare worker anymore? Tree:&nbsp; No, your passion will constantly change so you must change with it. Me:&nbsp; Thank you for calming my mind Tree:……. Margaux M. Hello tree, I must admit, I feel quite odd doing this, but I welcome it with an open mind.&nbsp; By “this” I mean talking to you, but this idea was brought to my attention with rather suitable timing. So, tree, I would like to ask you a few questions about decisions that have been troubling me. First, let me give you a name so that you are not just a noun.&nbsp; I’ll call you Zion, if that’s alright with you? Z: It is, tell me, what is pestering you? M: I am nearing the end of my degree, and I should feel accomplished, yet I feel rather lost.&nbsp; I don’t know where to go from here or how to go about finding that answer.&nbsp; I am normally a rather decisive person, and believe that what’s meant to be, will happen.&nbsp; This time though, I find myself anxious, anxious for the future.&nbsp; Am I good enough?&nbsp; Am I smart enough?&nbsp; Will others see me as intelligent?&nbsp; What should I do?&nbsp; What do you think Zion?&nbsp; How should I navigate the next steps of mine? Z: What do you truly want, without the thoughts of others plaguing your mind? M: I can’t tell.&nbsp; It’s too hard to get those thoughts out. Z: Try thinking about when you were younger.&nbsp; What you wanted when you used to play on trees such as I, with ropes on them for fun.&nbsp; What did you dream of then? M:&nbsp; I dreamed of a job.&nbsp; A somewhat particular job.&nbsp; One that is still my dream, but I don’t know if I am worthy of it.&nbsp; I don’t know if I can do it. Z: What is holding you back?&nbsp; M:&nbsp; I was sick, I’m not now, but that sickness took so much of my confidence.&nbsp; I felt weak and incapable of everything. &nbsp;I don’t know how to get that confidence back.&nbsp; I’m trying, but it’s hard.&nbsp; I think it is simply my own mind holding me back.&nbsp; The thoughts that I read from others hold me back too. Z: Those other thoughts you mentioned that you feel from others, what do they want you to do? M: They want me to prove my intelligence. They want me to pursue more schooling to set me apart from the rest.&nbsp; At that point, and only that point, is when they will view me as worthy again.&nbsp; When they will view me as smart again.&nbsp; When they will view me as capable again. Z:&nbsp; I think you’ve found your answer.&nbsp; It may be hard, but we must not listen to what the wind blows to your ears.&nbsp; You must go after your own path.&nbsp; Grown tall and strong, but in your own way.&nbsp; Think on this.&nbsp; Take a chance and trust yourself to succeed.&nbsp; You never know until you try. Hannah W. ME Good afternoon, how are you doing? TREE ... ME I’m Hannah, what’s your name? TREE ... ME Right. Okay, how are you doing? TREE ... ME I’m good, thanks for asking. TREE ... ME How are you feeling? TREE ... ME I struggle with happiness sometimes. Really often actually. TREE ... ME My dad did too. I’m kind of upset at how generous he is with things like this TREE ...&nbsp; ME He really is a generous guy. He always tries his best. I love him like crazy for that. TREE ... ME Do I? TREE ... ME Do I try my best, I mean? Do you think we have that in common? Would I even be able to tell if I do? TREE ... ME Ah, yes. Still a tree. TREE ... ME How can I be happy all the time? Are you happy all the time? TREE ... ME Do you get sad? Can you even be sad? TREE ... ME I really wish you would answer me. TREE ... ME You have really good posture, you know. I need to work on that, actually. My mom always yells at me for slouching. TREE ... ME I don’t think what I say affects you much. You don’t smile when I compliment you. I’m sure you wouldn’t start crying if I mentioned how crooked all your branches are. TREE ... ME You can’t be sad. And you can’t be happy either. TREE ... ME Hm. TREE ... ME How come I can’t be happy? What weighs me down? TREE ... ME It’s me. TREE ... ME I like talking to you. Talking to myself just makes me feel worse. I talk to myself like an enemy. TREE ... ME I’m doing it right now. TREE … ME Do you ever get frustrated and just want to scream at yourself or hit your head against the wall and just give it all up? TREE … ME Of course not, you’re a tree TREE … ME You’re nice to everyone, including yourself. You probably couldn’t be mean if you wanted to, huh? TREE … ME I should probably work on that. TREE … ME Okay I gotta run, this was a good talk. Thank you. TREE … ME, TO MYSELF THIS TIME Remember to talk to yourself like a friend. ME I’ll report back next time I see you. TREE ... Christian F. <img width="998" height="560" width_o="998" height_o="560" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/94a88f6a54bd11dfe6bb976bbed6bb400dd93b810e624f269ae1bba7c8a4268e/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.06.23.png" data-mid="127703772" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/998/i/94a88f6a54bd11dfe6bb976bbed6bb400dd93b810e624f269ae1bba7c8a4268e/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.06.23.png" /> So, I had a thought. If our provocation/task is to talk to a tree, then wouldn’t a bonsai qualify? I think so. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hello Mr. Bonsai! Excuse me while I write this down. I’m just recording our conversation, it’s for an assignment I have. Would you mind if I asked you for some advice? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I’m sure some friendly banter wouldn’t hurt. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Well, I was wondering if you had any insight into how to live a little more carefree. I’m asking cause life has been a bit stressful lately and I want to make the most of it. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I think the key to managing stress is focusing on what you can do at this very moment. Be present. It’s okay to anticipate, but do so with purpose. Don’t worry about the future to just worry. Make a plan and execute it as best you can. If you’ve done your best, then there’s nothing to worry about. C: &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whoa. I wasn’t expecting that. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What? C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It was just very thorough. B:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I’m a tree. I’m not going to give you roundabout&nbsp; answers. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Noted. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Did you have any more questions? C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What’s your name? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Drazzle’s the name, and my friend here is Drizzle. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So, it’s like Razzle-Dazzle? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ah, okay. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ……………. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So, what do you do in your free time? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I bathe in the sun and ponder existence. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Such a simple life. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It’s peaceful. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Can I ask you another question? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ask away. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How can I be kinder more patient person? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Why do you ask? C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I would just like to be there for the people I care about. Particularly my significant other. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Well, I would just stay aware of what you’re thinking and feeling. Everything happens for a reason, and more often than not, your feelings are valid even in the face of irrationality. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even when I’m irrational? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Despite what is occurring, your feelings are real. While a shift in perspective can aid in balancing those emotions, those emotions are often an outcry stemming from deeper frustrations that you may not realize. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I’ll try to be more aware of that. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don’t force it. Like I said, everything happens for a reason. Just go with the flow and know that everything will be okay. It’s not easy, but just do what you can. As long as you’re making an effort, you’ll be okay. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How do you know? That everything will be okay I mean. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Well, the concept of being okay is relative, but take my branches for instance. While I may be a small tree, I’m still alive, I’m still growing. Every day I stretch out and absorb as much sunlight possible and use every opportunity to grow. Albeit, the process is slow, the goal is to just keep growing no matter what. If you’re making progress, it doesn’t matter how long takes. Have a little more faith in yourself. I know it’s hard, just grow each and every day. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I’ll do my best. Thank you for your insight Drazzle. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now let me ask you a question. C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hmm? B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What’s your name? C: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ah, forgive my manners! My name is Christian, it’s a pleasure to have finally have made your acquaintance. B: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pleasures all mine. Zach T.&nbsp; Z: Good afternoon, Tree. I hope you have had a good day. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you some questions. T: (silence) Z: Excellent. Well, let’s begin. How are you doing today? T: (leaves begin to sway as a breeze) Z: Oh, that’s good. That breeze must feel nice, it feels pretty nice down here at least. Now for a harder question. I’m looking for some advice. How do you handle with loss? T: (leaves sway slowly as the breeze begins to fade) Z: Told you it was going to be a harder question. T: (leaves continue to slowly sway, a broken limb moves slightly) Z: I think I see what you mean. You take the loss, you acknowledge it, but you continue to grow anyways in new directions. You give energy into the areas that haven’t been cut off, and you let it grow and develop into something vibrant. T: (leaves stop swaying, there is silence) Z: What? T: (silence) Z: Oh, you don’t just grow what is visible. The roots, they grow as well, if not more than the parts that you show to the world, the parts that get their time in the sun. The roots are just as important, if not more, because they allow you to expand your canopy and stay grounded with the world. T: (silence) Z: It’s a nice sentiment I’ll give you that, but what if there are pieces and parts you want to hold onto? T: (a few dead leaves fall slowly from the tree) Z: You let them go, and you grow new leaves in their place. They may not all go at once, but it’s okay to let things go over time because that’s just the process. It like the seasons, right? T: (leaves begin to sway again as a new breeze starts) Z: It’s all about the change and surviving even if vibrancy of life is gone in harsh parts of your life. It only becomes a problem if the entire system dies because then there isn’t a chance for new growth to happen. T: (a bird flies into the tree and chirps) Z: And you let birds, or people in my case, come into the new growth and they can enjoy the new vibrancy of life with you. They may come and go as they please, but just like the leaves, that’s okay, too. T: (the bird takes flight and leaves the tree as it slowly stops swaying) Z: … T: (silence) Z: … T: (another leaf falls) Z: Yeah, thank you. I’ll be okay, it’s just… it’s just a lot to take in all at once. I mean, whether you truly know it or not, this has been helpful. It’s peaceful here under your shade, thank you, Tree. T: (leaves begin to sway as another breeze begins) Sarah AThe wispy willows’ branches nearly tickled the grass that was below my feet as I stared up at the trunk above me. Its leaves were dancing along the bark of each branch and the whole tree seemed to be in perfect harmony with each individual limb of itself. I wish I could be like this willow tree. I thought to myself as I observed its beauty in the breezy afternoon. “Willow Tree, I’ve come here today to ask for some advice. How do you maintain composure when faced with such harsh winds that threaten to blow all the leaves from your branches?” I asked the tree. “How do you maintain a sturdy trunk that never shakes even when the earth itself trembles from the pressure below? How is it that you can seem to maintain harmony within yourself? Please, I need to know your secrets for I feel like I may break apart at the seams from the weight of life's unending challenges.” For several minutes, the willow continued its dance, keeping up pace with the song of the wind and the birds, and then it slowed. A ray of sun passed through the clouds and hit the willow’s branches at the right angle, spearing through the leaves and landing on me for a moment that was too long to be a coincidence. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the sun to seep into my every pore and as I did, a gust of wind raced past with a whisper of words on its tail: “It is not what you see externally that determines your strength, your beauty, nor your solitude, but instead it is the roots that grow within and deep into the ground below. Have confidence in the roots you have planted in the earth for they are who you are and the greatest part of your being. When those are strong, even a blow to your external parts will not shake your foundation. Hang strong, little one. Your roots are planted better than you think.” Matthew H.I did not have a tree with meaning to me nearby, so I traveled to a park nearby. I walked around the park in search of a tree inviting me to discussion. I stumbled upon this one. M: Hello, I’m M, how are you doing today? It’s quite windy, I hope it does not strain your limbs and beautiful flowers. T: Hello M, I am doing alright. The wind does not strain my limbs, it does shake my flowers, I’ve been around for so long that the wind no longer fazes me. M: I’m glad to hear that, perhaps a bit too forward, but I wonder, what does faze you? T: Not much M, perhaps change? M: Change? But your nature is to change! You change outfits each season, your leaves fall with the wind, your limbs break and new ones grow. I’d assume you’re comfortable with change because you’ve had so much practice. T: (I envision the tree laughs warmly.) Haha you’re right, my nature is to change. That’s not the kind of change that scares me. M: I’m sorry, I don’t understand. T: You see over there? (My eyes follow a limb, it points towards the street. Across the street are buildings) M: Yes, across the street, those buildings? T: The street and the buildings, the construction, the cars, the light poles, the stop light, the signs. M: You know a lot of human constructions for a tree. T: Haha yes, you see I’ve watched all of these things be built up in my lifetime. I watched as humans of the past tore down my friends, I watched a they paved the earth taking away the nutrients that they needed to survive, I watched as they cut down my friends to build those buildings. M: I’m sorry, I hadn’t thought of that, how colonization has destroyed your home. T: Well this park is now my home, but I’m still contained to it. I’m stuck here, I get pruned by the parks department every few months. M: Your life doesn’t sound so wonderful. T: Well there is something wonderful in my life as a witness. I now witness humanity, there’s something beautiful about all of you. The kids that run up to me, the joy that the park brings all of you. It confuses me though, how much you enjoy this nature in the park in contrast with how much nature you’ve destroyed. M: I can’t apologize for all of us, but I’m sorry. I wish I could go back and change something, I wish we all lived in a way that prioritized the multitude of life on this planet. Humanity is not one of sense nor structure, the only pattern we follow seems to be greed. T: I know, I can’t say it’s okay, but I can ask that you’re careful in your choices. Don’t let this repeat. Allow good change, change that doesn’t harm. (I sat for some time, contemplating this discussion. The idea of CHANGE. I’m often uncomfortable with change. This tree I’m talking to doesn’t like some of the changes around it, but it’s confined. How can I be a part of positive change? This tree can’t move it’s limbs unless the wind moves them, but I can move on my own, without the push of the wind. I can harness the winds. I look up at the flowers above me, with a newfound sense of gratitude.) M: Thank you for talking to me. T: Any time M, you know where to find me. Come back and see me when the weather changes, some of my friends look great in the fall. (I sense that we have a shared understanding, something has been awakened in me, and the tree knows they have done their job, that although they can’t leave the confines of the park and move, they’ve moved something within me.) M: Haha, I’ll come to see you then. <img width="1300" height="1732" width_o="1300" height_o="1732" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d1a295c27ace280b85102c26086d0e97bc1356992de23b5c65ab2afbe8412c3e/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.48.24.png" data-mid="141888383" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d1a295c27ace280b85102c26086d0e97bc1356992de23b5c65ab2afbe8412c3e/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.48.24.png" /> J. Gi For provocation #6, I sought my favorite tree in the world: this cherry blossom tree right in the middle of my favorite trail in my favorite park. That tree means so much to me. My girlfriend and I go there all the time to do schoolwork, to draw, or even just to let the sun shine on us. It offers shade, but it also offers an aesthetic, views, and vibes like nothing else. When I greeted the tree, I said “what’s happening.” Gotta keep it 100 with the tree. The “problem” that I’ve been giving a lot of thought to in the past weeks is a privilege to have, as it arises from a surplus of opportunity. I was offered a scholarship to domestically attend Arizona State, the school which I’m currently enrolled in online, and I’m torn between how I should allocate my free time when I arrive. I have a sales job lined up, a bartending job lined up, content pertaining to my major that’s dying to be created, and boxing classes that are waiting to be taken so I can rekindle the process of my training for future fighting endeavors. I essentially want to pursue everything fully-fledged, yet I simply don’t have enough time in the day to do every single one of these things. Do I prioritize making more money in the present moment, or do I attempt to hold out in order to develop a commodity that will generate passive income in the future? Do I begin fighting again, or will that take away from my lifting and inhibit maximum gains? There’s pros and cons tied to every single combination of these aspirations I have. I sat in meditation for about 20-30 minutes. Not a deep meditation, but rather one that granted me creative flow. I jumped from thought to thought, from potential reality to potential reality, free of distraction from the world that was continuing to move around me. The tree offered me the perfect amount of shade as the weather was heating up, as to where I wasn’t chilly, but I wasn’t overheating. I felt as if I could stay there forever. After about a half hour, I eventually reached a moment of clarity: or, two moments of clarity? The conclusion which I arrived at was an uncomfortable truth. It’s one that tested my belief in myself and my ability to perform. I could either take a more guaranteed route to making money in assuming the sales position, or I could bet on my reception and ability to receive traction quickly if I started creating/promoting the scope of holistic health which I hope I can eventually share with the world full-time. I saw my life going either of the two ways: one was far safer and inviting, the other was far more ambitious, yet more exciting. I have to be honest, I didn’t arrive an answer between these two choices yet. It’s a really tough decision to make, considering the clock is ticking and I need to hit the ground running as soon as I get out to Arizona. But I do know one thing for sure: the tree held it down the whole time I was there. There’s a certain wave of tranquility it brings as I go through life moving nonstop every single day. It’s nice to remove myself from the race, realign my goals, touch base with myself, and allocate my efforts in ensuring my dreams will become reality. I’m really glad that I decided to pursue this prompt. AnonymousI did feel a bit silly talking to a random tree, but after a while I got somewhat used to it, and decided to ask what it can teach me about life and came up how the more a tree grows the more roots it needs to stay grounded and have it standing upright, and how important ancestry or lineage&nbsp;should be to people. I also gave the tree a response&nbsp;that it got me thinking about what parenting is like compared to a tree. Parenting is like a tree, it provides and the offspring would take wood from it and how wood can't be given back, and in the end all that&nbsp;is left is a stump.Danielle W. There is this tree in my backyard that I look at every single day. She shades the yard with her leaves, and right now, she is growing mangos from her branches. I love this tree not only for the fruit that she bears but because she lets me hang bird feeders from her, and she is always welcoming to the critters that come and visit. Today I asked her about growth after loss and how transformative pain can become when viewed from a different perspective. J. Taylor Me: Good morning Mr. Tree how are you doing on this fine day. Tree: (Sways in the wind) Me: I have a problem concerning what I should with a second vehicle. My wife has a car that is paid off, but we need a second vehicle and I’m wondering if I should get a motorcycle or a car. I know the car is safer and more practical, but the motorcycle can be attained faster and can solve this situation. What do you think? Tree: (Sways in wind) Me: I know, the car is safer but then I have to be more patient and wait to save up more money for that to happen. Tree: (Sways in wind) Me: So, you think that good things come to those who wait and are patient and that I will be happier in the long run with a car? Tree: (Sways in wind) Me: Okay Mr. Tree thank you for your advice and patience and, like you, if I wait to get the better the choice, I will be stronger in the end. Like a tree with good roots! Tree: (Sways in wind) Krizel Z. <img width="1512" height="1136" width_o="1512" height_o="1136" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0d968142ce9c80fa7b28be619b4457ae527dad11d19bb9a7cdc6fb874a01e342/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.17.30.png" data-mid="141890143" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0d968142ce9c80fa7b28be619b4457ae527dad11d19bb9a7cdc6fb874a01e342/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.17.30.png" /> <img width="746" height="994" width_o="746" height_o="994" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3f22706f10e96c0d6241b973e215fbc6568a5bc525afdf73e4b44d4794e31893/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.17.35.png" data-mid="141890144" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/746/i/3f22706f10e96c0d6241b973e215fbc6568a5bc525afdf73e4b44d4794e31893/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.17.35.png" /> AnonymousI walk up to a tree with pencil and paper in hand. I&nbsp; feel bad interviewing the tree while holding their deceased brethren. Maybe it won't notice. It is an Olive Tree. It throws dying olives at me. Maybe it is the wind and not that the tree is mad that I show off my trophies of its lost kin. I think maybe I should have brought a tape recorder or my phone to take notes. Maybe a pen and written on my hand. The tree has birds in its branches, they make noises at me. They are not happy I am near. Tree? Is anyone happy to have me around? I wonder about that. I know Tree, you are stuck here, unable to wander free. Stuck with people you don't want around. You are right. I am lucky. I can leave when people, places, or things annoy me. When traffic is loud, a dog is pawing at my leg, it starts to rain.&nbsp; I can put headphones on and drown out the voices of people I don't want to listen to. Or enjoy music that makes me happy. Does music make you happy, Tree? You hear music as cars drive by, or the sound of mufflers and sirens as vehicles pass. Do you ever get bored, Tree? Do you ever feel like there should be something more? You are right. I am lucky. I can explore new places and meet new people. I can try different foods and play sports. I can move if I don't like my neighbors, or gather with friends and have a party. You are a smart Tree and didn't even go to college. Oh, you went to a nursery. You are funny, Tree. A twig drops on my shoulder, perhaps Tree giving me a friendly pat. A neighbor walks by and stares at me talking to Tree. "You should commune with nature more", I tell her. I and Tree laugh. A bird flies off. Anonymous I walked outside confidently with my pen and paper as I greeted a tree that has grown up with me the past decade. At first, I felt silly speaking to something that couldn't speak back, but then I started to break down. My response for each thing I said to the tree was, “why me?” Today marks the day that I found out about the cancer spots on the heart, not physically on my own, but on someone I care about deeply. The person that gave me life. So I question the tree’s guidance and find that I’m still lost. I don’t have all the answers and neither does the tree, but that’s okay. Life goes on. Alyssa H.&nbsp; Good morning, Tree, are you well? That’s good. I bet it’s nice to stand here in the sun and just be. How am I? For me, life has been work. Noise. I live just outside the busiest part of the city, where it’s uninspired and scary. I’m afraid of it all. I don’t crave walks alone like I used to. And why would I? There’s nothing peaceful about the sound of dozens of engines, or the burn of strangers’ eyes. Nothing about this place is for me. I’m sorry. I think I went on too long about myself. What do you see through your leaves? Do you observe nature as we do? Do you find yourself appreciative of your surroundings? Tree, I think I envy you. I barely even have time to think. Or maybe I don’t allow myself to. And I don’t live in nature. I live in the opposite of it. I have to travel to see you. But you live here, in a beautiful place untouched by industry and noise. I wish I could feel at ease, I wish I were you. And the tree said You are worth envying, too. I can only grow in the same pattern I always have. You have the opportunity to learn countless things. Meet so many different people. You and I breathe the same air, rely on the same sun, gaze at the same stars. We are the world together. The universe. You are significant. Don’t ever forget that. <img width="532" height="614" width_o="532" height_o="614" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b121efd14826a719c5045cf59bfc59c68777a9a09a265b08221da5d9a99b1535/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.20.21.png" data-mid="143023612" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/532/i/b121efd14826a719c5045cf59bfc59c68777a9a09a265b08221da5d9a99b1535/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.20.21.png" /> Lori M. The tree I wish to visit lives only in my memories. My best friend, Monica and I used to refer to him as The Big Oak. The Big Oak was a huge majestic tree on the gravel road in between my house and her’s. As a little girl I always thought of the big oak as a male. He was one of the largest trees I can remember. The big oak sits at the split in the road and yes he is still there. He was our meeting spot, tall, healthy and handsome. Thank you Big Oak for protecting me on my many journeys along the lonely gravel road. You watched over the horses in the pasture. You watched my friends and I grow up. From playing tag to sneaking out to graduating high school. You saw most of the childhood drama and teenage mischief of myself and my oldest and dearest friend. My life is comparable to The Big Oak. The foundation of The Big Oak is deeply rooted in North Carolina. I still call North Carolina home even though my parents moved away from there after I was grown. I keep remnants of North Carolina alive in my accent. I will never lose my accent. I don’t try, I don’t want to. It is a part of who I am. The branches represent growth, achievement, heartache and fear. All the emotions of the living. There are dead branches and sad and droopy branches. The Big Oak is a symbol of a lifelong friendship. The Big Oak knows me better than I know myself. He has been with me most of my life. He encourages me to follow my dreams. Live each day like it’s the last. Value things money can't buy. He wants me to be myself and have fun along the way. <img width="704" height="1024" width_o="704" height_o="1024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66d3aee402a7d91c92475f1cdc92264372b40b4039492954f5b3b33da8395c30/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.57.14.png" data-mid="143026345" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/704/i/66d3aee402a7d91c92475f1cdc92264372b40b4039492954f5b3b33da8395c30/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-14.57.14.png" />Maria R. A Lover Lost I woke up bright and early There I went to the tree near my house in Tennessee It asked me “oh dear what is it that hurts your heart?” I ponder what do I say, how do I say it? My heart aches for someone who is not mine “There is lover who hurt me, no matter what I do all my thoughts go back to him. Should I try working it out again?” T: “Men come and go, never let man tell you twice he doesn’t care about you. Seems like you know you should not give him the time of day, yet you wish to confirm something that is not there.” “You’re right. So, what should I do, the thoughts remain, my heart aches? I feel as if a weight has been tied to my chest.” T: “Let it remain. Go to your friends, find those who will hold you, look around you there are those who could love you. Then you’ll see slowly the weight will lift itself. No longer will he be more than a memory.” “How long will it take? I want this feeling to leave right now if it can.” T: “The way your love for him grew over time there is no limit to how long it will take to leave. If you truly wish to let his silence concern you then remember that his actions have proved you right many times.” “You’re right. I should let go when the silence has given me a reason to.” T: “Remember you didn’t lose a lover, he did.” <img width="990" height="544" width_o="990" height_o="544" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f67c979c203e17f3431e63405bcf3f0fa945aea888980336334953db64456f44/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.17.10.png" data-mid="143027790" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/990/i/f67c979c203e17f3431e63405bcf3f0fa945aea888980336334953db64456f44/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.17.10.png" />Skylar H. S: Hi tree. I hope you don’t mind that I climbed you to get this interview. T: It’s all right. I am particularly climbable after all. Besides, it is a lovely day to be outside, and to climb trees. S: Do you ever wish that you didn’t have to be outside all the time? Today is nice, but surly there must be days that you wish you could go inside… or anywhere else anyway. T: Not really. I have lived my whole life outside… in this exact place even! I really can’t imagine anything else. Sure, it gets cold sometimes, or to hot, and it may not seem exciting to always be in the same place, but it isn’t terrible to be a tree. It can be actually quite exciting at times even. Think about it. I’m out here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. I get to see exactly how everything around me changes. And it is fascinating to see how much everything does change! S: And what have you noticed change in the time you’ve spent here specifically? T: Mostly just how big it has gotten here. That is, just many of your kind there are here now compared to when I was planted. Say, what do you call this place anyway? S: This city? T: Sure, I guess? S: Dallas. T: Huh, that’s kind of a funny name! S: Is it? What do you call it? T: I don’t call it anything. S: Why? Do you not name all these things you see? T: I’ve never needed to. Nothing ever moves, so I don’t need a name to keep track of it. It’s always there. S: And what about the things that do move? T: Well, its not as if I can go chasing after such things, so I tend to just let it go. Did you have a name by the way? S: Skylar T: That’s nice. Hey thanks for hanging out with me today. As I wrote this I found myself thinking about the relationship between words and people’s tendencies to never sit still. I couldn’t help but to wonder, if trees could use language the same way humans can, then what would be the differences between the way that we label the environments we occupy? When I think about it, Humans are more or less constantly moving between new environments and have a constant need to keep track of the things they’ve seen, and might see later, whereas a tree stays in the same place its entire life. With it being that trees never move from where they are, and thus don’t actively change what they experience from moment to moment, would they worry about the need of labeling everything in their environment in the same way that humans do? Or would they be more comfortable simply existing in a more… wordless way, even if they had language. <img width="454" height="1048" width_o="454" height_o="1048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/af1907be5f86a5c46b23ed86633c1caa9ef9a11f8cfa69c9c24a72262529d6bd/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.32.18.png" data-mid="143029083" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/454/i/af1907be5f86a5c46b23ed86633c1caa9ef9a11f8cfa69c9c24a72262529d6bd/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.32.18.png" />Camila. A Cami: Hello tree! You caught my attention, every time I pass by here and see you, I feel that you are a very wise tree and that you have lived through many experiences, but I have an existential doubt, just as we feel emotions, do you do it too?Wise Tree: Hello human! I am a eucalyptus tree and I can live up to 400 years, and yes, I can experience a form of tranquility when my branches sway gently in the wind or when my roots absorb water. I also feel sadness when my leaves fall in autumn. Emotions are relative and have no fixed form or meaning.Cami: And how do you face your storms or difficult moments?Wise tree: I have learned to see life situations in a different way, when there are many storms and strong winds, I no longer feel afraid, on the contrary I feel freedom when my leaves move from one side to the other and I feel the breeze pass through my trunk and all my branchesCami: And how can I live with more peace and more connection with nature?Wise tree: Spend time observing and listening to the nature around you. Pay attention to the sounds of birds, the babbling of streams, and the rustling of the wind in the leaves. Learn to appreciate the beauty in the details and live more slowly. <img width="1200" height="1600" width_o="1200" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b33904b0767e30ad5d7f517c6cdf641f5bf60fd3489dfcb6f40f2b762699c46b/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-02-at-00.20.13.jpeg" data-mid="198274813" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b33904b0767e30ad5d7f517c6cdf641f5bf60fd3489dfcb6f40f2b762699c46b/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-02-at-00.20.13.jpeg" /> <img width="1200" height="1600" width_o="1200" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/68fb44c1b35f8d9dd1773c306f7ccba832e826337ae890f1d5478a09a027cb5f/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-02-at-00.20.12.jpeg" data-mid="198274803" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/68fb44c1b35f8d9dd1773c306f7ccba832e826337ae890f1d5478a09a027cb5f/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-02-at-00.20.12.jpeg" /> https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/7-Tyson-E-Lewis Thu, 11 Feb 2021 00:09:47 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/7-Tyson-E-Lewis Provocation 7:&nbsp; Tyson E. Lewis <img width="1028" height="722" width_o="1028" height_o="722" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0fad5bfda0e6d56652f79cd1eb3685eb6d09a63a23b9d24e2d2d56bfeed041a8/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-10.35.36.png" data-mid="107765331" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0fad5bfda0e6d56652f79cd1eb3685eb6d09a63a23b9d24e2d2d56bfeed041a8/Schermata-2021-05-07-alle-10.35.36.png" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b00d616800715b2a96d8c546400c3b03e888ecf2c909ccea94f932e80560baad/PROVO7_2.png" data-mid="107765326" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/b00d616800715b2a96d8c546400c3b03e888ecf2c909ccea94f932e80560baad/PROVO7_2.png" /> Provocation 7 1. Choose a professional form of writing (the cover letter, the resume/CV, the &nbsp; &nbsp;biographical statement, syllabus, lesson plan, and so forth). 2. Reflect on what value these forms have, what expectations we attach to them, &nbsp; &nbsp;and what norms/conventions they operate by. 3. Write something in the chosen form but suspend and render inoperative all &nbsp; &nbsp;the typical values, expectations, and norms/conventions that govern the &nbsp; &nbsp;form. 4. Share what has been produced.&nbsp; BIO: Dr. Tyson E. Lewis is a humanoid lifeform that inhabits the academic biosphere, feeding off of ideological dross that falls to the bottom of the canopy floor. He spends most of his time manipulating specially modified flagella to produce words and symbols that he then trades with other humanoids in a draconian barter system known as “publish or perish.” You can see a Lewis on display at the University of North Texas where the specimen is exhibited in the newly renovated “classroom” habitat that includes students for him to teach and studious infrastructure for behavioral stimulation and intellectual enrichment. Responses:Hong-An (Ann) Wu 吳鴻安 <img width="1290" height="902" width_o="1290" height_o="902" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66435f1be60f68d0d81249dabcaef8bcec2280f628d6c410b2c464d481b4c8e0/403-The-Forbidden.gif" data-mid="110375842" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/66435f1be60f68d0d81249dabcaef8bcec2280f628d6c410b2c464d481b4c8e0/403-The-Forbidden.gif" /> Charlotte Bowens <img width="655" height="506" width_o="655" height_o="506" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/129d2d90d2ad325b405326f83b1dca0c9277503792bd2de77743d30a9cf758e9/image001.png" data-mid="113761774" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/655/i/129d2d90d2ad325b405326f83b1dca0c9277503792bd2de77743d30a9cf758e9/image001.png" />Soledad R. <img width="1218" height="1610" width_o="1218" height_o="1610" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f5d31f1b52910a60aa35527ca6cf945721148b3e7773b07297eb79a6a3fc28d/Schermata-2022-05-11-alle-13.42.02.png" data-mid="142342346" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1f5d31f1b52910a60aa35527ca6cf945721148b3e7773b07297eb79a6a3fc28d/Schermata-2022-05-11-alle-13.42.02.png" /> Anonymous <img width="1326" height="1722" width_o="1326" height_o="1722" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a807657b19f99848248ce0022dc108f17c900f492b92608eafc2d88ac1e803fa/Schermata-2021-07-13-alle-12.44.37.png" data-mid="113761851" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a807657b19f99848248ce0022dc108f17c900f492b92608eafc2d88ac1e803fa/Schermata-2021-07-13-alle-12.44.37.png" /> Joy Travis <img width="1238" height="1602" width_o="1238" height_o="1602" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cde9c5af99a1c2c6f845905ec82a71d6bb549ec5f76d6d0c2e7010cdd0a8edd3/Schermata-2021-07-14-alle-08.34.07.png" data-mid="113834979" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cde9c5af99a1c2c6f845905ec82a71d6bb549ec5f76d6d0c2e7010cdd0a8edd3/Schermata-2021-07-14-alle-08.34.07.png" />Amalie S. Beekeeping Textbook Proposal Dearest Publishers: I have yet again devised a brilliant textbook. I am literally brilliant (1). So. This time I am proposing a textbook about beekeeping. Do I have any experience with bees? No. But I’m sure this is easy enough to pick up and write about. <img width="526" height="348" width_o="526" height_o="348" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57e53bcba40928152d4b65f53eb9cee98fe49cb9f8fd41dd2602c52d3480f87b/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-10.24.14.png" data-mid="119791617" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/526/i/57e53bcba40928152d4b65f53eb9cee98fe49cb9f8fd41dd2602c52d3480f87b/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-10.24.14.png" /> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fig. 1 What, like it’s hard? (2) So anyway, what I’m proposing is less of a textbook and more of an immersive experience. I think the best way for people to really know the bees is to overcome that initial shock and fear that they carry (3). What better way to acquaint them with bees than through my book! And I do mean that literally! My book will not have any writing and will instead just be a holding cell for a handful of live bees. See figure: <img width="528" height="500" width_o="528" height_o="500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a31706414dd48fed23ab5ad124d46007031537d63755375cc836df9e32e405e5/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-10.27.17.png" data-mid="119791717" border="0" data-scale="64" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/528/i/a31706414dd48fed23ab5ad124d46007031537d63755375cc836df9e32e405e5/Schermata-2021-09-24-alle-10.27.17.png" /> I think this will be a very successful book and will tap into a previously ignored demographic of people who want thrills AND education from their textbooks. I can see no way in which this could possibly go wrong. Please give me money so I can make this come to fruition. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sincerely, B. Keyper Knower of things, B.S. Sources: (1) My close friends and family (2) Legally Blonde, 2001, dir. Robert Luketic (3) Intuition Jeffrey B. R. <img width="1300" height="1688" width_o="1300" height_o="1688" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d12ca0ad2e5aba02355a9d89b52397b12ab4a20398f6edcce28f3e0d53ad4b95/Schermata-2021-12-01-alle-10.14.42.png" data-mid="126209329" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d12ca0ad2e5aba02355a9d89b52397b12ab4a20398f6edcce28f3e0d53ad4b95/Schermata-2021-12-01-alle-10.14.42.png" /> Natalie W. <img width="1340" height="1738" width_o="1340" height_o="1738" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4c6c244030f33134f46cc04cbd806774ddc6cd54fb4763ef06eca16bc8506972/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.12.23.png" data-mid="126329179" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4c6c244030f33134f46cc04cbd806774ddc6cd54fb4763ef06eca16bc8506972/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.12.23.png" /> Tamara S. <img width="1330" height="1732" width_o="1330" height_o="1732" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1858f0e6818a9f85f808ad619dd94f121c9a0e52b39affc36b8cb73c3e652d4a/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.22.12.png" data-mid="126329735" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1858f0e6818a9f85f808ad619dd94f121c9a0e52b39affc36b8cb73c3e652d4a/Schermata-2021-12-02-alle-11.22.12.png" /> Jocelyn O. <img width="1350" height="1740" width_o="1350" height_o="1740" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cf4b6594fcf17d0d9f9997823e85be3d6f0065817e53f492dd203ab66a1ada61/Schermata-2021-12-03-alle-10.13.21.png" data-mid="126417829" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cf4b6594fcf17d0d9f9997823e85be3d6f0065817e53f492dd203ab66a1ada61/Schermata-2021-12-03-alle-10.13.21.png" /> Anonymous <img width="1160" height="700" width_o="1160" height_o="700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/edbd62a677b6a0b79d4a084bc128db012368649ba9aaede6a0e20d4ba3af7e84/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.05.35.png" data-mid="127703713" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/edbd62a677b6a0b79d4a084bc128db012368649ba9aaede6a0e20d4ba3af7e84/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.05.35.png" /> Andrea B.Syllabus are designed as a contract between professors and students. It typically outlines the expectations the professor has for the students, contact information, course schedules, required textbook info and additional resources for students. Tying this provocation into the Pluriversity content made me wonder, what would teachers write for a syllabus when they don’t like to feel restricted and don’t agree with societal norms? Then I took it a step further and created a myth for the worst professor imaginable for my syllabus. This professor is truly completely imaginary but doesn’t provide a name, contact information or office hours. They tell students right away on the syllabus that they don’t care if students learn or pay attention because it ultimately has no effect on them whatsoever. In the syllabus, they reserve the right to change everything and even keep the option open to not provide links for learning material. The required textbook is Eric Carle’s, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the professor calls the students needy little brats. They also equate fill in the blank tests to mad libs for a little extra comedic effect. Laila <img width="970" height="1264" width_o="970" height_o="1264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0d60318cbafc6358367e457f9b69fe25dcd15854ff9b2cfc5b1fa255695a9490/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.13.37.png" data-mid="127703977" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/970/i/0d60318cbafc6358367e457f9b69fe25dcd15854ff9b2cfc5b1fa255695a9490/Schermata-2021-12-17-alle-14.13.37.png" /> Anonymous <img width="1076" height="1528" width_o="1076" height_o="1528" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e13a30e95e429fd616f1aeccd2c1c31e815eb867051fb8593a3f1fc53a8c2edf/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.07.36.png" data-mid="141886120" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e13a30e95e429fd616f1aeccd2c1c31e815eb867051fb8593a3f1fc53a8c2edf/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.07.36.png" /> Anonymous <img width="1112" height="1418" width_o="1112" height_o="1418" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d4942e871bc8ba62521aa02bfe633e6f0bfad8c1f46221b0b69ca7cc2309ee01/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.14.21.png" data-mid="141886392" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d4942e871bc8ba62521aa02bfe633e6f0bfad8c1f46221b0b69ca7cc2309ee01/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.14.21.png" /> Anonymous <img width="1262" height="1640" width_o="1262" height_o="1640" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/56d5761c7ea67024a067b5f7256535c0756dd3646e1ded397daa820bc254a3ed/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.21.12.png" data-mid="141886788" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/56d5761c7ea67024a067b5f7256535c0756dd3646e1ded397daa820bc254a3ed/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.21.12.png" /> Sophie E. <img width="1098" height="1418" width_o="1098" height_o="1418" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1d74a3e2e3224c79a8ee053af9b84d54abf21fd8fa0e514e64422c9e8f5defb1/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.28.01.png" data-mid="141886901" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1d74a3e2e3224c79a8ee053af9b84d54abf21fd8fa0e514e64422c9e8f5defb1/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.28.01.png" /> Nina D. <img width="1242" height="1618" width_o="1242" height_o="1618" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ea1b4e8d0bb496aa60ef2a0b5e796422908772e3ecf2a7b904f7ee2dfc9503fa/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.33.00.png" data-mid="141887280" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ea1b4e8d0bb496aa60ef2a0b5e796422908772e3ecf2a7b904f7ee2dfc9503fa/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.33.00.png" /> Anonymous The Resume serves as the ultimate introduction for any candidate looking for a job. In the quickest fashion possible, it summarizes one’s accomplishments and qualifications. One page of paper to describe a human being, AKA the most complex living organism on the planet. The Resume is not for the job-seeker’s benefit, it is for the employer’s. It makes the time consuming job of reviewing dozens of people a little more bearable. But is it a fair format? People are so much more than their direct accolades, what ever happened to “don’t judge a book by its cover”? Your future rides on a single piece of paper just to get even an interview. Qualifications are an important factor, but could we be putting too much value on them over other desirable employee traits? <img width="1012" height="1406" width_o="1012" height_o="1406" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0cf98c7569e56722b6ae19f277e676f63d3943cd5a2016ef085cc738bf54369/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.41.51.png" data-mid="141887837" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f0cf98c7569e56722b6ae19f277e676f63d3943cd5a2016ef085cc738bf54369/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.41.51.png" /> Alex D. <img width="1224" height="1584" width_o="1224" height_o="1584" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d01b9ee9227c869ce664fce17b78b701c4b82b50f6e927bad6c438eb89c16990/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.04.19.png" data-mid="141889202" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d01b9ee9227c869ce664fce17b78b701c4b82b50f6e927bad6c438eb89c16990/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.04.19.png" /> Tyler W. <img width="1130" height="1460" width_o="1130" height_o="1460" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/febab5d506748e2b2f9a1e49dace035ddf7e07b7eb1bae5307cb375cf6b292fb/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.03.56.png" data-mid="143027157" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/febab5d506748e2b2f9a1e49dace035ddf7e07b7eb1bae5307cb375cf6b292fb/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.03.56.png" /> Anonymous I had to dig pretty deep for this one. I wanted to exemplify my struggle with finding myself away from home. I recently was the first and only one in my family to ever move away. It has been a struggle finding a good job and getting settled. In this resume, I talk about my ongoing struggle with handling my intense emotions and imposter syndrome, with a few mentions of mental health in there. I wanted to put in the resume everything that a normal employer wouldn’t see while meeting me but everything that is still a strong part of my identity that I am in constant battle with every day. <img width="1020" height="1336" width_o="1020" height_o="1336" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/43a26f439d2716c607a205447a6db29d51223cbdaf79b7b932bc17f2d5ac869d/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.10.45.png" data-mid="143027428" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/43a26f439d2716c607a205447a6db29d51223cbdaf79b7b932bc17f2d5ac869d/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.10.45.png" /> Anonymous The professional form of writing that I chose was a resume. Resumes are my absolute least favorite thing in the world to write. For one, it makes me sad to write them because I know that I am not as far along in my career path as other people who are my age. It is also difficult to try and write about myself in a way that is meant to make the hiring manager interested in me. It doesn’t feel genuine. It is also disappointing to think about the fact that hiring managers often only look at someone’s resume for about 10 seconds before tossing it off to the side, but applicants often spend hours perfecting them. This resume includes some of what I wish I could really say, as well as the thoughts that come to mind while I am trying to create a resume. I enjoyed this activity, as it helped put into perspective how meaningless all of this is. Sure, it’s important to have a job and to provide for yourself, but why do we make ourselves do this? It just seems so unnecessary. This activity felt a bit like a stress reliever, as it allowed me to express feelings of mine that would otherwise be unacceptable to share on a professional document. <img width="1096" height="1408" width_o="1096" height_o="1408" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3997971a5813e085d6904296e47866c18b0e2f2c0348d8684828b37d2a83f2a6/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.23.20.png" data-mid="143028354" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3997971a5813e085d6904296e47866c18b0e2f2c0348d8684828b37d2a83f2a6/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.23.20.png" /> Nihit G. <img width="966" height="1254" width_o="966" height_o="1254" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/31f8445e9d1da8afd8d4c59bb87e43f24309be5cc130cfc0d701de53825f2453/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.28.20.png" data-mid="143028626" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/966/i/31f8445e9d1da8afd8d4c59bb87e43f24309be5cc130cfc0d701de53825f2453/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.28.20.png" /> Miriam B. <img width="1150" height="1434" width_o="1150" height_o="1434" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6fef76694c5c682677a5eb5f6621481b2223cfd2fadcd290efd922625f7b1567/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.35.18.png" data-mid="143029427" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6fef76694c5c682677a5eb5f6621481b2223cfd2fadcd290efd922625f7b1567/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.35.18.png" /> Drake C. <img width="1206" height="1562" width_o="1206" height_o="1562" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2ff1a9957b3488e9a4f8969e4032edd18e57fcd708d3b8f350c7ade3b92fb3a4/Screen-Shot-2023-12-01-at-12.30.27.png" data-mid="198362025" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2ff1a9957b3488e9a4f8969e4032edd18e57fcd708d3b8f350c7ade3b92fb3a4/Screen-Shot-2023-12-01-at-12.30.27.png" /> https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/8-Krissie-Marty-Forklift-Danceworks Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:36:59 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/8-Krissie-Marty-Forklift-Danceworks Provocation 8:&nbsp; Krissie Marty / Forklift Danceworks ︎ Visit Forklift Danceworks’&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;website <img width="1528" height="1016" width_o="1528" height_o="1016" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/07179439e53cefa43ebc23415eccf328f6f018aee31aa43b0e1ea684b70b2618/KrissieBW.jpg" data-mid="109609979" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/07179439e53cefa43ebc23415eccf328f6f018aee31aa43b0e1ea684b70b2618/KrissieBW.jpg" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/98504614c44e3e321e6ad4fbf61df49e39a1e812f994566c63630616ddce9829/PROVO8_2_newnew.png" data-mid="110133614" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/98504614c44e3e321e6ad4fbf61df49e39a1e812f994566c63630616ddce9829/PROVO8_2_newnew.png" /> Provocation 8: Notice the work around you. Learn from someone at work. Ask them about their job. Questions to get started: How long have you been doing your job? How long have you worked here/there?How did you get into it? What do you love about your job? Or what is your favorite thing about your work? What is hard or challenging about it?What do you have to know to be good at this job?What would you want people to know about your job or the work you do?If you are able and conditions allow, work alongside this person. Be of use and try the work with your own body. Try these questions with someone you know or someone you don’t know. Learn from a friend or family member, or someone whose work you encounter regularly, or someone you are just meeting whose work supports your daily life. Share their answers and what you learn here or with someone else. BIO:Working in the mediums of dialogue, participation, and collaboration, Krissie Marty makes dances with people who aren’t traditionally considered dancers. As Associate Artistic Director of Forklift Danceworks, she most often engages city employees in dance-making. Krissie created and directed RE Source, featuring the employees and machinery of a 125,000 square foot Goodwill recycling warehouse. She also co-choreographed Served - Williams College, PowerUPfeaturing Austin’s electrical utility, Play Ball Downs Field on a historic Negro League baseball field, and The Trees of Govalle featuring Austin’s Urban Forestry Program. She helped to conceive of and design My Park, My Pool, My City, co-directing each performance in the trilogy. Krissie holds an MFA in Choreography from the University of Iowa, and her community-based choreography has been performed in partnership with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Kennedy Center, Stratford Circus (London), Chateau de Cazals (France), and Adugna Dance Company (Ethiopia). Responses: AnonymousElectricity is something that we as people take for granted everyday. Living in a country where the norm for us is luxury for others is something that we must all come to appreciate from time to time. My father is an electrician and a foreman, and deals with huge projects that rely on electricity. One of the most memorable times Ive had was working with him and the company from projects that started with digging holes in the ground to run huge pipelines, to eventually a full size building working on the lights in the ceiling. After asking several questions about his work life and working with him side by side, it definitely changes my perspective on life and not only humbles me but makes me appreciate the life that we live in and the work that is needed for us to enjoy this lifestyle. Me: How long have you been doing your job?Father: I’ve been doing electrical for 34 years now. Started out as an apprentice and then worked my way up to an electrician to eventually a foreman.Me: How did you get into it?Father: I dropped out of college and knew I needed to find a career that made good money and something I wouldn’t mind doing for the rest of my life. I’ve always worked with my hands and I knew that out of all the construction positions electrical made the most money so I went for it. I had times where I was disappointed from dropping out but I have never regretted it to this day.Me: What do you love about your job/ what is hard or challenging about it?Father: Everything. I love the challenge that comes with it. I love yelling and being mad when I don’t get something. I love making the impossible possible, from certain restrictions that we must follow too deadlines, to eventually seeing the project come to a close. Pov: (While working with my father and seeing the challenges that arose, when I say there were challenges there were. Looking at the plans and having to abide to what the inspector wants and to what the owner of the building wants to what our boss wants done was quite overwhelming but seeing my father complete it with flying colors was something to admire.)Me: what do you have to know to be good at this job?Father: You need to be okay with failure and need to learn how to problem solve on a bigger scale. Just like engineers and programmers need to be problem solvers, so is the same for electricians. You need to know how to bend pipe, to hook up disconnects, knowing electrical codes, to knowing which size of wire to use for what kind of job, to know what materials are needed for a certain job or tools for that matter. You really need several years of experience to understand what is the goal of the job.Me: What would you want people to know about your job?Father: I would want them to know that being a construction worker in particular an electrician, is a valuable position in society and deserves the same recognition as someone who went to college for a career. Never frown upon someone that works in a dirty job because without those people, society wouldn’t be as luxurious as we would want it and lifestyles would be a lot different. We must always appreciate the workers that do the jobs people would never dream of doing, because they really are the backbone of this country.After sitting down with my father and asking him these questions and reflecting on my own experiences while working with him, it has definitely made me appreciate the “dirty jobs” and the workers behind them. Charlotte Bowens:I spend a few hours with this black man I know and who plays with numbers all day which seems to be the most boring thing ever but he assures me there is magic in numbers. He reminds me that the world is made up of numbers and the financial accounting piece is only one part of it. We discuss his daily routine that at first seem monotonous and rigid but I soon discover that there is thinking involved in managing money, there is a kind of science that is used to untangle the web of taxes but he recalls with a genuine fondness the expansive creativity required in reconciling the numbers with all the available information. His greatest joy is witnessing tears or huge smiles when he has helped someone save or even receive money they hadn’t expected. And I’m surprised when he talks about the ugliness of accounting but most especially money. People are afraid of a tool, he calls it a tool, that has so much power over our lives or perceived power, so he tells me. The tool talk is interesting and a perspective I’ve never considered. The power over my life is palpable and familiar, I want to think I have power over it, money that is but for whatever reason,&nbsp; I’m no different than anyone else who feels powerless to money. He says our somewhat dissociative relationship to money is why the accounting profession will always grow and flourish, not because it’s hard or requires any real intellectual prowess but out of fear. I think about the accountant guy the next time I swipe my card and when I go to reconcile my bank statement, something I do once maybe twice a year. Truth is I fall back into my daily routine of letting money rule me and I shell out a portion of my earnings to the accountant guy because I recognize that unleashing myself from my internalized fear of money will be a journey best conquered one day at a time. Ben UelandI recently had a conversation with one of the aircraft mechanics at my local airport asking if he would mind sitting down and talking to me about his career in maintenance. He said he’d love to. His name is Brian, and he is a retired US Navy crew chief, who now works on small GA aircraft for a local flight school. We started with his early Naval career. I asked him, “What made you want to join the Navy for maintenance?” He said he didn't want to work on them, he wanted to fly them. He couldn’t because he got anthro’d out for being too tall. He told me he was very upset at first but came to enjoy working on the jets, and seeing the pilots succeed in their mission while flying “his” jet. He was in the Navy for 24 years, and deployed on US aircraft carriers to both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Allied Force in the 1990s. Brian said ship life was miserable but his work was one of the most rewarding feelings he felt, and that he continues to feel the same way to this day. His work now pales in comparison to before. I look up to Brian in many ways, but in large part due to his ability to enjoy the process of life, and to accept heartbreak and move forward to new light, and have a wonderful career doing so. Margaux M. My husband just got a new job.&nbsp; He is an actuarial and while I love math; I can’t seem to find the draw with what he does. I think asking him these questions while keeping an open mind can not only help me understand his day-to-day tasks more, but can also help me connect with him on a deeper level.&nbsp; So, on his lunch break, I began to ask him… Me: How long have you been doing your job with this company? Husband: I have been working with them for almost two whole months at this point, so I am relatively new. Me: How did you get into it? Husband: I have always loved math, that I something we always did together when we were in the same classes.&nbsp; I looked for ideas before going to college on a way that I could be financially stable while pursuing my passion for math. While it is and was certainly a lot of work, an actuary is what fit for me and my life goals. Me: That’s so sweet of you to bring up. I certainly miss the high school days where we would come home and do our calculus homework together.&nbsp; What would you say is your favorite thing about your job? Husband: Other than the pay, I would say that learning something new every day is probably my favorite thing.&nbsp; It is really neat to be able to grow while working. I can appreciate it. Me: Alright and what is the hardest part of your job. Husband: Right now, that hardest thing for me is learning the ropes.&nbsp; Since I just started not too long ago, there are a lot of things that I need to learn about the company itself.&nbsp; Learning their processes from the bottom up has been pretty challenging for me.&nbsp; Although, I am definitely seeing improvement in my abilities with each passing day. Me: I’m glad to hear it!&nbsp; I have certainly noticed you being stressed out, but then once you get something I can immediately tell; you look proud and much more calm than before.&nbsp; What do you have to know to be good at your job? Husband: Honestly, most of all you need to be able to problem solve and critically think.&nbsp; While you definitely need the basis of an education in math, you will not get very far without the abilities I mentioned. Me: I feel like that is true for a lot of jobs.&nbsp; Basic knowledge can only get you so far, you need to have other skills to excel that are normally harder to acquire.&nbsp; What would you want people to know about your job? Husband: I guess just that it has quite a bit of a learning curve, but once you get into it, it all begins to make sense. While his answers weren’t a huge surprise to me, it was nice getting to have a conversation that isn’t the norm.&nbsp; It wasn’t “how was work” or “did you finish everything today”.&nbsp; I enjoyed going a bit deeper into his day and listening to what he had to say.&nbsp; His comment of learning something new every day is probably what brought me the most clarity on his motivation within his job.&nbsp; I found it really interesting and it allowed me to understand him a bit more. Timothy H. The simple pleasures in life are never as simple as they seem. Kids will always laugh but carry enormous amounts of work to keep them safe and happy. Jobs will always be enjoyable if we let them. And there will always be something delicious to grab on the way home but the work that goes into something as enjoyable will never be fully grasped until you grab the rubber scraper and start mixing. I recently sat down with a local small business bakery owner to ask her questions about work. Q: How long have you been running your bakery? How long have you been a baker? A: “I have been running Bake MD for over 2 years. I make all kinds of cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and anything you can bake. I have been baking for nearly my whole life. Professionally about 5 years.” Q: How did you get into it? A: “I remember as a kid on the farm my mom would always be baking something in the kitchen. I remember her waking up at 3am to bake goodies for us and for dad to take out to the field. It’s also been something I’ve been around and enjoyed.” Q: What do you love about your job? Or what is your favorite thing about your work? A: I love seeing people’s reactions when they first see their order. People in my small-town area don’t expect high quality baked goods, especially at my prices. My favorite thing would be seeing the result of orders. Orders are essentially the same but every now and then I get one that pushes my skill set. Seeing those orders completed is really pleasing. Q: What is hard and challenging? A: The hardest part is being away from my family for extended periods. Baking is a job from before sunup to after sundown. That means losing time with my boys and husband. Q: What do you have to know to be a good baker? A: Anyone can bake the same quality products as I do. To be a good baker you constantly must set yourself apart from homemade. Q: What would you want people to know about being a baker? A: Baking isn’t as easy as it looks. You’re dedicating your entire day to a kitchen that in most cases is far too small. Sitting down with Chelsea awakened me to the efforts of small-town businesses. She put extensive labor into ensuring her products leave their customers with ear-to-ear smiles. In her world those are the biggest payoffs. I can honestly say I do not display enough appreciation for the laborious work to make a five-minute experience enjoyable. From now on when I step into a small shop, run by a select few individuals, I’ll take a step back to absorb every effort that went into making my experience enjoyable. Anonymous Work around you Growing up my parents have had a few jobs and they have learned a lot from those jobs. &nbsp;My parents were unable to obtain high-paying and "important" occupations in Mexico because they were unable to complete their education. However, they started their own business and have used the talents they've acquired over the years to make it a success. They run a profitable automobile detailing business in the little town where we live. How long have you been doing your job? Mom: We’ve been in this business for 16 years. We started when your father started working got a company in America. However, in 2017, we started our own company and began working for ourselves. How did you get into it? Mom: We got into this because your father was tired of working for people who didn't treat him well, and he decided it was time to break out on his own, so he quit his previous job. What do you love about your job? Mom: I mean, everything. It may be different for your father, but when we talk to the older clients, they want to talk a lot, which I enjoy because it makes me feel like I'm keeping them company. Dad: I enjoy the fact that I am not required to work for anyone else. That we have the freedom to set our own hours and work whenever we wish. I really enjoy the opportunity to meet folks from all over town. What is hard or challenging about it? Mom: Dealing with the customer. Even though I like meeting the customer it is also one of challenging things about our job. Since we are Mexican, some of the customers judge us because of nationality and say very rude things to us. What would you want people to know about your job or the work you do? We have gained a lot of experience and have virtually perfected this work because we have been doing it for so long. People may believe that detailing is a simple job that everyone can do, but this is not the case. You must understand how to utilize the chemicals and cleaning supplies so that the vehicle you are working on is not damaged.Geoffrey S.I just picked up a full time job that I consider to be extremely temporary. Due to the pandemic I lost my last from social distancing guidelines. It’s been about three months now since working my new job here at Amazon. I’ve never worked in this type of environment before but the best way to describe it would be a “glorified warehouse”, definitely nothing luxurious, nothing sexy about the job. The type of work performed here would be described hard manual labor, this is something that I’m definitely not accustomed to. After the first week of work I started to become discouraged because well, for lack of a better term I guess you can say I’m “spoiled”. I entered this situation feeling like I was “too good” for the job. On my lunch breaks I’d run into this older gentleman, Joe. Joe was an older gentleman probably close to his sixties.&nbsp; You can tell Joe had lived a lot of&nbsp; life, and he lived it hard. There was a wiseness about him that was almost comforting. “What's wrong youngster?” Joe said to me. I go on to explain my dislike for the job and the type of work it entailed. “Suck it up champ, you’ll be ok!”. That’s one thing I like about Joe, he always looked at life in a positive perspective despite the circumstances given, I’m sure Joe has his own story which he could complain about, but he doesn't. He shows up to work everyday with a smile on his face. Q- How long have you worked here? A-I’ve worked in warehouses my whole entire life, I love the work, I love working with my hands. I have been&nbsp; at this particular fulfillment center for 2 months, but I’ve been with the company for 6 years. I used to work at the other location in Camarillo as a driver..I’d bring home 6 g’s a month, with&nbsp; overtime! Q- What do you like about this job?A- I never graduated highschool Geoffrey, I had a family to raise at a young age.&nbsp; When working in a warehouse, the company isn’t worried about school, or this and that. I’m a hard worker, and my work here is appreciated in an environment like this. I like to work with my hands. I'm 58 years old and still going strong.Q- What do you want people to know about the work you do?A- Geoffrey, now listen. I know this job isn't the fanciest. But it’s an honest living. It doesn't matter if I'm mopping floors or driving the forklift. What I want people to know is that no matter the task I will always perform it to the best of my ability. If you come into work with a negative mindset then you're going to hate the work you do, but you come to work with the mindset of “I get to go to work today”, and appreciate the fact that you’re able to put food on the table and provide for your family, you learn to appreciate the job. I even bought my first&nbsp; house when I was 30! I plan on working a few more years until I can buy another house and live the good life Geoffrey! Because that’s what it’s all about right?Speaking with Joe gave me some insight on how I view things, not just at work but in everyday life. I learned that my selfish, spoiled attitude has blinded me from being able to realize my blessings. Joe has become a dear friend of mind the few short months I’ve known him. Everyday I’m amazed by his optimism, positivity, and his ability to see the good in everything. I’m not exactly sure what Joe has gone through in his lifetime, but&nbsp; he doesn't let his past or the minor things create a disadvantage&nbsp; for himself here in the workplace. I take what Joe tells me to heart every time he speaks, he has much more experience to the game of life than i do. Perhaps the key thing I’ve learned in this entire experience while being here, is to approach everyday with the same work ethic. Sure we all have good days and bad ones, sure we’ve had those times when we were exhausted from staying up all night the night before, studying and working on a paper, or those days when we’re just not feeling it.&nbsp; Or even in this case working a new job that isn’t as “glamorous” as previous ones I’ve had.Now I go to work with the mindset of having and being able to hold a job is a gift, and I treat the job as such. Because just like Joe says, “No matter how you slice the pie, it still tastes sweet”. I’m not sure what he means by that, but it resided with me. Ji G. For provocation #8, the angle that I wanted to take on this prompt was one where I familiarized myself with a job that was closely related to mine, yet I was far removed from. When seeking inspiration, I prompted myself with such a question: who facilitates me doing my job, yet completely flies under the radar? A light bulb went off in my head: chefs. Allow me to explain. As a bartender, I’m pretty much on an island as far as work interactions go. I’m isolated from the kitchen, and even from the rest of the front of house that brings me the food that people order. I have literally no idea how it arrives at the point to which I serve it to my customers. Cueing one of my best friends being introduced to the Pluriversity! Nate is a sous chef/kitchen manager at my restaurant of employment. I got to work about an hour early yesterday to give him this mini-interview. We had a great time collaborating, and walking through his day-to-day while picking his brain enhanced not only my understanding of his job, but enhanced my understanding of working with the back of house in synchronicity. His responses are documented below: Q: How long have you been doing our job? How long have you worked here? A: I’ve been working as a kitchen manager, admittedly, only since I started here. That being said, however, you know better than anyone that I’ve been here since the day we opened, and even though that’s only been a year and some change, I feel like it’s been years. There’s no place I’d rather be and nobody I’d rather be working alongside. Q: How did you get into it? A: I was raised in a house with tons of siblings and a single mom. To be honest, there wasn’t a lot of attention to go around. But everyone knew my family because they knew my mom could cook. She would love to cook for anyone who would let her, and it just so happened that everyone wants to let her. My neighborhood, my friends, church, the list keeps going. I saw how people treated her differently, and I also saw how I could either get her attention and/or spend time with her if I followed in her footsteps and cooked alongside her. Q: What do you love about your job? Or what is your favorite thing about your work? A: I love how I can make people feel. Cooking has always been how I show people I love them and care about them. Every time I complete an order and a table loves their meal, it’s like I’m succeeding in life. I just made their day, and kept them from being hungry at the same time. Maybe I even saved their day, and kept them from being in a bad mood. Knowing people like the food that I make for them will always be one of the most rewarding things in my life. Q: What is hard or challenging about it? A: The hours, man. I’m here at least six hours before we open every day. Everything needs to be prepped and pre-batched, orders have to be considered then made for a week (or weeks) down the line, and sometimes I’ll be the first one in and the last one out. If you don’t get a good night’s sleep, your life sucks. It’s a lot of being on your feet. And the last thing I’d say is sometimes you know you killed a dish and put love into it, but people just don’t like it because they don’t know what they like. You just have to swallow your pride and hope they like the next thing. Q: What do you have to know to be good at this job? A: Not to downplay my abilities at all, but I feel like anyone can be good at what I do so long as they put the hours and the reps in. You learn the little things that work for you as you spend more time doing it: the way you hold and flip certain pans, the time you give certain things to charr, it’s literally all about the little things. Tasting the love is real, because when you give some food your full attention and you hit it with all of your little things, that’s what makes it literally two or three times better. Q: What would you want people to know about your job or the work you do? A: I don’t want to sound basic, but I just really want them to know that I love what I do. I feel like people don’t see back here really doing it, so they might just think I’m f***ing off, but it’s really the opposite. I’m putting everything I got into this because it’s all I have and it’s all I want. The only thing that would be better than what I’m doing right now is doing the same thing for more people! After asking Nate all of these questions, I realized the passion that he had for his job immediately transcended our relationship. There’s something about surrounding yourself with people who really care not only about you, but also about their life’s work and what they stand for. It’s an identity thing, but it’s also knowing that you’re contributing to the world exactly how you want to and in perfect alignment with your mission. Danielle W.I am supposed to be working. I am even sitting in my office surrounded by colleagues who are likely preparing for our big meeting next week. The silence is cutting into me, and the guilt plagues me for ignoring my inbox. The office smells like burnt coffee. And M's salmon bowl he just cracked open.Only three more hours until I can go home. Me: Hey T, why did you join [company]? *awkward moment of every head turning to me***internal dialog- worst timing ever...**T: Oh, you know. I just wanted something different, and I loved the mission of [company]. I was tired of working at the same old nonprofits and really needed a change. Working at [previous company] was terrible- my work-life balance was so out of wack I thought [my husband] would divorce me. Me: Yeah, I can relate to that! At least here, we have a lot of flexibility. I was excited at how [company] was dedicated to innovation. What do you love most about your role, aside from working with me? *humor is always my go-to in moments like this*T: I do love working with you, but I also love working with our grantees. Investing in other people's work and dreams is really fulfilling. I love when I am able to make the call and tell someone we are giving them half a million dollars to continue their work. The joy and potential I get to bring to people who are trying to change the World is something I will hold close to my heart forever. Me: What is something you would want people to know about the work [company] does and your role in it?T: Doing good costs money. A lot of people have this rosy vision of what social impact work is, and that usually does not include money. Amazing organizations that are creating solutions to the biggest issues facing the World have bills they need to pay and diverse funding. *phone rings*T: Sorry, D. Let's talk more later. The office goes quiet again as T walks into the hall to take her call. I smell the burnt coffee again and decide I better open my email. Reflections on random office chats. Here is a funny story for you. When I applied to work at my company, I actually applied for T's job, and she was hired for the role instead of me. I was told I did not get that specific job but was offered another role in a different department. That was nearly a year ago, and between random office days and primarily working remotely, I don't often have the chance to casually talk to her (or any of my colleagues, for that matter.) This chat took less than ten minutes and it provided a lot of insight to her as a person and how she sees the work we are doing. This activity was a great reminder of the power that little conversations have. Those random chats have been lost since working from home so much, yet they are essential. Start a conversation and stay connected. Olivia C.My roommate loves to cook. She is an amazing cook and I have never had a bad meal with her. She knows a lot about herbs and spices, and enjoys a wide variety of foods. She is very talented in the kitchen and knows how to make things work when they seem to be going wrong. When I asked her about how she came to realize that she really enjoyed cooking and why she does what she does, she gave me a very short answer that held a lot of meaning. She mentioned that family is really important to her and her grandma and mother really expressed their love through eating together and sharing meals with each other. She has found that working with people in the kitchen even if they aren't always cooking with her, is super rewarding. Her love language seems to be quality time and cooking together is both providing that and a sense of fulfillment to a human need, hunger that is. I learned that when you put your intention into a meal perhaps making soup for someone who is sad, making something fresh on a hot day or even just trying to use up produce before it goes bad, sometimes having an intention can lead to something really beautiful. She mentioned to me also that not having a plan all the time on how something is going to go is a good thing. If you are constantly stuck to a plan it's not bad per se, but feeling the flow&nbsp;of getting used to cooking is something that takes practice. So I sat and read and asked her some questions while she made some vegetarian burrito bowls. We bonded over a warm meal and easy cleanup time. I hope to be able to get better at cooking so I can share this feeling with everyone. I ended up making a tik tok about her sad soup day phenomenon, just with the Adam Driver sound saying “good soup”, she loved it. <img width="338" height="632" width_o="338" height_o="632" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bf804e3b2b99ab291700f11feffe0eb5715dfb886c6acf53a64c16b10561c6a1/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.49.15.png" data-mid="143021098" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/338/i/bf804e3b2b99ab291700f11feffe0eb5715dfb886c6acf53a64c16b10561c6a1/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.49.15.png" /> <img width="360" height="636" width_o="360" height_o="636" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7e581cc2f39dc05f4d2df15f6484ae0ba98f44127c45a664191decceed035341/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.49.09.png" data-mid="143021096" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/360/i/7e581cc2f39dc05f4d2df15f6484ae0ba98f44127c45a664191decceed035341/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.49.09.png" /> <img width="604" height="1150" width_o="604" height_o="1150" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6cdd6f6a1885173d76f2bc3e2863719079ada0ac8f3c2a7b08cab7fb14c0c3fc/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.49.32.png" data-mid="143021099" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/604/i/6cdd6f6a1885173d76f2bc3e2863719079ada0ac8f3c2a7b08cab7fb14c0c3fc/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-13.49.32.png" /> Nihit G.&nbsp; For this provocation, my take on it was to think about those closest to me and try to understand why they chose the field that they did. In this particular case, I chose to ask my father why he selected the path of hardware engineering, as the transcript shows below: (N: me; S: father) N: Hey dad, are you busy at the moment? S: No kiddo, what’s up? N: I was just thinking about the different paths people chose, and wanted some insight on why you chose the field that you did. S: Actually, when I was studying in college back in India, I originally did not want to become a hardware engineer. I originally had plans to become a doctor, but having witnessed so many deaths around me it honestly scared me at the thought that I would be responsible for the life of someone else in my own hands. I decided to look into engineering, but software seemed really boring. I did some research and thought that um, hardware engineering appealed to me the most. N: That seems valid, but I honestly like the idea of helping people when they truly need it. So why hardware engineering in particular? S: And I respect that, glad you are on a different track. Hardware engineering was cool because as a kid I was really interested in electricity and more so circuits. I liked physics for a reason, and I thought that being able to create my own circuits and create new patterns would be really interesting. Almost everything today uses circuits, even the TV in your room, and it seemed like the field was growing a lot at the time. The lucrative pay doesn’t hurt either. I actually helped in making a chip for the Xbox Series X! N: Wow that’s actually really cool, but how come I do not have one yet? S: …Any other questions Nihit? N: Yea for sure, uh did you have any challenges when you were in this field? S: Honestly challenges are a part of any career son, you just have to rise up to them. The number of times a circuit design did not work is immeasurable, but you work hard and you will be able to find a solution. Treat your work like it is a passion and really enjoy what you do in life, and the money and pleasures in life will follow. N: Thanks dad, this was really helpful. Also could not resist the urge to give me advice huh? S: Of course not, I’m your dad. It’s my job. N: fair enough, well thank you for answering! S: My pleasure, now go do your homework. And shave that beard off. This really opened my eyes to the fact that people have such different experiences in the workplace, and the advice that my father gave really stuck with me. I now have a heightened vision of going into healthcare and truly being benevolent. My primary goal is to help people in need, and to one day reunite a child with their family as an anesthesiologist. However, it takes small steps to get to a goal, and as a current behavioral health technician it made me realize that all people are unique and they all have their own wisdom to impart. Anonymous I’ve decided to interview my mother for this Provocation. At first I had been quite nervous for this part of the project since I can’t converse much in Vietnamese with my mother as much as I can understand it but I knew in order to have as much context and comfort as possible, Vietnamese was the easiest way for my mother. But nonetheless, I was thoroughly interested in listening to my mother’s thoughts and opinions on the type of work she does for a living. My mother has worked at a nail salon almost all of her life, alongside her struggles as an immigrant, foster child, and woman of color. As someone who has been fortunately alongside my mother for all my life, I am extremely grateful for the amount of work and efforts she’s made in order to provide for this life. Note: This conversation was translated from Vietnamese to English by myself. How long have you been doing your job? How long have you worked here/there? - “I’ve been working for 20 years now. I used to work and own my own nail salon but I recently had moved towards other locations and bosses.” How did you get into it? - “It was a job that I thought I could handle while attending school and taking care of my family. I wanted to work in order to further support my other family members back home in Vietnam once they migrate to America. It was also something easy enough to learn and get knowledge about.” What do you love about your job? Or what is your favorite thing about your work? - “I like all my clients. Some of my clients have been with me since my first opened business through different various locations. I’ve received family gifts, invitations, etc. I’ve created so many good relationships and connections with people through this job.” What is hard or challenging about it? - “There are moments where I have a hard or difficult time with a certain client. I’ve dealt with many younger, more immature people, as well as people who like to discriminate against me. Whether it’s my looks, my accent, everything. Despite all those good relationships and connections I’ve made, there will always be a few handful of bad clients that just have no respect for me or my field of work and that’s something I had to get used to and deal with now and then.” What do you have to know to be good at this job? - “You, of course, have to know how to nail tech. Learning how to take care of skin, cuticles, nails, etc. And if available, you would have to learn how to do other services such as, eyebrow plucking or tattooing, hair removal, etc. I went to school a long time ago in order to attain my license for all of the following. I still learn some new things now and then. I meet various different people, and have to work with their various different needs and wants. For instance, there will always be new trends or styles that come around now and then that obligate me to learn how to adapt to those new trends and styles.” What would you want people to know about your job or the work you do? - “I’d love to have more people appreciate the amount of work, technique and especially time that comes along with this job. As I said before, I am always learning new things. I might not be as good as those things but I’ll take some extreme overtime to attempt to perfect them as much as I can. My job is something I take pride in and I hope more people can acknowledge the extensive skill and craft it takes to paint those little designs on your fingers. As I stated before, I’ve always known and have always shown my utmost gratitude to my working mother for having to deal with such hardships and adversity, but having this certain conversation with her had me reflecting intensely on worth. To some, those little nail designs are nothing more than an accessory. But to my mother and her coworkers, it’s their craft. Charles L.Here is a desk beside mine at my home office.&nbsp; My wife occupies the seat as she diligently defends someone accused of a crime – she is a paralegal. Without prying too much, I ask her how she plans on helping her client beat the charges he or she may be accused of.&nbsp; She details her standard process, how she pieces the evidence together and employs the help of a forensic specialist to justify the defense.&nbsp; Her Paralegal journey started as a courtroom clerk, then blossomed into a career being a lawyer’s “right hand”.&nbsp; Me: What do you love about your job? Wife: I feel like a detective.&nbsp; I search for the smallest clues and piece all of the evidence for each case to create a story of what happened on or around the alleged dates in question. Me: What do you want people to know about the work you do, is there any wisdom that you would like to impart? Wife: Remember, everyone is innocent until found guilty.&nbsp; Some good people go to prison, some bad people are set free.&nbsp; Even if one of my clients goes away, they may not be doomed for life.&nbsp; Some people make a complete life change during their rehabilitation, and some people were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.&nbsp; Don’t get angry at strangers, they may already be committing a crime.&nbsp; Make sound decisions and have compassion for those who are going through legal battles, it is a very stressful time in their lives.&nbsp; People are not all good or all bad, we are a conglomerate of both. Anonymous&nbsp;I went to my local Indian Healthcare Center, a hospital that provides healthcare services to Native Americans who are registered with a federally recognized tribe. These hospitals are usually understaffed or underfunded compared to your typical hospital in North America and out of my better judgement I asked the doctor I was seeing, “Why work here?” I don’t typically stick my nose in someone’s life like this, but I was impulsively curious. He told me it was because someone needed to be here. “I am a doctor. There are sick people here. So, I am here.” I could have pressed more but with that answer alone, combined with his body language it became apparent that he loved being a doctor. He loved helping people and doing his best to get them healthy. Nothing outside of that mattered at all to him. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBTAA7" width="181" height="322" style="width: 181px; height: 322px;"> https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/9-Prashast-Kachru-Manisha-Sharma Mon, 08 Feb 2021 20:38:29 +0000 DesigningThePluriversity https://designingthepluriversity.cargo.site/9-Prashast-Kachru-Manisha-Sharma Provocation 9:&nbsp; Manisha Sharma / Prashast Kachru&nbsp;︎ Visit Manisha’s website &nbsp; <img width="480" height="585" width_o="480" height_o="585" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/26670fe2c4247eb7019dcfe98a2112a481f23a6dbce2d2328e47de7ee0f846d4/PrashastBW.jpg" data-mid="98235979" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/480/i/26670fe2c4247eb7019dcfe98a2112a481f23a6dbce2d2328e47de7ee0f846d4/PrashastBW.jpg" /> <img width="501" height="481" width_o="501" height_o="481" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1dc9a6f40c9386968e3980f02f814660d02f79f55914fc552d0c0609b74e3efb/ManishaSharma.jpeg" data-mid="98235958" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/501/i/1dc9a6f40c9386968e3980f02f814660d02f79f55914fc552d0c0609b74e3efb/ManishaSharma.jpeg" /> <img width="531" height="650" width_o="531" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/321ea4412a67309d993079765264cea12cbf211529fc71a7a0ed96b7fbe215b5/PROVO9_2.png" data-mid="110221863" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/531/i/321ea4412a67309d993079765264cea12cbf211529fc71a7a0ed96b7fbe215b5/PROVO9_2.png" /> Provocation 9: 1. &nbsp;&nbsp; Define in any form, a workhorse 2. &nbsp;&nbsp; Create a visualization / pattern of what you imagine a workhorse to be 3. &nbsp;&nbsp; Consider your relationship to the workhorse you imag(in)ed 4. &nbsp;&nbsp; Mark your position in relation to the workhorse 5. &nbsp;&nbsp; Share the remnants and traces of your participation in considering the &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; relationship between being and doing, vis a vis workhorses. We were discussing the relationality of being&nbsp;industrious as artist, art educator, academic, vis a vis doing for&nbsp;industry as member, employee, producer working for a market, as we drove through a vast landscape of machinic extraction in the oil fields of rural Texas. Observing the iron workhorses endlessly go through the motions of their designed task, we explored the complexity of defining a workhorse: from its etymological roots and linguistic variations, to its contemporary socio-cultural connotations. Inevitably, we came to the question of how we value “value”, i.e, success, achievement, progress - institutionally (for a market) and/ or individually (for mental, spiritual, emotional well-being). Questions emerged, becoming: What does it mean to “be driven” in life and work? What are the principle attributes of being and doing that make the idea of the workhorse redundant? How might we [re]consider our assessment of validity in learning and doing, in formal and informal ways, when we realize that in choosing efficiency in adopting/ discarding ways of acquiring and using knowledge, we discarded/ deferred / erased other ways of being/ doing; and in doing so, articulated a form and definition of “success”? Is there such a thing as an ideal workhorse? What might it look like? How do we feel about being /not being workhorses and driving/not driving workhorses in our involvement with industriousness and industry? <img width="1100" height="1100" width_o="1100" height_o="1100" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/93c68ccdf5b6971c139b070641d03506f03782eba08e841bf40ed57cf693d746/Schermata-2021-06-02-alle-14.43.05.png" data-mid="110221415" border="0" data-scale="94" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/93c68ccdf5b6971c139b070641d03506f03782eba08e841bf40ed57cf693d746/Schermata-2021-06-02-alle-14.43.05.png" /> BIO:Manisha Sharma, PhD is Associate Professor, Art and Chair of the Art and Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona School of Art. Her research and teaching unpacks the role of identity in the teaching of art, strategizes community-oriented arts programming, and explores decolonizing art education practices. Prashast Kachru is a conceptual artist, currently in his second year in the Intermedia MFA program at Arizona State University. He has studied, lived and worked in India, France, and Sweden. His current work explores the nature of materiality and toxicity of materials in artistic socio-cultural and political spheres. Responses: Shagun Singha and Akhila Singha:These illustrations were created in between reflections of what a workhorse meant to us. For Akhila, a workhorse represented a suspension of self, an entrapment of the inner child and a disguise worn as protection from the outside working world. Akhila’s visualization included in it Eckhart Tolle’s book How to be present in your life as an ironic juxtaposition, and marks her position as one wearing a mask. For Shagun, a workhorse meant an evolution similar to that of a pokémon or piñata. The xbox video game series Viva Piñata depicts colourful piñata animals living within the boundaries of a self-sustained ecosystem, micromanaged by a well-meaning caretaker. Shagun’s relationship to work is marked by a sense of control, and occupation of unmarked space, and the feeling of being trapped within a game. Shagun marks her position as a Horstachio, the second evolution of this piñata character. <img width="980" height="732" width_o="980" height_o="732" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eef736195bc16f83c57b217f1e57ab0e26318e8e8e278da640272361a82981dd/Schermata-2021-07-13-alle-12.35.57.png" data-mid="113761390" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/980/i/eef736195bc16f83c57b217f1e57ab0e26318e8e8e278da640272361a82981dd/Schermata-2021-07-13-alle-12.35.57.png" />Akhila’s visualization of a workhorse <img width="936" height="1292" width_o="936" height_o="1292" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fc1326a6bc924289aa89edafe9bcc654f75b5fdf87cba0caba4b9ad5b4e47305/Schermata-2021-07-13-alle-12.36.04.png" data-mid="113761391" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/936/i/fc1326a6bc924289aa89edafe9bcc654f75b5fdf87cba0caba4b9ad5b4e47305/Schermata-2021-07-13-alle-12.36.04.png" />Shagun’s visualization of a workhorseAnonymous <img width="2440" height="1742" width_o="2440" height_o="1742" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/260b30a2cc7df44deccd4accb54400189c006939d3bd1c3ca6ab4587b323465a/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.43.05.png" data-mid="141887984" border="0" data-scale="98" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/260b30a2cc7df44deccd4accb54400189c006939d3bd1c3ca6ab4587b323465a/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.43.05.png" />To me, a workhorse is an unstoppable force. It’s someone with the desire to keep on going no matter the circumstance. It’s tenacity and courage. My Workhorse figure represents how I see myself in relation to work. I often feel as if I spend my days struggling to stay afloat, swimming in an endless sea looking for land… Somewhere to get my footing and rest. Work is a constant in daily life, there’s no avoiding it or going around it. Therefore I must go through it. &nbsp;The workhorse mentality, that undying tenacity, cuts through the water and parts the sea. It’s about continuing even when I feel like I’m drowning. One step at a time, keep my eyes fixed on the horizon and go onward. Anonymous After reading through the responses on the website, I saw that most responses were horses in a workforce or work setting. This made me think about how us Americans are such workaholics. Right when we turn 16 and can drive, it is expected that we get a job while going to high school. Right out of high school it is expected that you go to college and work a part time job or work a full time job. After then, it is expected that you will find a career and work for a very long time. My overall point of this, is that America is a workaholic country and that it is expected that you are always working. My nana tells me about all of these stories from when she was my age. She was able to travel, see the world and just live her life young and have a great time. Now this is not allowed because in order to do all of these things, you need money and you need to work. Keep in mind that businesses and employers never want to give us time off. It is so crazy how devoted we have to be to working. America is a workaholic country that expects everyone to work so we can pay taxes and what not. I drew a workhorse with the American flag inside of it to symbolize America and the workforce. &nbsp;<img width="1204" height="1298" width_o="1204" height_o="1298" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1bf1d07fa36caeac4ee21269c656965bd58dd0078b04a309296788f52a6342b8/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.50.20.png" data-mid="141888466" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1bf1d07fa36caeac4ee21269c656965bd58dd0078b04a309296788f52a6342b8/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-15.50.20.png" /> Anonymous This is my work horse. And behind it is me. Far away. In the middle of a lake. On a tiny island. I cannot get to the horse. <img width="1024" height="1374" width_o="1024" height_o="1374" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/082be8baae8d7ec78bc1d3fd615ad83a0d33569ae8fe1dd66f6c6083597a237b/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.03.27.png" data-mid="141889174" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/082be8baae8d7ec78bc1d3fd615ad83a0d33569ae8fe1dd66f6c6083597a237b/Schermata-2022-05-06-alle-16.03.27.png" />Alfred S. H. When I think of a workhorse I think of my mother. Three kids and three grandchildren all at once living under the same roof, she worked all day and still came home to cook and feed us. My definition of a workhorse isn’t someone that has many roles because someone can do many things at once, but not excel in any of them. Sahe excelled at being a provider. A workhorse produces results and that's exactly what she did on a daily basis. Harrison H. A workhorse. A tool used to complete a task. Something that provides the physical power needed to achieve said task. Whether the tool be a material object, or another person or creature. My workhorse goes by the name, Black Eagle. A tool used to create high pressure and stream, to extract oils from a seed which is served to those awaiting it’s product. This tool is used repeatedly. Extractions pulled thousands of times each day. Always hot.&nbsp; Always prepared for use. Never given a moment to rest. I use this tool, and in my eyes it is the workhorse I cannot be without. Though through the scope of my superiors, this machine is simply a tool. And instead, I am the workhorse. <img width="938" height="694" width_o="938" height_o="694" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/81c749d9b14e5a69d5ef16f6aca6ce8839072ce8b9a1789a156ac03159858fcf/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.37.09.png" data-mid="143029477" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/938/i/81c749d9b14e5a69d5ef16f6aca6ce8839072ce8b9a1789a156ac03159858fcf/Schermata-2022-05-18-alle-15.37.09.png" />Nicholas L. When I think of a workhorse, my thoughts go straight to my father. He is a man who always needs to work, be it at his actual job, working on homework, or working on his creative outlets, he can never sit still. As a child, I always found it confounding how he would never take time to just relax, but as I've grown older I think I understand somewhat why he did so. You could say it's due to a number of things, such as his upbringing affecting his work ethic, or his American values as a veteran, but personally I think he just didn't want to give himself time to think.I've realized that the best way to not think about anything negative is to not allow myself time to do so. While my work ethic tends to be focused on my interests over my work, I still appreciate how watching my dad work tirelessly at everything he set out to do helped me become more strong willed. And while my motive is less effort related and more emotion related, Being able to do so at all is one of many things I gained from having a father like mine.