Wild Earth Integration

Nobody does epic like Al Pacino.

I came across this video during my ‘net travels, but after watching it, something about the message stuck with me.

Maybe it will stick with you too.

The following  is a speech by Pacino, from the movie Any Given Sunday. (Perhaps my sports fan readers will perk up at that title?)

It’s a movie about football, but bear with me. He’s motivating his team for their last game, but when I first heard it, I couldn’t help but notice something. I was struck by how powerful the words were when not related to football.

Put your feet up, grab a drink and check out the video first – I’ll see you below. (Note for parents with kiddos nearby: he drops the f-bomb, once.) I’ve copied the transcript below for those without a steady connection.

“I don’t know what to say really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives. It all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team, or we’re gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play, till we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One inch at a time.

Now I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around, I see these young faces, and I think… I mean I’ve made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me, and lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know when you get old in life, things get taken from you. That’s part of life. But you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. And so is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small. I mean… one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow too fast, you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches, that’s gonna make the f***ing difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying! I’ll tell you this — in any fight, its the guy whose willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m going to have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what living is! The 6 inches in front of your face…

Now I can’t make you do it. You’ve got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You’re gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him.

That’s a team, gentlemen. And either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die, as individuals. That’s football, guys. That’s all it is. Now, what are you going to do?”

——

Pretty good, eh? Think about it.

Of course, this post isn’t about football. It’s about doing something right, doing something together to change the course our planet is on. There are a lot of causes out there. People, places and animals that need some help. We’re losing things that matter to our health and to our spirit. It’s not all bad – but the fact remains that without a lot of positive changes, we’re going to lose out.

Al’s message is about picking one thing – or one hundred things – one inch or one hundred – that you will do to add your part for the team.

Then it’s about acting on it.

Some people take their inch by bringing kids closer to nature. Some write books, create art or even commandeer a bus to deliver local, healthy food to people who can’t get it. Sometimes they become famous for it, but normally it’s an unglamorous yet steady, consistent effort to do their part.

So say it again: Either we heal as a team, or we die as individuals.

We are all surrounded by other people – willing to go the extra mile, right along with you. We have the tools in front of us to make real things happen for the earth.

We can do this thing, inch by inch.

So to quote my man Al, “Now, what are you going to do?“

Where oh where have I been? Writing!

I’m currently working on two books right now and the whole literary gauntlet has gotten me thinking about the nature of writing.

While staring aimlessly out the window slaving away at the computer, I realized that nature has a lot of lessons to offer, even to the big, bad world of publishing. So for my fellow writers out there (or readers, we’re all friends here), here are a few thoughts on writing, and nature.

• Great things take time. Even the best books out there started with a first line. If you really want to see how important they are, grab some classics and read only the first sentence. Call me Ishmael, indeed. But the point here is that everything starts small. A great example of this is the butterfly. Everybody’s favorite flying tapestry started out first as a little grub, then a caterpillar, then a chrysalis and then and only then the beautiful butterfly we all recognize. Go easy on yourself during your grub stage.

• Go with it, but don’t go crazy. You wouldn’t expect a cheetah to run 70 clicks an hour without stopping. The writing process has its ups and downs – sometimes you’re off with a vengeance, clicking away on the keys like a hummingbird on speed. These moments normally arrive after percolating for minutes, hours or even days. But inevitably, they end and you’re left with either a piece worth keeping or a rant. The cheetah doesn’t know if it’s going to catch the gazelle, but it runs like mad when it can anyways. If it doesn’t, it saves its energy for the next run. It’s all about taking the chance when it’s there without overdoing it.

• Rest. This is one of the most important yet overlooked parts of the writing process. Everything needs time to recoup after working hard. What the hell do you think winter is? You may not realize it, but when you’re ‘resting’ you’re also taking in ideas, forming new ideas and practicing phrasings in your head. In the same way winter incubates new life for the spring, your mind incubates new ideas when you’re chilling!

I hope you’ve all been doing well out there – keep it wild!

Did you know that spending time in nature actually alters your body chemistry? Being outside – in the sun, or under a tree, or by the ocean changes who you are physically.

No, you won’t sprout another arm or anything – nature changes you for the better.

I know my lovely readers like examples, so here’s a nice one:

The ocean (take your pick on which one). When you stand and listen to the ocean, you’re hearing the waves lap in at approximately 12-16 waves a minute. This corresponds exactly to our optimal heart rates. Listening to the ocean not only lowers your blood pressure naturally and effectively, it increases those ‘feel good’ chemicals in your brain. Ocean waves also force you to slow down your breathing, getting rid of those shallow, awful breaths we so often take.

All of these changes lead to a healthier you – without even having to cash in on your drug plan. Booya.

There’s a reason people turn to nature when their lives are stressful. We’re meant to be out there.

As science catches up with the simple truths of life, I think we’ll find that many of the aspects of nature are specifically tailored to our bodies in some harmonious and amazing ways.

If the closest thing you have to the Ocean is your copy of The Little Mermaid, fear not. Another great thing our about our brains is that they’re easily fooled.

Through the magic of the internet, you can reach the ocean with a click of the mouse.

Keep it wild! And remember…

Happy Friday everybody! I’m ready for the weekend, how about you?

I was recently minding my own business, researching caves on the internet (as one does), when I came across this awesome experiment. Not only will it make you smarter, but it will impress the you-know-what out of your kids/friends/dog.

Have you ever seen the deep, dark caves of the world? Have you noticed the drippy rock structures that hang from the top and pierce up from the bottom. You may know that those are called stalactites and stalagmites. (Stalactites hang tight to the ceiling, while stalagmites are mighty, because… um.. they’re on the floor. You get it.)

Here’s the rundown.

• water
• string
• epsom salts
• 2 jars
• pilfered rocks from neighbor’s garden outside
• small saucer

Fill the jars with water and add salt until no more will dissolve. Dip the string in the water to wet it completely, and tie a rock to each end. Drop your rocks into each jar, leaving a bit of string hanging in between over the saucer.

Presto – you’ve got yourself the beginnings of a cave! Put your contraption somewhere the cat won’t find it (it’s her saucer, I presume) and check back each day to see if stalactites and stalagmites have formed.

Listening to this will definitely speed up the process. (Come on, today would have been Elvis’ 75th, and the song has ‘rock’ in the title. It’s like it was meant to be.)

I hope someone got my title pun…

What do you get when you mix fire and ice?

A whole lot of awesome, that’s what.

Seeing how we’re starting to enter into ‘Winter Temperatures: The Extreme Edition’ around here, I thought it would be a great time to put all of the cold to some creative use. Plus, all of this gray outside can make people squirrelly. Enter the Icy Candle Holder. I swear, it’s going to be the next Snuggie.

All you’ll need is an empty can – big, small, whatever you have – (although tuna sized cans would make for particularly cute holders), some water, food coloring and a chunk of plasticine. And if you know me at all, you know I’ve got plenty of plasticine lying about. *Grin*

Start off by cleaning out your can and giving it a quick dry with a tea towel. Next, use your hands (or feet, if you’re really talented) to form it into a tea light shape. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Bernini to pull this off. Starting off with a bit of clay the size of a rum ball should do the trick. Stick your chunk of clay into the bottom of the can – this will serve as where the candle will be set when your masterpiece is done.

Next, fill ‘er up! Add water to the top and a dash of food coloring and head on outside to find a good spot for it to freeze. Letting the water freeze for awhile before adding color will give you some cool streaky designs, while adding it right away will give you a nice blended look. When the whole lot is frozen, a quick run under warm water will loosen the ice and voila! – a wintery candle holder to add a bit of color to your winter world!

I’d love to see some of your creations, so send some my way (pictures, please no ice in the mail) if you try it out!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go and shovel purple snow.

Field notes:

-Hat on wet hair does not a warm girl make.

-Adding bird seed to the water will gain you some feathered friends.

-If attempting while windy, be prepared for lovely food colored-splash on pristine white snow. (see above) This might result in neighbors thinking your dog is terribly ill. Oh my.

Good morning on this snowy day!

Just wanted to pop in and show you a teaser of some new clay illustrations I’ve been working on for some Wild EduCards (flash cards for your little one, done Wild-Jess style)!

These cards will be available by download in the Trading Post soon (that flashy new link up top) for a very reasonable price – one buck!

This sort of reminds me of Willy Wonka’s lickable wallpaper, no? Please don’t lick your computer.

As I mentioned yesterday, I recently led a few workshops for 60 12 and 13 year olds, who were very interested in changing the world for the better. We spoke about mixing different mediums to send positive messages, and about how each person can make a difference no matter what their passions are. Of course, one of my favourite mediums is clay, so I let them loose with a few colours and some illustration board. I wanted to see what they would come up with, if challenged to create something with a positive message.

Their results were incredible – It was great to see how aware these kids actually are – issues like biodiversity, poverty, health care, racism, climate change, peace and unity were forefront in their creations. I was also happy to see that, despite representing 4 different schools, they all worked together to make something. I won’t be surprised to hear about any of the awesome things these kids will accomplish in the future. In fact, I can’t wait.

So, as promised, here is a gallery of their work. Great job, folks!

The first piece represents 2 sides of the world – one side is covered in factories, stinky clouds and sludge in the water. The other side is how the students want the Earth to be – with a clean atmosphere, wind turbines, lots of trees, and of course, wildlife. Note the snowman in the North Pole – he’s there to show that we still have ice caps!

The next piece uses a lot of color to show peace, integration and unity. Bright colors and integrated swirls are on one side, with darker, murkier colors on the other. I only gave students a few colors to start with and I noticed there were people in charge of mixing new shades!

The next two pieces focus on water – pollution, fresh water needs and biodiversity are all issues these guys were concerned with. Of course, the first is modeled after the Texas-sized pile of garbage in the Pacific. Note the Cola can…

Finally, diversity, unity, racism and global needs are tackled in the last two. In the first piece here, flowers represent people, in that we are all different in some ways, but the same deep down. Brilliant, no?

The last group tackled a whole gamut of issues, with recycling, health care, biodiversity and peace depicted, around a healthy Earth.

One thing I did notice was how often the teachers peeked at the box of clay. It’s funny how when plasticine’s in the room, it’s hard to ignore…

Here are some creations from teachers who just couldn’t help themselves.

Congrats everybody on a job well done!

Just a quick update to look forward to — Last week, I was fortunate enough to speak at a workshop focused on creating positive change in the world. I chatted with 3 groups of Grade 7s-8s about sustainability, social justice, environmentalism and (of course) clay. The kids were awesome, and they definitely have some world changing ideas.

Just wait ’til you see what they made. Stay tuned for more details and pictures of their masterpieces!

In the meantime, I hope you’re feelin good.

First item: It’s Friday. This makes me happy.

Second, I finished a new pic. You like?

In the spirit of Friday, I thought I’d write a little bit about input and output. No, I’m not talking about hooking up the DVD player, although that is an experience for the books also. I’m talking about the other part of the creative process that many people often ignore.

Here’s the way I see it. Creativity is output. It comes from inside of you (this is starting to sound a bit like Alien, but bear with me) – and then something is formed, stitched and melded together from your own blood, sweat, tears and imagination. It could be writing, dancing, sculpting, basketweaving – it’s all coming from you and ends up representing a snapshot of your life and mindset at the time. You put a lot of yourself into it. That’s why people use the phrase “it took a lot out of me.”

What I’m trying to say is, it’s really hard.

But this is only half of the equation. These are the awesome-super-fired-up-gungho-I’m-the-king-of-the-world moments where you’re buzzing with the excitement of creating, or having created, something entirely you. What’s the other half, then?

The other half of the equation is input. I think of input as a time of mindful, active rest. It is the second piece of bread in the creative sandwich, but too often people ignore it and make a huge mess trying to eat it open-faced style. Input is the time you allow yourself to delve into those activities that you used to enjoy as a kid, or feel niggly, naggy little feelings towards now. Input is the stuff that you want to do, but won’t allow yourself to do because you’ve got work to do.

Maybe your version of input is seeing an opera. Or watching Die Hard for the eighth time (shush, it happens). Maybe it’s sneaking a read of Twilight to see what all the fuss is about (guilty), or sitting on a park bench watching the squirrels. It could be eating an incredible meal with your main squeeze or going to the bookstore and poring over the children’s books you used to love. Input is the stuff that many people see as absolute fluff. But they’re wrong.

Input, unlike creating, is letting the world come to you.

I hear you – “But Jess! I can’t just escape my life and master the art of french cooking! I’ve got pieces to finish, papers to grade, books to write!”*  *(Pick your poison there). But what we’ve forgotten is, input is part of the job. If you don’t have input, you’ll have nothing to turn into output.

You’re no super(wo)man. Neither am I. But for a long time, I gave myself a hard time about needing the time to gain those inputs in my life. I would get frustrated if I caught myself staring out the window, feeling like a desperate spaniel pawing at the outside world. I would steal glances at the latest novel beside me and say to it “in a minute, in a minute”. (So I talk to books sometimes, what’s it to you?)

But you’d be surprised what a little input can do if you allow it into your life. Watch the movie. Take a walk. Get over yourself and how serious you are about your work and do something you actually want to do. The funny thing is, the more you allow yourself to be human and work with yourself (by that I mean, accepting that you need inputs), the more you’ll notice your outputs taking off! When you allow yourself to work with your own process, you’ll become more productive. Promise.

This isn’t just me telling you to go easy on yourself and take a break every now and then. It’s me telling you that input (walks, books, movies, friends, tree climbing) is necessary to any sort of creatively successful life. It’s filling up your mental dictionary. It’s expanding your brain, making new connections and sorting old files. As soon as you realize that input is part of the job, things change.

So go ahead. Don’t ignore half of your job. Enjoy some input time. Yippee-kay-yay – John McClane would be proud.

It happens all the time. Just when you think you Know A Thing, you take one more look and — bammo — your world turns upside down.

I’m all about seeing what we can learn from the natural world. You’re here, so you already know that. The latest in spider news actually holds a big secret for you – are you ready?

They discovered a vegetarian spider. *cue daunting music*

No takers? Bear with me.

Ok, here’s the scene: in the tropics of Mexico and Costa Rica, scientists have been studying this fellow for awhile now. Back in the late 1800s, scientists named this spider Bagheera kiplingi. Sound familiar? Literary buffs (or Disney enthusiasts) will recognize Bagheera as the straight-laced, slightly uptight panther from Kipling’s the Jungle Book. Nice little homage there.

Fast-forward now. So they’re out there in the forest checking the spider out (as one does) and they notice it using stealthy jungle-spider moves to attack its prey. But here’s the rub – it would leap Tobey Maguire style not to catch bugs or any other critter – it was catching acacia buds. No insects for this spider, he’s a veggiesaurus. They use their mad spider skillz to avoid ants (who protect the acacia buds), and chow down on a plant-rich diet.

Yeah, yeah – I hear you. You’re not into spiders. You’re not a scientist in Costa Rica spending your days swatting flies under a canopy of greenery. So why should you care? Think about it.

There are 40,000 spider species (that we know of) wandering around the globe. Until now, they have all been classified as meat-eaters. So if you’re a scientist out there, knee-deep in the fact that 40,000 out of 40,000 spiders are carnivores, how likely are you to notice that one teeny spider is munching on a plant?

How many people walked by this spider because they saw what they wanted to see? Or because they saw what everybody else saw?

Everytime you look around you, your brain fills in the gaps of your perception. This is why you can read sentences missing whole chunks of words.

C n y u rea th s?

See?

So your brain can fill in the letters that are missing, because statistically the letter ‘a’ goes between ‘c’ and ‘n’ more often than ‘p’ or ‘e’. We all know that ‘cpn’ is not a word.

This is how your brain works with language, but I’d bet you a dollar to a donut that overall perception follows the same patterns. If 100% of the time when you see a flower and it’s not talking to you, you’re going to develop some pretty strong opinions about plants. Let’s face it – sometimes ‘facts’ can drag you down.

So what does the veggiesaurus spider teach us? Do your absolute best to approach your life (problems, solutions, work, writing, creations) from a new standpoint, as often as you can.

Sometimes, all it takes is a walk outside to clear your head. Write down everything you think you know about a situation, and challenge yourself to counter each point, as strongly as you can. Create within yourself a mindset that allows you to be surprised. Develop a state of mind wherein you suspend judgment. Or, maybe just don’t be such a stubborn arse all the time.

Depending on patterns is inevitable, and most of the time it will help keep you alive. After all, [hot stove + hand = bad] is probably a good pattern to notice. But too often, we miss out on a lot because we’re seeing what we’ve geared ourselves to see. Lightning can strike, but normally it occurs in the form of a quiet insight. Train yourself to notice the vegetarian spiders of the world, and you just might be surprised what else you find.

See you next time. Til then, I’m gone, man… solid gone.