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e206 arno kopecky - art as an inexhaustible resource
Season 5 Episode 206
- I think if we can reimagine what matters to us and pursue that, then perhaps there's a chance that we can stop this truly self-destructive pursuit of infinite more, and in material terms, become happy with enough, without giving up the idea of personal growth and evolution, because I do think that is core to what it is to be human and even just alive. Life is about growth. The history of life on earth is one of ever more complexity and richness. And I think it would be like, I just don't agree with the argument that we have to stop growing. I think that's totally impossible and depressing. And I think that's often how economic arguments about degrowth versus growth get framed and understood is, well, we just have to sacrifice, and the good times are over, and now it's just less of everything for everybody. And I guess it's kind of depressing, but that's just reality. I don't think it needs to be depressing. In fact, I think it has to not be depressing for it to work. I think it has to be exciting. And the way that I can get excited about it is to think, wow, well, let's just tell better stories and let's focus on. Let's have some fun. Like, we can. Let's enjoy our lives and find ways to enjoy them that can be grown. And to me, art is just the best, most wonderful, inexhaustible resource in all of its forms.
Hi listeners,
This is the 3rd last episode of this 5th season of the conscient podcast. I have produced 54 regular episodes since February of this year plus 6 bonus episodes so that’s a lot of content to digest and I invite you to take your time.
It’s been a lot of fun and I thank all of my guests and their collaborators for their generosity. I’m going to take a break after the last episode, e208 with my daughter Clara Schryer. I’m going to take some time to breathe a bit and prepare for season 6 which will start in 2025 on the theme of ‘arts and culture in times of crisis and collapse’.
So, back to episode e206. Meet Arno Kopecky who is, I think, an upbeat realist. Like I did with e196 alice irene whittaker (part 2) - homing, a book review I will read the introduction to the episode at the top of my conversation, with Arno present, but before we jump in to our conversation, I wanted to share a quote from that episode to give you a preview of what’s coming:
- If we look into the past, when I think of what art has done to deal with political problems, for example, or social problems, I think of civil rights and I think of people like Nina Simone, I think of Billie Holiday, I think of Toni Morrison and people and all the so many people like them who produced just incredible music and works of art that absolutely had a message but also sort of transcended that message or found a way. It's so hard to put into words for me how they did what they did. But I feel like there is a whole rich body of work that emanated and proceeded from the atrocity that was slavery and racism and a clear social justice tragedy. But you didn't hear the word social justice in any of Mina Simone's songs or Toni Morrison's books. You know, you heard stories, you heard an outpouring, you felt an emotion, and that moved and transported people, and that operates on such a deep societal level. I feel like it's almost, you know, I think art has a way of seeding social awareness and imagination, and that is almost a precursor or a prerequisite for social change. That then also requires political movements and politicians and civil society and all kinds of the realm of reason and logic and journalism and fact and argument.
So, with no further ado, here is my conversation with Arno, recorded on the morning of September 11, 2024 in Vancouver.
Arno Kopecky’s 2014 book <
Published on 1 year, 2 months ago