I came up with the idea for this culture jam after dreaming about people confusing river otters with beavers. In the dream, a lot of people were having a fit about otter dams (?), but vampires were pro-otter after the otters broke into a warehouse, stole the town’s supply of wooden stakes, and built a dam with them. So how did that inspire this idea? That is a convoluted story involving a children’s book character I named Rick Otter that was inspired by a friend of mine who passed away almost two years ago as the result of a stupid accident. He had a similar name, an affinity for nature and children, and was such an important part of affecting change in our community. I miss him everyday.
After spending so much time yesterday on reflecting on things that make me happy, and ways in which I may use my talents to actually affect change, I read this article on why people don’t act in their own best interest. Essentially, it has to do with instant gratification and failing to consider consequences. The solution is for people to actually care; the solution to all the big problems is empathy, but that is not something we can instill in adults who don’t already want to become more empathetic. There are ways we can do this with children, and part of it is to simply connect with their curiosity and need for engagement.
Then I had that crazy dream. When I have a dream with otters in it, it is like a message from Rick. Anyway, the stakes are in the river. Hope you all will join me in these culture jam pursuits.
Subversive coloring sheets
Aim is to make children annoy and agitate adults in a good way while becoming the empathetic people we need in our world. This is how we raise some good trouble.
Create line art of Daniel Hale Williams, MD. Black surgeon who performed first successful heart surgery, which led to innumerable lives being saved ever since. He was denied care at white only hospitals. Reverse side: line art of Breonna Taylor in uniform. She was an ER Technician gunned down by police officers who broke into her apartment. Think of all the lives she might have saved if these white men hadn’t taken hers.
Line art depicting suffering animals on CAFOs. “What’s so happy about your meal?” I would love to get these inserted into actual fast food kids meals. Could have messaging urging them to ask their parents to get their meat from small farms where animals are humanely raised or to opt for a meat-free diet.
(This one I am actually in the process of making) Show garbage in waterways - have these be “erasing sheets” not just coloring sheets. “This plastic waste is easy to erase, but the forever chemicals they leach into our water are a lot harder to get rid of. These pose health risks not just to fish and wildlife, but to all of us.” Once the garbage is removed, this is just beautiful line art of fish in water, or a stream in a forest that is ready to color. I plan on making two versions of each picture available online to print off: one without the garbage, and one with traceable garbage will be available so that people can use pencil to draw in the garbage on the coloring sheets. The plastic items are easy to draw things anyway like plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, etc. I am experimenting with erasable non-photo blue pencil for doing the erasable items on some of the ones I plan to create. I like the idea of non-photo blue because while most people can see it, cameras do not, so there is this profound message there. Just because you cannot see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
This idea is for all ages:
Subversive scratch off tickets.
Under image is printed on card stock covered by clear tape, clear contact paper, or laminate over top. Part to be scratched off is made by painting/stenciling on image (in acrylic paint) over top clear laminate. Message would say: scratch off to reveal a prize.
Ideas for tickets: show a lit up polluted city and when you scratch away the smog and light pollution, you see the stars in the sky.
Silhouettes of cars to scratch off to reveal people walking and cycling.
Silhouettes of parked cars to reveal people dining/interacting outdoors.
Picture of a McMansion that you scratch away to reveal pristine forest.
These are cool ideas. I hope someone who works with children tries them.