"Solutionary Love in America (and the World)" with Alixa Garcia
In this episode I talk with Alixa Garcia, a musician, poet, visual artist, filmmaker, activist, and educator. She is a visionary and radical solutionary of our time. Along with Naima Penniman, Alixa co-created the amazing duo Climbing PoeTree. For 17 years, Alixa and Naima have dedicated themselves to “harnessing creativity as the antidote to destruction” through music, poetry, and popular education.
Alixa and I talk about the power of art to address intersectional social and environmental themes, and how art can give audiences a lived understanding of their interrelatedness. Alixa expands the traditional idea that “hurt people hurt people” and emphasizes the fact that "healed people heal people.” This episode reminds us of the power of forgiveness and the necessity of healing our own inner wounds in order to become more effective at healing the world.
This episode features the exclusive global debut of “The American” written by Ryan Amador featuring Alixa Garcia. It's coming out soon on BioSoul Records.
Follow Alixa Garcia
Website: www.alixagarcia.com
Instagram: @alixagarcia_artist
Facebook: @alixa.garcia.33
Here is an essay from Alixa bridging COVID, the environment and our souls: “Sunrise Over Brooklyn: From The Heart Of A Global Pandemic.”
Below, Alixa working on her latest visual piece, “Who's Next: Up in Arms” an 8x31 ft. pencil drawing portraying young victims of gun violence in the US. Currently exhibiting at the Kunsthal KAde Museum, Netherlands as part of ‘This Is America | Art USA Today’
Alixa Garcia, Artist
Check out Duncan’s work as the Chief Transformation Officer at Spoke & Wheel:
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Other Resources & Content from this conversation.
Climbing Poetree
Over the last 17 years Climbing PoeTree has harnessed creativity as the antidote to destruction through their award-winning spoken word, hip hop infused world music, multimedia theater, and popular education models. Co-creators Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman have independently organized more than 30 national and international tours, taking their work from South Africa to Cuba, the UK to Mexico, and throughout the U.S. including 11,000 miles toured on a bus converted to run on recycled vegetable oil.
Here are two songs to give you a taste of their music:
“Somos” from the Intrinsic Album
“I Wanna Believe” from the Ammunition Album
Climate Change and Mass Extinction
Bill McKibben on Global Temperatures
This is the article by Bill McKibben that Alixa mentioned in the episode: “The mercury doesn’t lie: We’ve hit a troubling climate change milestone”
Mass Extinction
Here are some resources to help put the potential of a human-caused 6th mass extinction in perspective:
“What is a ‘mass extinction’ and are we in one now?” by Frédérik Saltré and Corey J. A. Bradshaw of The Conversation.
“We Are the Meteor” is a pair of interviews from On The Media, with stratigrapher and Anthropocene Working Group Chair, Jan Zalasiewicz, and author Benjamin Kunkel, about the Anthropocence (an age characterized by the impact of humankind on the planet) and how human may be causing the 6th mass extinction.
Spiritual Perspective
Daisaku Ikeda
Daisaku Ikeda is a peacebuilder, Buddhist philosopher, educator, author and poet who has dedicated himself to bolstering the foundations of a lasting culture of peace. You con find Daily Guidance by Daisaku Ikeda on Facebook @DailyGuidanceByDaisakuIkeda. Here is an excerpt from the Daily Guidance from September 11th:
THE first freedom that humanity must aim for in the 21st century is “freedom from violence”. Violence is not acceptable in any form – whether war or terrorism or violence in society or the home. All our thoughts and actions must demonstrate a respect for the sanctity of life. Nor can we permit violent speech or “terrorism of words” that violates human rights.
LISTEN to what they have to say and offer even just a few words of encouragement. That is all it may take for the flame of “life” to spring up anew in the heart of someone who is suffering deeply. Just knowing that someone cares about them causes their “life-space” to expand.
Time
The Invention of Linear Time
Here's a quote from “A Brief History of (Modern) Time” by Ian P. Beacock, The Atlantic.
The global history of time reform reminds us that technology makes no promises about the shape of our shared future: whether that future will be more or less equal, more or less just, more or less democratic. These are human choices. It’s not technology itself but what we ask it to do for us that makes all the difference.
Here's a Quote from Niel Postman cited in the blog “Monks, Clocks, and Capitalism” (Charismata).
“The clock had its origin in the Benedictine monasteries of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The impetus behind the invention was to provide a more or less precise regularity to the routines of the monasteries, which required, among other things, seven periods of devotion during the course of the day.”
“…without the clock, capitalism would have been quite impossible. The paradox, the surprise, and the wonder are that the clock was invented by men who wanted to devote themselves more rigorously to God; it ended as the technology of greatest use to men who wished to devote themselves to the accumulation of money.
-Niel Postman
… and Rumi, “Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing…”
Image from “Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing…..One of My Favourite Rumi quotes” at the Swaminarayan Glory website.
“Plan Colombia” by the Beehive Design Collective
(Click image to enlarge)
Check Out the Collection of Social Change Episodes from Fractal Friends:
Music
This episode features the exclusive global debut of “The American” written by Ryan Amador featuring Alixa Garcia. It's coming out soon on BioSoul Records.
Follow Ryan Amador on Facebook, BandCamp, Spotify, YouTube or Instagram
In the meantime enjoy this collection of music and poetry from Climbing PoeTree.
Check out their newest album Intrinsic.
This is album from 2005 is my first introduction to Climbing PoeTree: Ammunition