This week I would like to share Seth Godin's excellent and informative blog on the topic of: "Deconstructing Generosity."
 
The connection economy is based on generosity. After all, why would someone want to connect to a selfish organization? But the critical need for generosity as an element of our new economy is easy to get lost because it leads to the question, “what is generosity?”

The obvious answer, I think, is the wrong one. Generosity is not merely giving a discount, or giving what you make away or creating a race to the bottom. It’s far more complex than that. Some thoughts:

It’s understandable that generosity creates trust, but also worth noting that trust is required to provide generosity. If a well-meaning person started leaving sandwiches all over the airport departures lounge, her goal probably wouldn’t be achieved, because we just don’t trust random unwrapped sandwiches left anonymously in public places.

That’s one reason why it seems so difficult to give ideas away online. We don’t know you, so we don’t trust you, perhaps not even enough to invest the time to find out what it is you’re trying to give us or how you're working to help us. Earning this trust, in an effort to be generous, is time consuming and dissuades some from going down this path. Sometimes this effort leads marketers to spam, to take shortcuts, to lie, all in a self-justified but ultimately doomed and deluded effort to be generous.

Sacrifice is a crucial element in our perception of generosity. When someone takes the time to share a finite resource, one that they cannot hope to be repaid for, generosity happens. So favors can’t be generous, because favors imply a sort of gift economy of repayment being due.

Kindness also rides along with generosity. When someone is generous with us but does it begrudgingly, just this one time, don’t ask again, face scrunched with tension, then no, it doesn’t feel generous.

Danny Meyer has revolutionized restaurant culture around the world (starting with Union Square Cafe and then with many other eating places) by placing an emphasis on generosity. Not the (sometimes unwanted) generosity of huge portions, nor the discounting approach of charging ever less, but in the generosity we feel when we’re waited on by someone who treats us with genuine humanity, with kindness and with care.

A variation  on kindness is design. It’s entirely possible to create buildings or signs or products that are brutally efficient, where no effort is put into grace or style or beauty. But when the creator of the thing also donates the extra time and care to make it magical, it feels generous, a generosity that scales to all who use it.

There is also the generosity that we feel when someone comes with right intent. People like Bernadette Jiwa, Tina Roth Eisenberg and Mitch Joel have no ulterior motive in the work they share online. They share because they can, because turning on a light for themselves also turns on a light for others. This is not the trading-up version of selfish networking, it’s merely generous.

Vulnerability, as Brene Brown and others have written about, is a key element of what it is to be human, to make art and thus to be generous. The vulnerability of showing up and caring and connecting, even if this time, it might not resonate. And yes, vulnerability builds trust, all in an endless cycle.

And the killer of generosity is bitterness. You may have noticed while traveling on airlines like American that many of the employees you encounter act as though they’re trapped. Trapped by a race to the bottom in efficiency, trapped by a long history of bureaucracy that offers no control and no room for humanity. In those situations, it’s easy to give up, to shrug one’s  shoulders and to soldier on, just doing your job. It’s not surprising, then, that any attempt at organizational kindness instead feels like a poorly
constructed marketing come-on, not the human act of generosity we seek.

 We long to connect, all of us. We long to be noticed, to be cared for, to matter. Generosity is the invisible salve on our wound of loneliness, one that benefits both sides, over and over again.
 
Posted by Seth Godin on April 26, 2014

Note: you can find his blog site at:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/04/deconstructing-generosity.html

It is so heartrending to hear how a 10 year old child who considers her older sister, her "hero" and suddenly has her ripped away from her. How this shattered her for years, even blaming her for letting it happen to her. How could her older sister who she thought was all powerful, let something like this actually occur? 

This is exactly what happened to Odia, next in line to Candace, the oldest in the family. Odia shared how it wasn't till she was 19 years of age that she realized this error in her perception of a 13 year old girls vulnerability, hero or not! 

There were just the right people in her artist talk audience, everyone unique and special for this occasion. There were past friends from both her high-school and U of M Fine Art Classes. Others continued to arrive. Interestingly, later folk were also coming in from events winding down in other parts of the building.

Personally I was struck by how Odia set herself up to speak from behind the table/alter of  bowels representing the pain and suffering of others. What a contrast and message of healing she communicated...just by sitting there and speaking from this position in the room. It would not have mattered what she said for just the tone of her voice, her inflections, her body language, the giggles and humor all communicated an overall message of peace, contentment, emotional health, confidence, courage and forgiveness.

Then there were the words which she spoke, meshing so well with the whole image. What a message of the power of faith, family and surrender to a wonderful loving power beyond herself.

Thank you Odia for your presentation which expressed on so many levels what we can or could all become.

The opening night was a blast. And we look forward to seeing more of you as the show goes on to the 27th. (See dates and hours on the "Art Shows" page of this website.)

All the work, late nights, early mornings, media, last minute details that had to be dealt with, are all forgotten. When the first guest arrived the party began. There was music, friends, strangers, media, hugs, laughter and chatter, lots of chatter. There was also food and oh yes, there was also the art.  

Frame Art Warehouse was a great place to display our work. Thanks Nick and Dave for all your help. 

Each of us artists were very excited as we set up our pieces and instillations. Each of us had new work to display so the adrenalin and excitement was running high.

For Wilma, this is her first showing, so every thing for her was a first. She was beside herself with lots of mixed feelings, wondering how her work would be accepted. Odia also has a new instillation, the "Offering Project" which was the center of a lot of attention. She is having her "Artist Talk Night" this Thursday evening at 7pm. She will share her story as she crochets another bowel. I have three new pieces, one of them being the "Throne of Swords." It was good to have a deadline and get it done for this show. My "Art Talk Night" is on the 26th at 7pm. on the subject of how creativity heals.

This Wed. morning will also be very exciting as my two Saint Aiden's art classes are coming to see what their art teacher is really doing in art.   

Again, on behalf of my family THANK YOU to everyone for coming to the opening and making it such a great launch for the art show...it has all been very a humbling and encouraging. I have a very excited family on my hands! Bless you all.

Cliff

So, why have I created a throne of swords or this creature representing the worst evil possible, at put it on display in my show? Is it that I'm drawn to evil? No! Do I like evil? No, I do not like evil, but am drawn to it for another reason. 

The issue I am raising with these sculptures is that evil is present in our world and as such can play an important role in our lives. Evil has and will touch us one way or another. We cannot put our heads in the sand and pretend it is not in existence.

Anyone who works out knows that "resistance" is what makes you stronger. Scientists grew trees in an enclosed eco system, but when they grew to maturity their branches began breaking off. Why? No resistance like wind and weather to make them strong.

Evil plays this role of resistance in our lives, and if we respond correctly it will inform us and make us stronger. David was prepared to be the man and king he was with an evil tutor, Saul.

Besides that, we are also asked to "love our enemies, " then also to "pray for our enemies, interesting is it not?


Possibly we need to look at problems and issues differently. Maybe even welcome them and allow them to make us stronger, inform us and make us better people. Would that not then mean that if we have to deal with the winds of bad chaotic and destructive ideas, would we not become stronger? Stronger in recognizing them, understanding them and finally in dealing with them?

The thing to keep in mind is that evil can start doing it's thing in very small ways....something we might not notice at first, but is resulting in less love and compassion towards one another in for example an important relationship. Trust slowly begins to die...and suspicion begins to rise. Less love and a little more disliking of one another begins to develop. This grows and grows and before you know it, both sides are doing bad things to each other. As the relationship deteriorates we begin making evil actions towards each other seem reasonable and acceptable. Thus making things like accusations, laying blame, being selfish, anger and hate, normal interaction in the relationship. By that time both sides have been infected and unless somehing is done the relationship is at risk. 

"The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opposition than from his fervent supporters."    - Walter Lippmann

We are mired in all kinds of evil tendencies in our lives. No one can claim we are without selfish intents, working to isolate others to gain something. But, to those who see and desire to take a stand and change, there is hope. Let's learn from what we see and experience, recognize how evil looks and works and become courageous and strong to resist the ravages, pain, division and hurt it brings. There is a pearl of learning in every problem we experience. Peacemakers are still admired and needed.