Don't Play Safe

I hope this blog finds you well and more or less refreshed.  I am currently sitting in the basement of my favourite coffee shop, hiding from the heat and trying to get my writing juices flowing again. July has been a very busy and happy month, but it didn’t lend itself to much writing.  When I started my leave from work last Spring, I embarked on a journey to write a book about my experiences as a leader over the last few decades and had planned to have it done by the fall.  But, like my friend Marie-Josée told me yesterday, it is a good thing that I didn’t specify the year!   I have to admit that moving away from a job that nourished my type A personality with deadlines of varying degrees of realism has been beneficial for me.  It provides a sense of perspective that tends to escape us when we are in the midst of intense work periods, particularly when your workplace has lost the notion of what is truly important and urgent.  

Taking longer than expected has also allowed me to separate and address the emotions associated with certain experiences and to gain an overall greater courage in my approach to this project, to my art and life in general. For the past few months, I have been reflecting on my art and where I want to go with it.  I have come to realise that I have been playing it too safe.  By safe, I mean to make it pretty and pleasing to others. After a while, you figure out what people like and what sells and you are naturally drawn to staying in this niche.  If you follow artists on Instagram for example, you may notice that some tend to do the same painting over with slight variations.  In fact, the art world encourages this, through it jurying - cohesion, themes and consistency are favoured and sought after. 

While I don’t disagree entirely with the notion of being able to recognise the works of the artist, this standard just rubs me in the wrong way.  I don’t want to be reduced to the coloured tree artist for example. Yet, I felt that this is exactly where I was subconsciously going.  Art, like people, evolves and needs to change.  All greats had such evolutions. For example, in the recent exhibition on Riopelle at the National Art Gallery in Ottawa, the curators presented his work by decades and each of them represented significantly different approaches and mediums. It was striking and liberating to see this. Without any help, would you have known that these two artworks were from Riopelle - particularly the second one?

 

 

 

  

For me, playing it safe is my nemesis in art.  Does this mean I now know where I am going with it? Not really.  At this point in time, I know two new things.  First, I am really enjoying the journey I have embarked on learning different printing approaches, notably silkscreening. This week, an artist friend of mine and I are supposed to do gel plate printing and I am really looking forward to it.  Secondly, in everything I do, I will purposely ask myself whether I am playing it safe and whether I can push myself further.  

And it has probably played the same role in certain aspects of my life.  The beauty of growing older, besides being a privilege that many do not have, is the ability to realise that all that matters is to live authentically and that very few voices around you matter. 

In addition, we live in a time where I think we all need to not play it safe. Or to play it less safe than we currently are.  The issues plaguing our society feels at times like they have reached a tipping point.  A tipping point in regards to our ability to reverse the trend or make tangible progress to resolve a given issue.  In addition, certain gains, such as those of equality and inclusion have been on a dangerous downward slippery slope. Governments have trouble providing basic services to their populations and the political discourse is more akin to a Jerry Springer show than anything else (Millennials and Gen Zs, google The Jerry Springer Show if you don’t know what it is - an unfortunate classic of the 90s).

So what to do?  I am not going to pretend that I have all the answers but I think that we need to remind ourselves of our ability to generate change.  One can never underestimate the ripple effects our words and actions can have. Thus, here are  three things I try to do - they are not necessarily big things… but they have the potential of creating something big:

Don’t be an enabler - It seems nowadays that we let things go and do not speak up as much as we should.  Perhaps we have lost our trust that something will happen if we speak up and this is when we lose.  By being an enabler, I mean being a bystander.  For example, imagine being the boss of a manager who does not treat his employees with respect.  By not addressing the situation, you are actually enabling it.  And the enabler is often seen more at fault than the actual perpetrator because they knowingly letting it happen. Make your voice louder and keep going even though you may be met by silence. Those around you will notice that you are trying to make a difference and may encourage them to do the same.  

Follow that nagging little inner voice -  you know, the inner voice that follows you around and pretty much give you all your good ideas, such as “I should call Martha, it’s been a while”; Johnny does not look like himself, I should take him out to chat” or “Downtown Ottawa has become so desolate, we need to do more to help these homeless people”.  More often than not, we think to ourselves’ yeah, I need to do that but not now and we forget about it.  What if you took one of these action-oriented thoughts a day and just did it.  Not only will it make a difference in someone’s life, it will actually make you feel happier and like you are making a difference.

Get involved if you can, especially the Gen Xers - I know many people in Ottawa and elsewhere who have wonderful qualities and skills that they use diligently and brilliantly at work.  Unfortunately, many do not think about lending these same skills to local organisations that do not possess them or wait until retirement to start volunteering.  So my fellow Gen Xers in particular, think about getting involved in a local organisation NOW as opposed to later.  The needs for competent, able help are so great.  Since April, I have been volunteering at a Gatineau NGO whose mandate is to reduce the harms from addiction.  The organisation quadrupled in the last few years and I am helping them on the management/HR side of things.   While I am not helping those directly in need (I don’t have the competencies), I know I am alleviating the load for those who have the skills to make a difference and have to worry about providing the basic needs to those living in the streets.  These individuals can then turn their attention to real urgent issues like working with the city to provide access to sanitary facilities to those living in camps.  It is not necessarily leading the way, but lending a hand to those who are trying to make a difference. 

A few suggestions

After a little break from my monthly suggestions, here are a few that may be of interest:

Music - I just discovered Noah Karan - I may be late to the party on this one but if you don’t know him and like indie/folk music, you may like him too. 

Podcast - les conversations profondes et intéressantes de Dominic Tardif sur son podcast Juste entre toi et moi

Tv and stuff - I admit it, I binge watched Owning Manathan on Netflix in two days (or maybe less…).   But I still prefer L’agence parisienne!

Have a great  month of August and if you like, leave a comment or a suggestion below.