Just as the printing press transformed religion and the Western world in the mid-1400s, the internet is catalyzing massive changes in virtually every sphere of human activity. Medicine, science, politics, education, the arts and many other major cultural institutions are adjusting so quickly to the internet’s democratizing influence that the heads of the old guard are left spinning on the ground as the waves of change moves through.
What will be left of the live performing arts, for example, as the percentage of the population raised on the internet grows over time? The internet mindset, where immediacy and ease of access are prized and where virtually anything can be had “on demand” 24/7 is no doubt challenging to the live performing arts, whose rigid schedules, high cost and relatively difficult access potentially stand as obstacles to their consumption.
In a compelling talk at the recent TEDxYYC called “The true power of the performing arts,” arts administrator Ben Cameron makes the point that humanity is at a crossroads and there is a great need for the cultivation of a more empathic civilization. I encourage you to watch the 12 minute talk (despite the fact that Mr. Cameron gets off to a bumpy start).
The majority of the dominant modes of consciousness that govern our world, condition our view of health and healing and shape our view of leisure time were shaped and structured for an earlier era of history. The industrial revolution and the subsequent seismic shifts that took place in the 19th century created a model that has evolved gradually over the last century and it is increasingly clear that a period of deep, revolutionary, if not cataclysmic change is on the horizon on many fronts.
While we human beings tend to cling to tradition we are also drawn to change like insects to a bug zapper. For better or for worse we march on, embracing and absorbing change as we encounter it along the way. The way things look, the way we do them, the way we interact with one another, the way we view ourselves and our world are in constant flux, yet the human spirit continues to flicker no matter how strong the winds of change.
I am a big fan of not trying to do the impossible, and resisting change is one of those often tried but never achievable impossibilities. Learning to move graciously with change is one of the greatest life skills anyone can learn. So doing requires self-assurance, creativity, imagination, thoughtfulness and a genuine appreciation for human ingenuity and the refusal to develop any one of these areas in your experience will produce a flat spot that will eventually turn even the simplest changes into daunting tasks.
Embracing change is optional, but then again, so is success and happiness. Keep your head high and enjoy change while continuing to reach out to the world around you and surely happiness will follow you all of your days.
Gregory Hake 
Embracing change is something that makes your life easier in the long run, because life will change whether or not you want it to. I guess part of the trick is to be the impetus for change rather than behind the eightball. You can’t be fighting change to do this. Thanks!
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“Keep your head high and enjoy change while continuing to reach out to the world around you and surely happiness will follow you all of your days.”
Not advice you hear every day, but it should be heard every day… I am posting this quote on my monitor!
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I like it!
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Thanks Gregg! It would seem that resisting change and promoting creative expression do not go hand in hand. I appreciate Mr. Cameron’s passion, and your additional perspective. Ultimately, creativity in whatever form it takes is what makes life worth living so this is a revolution well worth making the best of.
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Worthy of serious meditation. The Arts should experiment in the same way TED has. They are the source of free videos, but in no way has that eliminated the massive demand to be a participant of the live community which their conferences generate. The ticket prices to get into their conferences have more than doubled since they first began and tickets typically sell out immediately, leaving a huge waiting list in the thousands. In the same way it might seem something is lost via the free internet access, something is gained in phenomenal proportions of exposure and interest.
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Thank you Gregg Hake and Ben Cameron for presenting a balanced take on embracing change and embracing the new mediums available.
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Definitely worth listening to past the first minute. Thanks for sharing!
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When you have a larger vision with respect to yourself, those around you, your city, state, the country, the world we all live in – change doesn’t take on such a personal note.
When you have a larger perspective, it’s much easier to see the benefits of change and keep an open mind with respect to new possibilities.
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I suppose you’re pointing to the fact that people tend to resist change because they feel a loss of control relative to immediate factors in their lives. People tend to try to organize their lives by keeping that which they like and can control close and that which they don’t and can’t as far away as possible. Change tends to upset that balance and people are forever righting upset apple carts due to the constancy of mutability. Having a larger vision, which is made possible by gaining a broader perspective, puts the whole matter in a new framework. Instead of worrying about how this or that will affect you and your world as your first concern, you begin to measure change against the bigger picture.
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This was awesome Gregg – thanks for pointing out this TED!
i took my children to the theater for a live performance of Briar Patch with Brer Bear & Brer Rabbit….they loved it, stayed attentive for 45+ minutes and continue to talk about the different characters and how issues were handled. They were much more into the play than any hour worth of tv. And i loved the experience with them!
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Sounds like a fun one as well as being the perfect outing at the perfect time!
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