FIND LOCAL SUPPORT 
 |
|
The following article relates to a community event staged by Barbara Bernath in Vancouver, BC a few days after the attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001. It is a powerful example of how creative-expression can be used as a community-forum for a wide range of intense emotions and diverse points of view. 
The inspiration for “Creative Response” started on a very personal level. My sister lives in Washington DC, and my mother and stepfather live in New York City—so denial of the catastrophe was utterly impossible for me. I felt sick, devastated, helpless, and very far away. But what could I do? What could anyone do? The media-machine had begun to focus on what and who was “Most Wanted,” but no one seemed to be providing a genuine vision of what was “Most Needed.” It awakened something deep in me, and it made me restless. Within a few days after September 11th I began visualizing a “Creative Response” where people of all ages, nationalities, and belief systems could come together to communicate. I felt we needed a place where all of our feelings and perceptions could be expressed creatively and openly--without censorship or judgment. Where emotions and politics could have equal voices; where personal feelings of grief, rage, anger, revenge, sadness, fear, helplessness, peace, love, joy, and compassion could co-exist along side of historical and global insights. An event where a seventy-year old adult could communicate simultaneously with a five year old child; where a rebellious teenager could voice his perspective next to a conservative banker; where a Muslim could peacefully share her thoughts alongside an American. By September 14th it was obvious to me what was needed, and I was fully prepared to make it happen. After talking passionately to The Vancouver Art Gallery, and giving Vancouver City Planning and Permits a revolutionary speech on the importance of spontaneity in life, everything was set. I phoned colleagues and friends and put together a quick support team. We arrived at the steps of the art gallery at noon, and within minutes the first roll of blank paper was ceremoniously rolled out along the sidewalk on Robson St. We placed felt-pens, chalks, pastels, crayons, and info-posters around the site and immediately started handing out flyers to the public as they walked by to give them a clear understanding of what the intention was. I also printed up hundreds of stickers that said “Remain Fiercely Loving” which people stuck over their hearts as they arrived on the scene. The response was immediate. Hundreds of people of all ages, races, languages, and beliefs, stopped to get down on their hands and knees, as if to pray by drawing and writing about how they were feeling. There were stranded American tourists drawing and writing beside immigrated Islamic families, beside Jewish couples, beside little South American children, beside Japanese teenagers, beside European business men, beside WW2 Veterans, beside elderly ladies. The diversity was astounding. At one point a fire-truck drove by and a fireman jumped out to quickly write a message of solidarity before jumping back in. In every language there were messages written and drawn of peace, hope, fear, love, grief, anger, rage, and ambiguity. All feelings were allowed to co- exist together in complete harmony. People were also very responsive to the fact that the project was propelled by my own creative vision, and not the agenda of an established group. I believe this personalized element added to people’s sense of individual freedom, and it allowed them express themselves as singular thinkers, alongside of me. As far as the mural itself, there were messages and images in every style, colour, and language imaginable. There were hard-edged, black images of bombs, beside pink images of smudgy, fragile flowers; writings in Japanese about Hiroshima beside thoughts of Belgrade in Slavic; and Stars and Stripes beside Crescent Moons. There were dark images of planes, buildings, guns, explosions, devastation, and war, beside light images of the whole Earth, gentle hands, peace signs, hearts, and birds. There were also many self-portraits and signatures by younger people that simply reflected the need to just “be.” There were long, philosophical meanderings, short poems, various quotes, historical slogans, and many, many questions. One of the most unexpected, but incredibly profound aspects of the piece is that as the mural naturally evolved, and as more paper was added here and there, it ended up looking like two long towers lying on the ground. It was a powerful reminder of all the hidden layers of consciousness that naturally surface at events like this. I am still archiving and photographing the piece, image by image, and word for word. However, I still need the help of an international translator to help decipher all the languages-- there are so many. The event was made into a documentary by the CBC, and Oprah Winfrey’s magazine, the American Art Therapy Journal, and The Globe and Mail contacted me about covering the event in their publications, along with ongoing interest from Global TV, and other local media here in Vancouver. However, my favorite “media” coverage happened on site the day of the event, when a small group of Israeli travelers interviewed me on film and said, “you are a deep inspiration to us--we need to show this to others and do this at home.” So, the inspiration continues to spread through it’s own unexpected and magical way. I like that. I need to believe that creativity can spread as quickly and easily as fear. I need to anchor my soul to the fact that hate is not more powerful than love. In times of great upheaval and uncertainty we need to remember that life is also full of beautiful, spontaneous gifts, astonishing new levels of consciousness, and that all of us have the ability to creatively intervene and make a profound difference in the lives of others.  
Barbara Bernath Barbara Bernath is an artist, therapist and creative-life-coach. She does healing work with individuals, families, and communities. She welcomes your comments and inquiries. Tel. 604. 251-3960 Email: BarbaraBernath@telus.net Website: www.BarbaraBernath.blogspot.com |
Books & Videos You  | |||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||