Scott Hodge asked me to speak at Orchard Valley Community Church and some friends wanted to listen to it…so here it is. The first half is an interview and the second half is the talk. Let me know what you think - I hope it challenges you to live a life of courageous creativity today.
Andre and I just returned from our weekend in the Chicago area. We were invited to share about some of the projects we have the opportunity to lead and help shape. We were at Orchard Valley Community Church in Aurora, Illinois and were invited by our friend Scott Hodge. First, let me say that the team that leads this church all over everything, we felt overwhelmed with love and service - thank you for everything you did for us. I had the opportunity to share some stories about our neighborhood and GiftCardGiver.com. Scott actually asked for a spontaneous offering of gift cards and people responded by giving over $1000 in unused gift cards, which was a total surprise and blessing. It was encouraging to have conversations with people that were wrestling with the dynamic of living a life based on fear and safety or choosing to live a life of courageous creativity. Here is the basis of the talk (I’ll post the MP3 soon for those of you that want to hear it later)…
What would happen if we overcame our fears to courageously create our future?
Definition of Create:
To create is to bring something to existence through imagination and work.
The Problem:
Our Fear is overtaking the opportunity to do something significant.
The Opportunity:
When we create we have the opportunity to make the world better.
When we create we have the opportunity to have a greater community.
When we create we have the opportunity to gain influence.
The Final Questions:
Will you be lead by fear or will you move forward to courageously create the future?
What would happen if we all lived courageous lives of creativity?
A couple weeks ago, I directed a photoshoot with my friend Brian Murphy, depicting the streets of Atlanta in preparation for a new book that I am working on called New Neighbor (more to come on this in months ahead). One of my favorite photographs of the day came from a famous tunnel under the Marta connecting Cabbagetown and the Old Fourth Ward where Graffiti artists have taken over the space. From my perspective, I think this space is a free haven of true and raw creative talent in our city. Check out this photo - I want to blow it up and hang it in my creative space.
Gorillas are an endangered species. There are currently only about 700 gorillas alive and living in the rainforests today. I had the opportunity to see one family of gorillas and the silverback in Rwanda a couple years ago. We went with guides to find a family in their natural habitat of the mountains on the border of Congo. To see how these animals live and play and eat. It was one of those moments where you just feel alive and the adventure of the experience brings something spiritual. We were in their space, literally laying down next to them, hearing them snore and even pick their nose. The best moment for me was when one of the gorillas grabbed my shirt and tried to pull me with him. It was one of the most exciting and scary seconds of my life. These gorillas are massive creatures of great strength, playful moods, and loving emotions.
I say all this, to tell you about a story I read in National Geographic today about a family of Gorillas that were unfortunately killed recently in the Congo. Please read the story and educate yourself and your friends about this unfortunate situation that happened to these endangered species.
WHO MURDERED THE VIRUNGA GORILLAS?
By the way, this picture was taken on our trip by Kim Biddle.
We are searching for Plywood People.
When something is broken, someone must help. These people cover windows, mend fences, and patch holes when no one else is around. They care for the poor, hurting, orphans, and widows without any personal gain. Plywood People exists to spotlight these everyday heroes fighting injustice and restoring their communities.
We need your help. Do you know any Plywood People? Plywood People is a new digital magazine featuring video and written interviews, releasing in August. We want to ask you to nominate Plywood People in your community. Please tell us about these everyday hero’s. Write about them on your blog and link to this post, connect us with them or just submit a comment about why we should consider your friend.
This search will take a decentralized community of nominations working together to adequately
release the stories of these influential locals. Nominate Plywood People now! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve begun reading an provoking new book entitled, The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change The World by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan. I am not ready to give it a review, but just wanted to share a couple things that have stood out to me and may spark some thoughts for all of you. Specifically, there are 2 lists I will share that struck me: the ten characteristics of successful social entrepreneurs and what makes them unreasonable. I would enjoy hearing if this relates at all to you are or someone you know, how?
TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
What Characteristics do these social and environmental entrepreneurs share? Capturing the common characteristics of such extraordinary, diverse people is tough, but here are some especially noteworthy qualities. Among other things, these entrepreneurs:
• Try to shrug off the constraints of ideology or discipline
• Identify and apply practical solutions to social problems, combining innovation, resourcefulness, and opportunity
• Innovate by finding a new product, a new service, or a new approach to a social problem
• Focus—first and foremost—on social value creation and, in that spirit, are willing to share their innovations and insights for others to replicate
• Jump in before ensuring they are fully resourced
• Have an unwavering belief in everyone’s innate capacity, often regardless of education, to contribute meaningfully to economic and social development
• Show a dogged determination that pushes them to take risks that others wouldn’t dare
• Balance their passion for change with a zeal to measure and monitor their impact
• Have a great deal to teach change makers in other sectors
• Display a healthy impatience (e.g., they don’t do well in bureaucracies, which can raise succession issues as their organizations grow—and almost inevitably become more bureaucratic)
WHAT MAKES THEM UNREASONABLE?
They’re unreasonable because they want to change the system.
They’re unreasonable because they are insanely ambitious.
They’re unreasonable because they are propelled by emotion.
They’re unreasonable because the think they know the future.
They’re unreasonable because they seek profit in unprofitable pursuits.
They’re unreasonable because they ignore the evidence.
They’re unreasonable because they try to measure the unmeasureable.
They’re unreasonable because they are unqualified.
They’re unreasonable because they refuse to be made into superheroes.
They’re unreasonable because they are, well,. unreasonable.
I spent most of the weekend in prison. It was my first time in jail, but thankfully I didn’t do anything wrong. I was in Cleveland, Texas visiting a project called Prison Entrepreneurship Program (better known as PEP), where they find the worst drug dealers, biggest gang leaders, creatively illegal entrepreneurs and teach them how to start a legal business by matching their ideas with top executives and MBA students from around the country, resulting in 98% of the inmates never returning to jail. The program was founded 4 years ago by Catherine Rohr, which has been unique to see this dream within her come to reality with more than 70 executives attending on Friday Night for “Selling Night.”
As I walked into the PEP room, I left dark prison walls and entered into a literal tunnel of love, all 50 inmates made a tunnel and were cheering for us uncontrollably. What I didn’t realize was some of these men haven’t had a single visitor in more than 6 years (not even their mother). On average most of the participants have been in jail for 10 years. In the first evening, our perceptions were changed by the teaching of Catherine Rohr including: each person dancing before introduction - both inmates and executives, everyone was given a girls name to lose the toughness component in prison (I am now known as “Sweet Thang” in prison), we did the chicken dance and everyone is forced to give big bear hugs to one another - everyone. In the words of Catherine, “welcome to prison, activities are not optional.” Each developing entrepreneur is given 5 minutes to pitch their idea to us as if we were a man on the street, a guy in a coffee shop, or waiting for your dog to run out of energy at the dog park. To be honest, these salesman were very persuasive, showed very personal eye contact, were oozing creativity, and had great business knowledge. We also had the opportunity to meet many graduates that are now out of prison and are being very successful with new start-ups and working for other businesses. They were impressive, many wearing nicer suits than me. The evening ended with a very real hip-hop song written by a graduate from another class named “PEP in my Step.”
I came back the next day for more, but I can’t tell you everything - you just have to go see it for yourself. To be honest it’s the kind of story that movies will be made about. If you have never understood redemption, true grace in the lives of broken people - these stories will move you. It was the first time in my life that I have ever hugged someone that had killed another person. There wasn’t a moment of fear in me. I’m not sure if I have ever felt more loved by strangers in my life. These guys are real. Everyone of them have screwed up with something in their lives, but it is not ruining the rest of their lives, they are choosing to create the future and running with the possibilities. Every time I drink a cup of coffee I will remember that these guys don’t have access to it. They are paying their time and waiting for the opportunity to make up for lost time when they get out. I never would have thought there would be so much creativity in such a dark place, but the ideas that are within the minds of inmates are endless and they are just waiting to be released.
GO TO PEP WEBSITE: learn more about Prison Entrepreneurship Program and visit the prison it will change your worldview in a positive direction.
WATCH THE VIDEO BY DEADLY VIPER: PEOPLE OF THE SECOND CHANCE
Photo taken by Prison Entrepreneurship Program (we were not allowed any camera’s inside)
On Thursday, Andre and I went to the Carter Center to the premiere screening of a new Rockumentary that will be releasing in September named “Call + Response.” The project was created by a musician named Justin Dillon, of the band Tremelo, who was driven by the unfortunate reality of 27 million slaves in our world. The movie is a cross between a jammin concert and a documentary film. Justin used his influence within the music scene to ask many artists to contribute to this collaborative response against the injustice. The response he received in return was overwhelming including Moby, Switchfoot, Natasha Bedingfield, Talib Kweli, Five For Fighting and many other contributors of note. There were 3 songs in particular that blew me away: 1) Imogen Heap played a song that literally took me to another place 2) Moby collaborated with a rescued child soldier from Africa named Emmanuel Jal who rapped a passionate free flow story of his life - at one point i felt chills under my skin 3) The final scene in the film is a free flow and beat box mix by Matisyahu that lasted forever and I never wanted it to stop.
Beyond all the great music is some true content about the three types of slavery that exist today: Sex Trafficking, Forced Labor, and Child Soldiers. They mixed in very insightful information from some incredible advocates and abolitionists. Luminaries on the issue such as Dr. Cornel West (who is hilarious), Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, Gary Haugen and many other prominent political and cultural figures offering first hand accounts of this 21st century trade.
Thanks Justin for leading this important project. It is because of people like you others lives are changed. Children are rescued. Americans are educated. I love the question that Andy Crouch asks in his new book – What cultural products will be created because of this new conception? What you have created and are promoting is the type of thing that will inspire other creatives, investors, activists, and social entrepreneurs to engage on numerous other projects that will help all of humanity. Last year at sundance film festival, I watched about 4 documentaries – none of them were as imaginative, important, beautiful, or creative as this movie.
To link to all the people quoted in this film would take ages and I don’t want to take you away from seeing the trailer. Go see the film in September and tell your friends about it. Every dollar made from the film will go directly to projects that help rescue people from these injustices of our day.
