“We are humanity and we are totally and utterly dependent on the Earth.”

Don’t you feel like a lot of people are losing their connection to the Earth (and to reality)?

Of course, it’s understandable in our current climate; we have lost loved ones, we are faced with division every day, financial stress, emotional strain, the toughest decisions, inhumane lockdowns, relentless talking heads punting fear, the breaking of the Nuremburg Code — I don’t need to remind you, I’m sure.

With all that is going on, we need to, now more than ever, ground ourselves and be more present in nature. Spend more time staring at a tree than your device. Spend more time listening to bird song than listening to iTunes. Spend more time contemplating a glorious sunset than your next post.

Meta-Fascistbook: Name Changes and Game Changers

And now, trumpets sound and angels sing, Mark Suckerberg wants us to join him in the ‘Metaverse’. The Metaverse reminds me of Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

No thanks. Talk about Mark of the Beast!

“They Tried to Bury Us, They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds” ~ Dinos Christianopoulos

We are humanity and we are totally and utterly dependent on the Earth. We don’t need more distractions and fake realities, we need to get down and dirty, with our hands and feet in the soil of our very real planet who needs our help and our attention — ALL of our attention — because we ARE the Earth. We are made of the Earth.

We need the trees for oxygen, we need the soil to grow food, we need the flora and fauna to sustain us (whether chosen for fuel or for clothing), we need to work in symbiance with nature to truly be happy.

Let’s Weigh In

On one hand we’ve got “Mark of the Beast” and his Meta-whatsit, luring us into an AI world of bullshit and triviality while our planet needs our love and attention. And on the other hand, we have the Earth, to whom withouteth we cannot liveth. No-brainer, eh?

I’m sure Mark’s Metaverse, as lame as it looks now, will — in a few years — be like the holodeck in Star Trek. I’m sure it’ll be very tempting indeed to escape reality and get sucked into Suckerberg’s world of machinastic cyber frivolity.

But, please, let’s not forget that we are flesh and blood and our humanity is on the line. The more we get duped into staying glued to our devices and the more we are welded to our social media feeds, the more we take a step away from what is real, what makes us truly happy and what sustains us. And I think most of us can agree that this is found in the wilderness, it’s at the seaside, it’s in a jungle, it’s waiting for us in the garden or park, it’s beckoning to us in a forest, it’s outside just waiting for you to say, ‘hello’.

I’ll Be Happy When I’m Rich, Famous and Thin

Money, although useful, doesn’t make us happy. Having ‘stuff’ can be cool for a while, but soon loses it’s thrill. Fame certainly ain’t all it’s cracked up to be (just ask any celeb who, and there are many if you look, have had their hand caught in the cookie jar or whose hypocrisy has back-fired). And, of course, trying to fit the societal ideal of ‘perfect’ certainly keeps you at arms bay of ever being happy — in fact, it can make you darn right miserable.

People search for happiness when, really, it’s right underneath their noses.

Happiness Is…

Happiness is sustainable if you know where to look. Happiness is sustainable if you remember to connect with nature. Just the act of staring at ‘green’ has a soothing, calming effect.

Read this article by Christi Wharton to learn more about the colour green: The Psychology of Design: The Color Green

The Great Resignation

If we can take just one positive thing from this pandemic, it’s that a lot of people woke up.

They woke up to how much time they’re missing out on with their family and loved ones. They woke up to how much is taken for-granted. They woke up to how much wool is being pulled over their eyes. They woke up to how much time is wasted sitting in traffic on their way to work. They woke up to how much time is wasted at work, especially working at a job you do not care for. The Great Resignation is upon us!

If you don’t know about this latest phenomenon is, please read the article below:

What is ‘The Great Resignation’? An expert explains.

I bet the powers that were didn’t see that one coming! Which reminds me of a line from a Greek poem:

“They Tried to Bury Us, They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds” ~ Dinos Christianopoulos

We can even go a step further and say, not only did they bury us but they shat on us and then wept with laughter…and we all know what happens with seeds, manure and water!

New Ways of Expressing My Love for the Land

I’ve been dreaming of creating something new with my art. Something that explores a diverse range of styles and mediums. My desire was realized when I came up with my new series called, “KAROO ELEMENTS.”

KAROO ELEMENTS takes physical pieces of slate (shale), pods, quartz, tin, bark and other fascinating things I pick up on my hikes in Barrydale, Klein Karoo in South Africa, and merges it into an authentically telluric landscape.

I want you to smell the hot, baking air, experience the nutty aroma of the Acacia trees, touch the slate and quartz crystal that’s been around for thousands of years. Come take a walk with me every time you glance at this piece.

My hope is that this new series of art, that takes physical aspects of the landscape, keeps the channel of love, appreciation and fascination of nature wide open. May we never give up our awe for nature and our love for our beautiful planet.

May we never resign our humanity.

“Unity in Diversity”

Here is a picture of some of the artworks in my new series, they are currently on display at the Karoo Art Hotel in Barrydale. Don’t forget to follow my blog to receive new updates.

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