Sustainability. Go Green! Living Principles. These keywords and concepts have been circulating the news, business communities, and social media sites. But what do they really mean? And what do they mean for you? How can these concepts affect what you do and how you practice your life and career choices as artists, designers, photographers, business people and members of society.

Terms such as Going Green may sound merely like buzzwords, perhaps a passing trend . . . but I think it’s become apparent to the majority of us that people need to work together to make a difference for a collective good. I believe that most agree, we can no longer stand idly by and hope for the best without investing our own hard work and initiatives. We are the ambassadors of our planet.

Simply put, sustainability enables the earth to continue to support life as we know it. In fact, it would be a pretty good idea if it even allowed us to improve life and it’s support systems. The definition provided by the EPA reads: The 1970 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) formally established as a national goal the creation and maintenance of conditions under which humans and nature “can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.”

Over the last 30 years, this definition has evolved to embrace not only public but also private and individual initiatives. Here’s what I find to be key in this statement: “exist[ing] in a productive harmony and fulfill the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations”. But let’s make no mistake, sustainability is not just about Americans, it’s a global initiative. The practice of sustainability is as big as the globe and as small as your own backyard. Additionally, it is interesting that the statement separates humans from nature . . . aren’t we a part of nature?

Here are some more keywords for you: social responsibility and collaboration. I’d like to introduce you to The Living Principles, which create an understandable and workable framework of 4 avenues toward sustainability. Those streams of participation are: Environment, People, Economy and Culture and are meant to be embraced through community and individual participation. The Living Principles provide comprehensive and workable guidelines which are not meant to overwhelm but to inspire and empower. What does this means for you?

Join a network of like minded people. Learners, creatives, entrepreneurs, and business executives. People of all walks of life that have a common interest in being less wasteful, more caring and participatory in a world of sustainability. Through each other we can learn new ways of bettering our lives and bringing awareness of sustainability to the people and businesses of Connecticut for purposeful action.  For artists and photographers this means not only being more mindful of your studio practices but also expressing, through your art, your eyes and your medium, messages which bring awareness to your audience. For artists this may mean using found or recycled items. Maybe your waste can become someone else’s raw materials. Yet your artistic expression is as important as the materials and the practices . . . so the cultural impact of your work counts, too.

SHED / A Living Principles Happening is an open forum, perhaps one of the first of its kind in Connecticut, that will allow you to discover and brainstorm ways toward a more sustainable lifestyle and business practice. Together AIGA Connecticut and Mohawk Windpower present an event on February 12, 2011 at the Yale School of Art where you become part of the discussion. February’s event is just the first part of a series, so on future dates you can meet up with old friends and new ones and take the initiative even further.

SHED / A Living Principles Happening invites you to join an open discussion about culture, happiness, consumerism, design, the arts and the future of our communities and our planet. We want to hear your thoughts, answer your questions and discuss how The Living Principles can help shape culture and creativity in Connecticut.

To inspire you we have arranged a panel of top notch experts and thinkers on the subject:

moderator :
Julie Lasky, Editor of Change Observer

panelists :
Eric Benson, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois and Founder of Re-Nourish
Neil Brown, Associate Creative Director at Barnum Design in New York City and founder of Salt Space
Aaris Sherin, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at St. John’s University and author of SustainAble. Site.
The fourth panelist is YOU!

To show you how easy it is to get involved in upholding some of the principles of sustainability, we invite all attendees to bring a cool item or useful object to the event to “SHED”. This object might be something as simple and cool as that wonderful book sitting on your bookshelf collecting dust. Or maybe you have a cool old tool that might be a gem for someone else.

We can shape a new future in Connecticut but we all have to pitch in. We can’t do it without you. Come and learn, speak your mind and shed some of your unwanted treasures.

Saturday, February 12, 2011
10AM – 1PM
Yale University School of Art
Design Atrium
1156 Chapel Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
More Information on SHED / A Living Principles Happening

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