When I dreamt, I found the spaces in between…

I’m working on being inspired. I was taught so deeply to identify as a cultural critic, that my initial take on just about anything (except cute fuzzy animals, of course) is to critique it, take it apart, examine it, find places to fix it. I’m working on softening this reaction, this impulse to dissect. Because in the all-encompassing worldview that is cultural criticism, I find myself in this paradox: cultural criticism claims to examine all the crevices and shine light on just about everything, everywhere, at all levels, including the meta, and yet I find this outlook to be increasingly limited in its ability to compassionately, lovingly, effectively create change that is whole, to actually find a truth that moves beyond critique. Its all encompassing nature is, in many ways, small. It’s good to finally be in a place to recognize that.

So yes, inspiration. I recently went to a Michael Meade event, for his organization, Mosaic Voices. He’s this incredible mythologist and storyteller, who works with people from many walks of life - gang kids in LA, rich white Marin folks, and everyone in between. And it’s through storytelling and modern myth-making that he connects people. In short, he creates the myths that we don’t have readily available for ourselves in this culture, in order to makes some meaningful metaphorical narrative of our experiences, of the present, the pain and sorrow and craziness of our realities. He works intensely with people to break down barriers and facilitate real communication between otherwise utterly disparate groups. Incredible stuff.

Sure, he *does* critique culture. It’s woven throughout his storytelling, his conversations, his songs. But what’s so powerful is that he doesn’t just get stuck in that dissection. He doesn’t stick to the criticism, thinking that that is the only solution. He moves through it, finds a way to recontextualize it and empower his audience through a set of creative and meaningful acts. It’s a different sort of challenge to change than I’ve really understood before. Like I said, inspiring.

Of course, this isn’t always the case for these sorts of events, and I’ve been to plenty of well-intentioned workshops and events that just miss the mark, or are just silly in their attempts to teach and create. But, in the spirit of focusing on what inspires me, here’s to Michael Meade. Check him out.