In the same vein as the Free Hug campaign that was given international exposure by the Sick Puppies video (which was one of the hits of YouTube last year with over 10 million views so far) comes the 'You Are beautiful' campaign. I like the idea, not only for its sentiment but also because it is a grass roots movement using the web to spread an idea.
The aim of the You Are Beautiful art project is to "make a difference in the world by catching us in the midst of daily life and creating moments of positive self realization."
Its idea is simple: post the phrase "You are beautiful" in random places where anyone can see them. This has inspired people throughout the world to create installations along roadways or plaster signs in windows.
An excerpt from the site's 'essay' explains why trends toward empowering people through grassroots methods continue to grow:
The reasons why street artists are doing what they are doing, in the way that they are doing, is not simply to question their surroundings; but to provide alternative perspectives, meanings, or values to those of consumerism.
Advertising elicits a response to buy, where this project elicits a response to do something. The attempt with You Are Beautiful is to create activism instead of consumerism.
You Are Beautiful uses the medium of advertising and commercialization to spread a positive message.
I like.
Gareth Morgan was notable before he became tagged as father of Sam Morgan, creator of TradeMe,
the biggest hit on the web by a New Zealand company (so far as I am
aware). He is an iconoclast, and an economist famous for his direct
manner. Quite possibly he is the 'one handed' economist that U.S.
President Harry Truman longed for - on that did not leaven their advice
with "…but on the other hand…"
Morgan senior wrote an interesting article, published on his web site
that discusses the sale of TradeMe earlier this year from the
perspective of commercial creativity and education, two of my hobby
horses.
Morgan says "From the perspective of the ‘creative
destruction’ that is the essence of a vibrant, productive economy this
is extremely encouraging for the prospects of the New Zealand economy.
It sends a message one hopes, to the innovative, creative, and
independent amongst our youth – that On-line technology provides a
platform upon which they can create value for this economy and
themselves without having to go abroad."
"The second
theme relevant to the Trade Me transaction is obviously the age of
those involved. The message parents and their young people might choose
to take from this is that creativity – whether in Academia, the Arts,
Technology, or the Trades – is one of the most precious attributes a
person can possess."
" We have to be careful not to impose too much of our paradigm on the next generation. It’s clear for instance that schools are a necessary evil – convenient baby-sitting facilities that have an awful tendency to smother the curiosity of the child – the first conditioning on the conveyor belt to becoming corporate journeyman. By necessity, classrooms require strict compliance by children and that straitjacket comes with strings attached. The child’s creativity may be asphyxiated as a result.
The strength of an economy is its human capital. The commercial world needs creatives as much as it needs functionaries. Of course some functionaries, having been in Drones-ville where paid work is purely attended to procure wages, may eventually rediscover their creativity outside working hours. Good for them but pretty sad it was choked off in the first place.
As parents we have a responsibility to provide an environment enabling a child free choice to reach their potential in a manner that maximises their personal happiness. There is a whole body of economic literature now that links happiness and creativity to national productivity. People working primarily for the enjoyment creativity brings, rather than remuneration, is central to that theory. This is the story of Trade Me as much as it is for the successes we see in the Arts and in the Trades – a happy plumber is a productive plumber."
I suggest you read his article in full, whether you are a fledgling Internet entrepreneur, a parent or a plumber.
And, on the subject of creativity and education, there is a wonderful speech by Sir Ken Robinson, an English academic who now works for the Getty Foundation in the U.S. Robinson talks about the need to rethink our education system to encourage creativity in children. Like Gareth Morgan, Robinson has a clear point of view. He expresses it with wit and humour, but the underlying themes are serious and worthy of consideration.
Here I go, launching yet another blog. I'm interested to see how vox compares the my other two acitve ones: Idealog and The One & Only
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