Continuity in Transition 2022-23

 Though 2022 and its projects are over, work seems to have barely begun on the intentions behind those projects. Though there is an end and a new start to the manmade calendar, 2023 might be a continuity in work from the previous year.

This year I missed writing the year-end Gratitudes, but with a heart full of thankfulness (and some dejection about failures) I chose not to stress uploading anything during the weak internet at vacation. Instead let my traveling diary help document some rumination.

 Sharing some of those excerpts might help set our 2023 work intentions. Most were penned on New Year's dawn watching the New (or not) Sunrise on the beach and after returning back home (just for the background of mixed tenses)

Transition is a period, a place

where one plane ends and the other begins.

Just like the simultaneous play of these Sea waves.

Change does not happen in a singular point.

Some newness has to begin before the previous ceases

so there is continuity from the past and that is how our life too sustains.

Nothing New can arise without some raw-material from the preceding past. 

Most of our 2022 has been experimental. It was a phase with lots of Whats, Hows, Whens, Wheres, Whos, the only clarity being 'Why' (purpose). Not much impact in terms of change but great learning experiences created during projects. Feeling Thankful for all the opportunities working with some wonderful people.and learning from their work.

What seemed like big projects and good accomplishments collectively, now seems to be just the seeds of possibilities that might have been sown or barely created. 

Now at this point when the new year’s sun is not yet out and precipitates of 2022 are still available, we make a choice of which seeds to be kept and which ones to pass. Which ones to start immediately watering and which to be saved for appropriate times.

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Some experiences of this trip reminds me of past projects making me rethink about them..

There have been some important happening till the last minute of 2022 and any call to wrap up the year any earlier would have been an incomplete picture of it for me..

Yesterday (midnight) on the beach, when all toasted for new year, the loud music, the blazing visuals, the heart pumping excitements, made me feel obnoxious and I drifted towards the quieter yet vibrant waves just a few yards away. The soothing sea sound with low key hues and the fresher winds that made me Breathe after the loud banging on my heartbeats, is an important ending for creating my 2023 intentions.. #Slowing down #Finding Harmony #Rhythm #Nature's beauty...

Some more work seems crucial for me to participate in, as a collective being. And, that ‘me’ stands for each of us as an individual ‘I’ 

Renovated floors at the O’Hare airport with Welcome in various scripts.

Youth entries from ‘Lingo Language Dialect’ exhibit displayed at the IAS Library.

Our mother language project that resumed in February (UNESCO's Mother language Day), was fun and seemed like a good Cultural-Arts experiment though not very important;. But looking back at our visit to Puerto Morelos, for a zipline activity in Mayan reservation land, brings back the question- how important are Native Languages?.  I met a guide there who helped me know the name of a tree (this tree captivated me with its roots running down the cave) in Spanish and Mayan. He was a rare one who could communicate in English. I was filled with questions about the history of the land, about its beauty and eager to know more about their culture but they were on duty and cared least about Mayan language or Cultures to be communicated to a foreign visitor like me.

Except for a few popular languages, not many native languages, are respected in our jet speed techno age, but don’t they convey the wisdom of their lands? The local culture seems to be so intrinsically woven with its geographical surroundings. this knowledge might be important for survival of all, including human as a natural being.. Maybe we should continue working on this fun yet important project on Mother-Language? 

Much Thanks to Mara Thacker from IAS Library for the cooperation and support with Language-Arts project. The Lingo Language Dialect Art exhibit was displayed March-April 2022 at the library while adjoining 'Language' virtual meet on zoom. 

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Catharsis/ Regeneration/ Detox...  same happens in waters (wetlands) and in our body and in nature overall.

Weaver park, Urbana Park Dist, IL. Prairie wetlands filter ground water that gets stored in aquifers underground

The Quintana Too Mangroves, a type of Wetlands, serve as water filters benefiting the underwater sea life as well as the life offshore.

On the very last eve of 2022, I experienced the AWE of the year! Was granted a boon to experience the beauty of coral life in the great Mayan reef! These are the second largest in world!!! What a delicate ecosystem and equally beautiful! I feel obliged to write another post for it..

To reach the Coral site, one has to boat-ride past the mangroves which are large stretches in themselves. But on the periphery of these water-land ecosystems, where human construction starts, it was daunting to see the amount of human litter,  more so after realizing- as a tourist, I am partly responsible for that pollution. Though carrying my own water bottle even within the resort when I was stared upon, in many ways I have been part of the problem unwillingly, unknowingly. It's time we realize traveling comes with a responsibility towards the destinations.

 Fondly remembering our Wetlands week 2022 celebrations! 

The week included an in-person event with school students at a local wetland area in Urbana IL.There were educational presentations by Julie Nieset (Illinois Natural History Survey), David Subers (Urbana Park District) and Matt Fitzel (Student at UIUC) followed by a hike to clean up the litter. 

The other event, a Nature Play-date at the Meadowbrook park, included a grounding session with Grasshoppers teacher, Bogdan Heretoiu, a hike around Meadowbrook prairie .with David Subers of UPD and puppet-making with magazine papers facilitated by me. 

The events are a good example of what we need more in our education systems-- more hands on experiences in Nature while being part of it.

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The Language-Arts project overlapped with wetland project and prep for Earth day celebration, followed by Environmental day prep, while planning for SOI Fabric exhibit which become a part of Art with Museums and all this culminating into E2Re collaborative Fall project.

So 2022 more strikingly brough out the connection within Culture, Ecology, Education and now to my awareness- Economy being an important part of the chain.

The Earth day 2022 marked opening of our experimental E2E2Re eco-culture-arts project. This included projects like Art with Museums' and 'Nature Art'. The projects later culminated into The E2Re Collaborative fall project with celebrations for AAH Month followed by ARD Month. Collaborators hosted events at their respective venues as we tried to inter-link their missions. Thanks to Beth Watkins and Kim Sanford from Spurlock Museum, Katie Snyder from Museum of Grand Prairie, Thomas Warde from PACA, Christa from IDEA store for coming together and contributing towards this collaborative undertaking.

Also it was humbling to participate in Urbana Park District's 'Earthday for Everyone' event.for Earthday 2022. We will ever be thankful to Savanna Donavan from UPD for letting us be part of their huge event with many amazing organizations that are working tremendously towards reversing Climate change.  

Paper collage activity as part of E2Re America Recycles Day’ with school students.

in some ways, do we need more unlearning as adults than providing too much learning for children. Today’s youths are much smarter,. they are moving much faster, but is it the right direction….

Living culture is -- the existing present that is nurtured by the valuable past.

The E2E2Re project included SOI 2022 celebration in collaboration with Asian American Cultural center. Thanks to Dr Sang Lee for her support and help with 'Traditional fabrics of India on th Silk Road' an exhibit displayed at the AACC August- Sep 2022. As an extension, a virtual meet hosted Guest talks and presentations Thanks to Dr Sowmya Anand for co-hosting and helping organise the virtual meet.

Fabric waste is one of the major concerns not just for its heavy carbon footprint production process but also the microfiber waste that follows. Though presently it feels hopeless for any talk on Circular economy, some more efforts to try and introduce the concept might help feed the bigger global change.d out

My trip was kind of reiteration on how Culture and Ecology are connected, additionally realizing, Economy plays a very important role in the health of both.  Maybe we need to find ways of promoting Green industries, Eco-business, Circular economy, Cultural economy?

In my personal dilemma for focusing on Art making vs continuing projects this year, the projects gain weightage for now. Lets see what the new year holds for us all..