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Detail, The Afghan Singing Tree Mural of Women's Strength and Freedom Dear Friends of Unity Through Creativity, We have been busy over the summer. El Paso County Commissioners proclaim El Paso an International City of Peace El Paso County Commissioners proclaim El Paso to be included in the International City of Peace's network, through an effort led by Unity Through Creativity . This official Resolution happened on Sept 11th, the 22nd anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers. We chose this day to emphasize the dire need to build a local and worldwide Culture of Peace.The language of the resolution was crafted by an intergenerational, intercultural team made up of people from the Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest , Eco-El Paso and Unity Through Creativity. Please take the time to read the Resolution here. Is your community one of the 390 Cities of Peace around the world? If not, what would your vision, mission and goals be for your community to build a Culture of Peace? Please contact us and/or International Cities of Peace if you’d like to explore this possibility. Celebrating International Day of Peace, Sept. 23rd, Keystone Heritage Park 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Unity Through Creativity is excited to facilitate the second annual celebration of El Paso’s International Day of Peace . The UN's theme this year is Actions for Peace - Ambitions for the SDG Goals. We are one of over 4800 celebrations in the US. If you are here in El Paso, we hope to see you. Inspired by Sister Mary Soh, who wrote a song that we sang at the County Commissioner's court room, we've added a fourth domain to our Peace celebration - Peace with Universe. Sister Mary and Juno Z, a Singing Tree Mural Facilitator-in-training, share the song with you. Designed by UTC’s graphic artist Lili Lopez, we are giving these beautiful buttons away at the event. Come and get yours. You can see the vendors and speaking/performance schedule of the International Day of Peace celebration here. UTC exhibiting at El Paso SpaceFest We're also partnering with Insights Science for El Paso's SpaceFest at the El Paso Airport on Sept. 22, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. In addition to exhibiting The Future Accelerator Singing Tree that honors astronaut Edgar Mitchel, we'll be hosting creative experiences for the public with the Isaac Art and Wellness Center and Eco-El Paso . Our goal is to affirm the enormous creativity that lies within every person as we connect to people who are exploring the heavens. We are glad to celebrate with you the joy and wonder that's possible when people create together.

Dear Friends of Unity Through Creativity, Those of you who have raised children or taught adults know how difficult it is to focus attention on the behavior you want to foster - and how positive the results can be. Focusing on the world we want, envisioning it and making it visible, is the work of Unity Through Creativity. Our approach of Creative Activism includes celebrating Earth Month in El Paso with Eco-El Paso, the Department of Parks and Rec, the Environmental Services Department, the El Paso Zoo and Paso del Norte Trails, all working to focus attention on the joy of living in the Chihuahan Desert. All ages contributed to The Mesquite Party for the Planet Singing Tree . All skill levels were present; all were welcome. The whole world was invited to make a painting together, and these people did. From left to right Rachel Quintana , Carmen Navar and Fernanda Lugo at the unveiling of the mural at the El Paso Zoo . Rachel, Secretary of Unity Through Creativity , and Fernanda are both Singing Tree Facilitators in-training.   Carmen is a celebrated El Paso Artist whose students contributed to the "Conservation Meets Creativity" show being held throughout the Zoo until August. Below are details of the mural, which was   partially funded by Eco-El Paso and the El Paso Rotary Clu b . The painting brings attention to the life-giving native mesquite tree, based on one in my neighborhood whose branches form a heart. We honor the bat (upper right) who depends on the agave plant (colorfully portrayed to the right of the mountain lion); the prairie dogs who escaped the Zoo two years ago; the endangered Mexican grey wolf; and the wild yellow poppies that appear every spring. A chakra rainbow encircles the earth as a protective labyrinth. We are also raising awareness of the need to preserve the 372-acre  Rio Bosque  wetlands, nurtured for 20 years by the  University of Texas  in El Paso. A beaver has returned. We honor this sacred land in our painting. The Texas Department of Highways is studying the impact of three proposed new highways by and over the wetlands. Citizens are seeking permanent protection. The mural will be on display in the Zoo's amphitheater through August. Training Opportunity The next Co-Heart of training Singing Tree® Mural Project Facilitators will start with the July 13-15 weekend. This will be hybrid, both in-person in El Paso and online. Artists, activists, and concerned members of local communities will learn how to lead their own the Singing Tree® Murals that address community issues and concerns. If you believe that creativity, collaboration, and compassion are a birthright, this training is for you. You do not have to be an artist. The training includes A weekend intensive with me focusing on: designing and executing a Singing Tree® art practices the neurobiology of communication peace literacy skills Five months of mentoring while you do your first Singing Tree® A 100-page Singing Tree Facilitator Guide An invitation to join the worldwide Singing Tree® Facilitators Guild. We are working with schools, non-profits, government agencies, and corporations—you can too. You can make a difference in the world through the practice of the Singing Tree®. I end with a quote from Sherri Mitchell in her book, Sacred Instructions:   “If we hope to create a new reality, we have to shift our emotional energy away from the reality being presented and focus on the reality that we wish to create.” Dystopian narratives for our future abound right now. Unity Through Creativity invites the story that we CAN collaborate and that it's FUN and BEAUTIFUL. Please join us, Laurie and the UTC Team

Dear Friends of Unity Through Creativity, The Singing Tree® Project conducted a breakthrough program last month with the Japanese-based automation company Azbil. Azbil brings technological solutions to large-scale building automation challenges such as ventilation and fire detection for skyscrapers. Their work impacts the areas of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) articulated by the United Nations. Azbil desires to bring their technological innovations into harmony with the SDGs, and they turned to Unity Through Creativity to amplify their commitment. Twenty-six managers, engineers, marketers, and trainers from Japan, Singapore, and the U.S. came together for a three-day team building program entitled “The Science of Creativity and Collaboration”. Azbil’s driving question was “How can AI, iCloud, and wireless technology be used to support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?” By asking this question, Azbil is a leader in corporate responsibility. Despite the differences in language, culture, gender, age and different and disciplines within the company, the group created an 8’ x 4 painting in three days called The Azbil Singing Tree® of Innovative Technology Based in Love. They expressed their deepest values and made a shared vision of success by painting the mural. The multi-national corporation made a bold choice to hold a training where the results would be unknown. The practice of “Emergent Wisdom” prepared participants to have increased faith in their own creativity and in the creativity of their colleagues. It strengthened the tools of imagination and solid relationships that are the key to flourishing in a changing world. The following feedback from some of the participants describes their experiences: I gained creativity and speaking myself from the workshop. It was the most amazing experience I ever had. Reiko Kuga, Japan This training was a sprint of challenge. Masaru Murakami, Azbil FTC I am proudest of being able to communicate and relate to many of my colleagues from Japan. Armen Garabedian, Azbil North America What stood out to me the most was the inclusive environment, where participants listened to everyone's opinions without excluding anyone, and felt encouraged to actively share their own thoughts. I would like to leverage this experience, as the workshop encouraged taking risks and not being afraid of failure. I will bring these practices to my family. Takumi Komatsu, Japan I think my next mission is to continue this workshop and provide an environment where more Azbil employees can participate. Joe Kaseda, President, Azbil North America The trunk contains a miniature earth resting in water. The Azbil Singing Tree of Innovative Technology Based in Love reminds us that, when we allow ourselves to be held in the palm of the earth and treasure her heart, we can create a life of abundance for everyone. We can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which are ultimately a manifestation of Love for each other and our planet. We are proud to partner with a corporation who is committed to this vision. Yours for the world we know is possible, Laurie

Detail from  The Vitex Singing Tree of Healing Relationship with Self, Others, Earth and the Divine , designed by Co-Heart 8 of Singing Tree Facilitators for International Day of Peace Dear Friends of Unity Through Creativity, Every moment, every place, every relationship where conflict is productive instead of bitter, overwhelming and violent is a moment to rejoice. We are witnessing brutal, high conflict with its excruciating human cost in so many places on our planet.  I experience the pain of this cruelty. I feel discouraged and overwhelmed daily, hourly. The  International Day of Peace's Symposium  in El Paso was a small antidote to the massive impulse around the world, both structured and unstructured, to respond to conflict with violence.  The eight-hour Peace Symposium was a day for rejoicing.  Months of planning, led by  Unity Through Creativity  (UTC) with The University of Texas at El Paso's (UTEP)  Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Garden  and  Liberal Arts Department  and the  Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest , resulted in deep connection and strengthening between 140 people gathered for the sake of Peace.  The Symposium was part of over 5,200 events taking place in the United States celebrating the importance of peace that took place from Sept. 21-Oct. 2, according to  Pace e Bene . Many of the keynote and panel discussions will be available on Unity Through Creativity  Peace Day 2024  webpage (Scroll to the bottom).  Here the head of UTEP's Women's and Gender Studies, Dr. Hilda Ontiveros, shares the importance of feminine wisdom in Peace Building and the words of Afghan scholar activist, Neema Soratgar.  In the program, we state:  The Peace Symposium was dedicated to the heartfelt energy of this entire collective to the eradication and healing of war, pain, and suffering anywhere in our world where there is hatred, violence, and trauma to any living beings.  Here is some feedback from the "heartfelt collective":  I loved the diversity of people. I believe unity is different than uniformity and today I saw unity.                                                                     Samuel Bonilla, Dragon's Garden The best thing about the day was    meeting a community of people working for a better, more engaged El Paso. I thought the format worked. Lacking resources to actually bring the speakers, and just the main speakers presence on zoom was impactful, followed by very articulate panelists, and ending with the roundtable discussions. Having the art all around! Music and joyful movement! Meditations! Splendid!! Bettina Escudero, Paso del Norte Mindfulness I go to lots of  #conferences . I can't get enough of them. Love them. This was one of the best I've ever attended. The best description I can share is that it felt like church but without the baggage. The room was so diverse..., the atmosphere was "open", and it presented new or insightful ideas/perspectives which my brain adores.                                                                          Monica Jasso, County of El Paso Below: Ruth Aparacio, Maria Cadillo, Abuela Bea Villegas, Beatriz Vera (co-chair of the Symposium) and Edward Schuldt (VP and Operations Director, UTC) Around the World Unity Through Creativity  continues its international efforts, building Martin Luther King's  Beloved Community , one mural at a time.  The Olive Singing Tree of Becoming  on Cyprus and  The Kyangwali Singing Tree to Heal the Trauma of War in Uganda  are currently in progress. Below you'll see a picture of Cyprus Singing Tree Fellows Evita Vida and Emel Ramiz painting the image which portrays a DNA connection between the north and south of the divided island. Two members of the UTC team,  Katia Petersen  and  Edward Schuldt,  will be traveling there in October to participate in Creative Community conversations and the celebration of the completed mural Members of 10 villages in the Kyangwali refugee settlement, seen below, came together under the facilitation of  Emma Kavuma  and  Kanizius Nsabimana  to co-create  The Kyangwali Singing Tree to Heal the Trauma of War  on traditional bark cloth.  Please watch the short video below in order to see the healing joy unleashed by creating together. All over the planet there are pockets of peace and sanity that are protected, nurtured and growing.  Let us rejoice in these pockets of peace.  May they cause a far-reaching ripple, like a pebble thrown in still water. May the pockets of peace hold all all children. We paint the infant on the earth in  The Vitex Singing Tree  for this prayer. Laurie and the UTC Team

I believe in the power of creativity to beat the odds we are up against. Earth Day is a reminder that we each can help to protect and steward the beautiful planet we are privileged to live on. I’m excited that the unveiling of the Aspen Hero Singing Tree mural in Denver on Sunday, April 25, coincides with the week of Earth Day. I’ll be attending this celebration, thanks to Maria Feekes, who organized over 800 people from homeless shelters, villages in Peru and Denver high school students to create this symbol of unity. The Singing Tree Project was inspired by then 8 year old Meredith Miller in 1999, who said “What if the whole world made a painting together?” The Aspen Tree is the 12th in a series murals of a tree on the earth in space. Over 9000 people from at least 16 countries have participated so far. The Singing Tree project incorporates three of Nature’s principles – it can be reproduced; it has a clear goal with local conditions dictating the form, like water getting to the ocean; and it honors the importance of interdependence, focusing on the role that trees play in human life. Through coming together to create something new and beautiful, where the whole world is invited, we combat the negative forces of division and destruction that plague our world. This unity through creativity will beat the difficult odds we are up against at this time. See Facebook’s “Singing Tree Project” and The Singing Tree Project

I went to executive coach Ipek Serifsoy’s house a few days ago to discuss Ken Robinson’s book The Element with a small group of people. The book looks at what happens when people’s aptitudes and passions coincide. I am excited at the depth that Robinson brings to the concept of the “Spark.” Greg Kerlin, an astute observer in the conversation, commented that most all of the examples in the book were of super stars like Olympic gold medal winners, rock stars and mathematical geniuses. What about everyday people who are in their element in the world, marry their talent and motivation? I immediately thought of my 34 year-old nephew Forrest, who could take anything apart and put it back together better than it was before, since he was six. He was excited by art and film from a young age, also. Now he is using his mechanical aptitude working for Firestone as a master mechanic, coming up with ever more efficient and ingenious methods of solving the problems presented to him. He’s in his element, having developed one of his many sparks, happily living in Central Pennsylvania with his wife and daughter. I look forward to hearing about your sparks, or the sparks of people in your life.

Greetings, dear reader, and welcome to a site focused on how we can provide the best life possible to all the children of the world. I invite you to share stories of your challenges and your resources. The magnificent and overwhelming problems we’re facing can be solved by our collective wisdom. I’ll share my ideas about and experiences with beating various odds and I’d like to hear yours. There are no maps for navigating in this time.  For those of us who are focused on the well being of the younger generations, the odds can seem insurmountable.  The adults of the world have not committed  to use our resources to ensure that all children are well-fed, have medical care and are supported to use their gifts to be functional life long learners in a global society. At the same time, we are inundated with information about how fragile life is on the planet – a species going extinct every twenty minutes, spreading dead zones in the ocean, eco-systems that took millions of years to create being destroyed with one slash and burn season.  Some say we have four years until we reach a tipping point where human behavior will result in the earth no longer sustaining human life for the next 1000 years.  Others say we have a decade, while the governments of the world aim for 2050.Of course, if we’d lived during the Black Plague or the flu epidemic of 1917, we would have been up against terrible odds, too. Humanity has always gone through trying times and the future always has unforeseen variables.  One thing we know for sure, however, is that the children we are teaching are walking into a world of unparalleled complexity. Never before have there been so many people on the planet.  Never before have we had so much information about the people who are here.  Never before have we understood the vast consequences of our actions to the planet that sustains us. Yes, we have a lot of odds to beat. I’m going to start with one idea that makes a lot of sense to tackle the odds – harnessing the energy of children –  project-based learning. I’ve outlined why I think this approach is so useful. These ideas are elaborated upon in Step 5 of “Beating the Odds Now”: I’m a teacher who would like to lighten the current negativity around education. With budget cuts, overwhelming demands and talk of the United States loosing its intellectual edge, there is a simple step we can take to beat the odds we are facing. That step is to meet academic standards by using project-based learning, where students make real products that come out of real interests that address real problems for a real audience. For most of human history, children did meaningful work along side of their parents. They had a clear picture of the need for their daily activities. No hunting meant no meat. No planting meant no crops. The industrial revolution changed that. Young people lost the opportunity to do purposeful work with adults. Now our inquisitive younger generation often can’t see the logic of what is asked of them during the school day. We can address that questioning impulse by finding real life examples, applications and uses for the Standards of Learning that allow students to DO something that makes a difference. There is a never-ending supply of problems to be solved: troubles with the soil, the plants, the animals, the air, the water, the elders, the teens, the immigrants, the economy, the use of illegal drugs– an on and on. All these challenges are here to teach problem-solving, meet standards and make the world a better place. The youth of today have important work to do in bringing fresh hope and vision to beleaguered and weary adults. When I told my fourth grade class at Novato Charter School that many windmills, which generate needed electricity, are being placed in the migration paths of birds, they came up with 11 fascinating ideas in five minutes. One thought was to make barricades using discarded tires, solving two problems at once. This kind of imagination leads to new knowledge, as the children think through the results of each step The marriage of adult intentional activity coupled with the learning process is a win-win proposition. Here are some examples – Tom Furrer of Casa Grande High School in Petaluma and his students have helped to restore salmon and steel-head trout to the Adobe River. Christian Gelleri’s Waldorf High School class in Prien, Germany, invented a currency to help with a lack luster local economy. Within six months, $50,000 worth of bills was in circulation. Kelydra Welcker, from Parkersburg, West Virginia, was honored by Intel in its high school Science Talent contest for her work isolating a contaminant in the Ohio River – a byproduct of a local Teflon plant. Young people want to help. In every class I’ve ever taught – rural, urban, suburban, elementary, middle and high school – virtually every hand shoots up when I ask for volunteers. Let’s harness that positive energy, link it to standards, and unleash this bright intelligence to help solve our messy challenges. With a change of paradigm and clear will, the U.S. can once again become an educational leader.

Kyangwali and the Trauma of War The Kyangwali Refugee Settlement began as a camp for refugees from Rwanda in the 1960s. An enormous number of cultural backgrounds and traditions are present in Kyangwali. There is conflict between nations and tribes. When you are a refugee, you are in crisis: Where am I safe? Whom can I trust? Where can I find a home? How can I make a living? The logo for this project includes the leaf of Ukraine's national tree, the Viburnum. The Singing Tree facilitators in Uganda are sending love to those who are suffering from war and have become refugees. The Kyangwali Refugee Settlement Singing Tree Project, led by Congolese refugee Kanizius Nsabimana and Ugandan artist Emmanuel Kavuma, will bring the Singing Tree Project to the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement. The Kyangwali Singing Tree Project will address the traumas suffered by the more than 125,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, most from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, now at Kyangwali. The Singing Tree Project is a community-involved Peace-Building-through-Art program that creates opportunities for communities to heal shared wounds. https://www.unitythroughcreativity.org/the-singing-tree-project

As our planet gets warmer, it has the possibility of getting meaner. When 8 year-old De’Ante Webster of Indianapolis shared his magical tale called “The Flood of Kindness”, I recognized the importance of partnering his genius. His story is about the powerful role that compassion plays in the aftermath of a large weather event – Hurricane Katrina. He wrote it in his third grade class for an historical fiction assignment. I offered to illustrate his story, which gives children the vision of the planet getting kinder as it gets warmer. Because this is a child talking to other children, there is an added weight to the voice of the story. “The Flood of Kindness” has a positive job to do in the face of climate chaos. The story shows that something beautiful can grow out of the heartbreak surrounding natural disasters. It will be helpful as the incidents of floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and drought increase. This story is needed by our time. I submitted the story to a literary agent who said she did not fall in love with it, so she wasn’t going to pick it up. The illustrations paintings are rough drafts. They are works in progress, some more realistic than others, some with borders, others without. Your feedback would be much appreciated. What do you think works or doesn’t work? Our team (De’Ante, his mom, Ieshiea Webster, and myself) are also looking for an agent, a publisher or other insights about how to get “The Flood of Kindness” to the world. We’ve been working on it for five years and are ready to get input from a wider circle of our friends and colleagues. What I care about is how to get this story to the world, for the sake of the children’s future. Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to check this out. Laurie

Diana (3rd Grade) Inner Landscape and poem: I am the summer breeze, the cheetah’s dots and the bird’s glare I am Powerful, faster than a cheetah I am warm like a mountain I am wavy as the grass, and wet, too I am a cheetah with a bird on my back We both look for prey as we move along I am gazing through the hot sun and the wet grass I am jumping rock to rock The beautiful streaming fish are, too In the face of unprecedented challenges, there are tools we can give our young people as a vital source of protection – finding strength within and connecting to the world . The purpose of the “Inner Landscape Project” is to give students an opportunity to explore their Inner Space in order to realize their unique imagination, their genius and their deepest values. The project affirms that each student matters, that their passions matter and the choices they make in creating a work of art matter. Seen together, the cut-outs are an explosion of joy and positivity. The student artwork adds to the welcoming school climate, as the students feel ownership, seeing their beauty reflected around the school. The Inner Landscapes below are at Hamilton Elementary School in Novato, California – a school that is 85% free and reduced lunch. This arts integration project involves writing, mind-mapping, design thinking, drawing, painting, poetry and speaking. Through Create Peace Project , I co-facilitated the creation of 85 Inner Landscapes with Lili Lopez, funded by the Sausalito Arts Festival Foundation’s Artists Teaching Art . We consciously prepare young people for the 21st century by giving them the space to practice making decisions and taking action. After filling out a questionnaire, the students decided what pose to be in, what animal and plant to portray, what colors to use, how to incorporate the five simple shapes and what words reflect the symbolism of their artwork. Such a rigorous process resulted in a joyful experience where the students exert power and freedom. 5th graders acted as mentors throughout the project which added to community bonding. The project also added to a greater sense of community as the students saw the beauty in the diversity of their Inner Landscapes. The next phase of the project is make a book with all the students Inner Landscapes and their “I Am” poems, so that every student can have a copy of their classes’ work. Here are two more of the paintings and poems. David I am the land who lets me walk I am the blood who goes through my body I am the water who helps me keep cool I am the lava who flies out of the volcano I am the monster who travels through caves I am the skeleton who hunts at night I am the eyes who watches the people Grace I am an Egyptian queen, who cares for my land I send my beetle army to save my children I am My Ba, the birds who are souls that fly in the night I look after the Gods, Who take care of the Nile Who takes care of the fish and the plants I want to help my people grow crops in black dirt I don’t want to harm them with the sand where nothing grows I want to stop the sand I want to heal the sick Let us partner the genius of youth to transform the world into a more playful and loving place.

Dan Pink , one of my favorite thinkers, posted a short video today about the benefits of taking notes by hand instead of the computer. He said that, since you use more parts of your brain when you write and doodle than when you transcribe word-for-word into a machine, you remember better. Well, creatively taking notes is one of my favorite activities. I use the notes as the beginnings of more fully developed drawings. I share these images to fertilize your note-taking adventures. Thomas Moore and Tata Eric Petaluma, CA A Night at the Red Victorian Peace Center with poet Frank Walters and Bisi and the Moonwalker. Julia Butterfly Hill at the Permaculture Convergence in Hopland, California Contra Costa County’s STEAM conference, honoring the teacher of the year. Illarian Merculief talk at Bioneers, 2014, San Rafael, CA. Community Matters Bully Prevention Training of Trainers, 2013 Marianna Cacciatore’s presentation on Love, Grief and Generosity at Big Ideas and Rich Conversations with Women, Sonoma, CA. I let the words, ideas and images flow through me and onto the page, delighting in what shows up. I am reminded that the word “Human” means “Divine Hand”. We can add humanity and divinity when we use our hands. I hope you have a blast taking notes. Laurie

May the abundant miracle of Nature fill us with faith and generosity in 2016. The human race can work together like the leaves on a tree, each of us unique and needed. The Singing Tree Project demonstrates the great collective genius of empowered young people. See a review of the Forest of Singing Trees

I wrote this in 2004 and feel the need to spread the message of this story: How many times have any of us ignored our inner voice, only to regret it? The other day my 85 year-old father wanted a tomato out of the refrigerator. My instinct was to get up and get it for him, even though I had difficulty walking because of recent foot surgery. My father insisted on getting it himself. Still, a little voice nagged at me that I should get up and get the tomato. I didn’t listen. Sure enough, he fell as he tried to pull the vegetable drawer open. Fortunately, he wasn’t severely hurt, but I kicked myself for not paying attention to my intuition. I’m writing this article about an experience of a former student of mine to support taking those hunches with dead seriousness, every time. I’ve known a 19 year-old young man, whom I shall call Jake, since 1995 when he was in 4th grade. I taught him art, photography, and social studies from 6th grade through 10th grade in an arts-based, Waldorf-inspired school in Virginia. Jake is an exceptional young person on many fronts – as a naturalist, a leader and a photographer. His devoted and spiritually awake parents consistently built on his strengths. Their family were homesteaders of 180 acres of land where they have carved out a highly functional and beautiful living space consisting of a house, a studio/teaching area, a shop, a garage and a pool. Their driveway is one mile of steep dirt and rock. It feels like three miles to drive. Jake always was an acute observer of nature, sighting a species of northern fencepost lizard and a spotted turtle in 6th grade that had never been documented in the Virginia before. He is currently building a 20 x 16 foot house with a loft. This three-year project involved clearing the land for the building site as well as for a large, exceptionally productive organic garden. He is a serious photographer who assigned himself the task of keeping a visual diary this year comprised of taking a picture everyday. While still in high school, he shared his passion for nature by conducting annual summer camps for nursery and kindergarten students, taking responsibility for twelve young children in the woods from 9 to 3 everyday. He’s also ran his own camps for 7-12 year olds, as well as mounted overnight backpacking trips for teenagers. His experience in the wilderness has helped develop an acute sense of direction. He is a hard-working, original thinker who has already devoted his young life to strengthening the connection between human beings and nature. Fortunately, the process involves him being connected to himself and what his intuition tells him. In June of 2004, Jake drove his truck down his long driveway with his friend, known as Matt for this story, to set off for the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee. When Jake had driven three or four miles from home, he heard a voice saying “Take your boots with you.” Though he didn’t understand why he should bring his boots, he turned the truck around, drove back up and got his Gortex, rubber-soled, heavy-duty hiking boots. Then he and Matt drove 12 hours to the rock concert. Around 200,000 people were on a farm with big open fields. The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Ween, and Tool were among those playing. The next day, Jake had a feeling there was going to be a major storm. He called his mom who looked on the weather channel and saw that a large storm system was predicted for the afternoon. Sure enough, there was a violent downpour. Before it began, Jake said to Matt, “I have a feeling that someone’s going to be hit by lightning. Let’s get in the truck.” So they watched the hail and lightning and sheets of water for about an hour. The rain clouds moved on and people were beginning to return to the soggy field, romping in the mud in their bare feet as the Grateful Dead resumed playing. Jake was about to get out of the truck when he heard a voice that said, “Put on your boots.” He listened and did just that. He and Matt started walking down to the large crowd of music lovers when an unexpected bolt of lightning swept horizontally across the sky and sent three prongs to the ground. Jake saw a white blaze. His arms flew up automatically to his chest. He felt as if his heart stopped and then experienced a burning sensation down his spine and into his feet. He sat down in a daze for twenty minutes, disoriented and in shock. His life flashed before his eyes as he sat. In this strange state, he was vaguely aware of flares going off and ambulances coming and going. Matt, who had seen the white flash and experienced ringing in his ears, helped Jake up. All of a sudden, Jake had such a massive surge of energy he thought he was okay. He felt supercharged, went down to listen to the Grateful Dead and stayed up all night. At 6:00 in the morning, he was feeling strange enough that he knew he better head for home. His excellent sense of direction was disturbed and he got lost numerous times. When he drove under power lines, he got severe headaches. Staying in a motel that night, his high energy level prevented him from sleeping again. When he got home, he told his parents he’d been hit by lightning. His left eye drooped. He had difficulty putting his thoughts together. His arm shook or jerked. He couldn’t write normally. He couldn’t operate a camera. His heart was experiencing irregularities After two more nights of not sleeping, he had six days of not being able to do much of anything but rest. He and his family figured out he was hit on the left side of his head because it was swollen and peeling and his curly hair stuck straight out. A doctor confirmed the heart irregularities with an EKG. Listening to the national news in Virginia upon his return from the music festival, Jake, his parents and Matt discovered why the ambulances had come while Jake was sitting dazed on the ground – the two other prongs of lightning from the bolt that hit Jake each struck another person. They both were killed. Neither had heavy-duty foot gear on. Jake’s boots broke the ability of the lightening to make contact with the ground. Jake is alive because of his vigilance in paying attention to his intuition. Taking positive action on the messages from his inner voice saved his life. I share this story in hopes that we all can be strengthened in our alertness and faith in the internal guidance that spontaneously and mysteriously arises. If we maintain our watchfulness often enough and long enough, and ACT ON THE MESSAGES WE RECEIVE, there’s a very good chance we’ll end up leading a life with few very regrets.

“Is climate changed happening to us or for us?” Paul Hawken asked at the Bioneers Conference this October. “If it’s happening to us, we’re victims. If it’s happening for us, we have the greatest impetus in human history to work together while connecting deeply to the needs of the planet that supports us.” It is with this thinking in mind that the Singing Tree Project invites the whole world to create together, led by youth. The most recent collaboration, the Water Willow Singing Tree. was designed and prepared by students at Marin School of the Arts , in Novato, CA. Artists Teaching Art, a program of the Sausalito Arts Festival Foundation , funded my residency to facilitate the mural. Ten Digital Design students came up with studies of a tree on the earth in space, incorporating the theme of water. Here’s Shannon Boorman’s (aged 16) brilliant digital design. I put the different designs into a unified whole. Painting students created the 8′ x 16′ background. The Product Design class built the mural’s structure and laser cut the leaves and birds. The experience of collaboration across departments was exciting. Here are some of the 35 painting students who added their mark to mural. People at the Bioneers Conference completed the mural by adding their wish for water on the leaves and birds. Ten students attended the Conference free of charge. At Bioneers, singer Noe Venable of San Francisco and her family adds to the tree. Isa Twist points to his tear-drop leaf. He wrote “We can make a better future. The Time to act NOW!” The Marin School of the Art’s students finished the mural by gluing the pieces on back at their school. Here’s some feedback from the students about the project. “The painting flows like our creativity does. The painting IS water, in that way. I also appreciate how many people connected over this at the Bioneers conference.” “As a group we did a fantastic job making all the pieces work together to making one giant painting.” “I like this piece because it shows that the unity of the world starts with the protection of our world.” “It gets people to think about the topic of water in a creative way.” “This project brought something deep inside people up to the surface.” “I like the new life in the center with possibilities branching off.” When Anna Berzitskaya , who grew up in Moscow and now works with Judith Glaser in NYC, saw the image she wrote, “The meaning I get is that we live in such a beautifully designed place…we are connected with mother Nature through umbilical cord. We are given air to breathe, food to eat, all opportunities to enjoy life. The question is how we treat our mother in return.” Beating the odds of climate chaos may unleash an unprecedented level of joyous invention and cooperation. Just look at what is possible when we work together. This is what democracy looks like. This is what Peace looks like.

On Jan. 7, 2014, I gave a talk at Marin School of the Arts called “Art is Rewiring the Human Race.” I asked the photography, film, and painting high school students to write questions throughout my talk to support further exploration of the topic – The practice of art as a tool to help human evolution grow from seeing “Differences as Dangerous” to “Differences as Opportunity.” I was moved by the students questions, which stimulated deep thought as I wrote responses. We watched two of my videos, A Call to End War and The Redwood Singing Tree of Biodiversity, which some of their questions refer to. Why did you think of making the video “A Call for the End of War”? There was a contest by the Pachamama Alliance called “Positive Futures.” When I saw the Urban Apache Crew dancing in San Rafael, I filmed them because they were so inspiring. Reviewing the footage, I knew the dancers were modeling the kind of positive future I want – the opposite of war. The video unfolded from there. Why do you say a prayer just for sons in the End of War video? Most wars are planned and fought by male soldiers. This includes the drug wars in our country. Much of the aggression on our planet is carried out by men. It is masculinity that is serving itself, instead of the women, children and life. The latter is what I call “Sacred Masculinity.” I am aware that women and children are the victims of war. I absolutely agree that women and LGTB people are part of the new wiring. In fact, many are leading the way. “Divine Femininity” and “Sacred Masculinity” are needed on our planet to balance the huge amount of aggression that is going on. Is this a realistic goal – to make a world that is based on respect and cooperation instead of greed and manipulation? When I make collaborative murals, I see the joy and cooperation that is possible. Over and over, I witness groups of people creating something more powerful than they could by themselves. I see people working out their conflicts with respect. As former Army Captain, Paul Chappell, points out in his book “The End of War,” people thought it was unrealistic for slavery to be abolished or for women to vote. These things changed. I probably won’t see a world that works for all in my lifetime, but every cell of my body is committed to helping create a safe world for “all of the children of all the species for all of time.” That’s the standard biomimicry architect William McDonough has set. Pretty high, huh? I believe it is worth working for. Making one painting is good, but does it actually influence change? No, on-going social contact influences change. Making a painting is one step among many that are needed. Where do imagination and improvisation relate and have similarity? They are intertwined. Imagination is the flow of vision and ideas. Improvisation is the act of bringing ideas into physical form. Our country had the vision of “Liberty and Justice for All.” We’ve been improvising ever since. We have a vast expanse of land with many nationalities creating together. As a painter, when I bring my ideas into physical form and put paint to canvas, the painting starts feeding me new ideas. Reality is always feeding imagination, which, in turns, gives new forms to reality. More and more people are talking about a world that works for all. Novato High School, where the culture is one of acceptance and appreciation, reflects that. You will take that out into the work world, and into the amazing unknown future that will demand imagination and improvisation. How do all these kids cooperate, collaborate and brainstorm together as one? I have found a deep hunger in the people I work with to bring their individual creativity in service of a larger community of purpose. I hold the vision that everyone has a valuable contribution to make, and, guess what, they do! Synergy happens, and what we create is more amazing than we dreamed of. Here is a video of the most recent Singing Tree I made in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina in June, 2014, which demonstrates what I’m talking about. The young people who created the mural had families from different religions who had fought each other in a civil war in 1990’s. You can watch the video by clicking this link: The Sarajevo Singing Tree of Renewed Togetherness It is good to think this way (ending war, unity through creativity), but is it realistic? How is change actually made? People are too optimistic. Change is mysterious and big. One way it begins is by having a vision that a different possibility exists. ”Without vision, the people perish.” Again, I ask you to think about when slavery was legal in this country. No one thought it could change. You were arrested or killed for trying to change it. People self-organized to free slaves, to tell the story that all people are created equal on a new level (not just white men), to fight to change laws. Harriet Tubman saw each of the people she helped to escape as free souls already. She never lost a single person in the Underground Railroad. Change happened from the ground up, like a tree growing. The problems of our times seem overwhelming and huge, like a blue whale that takes 10 miles to turn 180 degrees. Think of our messy, heart-breaking, gridlocked situation like a school of sardines, which is as big as a blue whale. When 8% of the school starts to go in a different direction, the whole school follows. (Metaphor from Clayton Mueller of the Cree Nation). If we keep working on our own problems, increasing our mastery, autonomy, and higher purpose; and connect with others who are doing the same, something powerful will happen. On the issue of optimism, I hold the vision of a world that works for all people and all species with great conviction. I doubt if it will happen in my lifetime. My conviction is not dependent on the outcome. Frederick Douglass said in 1888 “Do not be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem, nor the power of the opposition,” in regard to women’s suffrage. He did not see women get the right to vote in his lifetime. This did not disway his efforts. In 1913, when women could finally vote in our nation, his devotion to the vision of “Liberty and Justice for All” was finally fruitful. In other words, we don’t know when change will actually happens. We know what we are committed to and work for that. How can we spread this message? First, by living it. Honoring our gifts. Developing our talents. Looking for the gifts of others, instead of focusing on their flaws. Bravely learning from our differences, so we become wiser and deeper. Not taking anything for granted, especially the people and planet that give us life. Second, using our creativity to spread the message in all we do. Photograph it. Speak it. Dance it. Perform it. Video it. Paint it. Sing it. Write it. Research it. Measure it. Evaluate it. Share it. Get together with our friends and figure out how to distribute the message. I’m here to help as well, as are your teachers. How do we make opportunities like this available to more people? By first listening to what people are concerned about and coming up with driving questions to create around. How can we make a high school where everyone loves learning and knows they are important? How can we make a town where everyone loves their work? How can we be free from addiction? How can we maximize the use and sharing of scarce water? Then we envision projects and invite people to join. We can make a school wide mural. We can make an intergenerational mural with NHS students and the people in Novato’s Nursing homes or with the grandparents of the students in Novato High. We can make a mural with students in another country. We can make collaborative plays and musicals in front of the mural that tells the stories unlocked by the mural creation. Our imagination is the limit….. How do I start to make these changes? What do I do to help? You have already started by asking these questions. I’ll also repeat what I said in my talk. Seek your own spark and the spark in everyone you meet. Put those sparks together and make a big, beautiful light in the darkness of fear and hatred. Know that we are here together on a rare and precious planet that has life, while there is no life around us for billions of miles. Our differences are here to learn from and to bring us joy. Thank you for asking such important questions.