The Good Projxt

The Good Projxt is Art, community, self-understanding, healing and Love.

The idea for the Good Projxt came in 2020. The world felt so…divided and the pandemic had us isolated. In the Isolation, I had many conversations with myself. I’d say that’s when I started to really talk to myself about the world. Without fear of external judgment, I pondered big issues, painful issues, complex issues and I had a profound realization that we can choose to be Good however we don’t even know what Good means anymore.

Islanders Love to say, we are Good people. Well, what does that even mean?

In a place where so much harm is being done, are we Good?

The Good projxt is Island based, by an Islander, for Islanders.

As a tiny North Atlantic island, we are isolated together and will face climate impacts collectively. There is the possibility of losing our collective home, the Island, to climate change. This puts all Islanders in a unique position that few others in the world are experiencing.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be Good to one another, to self and to the Earth if impending doom is on the way?

The Good Projxt is a complex, personal/interpersonal, beautiful quest to figure out what/when/how/where/why of Good. It is a strong, deep, belief that Islanders can turn the tide and make this a truly Good place.

We first need to figure out what Good is. Then we can do it. Right? Good.

So, how do we understand Good.

Well through these three areas:

The Good Art Talks
The Good Art Exhibit
The Good Book

Good Art Talks

What?

A series of conversations/facilitations/hang outs across age, gender, sexuality, class, ability etc spectrum. The conversations will focus on Art, on Good and the intersection of Art and Goodness.

The guiding questions will be…

What is Art? Who makes Art? Where is Art?

What is Good? Who is Good and Why be Good?

Is Art inherent & Good? Can Art create collective Good?

Why?

Because we deserve it. Because we need it. Because we want it.

The world is so complicated, scary, weird, uncertain, fast paced. I felt like I needed a minute. To check with everyone. Are we ok? What’s Good ?

Everything feels us vs. them when there’s no them.. Just ALL of us. The world is telling us we must choose left or right and I just want to Art. I want universal Peace.

I found relief in Art. I found solace in Art. I healed through Art. I found comfort in Art. I found answers to big questions in Art. I learned big Truths through Art. So clearly there is a connection to this innate creative ability of ours and the Goodness in the world. Right?

That is how the Good Art talks were born. I would say I had them with myself first. I saw that there was a connection, an intersection, a venn diagram between Art and Good. And like Dora, Imma explore.

Over time, I realized these conversations needed to be had with others. Whenever I would say certain words such as Art is inherent or Art is always/only Good. Folx literally light up. The Good Art talks started happening, people wanted to think about it. As the world gets scarier, we are already talking about the spiritual, magical essence of Art’s connection to revolution, collective change but we don’t yet have the language for it. I believe through Art, through unpacking all the feelings of what was and what is, will we then be able to create/Art the future of what will be.

I’m hoping through this dialogue we can talk about what we have no name for yet at the end of these conversations and to have talks with many demographics across the Island, I hope a light of Good and of Art is lit. That a little seed is planted that carries this knowledge that Art, Good and Humans are inextricably intertwined and who knows where that seed/light goes and it doesn’t even matter if that little seed does not change the whole wide world, my hope is that seed/ that light changes the individual’s perspective of the world. That they see themselves and others as Good and as Art.

Who?

There will be different audiences curated for the Good Art talks. The audiences are listed below;

Public Edition
Members of Community, Creatives, Friends, Family, Elders, Local Leaders, Influencers, Magik Makers, Caretakers and anyone that fits, is interested, or is compelled to join is invited. This space at The Guild is open to anyone and everyone. The space will be guided by who is there is who was meant to be there. Outreach will be via word of mouth and Creative PEI. Folx will gather, eat Good local food and respond to the questions on Good, on Art and the intersection of Good and Art. At the the start of each Talk and at the end of the year, a survey will be administered to gather where people are at and what has changed for them through these conversations. The results/feedback from the talk as well as data from the survey will be published in the Good Book.
Happens once per month between February and November 2023.

Register Here

This part of the Good Art talks is funded by the GEDI fund, via the province of PEI.

School Edition
Youth, Kids are also members of Community, Artists, Creatives, Friends, Family, Local Leaders, Influencers, Magik Makers, Caretakers and more. They too deserve to be part of the dialogue of the changing world they are in. In this part of the Good Art talks, over the course of a school year grades K, 4, 8, 11 will be invited to a series of Art sessions/workshops that will explore Good, Art and the intersection of Good and Art. There will be three series of these. One on the west side of the island, one on the east side of the island and one in Charlottetown. This will be done with the support of the public school board via Debbie Langston and Vicky AllenCook.

The youth will have an email to send their after thoughts, reflections, creations to after the Good Art talks. With this time and freedom to reflect, we hope to see some interesting responses from all the age demographics.

The youth will also do the survey at the beginning of each Talk as well as when the Good Art Talks are over. The data from the survey as well as reflections emailed to us will be in the Good Book.

Elders Edition
Elders are critical members of the Community, Artists, Creatives. You can see where I am going here.I would like the Good Art talks to reach members of Community we don’t usually think to engage in such dialogue. Elders deserve a say in the fast changing world they live in. Through the Good Art talks we will explore Good, Art, the intersections while considering the past, the present and the future. This part of the Good Art talks will be recorded on a podcast so the wisdom of the Elders can be accessible to all. The podcast will be part of the Good Book.

Artists
Artists have a unique perspective on the world. The Good Art talks will have a podcast that focuses on the intersections of Good and Art with chosen local artists. The same questions will be asked of the Artists and they will be asked to wear their creative hat while responding to these Good questions. The podcast will be part of the Good Book.

The Good Art Exhibit

Why?

Because Art changes lives.  

These pieces helped me understand myself, the world and others better. Through Art, I hope more folx can express the complex parts of ourselves. Through Art, I hope we can start to heal the hurt that is so deep here. I want others to feel the feelings I felt making these but to walk away knowing that they too can grow, heal, Love, and Be Good through Art. 

When?

Ideally during Art in The Open 2023

Where?

The heart of the city.

What?

8 pieces at approx. 18×18

Who?

The Art will be by King Kxndi for Islanders. Anyone can enjoy this art, however, this Art was made through an Islander lens for Islanders. For Islanders to see the vastness of what being an Islander means. For Islanders to see how Good it is to be an Islander.

The Good Book

What?

The Good Book is a coffee table book on Good. 

There will be a series of 18 essays that focuses on three areas:

Self, Others and on Earth. 

Each area/section will have a spiritual introduction titled On God.  

The book will also have the Good Art pieces, the Elders and Artists podcasts, reflections/Art survey results from the Good Art Talks , poems from local poets, and whatever else is needed to solidify this journey/possibility for Good the Island is on. 

Who?

King Kxndi will write the essays and will collaborate with community members for the other pieces.

The big question is who is the Good Book for?

For Islanders of course. But like, only Islanders.

Why?

Honestly, because Islanders deserve it. There is this feeling on this Island that so much is possible. That we can live/be Good. Everywhere I go on this Island I meet incredible people with incredible histories and incredible dreams of the future. Its almost like who Islanders are and what’s happening here don’t match up. I believe its because we have no idea or have lost the concept of Good. We say we are Good people, but sometimes the actions and feelings do not match.

During the pandemic, like everyone else, the concept of a life well lived was often on my mind. So through these essays I will explore what Good means to me, for me, by me. What it means to be good to others e.g. recognizing that every human has fault and that is part of the Magik. I will also explore what it means to be Good to the Earth i.e. decolonizing. 

These conversations with myself have helped me be kinder, softer, more gentle, more understanding and more Loving to myself, others and mama Earth. I am hoping that they do the same for all Islanders. 

When?

November 2023

Where?

The Good Book will be written on the Island for Islanders. The Good book will be made on the Island and ideally the Good book will be free for Islanders. 

On Oppression

This is an anti-oppressive project. It is a Love based project. It is a project based on the belief that humans are more than inherently Good, that they are Unique Gods. A blend of Spirit and Creature put on earth to Create. So it is a project that will be for everyone . It is Black led, pro Black, pro Indigenous, pro Palestine. It is a project that recognizes the long term harm of white supremacy yet does not exclude whiteness from the space. The heart of the Good Art talks is to create a Loving space to explore what is Good and what is Art in a complex scary world. It is an opportunity to create a Brave space for us to challenge the notion that that we are inherently bad, and come to realize the contrary, that we are inherently Good.