Work of Art
Inspiration for this blog post:
Facilitating last week’s NTEN course: Practical Data Management, Quality & Analysis
Van Gogh’s Ear, The New Yorker, by Adam Gopnik
There are stories that are told about technology - that it is rigid and binary; that there are right and wrong ways to do it; that if it isn’t perfect it is broken and if it is broken it is untrustworthy; that it is set in its way and unchangeable. These stories are rooted in truths, but also in misunderstandings.
Learning to use data & technology for social justice work is daunting. It can feel like looking up at Mount Everest and losing your breath. There is so much there - where to start? There is so much preparation that goes into place before you can start climbing. There are pushes and then you have to turn back. You have to acclimate to the environment by just being in it for some time. And no matter what you do, no matter how much you prepare, no matter what supplies you bring, circumstances may keep you from reaching the summit.
It isn’t easy.
Sometimes learning to use data & technology for social justice work is scary, like snowboarding down a mountain no one has ever gone down before. The environment is changing all around you. The very ground beneath you can fall apart and slip away. You are going so fast but there is absolutely no stopping. The human instinct to feel fear and protect yourself kicks in and is a mental battle to overcome. You can get hurt.
It isn’t safe.
Facing up a mountain or jumping down off of one may seem like just a huge amount of work, work, work. Preparation, training, failures, recoveries, more prep, more training, more learning, more practice. It is work - work that pays the bills for some and is part of the entire industry of “extreme sports” that has media, sponsorships, corporate partners, fans, support staff, and more.
When can work be art? Travis Rice talks beautifully about snowboarding being his art form, and his film Art of Flight (linked above) is a beautiful representation of this approach to work.
Working with data & technology for social justice is also a form of art. There is not single way for it to look, no single style or approach. Each person using data and technology in their work brings their own artistic flavor to it. Spreadsheets all start the same, but become individual works of art by the people and organizations that use them. This artwork is filled with imperfections. And it has the chance to make an impact on people’s lives.
To continue to evolve as artists, we must keep learning about our art, to keep doing our art, and to have love for our art. And please, above all, share your art with others so we can be inspired and bring that inspiration to our own art work.
