The Holstee Manifesto Lifecycle Video from Holstee on Vimeo.
This video says all. My hope for you is in 2012 you do what you love. You only have one life. Do not allow circumstances, people or your past dictate your future. Do what you love. Its on your HANDS.
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Use Art to Turn World Inside Out
'What we see changes who we are. When we act together, the whole thing is much more than the sum of the part.' These are words by JR, a french artist who uses art to make us see the world in its raw and authentic state. In essence he provokes an in-depth and honest self assessment in individuals. In the process we see the great potential we have when we work together. By creatively displaying images he shoots with his stills camera, JR confronts issues affecting different communities in the world. I hope after watching this video from Ted talk, you are inspired to use your artistic abilities, in whatever form or shape, to 'see change, social justice and inspire some form of action' in a world consumed by self and injustice. Check out the following links to learn more about JR and his initiative in using art to 'turn the world inside out: http://www.insideoutproject.net/ and http://www.insideoutproject.net/
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The Danger of a Single Story
The Danger of a Single Story
I find this talk refreshing and so true in many ways as I reflect back to my childhood. It takes me back to the time I was a kid when I used to listen to my grandfather tell stories. He told stories in such a compelling and captivating artistic form. It juxtaposed with seating at the in the dark and going through a journey of the movie being projected at a cinema. The difference with my grandfather's storytelling, however, I was not following the perspective of a Director, but one that I formulated in my mind thanks to the descriptive words that came from his mouth. I remember seating underneath the stars of my rural home, Esigodini, with other kids. We grabbed onto every word that came out of his mouth as it shaped images in our minds that where so clear and more vivid than the projections of film at a movie theater. It is with that perspective that I think african stories have been sidelined or at most slowly trickle out to the world like a water tap in an arid region. In essence, I believe we need to be be aware of 'the danger of a single story'. We need not forget the beauty and intrigue of our heritage. We need not be consumed by the dominant western stories to such an extent we lose ourselves as Africans. For of this great continent awaits a spectrum of folklores and stories still to gush out of a water tape in such vast proportions and see the world flourish.
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James Cameron: Before Avatar ... a curious boy
James Cameron is probably one of the many film directors that inspire me a lot. Usually I am inspired by directors who prioritise storytelling and do so by fitting all the elements of filming. I am always in awe of films that are executed in such a way that all pieces of filmmaking are slave to the story. A story should not be sacrificed for other extravagances like special effects, technology etc. Any form of art or exploration should be submissive to communicating as effectively as possible the subject matter at hand. James Cameron inspires me not so much for those reasons I have stated but more-so for his tenacity to take on huge challenges. This is despite the possibilities on major league flop. Many people will cringe at taking on one challenge after another that has 80% chances of failure. In Hollywood that is driven by how much a film will make in the box office its easy to be extinct in a short space of time if you choose the wrong project. Yet this has not in anyway intimidated him from exploring huge and challenging projects as witnessed by his last two major films, Titanic and Avatar. I must admit that as to date Terminator 2 still ranks as my favorite films under his direction. James Cameron allows his passion or what he believes to be his calling to guide his decision making and what projects he undertakes. This inspirational talk from TED is what I believe you can apply in different areas of your life. How you approach challenges that may seem insurmountable is of great importance. Its never easy to grab a ball by its horns. The truth is floundering and getting injured by life's decisions is always a huge possibility. Failure is always an option but the fear to fail should never be.
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