Universal Liberation Through Creative Self-Actualization
What the hell does it mean?
My little catchphrase/motto has several layers to it.
- Personal Fulfillment-
We are all born to be infinitely creative, then our environment/upbringing either reinforces it (if you’re lucky) or (in most cases) restricts it. As Picasso said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
How many of us have had our creativity conditioned/shamed/beaten out of us by well-meaning (or not) parents/family/friends? And how many of us still carry those scars (emotional and real) today, even if we’ve managed to hold on to our creativity?
A huge percentage of the most angry/unpleasant/destructive people I’ve ever met have had some sort of unfulfilled or denied creative urge/ability at the core of their bitterness. I’ve seen many of them have a complete 180 in their personality and happiness quotient when they were finally allowed the opportunity to scratch that itch.
I’ve seen shy and withdrawn people become ebullient and sociable (not that there’s anything wrong with being shy and withdrawn), depressed people become happier, and people’s health improve tremendously just because of getting in touch with their creative selves again. It’s not a miracle, but it sometimes looks like one.
- Social Connection-
Before the advent of mass media technology, we all entertained each other and derived our sense of personal identity from these group activities; hoedowns, hootenannies, social dances, and any number of other creative gatherings were at the heart of everyday life and our society. Virtually everyone knew how to dance, sing, and play a musical instrument. People would get together and read poetry to each other, sometimes from a book, sometimes their own. Storytelling was a major part of everyone’s life.
But when radio, television, and other media took over our society we lost touch with our creativity. We began to look outside of ourselves for entertainment, culture, and fulfillment. Popular Culture/Art/Entertainment became something we purchased and consumed, no longer part of the fabric of our lives in a meaningful sense.
We sit in our homes every night, separate from each other and from our own feelings and stories. The Loneliness Epidemic is real, and there are clear causes of it, many of them intentionally brought upon us.
Which brings us to the next layer.
- Freedom From Corporate Domination And The Billionaire Oligarchy-
In recent decades the disconnect became complete and most people are now divorced from their own creativity— and now look to multi-national corporations and tech conglomerates for their entertainment and (most-importantly) culture.
It has truly created a society full of sheepish conformists completely unable to think for themselves and/or understand what is going on in the world and in their own heads.
In this environment, those who would control and subdue us have enormous power over our lives and are able to control the public narrative (and everything else). The struggle for freedom, democracy, and justice falters when people are afraid to lose their creature comforts and elaborate conveniences.
I hate to break this to y’all, but The Revolution will likely entail having to cancel your Netflix and Amazon Prime. But as the joyous satisfaction of a Hootenanny demonstrates; we don’t have to give up our fun.
And if we all band together in Creative Solidarity— Not only entertaining ourselves and each other, but also using our creativity and intelligence to come up with ways to thwart the fascists, oligarchs, and corporations who have enslaved us.
What is happening in Minnesota right now is a great example of Group Creativity in the Service of Freedom and Justice. We shall all have to continue that battle on an infinite number of fronts for as long as it takes.
So there you have it. My little Hootenannies are but one step in the journey of a thousand miles. If we apply that DIY Spirit to every aspect of our lives and work together to make it happen, we can transform this world and bring about the next phase of human and global evolution.
UNIVERSAL LIBERATION THROUGH CREATIVE SELF-ACTUALIZATION
It should really be Universal Liberation Through COMMUNAL Creative Self-Actualization— but that’s kind of clunky and doesn’t fit as well on a T-Shirt!
