Blog Post Title: Wk1 activity (eg. reading) BY BECKIE LAMBORN
When reading the Art of Possibility, the first thing that came to my attention and started my head swirling about the world of possibilities in our lives was the idea of varied perceptions and how some things can be important to one person but not to another. The example in Zander’s book pointed out the Me’en people of Ethiopia who viewed a photograph and did not know what it was or that there was an image of something depicted on this piece of paper reminds one to be conscience of differences in people and cultures. NOt everyone views things with the same weight or measure of importance. While others may not agree, the above video shows an African culture that sees the expansion of lips as a beautiful thing,.
With the shrinking of our world we are bringing more cultures together that are different in many ways, and it is important to respect those differences. And now in this developing age of open source writings and knowledge building fueled by Internet communications and connections, sharing with others becomes a central theme. From the time we are little toddlers we are taught to share and play nicely with others, and now as adults the toys we must share consist of information, knowledge, and communications. Whether that sharing is done “freely” or not is still evolving, but the community mindset that is evolving is encouraging.
Exercising and activating the mind through the sharing and building of ideas, makes for a rich and stimulating life. Setting up a mindset that looks beyond assumptions and perceptions and embraces differences, while including values such as respect, compassion for others, and sharing, may be the common values that bring this big world of differences together.
My response to Beckie is as follows:
Beckie,
As usual your insights are on point. Our world is certainly shrinking culturally, and as our exposure to other worlds increases, so should our curiosity and empathy.
I agree fully that we should respect other cultures and allow exposure to those other cultures to expand our own horizons. As a fellow art teacher, I know as well as you that without cultures meeting, mixing, and then overlapping, that our worlds would be weaker for it. And not only in the realm of art.
The video is a nice addition to your thoughts. Art and expression are everywhere and our cultures are a direct reflection of that. Thanks for the thought provoking reaction and video!
See Beckie's blog here!
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