" Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much"
-
Helen Keller
Today is world-wide blog action day and participants have
been asked to write a post on the “
power of we”. I am sure there will be
several intellectual and very in depth blog posts written on this subject and I
will give you a link where you can follow up and read many of these at the bottom of this post. However, my post is a simple one written from
the viewpoint of a lone artist who has learned first hand the power of WE.
Long before the inception of the internet, people and
communities have always found a way to pull together. The call to arms for barn raisings, search
parties, charitable fund raisers along with disaster aid and community social
gatherings were most often communicated by word of mouth or telephone
committee. Today with technical advancements, computers and cell phones
have become the vehicles
for news and communication.
Social media like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo groups etc. have brought
awareness to disasters as they've happened, saved lives and brought home lost
children, brought fractured families together, helped to overthrow corrupt governments,
circulated petitions to liberate prisoners of
conscience and united people from all over the world to come together and do
good.
As I sit at my computer, a textile artist, whose work is
created in the solitude of my studio, how
can I , as an individual, discuss the “ power of WE” ?
Being connected via the internet, I have not
only seen what a group of individuals can do when they band together but I’ve
had the privilege and pleasure of being a part of those groups.
Fiberart for a Cause, created and led by artist Virginia
Spiegel, with contributions from various fiber and quilt artists has raised over
$ 220,000. for the American Cancer Society. All of this orchestrated, managed and advertised
predominantly via the internet by a small group of women. And their work is not done, as yet another Fiberart for a Cause event is scheduled for February 12 & 13, 2013.
The Art Bra movement spearheaded by Victoria Adams Brown
brought together a small core group of fiber artists, who through their
originality and ingenuity, created gorgeous calendars, held exhibitions,
travelling shows and auctions, raising thousands of dollars for mammogram
screening, research, equipment, transportation and educational programs that
promoted breast cancer awareness. This small movement kicked off a number of women's stitching groups to follow suit in creating art bras in their local communities for fund raising and awareness.
Everyone involved in the original Art Bra group was brought together by a love of stitching and a
common thread of knowing someone in our lives who had fought breast cancer. Regular internet postings and e-mails helped to bond
us and was of the utmost importance in co-ordinating this massive undertaking.
Luana and Paul Rubin of e-Quilter, philanthropists &
co-ordinators, draw on the kind hearts and generosity of their textile customers
and world wide contacts to make and donate quilts to comfort people where world
wide disasters have resulted in homelessness and despair.
My Embroiderers’ Guild, again through our mutual love of
stitching and textiles has raised funds for women’s community houses, funding
and materials for women’s consortiums in other countries and other charitable
commitments over the years.
Online stitching and quilt groups have clubbed together to
help fellow stitchers world wide in times of trouble and natural disasters
– offering warmth and comfort in a
variety of ways, replacing their lost or
destroyed stashes and sewing room items, making quilts for their families to
keep warm and funds to help them get by while they rebuild their lives.
There are quilters, knitters and stitchers who have connected with the armed
forces to send comfort packages, warm hats, gloves and quilts for our troops fighting and defending, overseas. In turn, some of these soldiers have reciprocated the good will by co-ordinating and distributing drop boxes sent from North America to their bases, filled with fabrics and threads so that women in their surrounding areas can clothe their families and make work to earn an income to help support them.
Never underestimate the power of a small group of dedicated
individuals united by a mutual love or passion for a genre or shared interests
and a strong communication network.
Miracles have and will continue to happen as a result. I believe the human spirit is strong and goodwill
will prevail in the world as long as we all do our small part in continuing to communicate reasonably and rationally, putting
our strengths together for the common good.
" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has ." - Margaret Mead
http://blogactionday.org/live-coverage-of-blog-action-day-october-15-2012/
