Of all of the things a girl was required to learn in order to get the ticks that would get the qualification that would demonstrate some ability to toe the line that would get the job; few things have stuck.
One concept that did however, was the great uniqueness of New Zealand artists during the early 1900s, whose main idea of what was happening in the rest of the world came from what they could glean through correspondence with their European counterparts. Accordingly, many forms of New Zealand art from that era of our evolution, portrayed a freshness and originality of creative thought undemonstrated by other disciplines during this period in our nation’s history.
What the artists of that time were able to create was unadulterated by any actual view of what others were doing. Photography was still in its infancy and so they were obliged to create, based on what they were reading, discussing, and imagining, rather than what they were seeing.
This strikes a chord with me. This is about innovation.
It’s about taking a plunge. Relying on one’s own resources. Being a leader rather than a follower. Having whatever it takes to be undeterred by fear that others won’t like it, or it is not the “done” thing.
In a post lock-down (but very much a present) CoVid environment; I am not heartened by the plaintive cries of those who would seek to go back to doing what we always did. “The economy needs to be kick started!” Yes. But which economy?
We’re missing a point here. The economy we currently want to kick-start relies on global economics at a time when the globe is in turmoil and every breach of the border carries unquantifiable risk to the very people (and environment) who produce the stuff that we need to either import or export in order to “survive”.
When our country is awash with individuals doing imaginative and innovative things with what they do have; all of which have the potential to contribute towards lifestyles that are affordable, sustainable and dignified; why would we shun such resourcefulness in order to perpetuate the uncertainty, risk, and (frankly) homogenization that following the masses currently offers?
We seem to be hell-bent on widening the divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. The concept of maintaining power through maintaining control of the masses by making them reliant on somebody else’s largesse is not new. Sadly, the by-product of this short-sighted “initiative” is mediocrity. No political party will rescue us from this clag. The lifeline is courage.
Courage to:
- Draw upon your own resources – imagination and innovation
- Try stuff BECAUSE nobody else has tried it before
- Be prepared to fail – and to allow others to do so
- Encourage those who are thinking outside the box – the establishment ain’t going to do it.
New Zealand’s most notable achievements are not based on what others did. They are based on what WE did.