Calling All Media Makers to Save the World (Yes...really)
The world is in crisis. That is not uplifting news, and because of that most people choose to ignore it. The truth is, the news is in fact only depressing if we do choose to ignore it. Taking action is empowering! We have a challenge to meet. There are climate changes happening that if not remedied, according to the world's top scientists, will lead to our extinction. There are unending wars, unconscionable waste of our resources, a disrespect for nature, a disconnect from spirit, unkindness to our brothers and sisters, and the list goes on. I have no desire to be a party pooper, but sticking our heads in the sand isn’t going to make it go away…quite the opposite, it will make the things we fear happen sooner.
I remember when I was a little kid, my friends and I would have sleepovers and sometimes we’d watch scary movies. When it came time for the lights to go out my friends and sisters would pull the blankets over their heads for protection….I would also pull the blanket up, but only to over my nose…otherwise how would I know when there was something coming at me I needed to fight if I wanted to save myself? I remember looking around the room thinking… "Uh...guys…if a monster does come, you are all screwed! How are you going to know you need to do something to save yourselves if you can’t see the danger coming?” I then gave it a little more thought and realized, "I'm kind of in trouble too, because how am I going to fight whatever it is all by myself?"
It's easy to get that the blankets pulled over our head tactic when being fearful that something bad might happen, pretty much guarantees that it will! Staying aware means you can actively make the choices to circumvent danger...and it is much more likely to be circumvented if everyone works together. I know too many who make fun of environmentalists and those who care about what’s happening in the world, or those people who seek connection to the beautiful web of life and spirit. I too have been guilty of not wanting to think too much at times. For one thing, to think about what is happening to our planet and the people on it can be overwhelming. Diseases like autism and cancer are at an all time high, and new diseases are appearing. I've never seen so many floods, we aren't getting along...the list goes on. We are poisoning our planet, the media often caters to the lowest in human nature, and it’s taking its toll. The changes are happening faster than expected. Let's collectively take back our power and do something about it.
Additionally, the healing feminine energy is being repressed. The imbalance between yin and yang hurts us all. As far as media goes, for example, less than 5% of the directors of studio films are women. Our voices and stories have much to contribute to the world and the natural balance. Alternately, at this time, the silencing of our voices has created a warped reality since film usually is meant to reflect life, and it simply can’t if coming only from the male perspective. Even in chick-flicks, we are ultimately being told how we should feel and react according to the men creating the films. There is a lack of women in strong leading rolls and the way women are depreciated in many films all needs to stop. Both voices are of equal importance for there to be balance on earth. Also, both men and women need permission to allow the balance of those emotions coming from the masculine and feminine within ourselves, both are necessary for the health and balance of the planet and within our own selves.
That there is still any kind of inequality, period, is keeping this world out of whack. Anyone who has had a profound spiritual experience will tell you that we are all connected in this beautiful, energetic web of life. We are all part of the whole. We are all part of God, and with that, there is no inequality among race or gender. Diversity is something to celebrate, learn from and enjoy, along with the common threads that run through all of us. We can't solve the world's problems using only the same small group of people with the same narrow lens of perception, agenda and solutions. Including people of diverse races, religions...perspectives...is how we can tackle these pressing issues in new, wiser ways. We need this variety in our lenses of perception in order to see the world and its problems clearly, from all angles.
There’s great power in media. People love to be entertained, have stories shared and/or information, through film. What most people don’t realize is how much what we watch day in and day out influences our behavior, what we find acceptable and how we think. Believe me, the advertisers wouldn’t be spending their millions per one super bowl commercial if it didn’t work! Too many films glorify what is worst in us, in character and action. Films, even sitcoms or what feels like “lite” entertainment has a constructive or destructive influence on us and society. What we consistently watch affects us in mind and spirit, the same as our body is affected by what we consistently eat. It is however more challenging to create quality entertainment, rather than cater to the lowest common denominator, but do it. Everything else has been done so many times over anyway. It's time for a new awareness, a new era in entertainment. Become part of the shift.
The power of the media has always been apparent. It’s power has been abused in propaganda films to start wars. Its power is used to make us buy way too much stuff. The media has been used and abused to keep us under control and ignorant about things we need to know. It is time to harness this power to do something powerfully good and create the positive, life-affirming shift we need. Documentarians have been trying to do this for years, but only a certain percentage of the population views this genre, those who are already seeking the information. The Conscious Media Movement is a call to all filmmakers and writers around the world, the producers of all genres to start integrating this information into their films and stories. You can make raising our awareness about an issue the focal point of your story, or simple insert a beneficial seed in your already written script or book. Example: Two lead character’s are chatting away as they stand in line to get coffees…add just one line of dialog, one line could make a difference. The person at the counter asks them what they want, they place their order and one of the lead characters orders and adds, “...oh, and I brought my own cup.” Film characters set trends without even realizing it. Heck…make it a cute cup, kind of fun, filled with personality and it’s amazing how easy it is to start a new trend, especially if it’s a well-liked actor or if the audience sees this happening as the norm in several TV shows and films. The entertainment value for mainstream movies is only increased with this and we are creating a healing shift for the planet. We, the mediamakers are the only ones who can get through to enough people in time.
A story can also help the planet by planting seeds of tolerance, compassion, equality and our connection to spirit and each other. Of course the opposite is also true and that is unfortunately what is more prevalent in our media today.
As…said in an interview in the documentary "The 11th Hour", with Leonardo DiCaprio, we are not just up to the eleventh hour as far as still having time to create a shift before crossing the line of no return, we are up to the eleventh hour, fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. The time is NOW or never. We are the pivotal generation! And we as filmmakers have the honor of being the ones present at this time in history who can use the power of the media to create a mass shift in consciousness, just in enough time, so we can all respond to the danger approaching not just environmentally, but also through wars and growing conflicts...which are present whether we choose to look or not. There's tremendous energy created simply by deciding to step up to the plate. We as mediamakers have the power to help with the saving of this planet and the people on it, by creating a growth in mass consciousness at this critical time in history. There are many wonderful separate groups out there, already, trying to create this change. Let's ALL unite to make this happen! It will take a massively collaborative effort.
