Tag Arts & Culture

From artistic collaborations to creative problem solving, the arts have the power to lift us up and transform our future. These stories celebrate art, creativity, and culture in all its forms.

Image: girl jumping rope double dutch style

How the Jump Rope Became an Elite Sport and a Symbol of Community

Double dutch may be one of the most underrated sports out there. These young athletes combine football star levels of footwork with the flexibility of gymnasts and the speed of sprinters. Better yet, they are a part of a community built to give them the support and love they need. Now this is inspiring!

5 min read

Symphony of Broken Instruments Raises Money for Philadelphia Music Programs

What do you do with a gymnasium full of broken instruments? Play them! Check out how this symphony of broken instruments repaired a community.

5 min read

Image: Japan's "Do-Nothing Guy" walking through Tokyo

Tokyo’s “Do-Nothing Guy” Shows Us the Power In Being Present for Others

Would you rent a guy to do absolutely nothing? In a society where productivity is praised, can someone make a living by just being around? Today we’re introducing Shoji Morimoto, Tokyo’s “Do-Nothing Guy”, who gets paid to simply show up. He’s enriching the lives of others without hardly saying a word, and his approach to making a career out of his seemingly useless talent is brilliant. Here’s why.

5 min read

Image: Three Andean children standing next to an alpaca in Cusco, Peru, smiling.

How Indigenous Knowledge Helped Plant Over 3 Million Trees in the Andes

Over 30 years, the work of one man eventually brought together 25,000 families to make an immeasurable difference in the lives of his community for generations to come. Using Indigenous knowledge to save the planet saves lives, and that has never been easier. How, you ask?

Image: People standing on a subway platform in NYC, a train rushing behind them. The place where Benny plays his trombone, after the accident where he lost all his memories.

If You Lost 29 Years of Memories, What Would Bring You Back to Life?

After a car accident, Benny couldn’t remember his name, that he had a son, or even where he was. But Benny had a trombone, and he did remember one thing: how to play it. With that, he brought his music to the street to bring joy to others.

5 min read

Image: Artist Andrew Meyers painting the portrait of George Wurtzel that's made of nails.

What if Art Was Meant to be Touched?

Ever wanted to touch the art in a museum? Artists like these fellows are encouraging all of us to! Here's a touching story about the power that tactile art can have across many communities.

Image: Anton Thomas drawing on his map of North America

Beyond Borders, What Connects Us? This Hand-Drawn Map of North America Shows Us

Maps are just maps… right? Just pictures of the world that show oceans and land; countries and states. That’s what you’d think, but as it turns out, maps can show us a whole lot more than that. What if a map didn’t just show us borders and countries, but things that made our homes, our states, the places we love so unique and special?

Image: A rice paddy mural in Inakadate, depicting Buddhist diety Acala surrounded by clouds and lightning

How Rice Paddy Murals Saved this Japanese Village

Each year the town of Inakadate, Japan is flooded with tourists who come to see something incredibly special: their annual murals. What’s so special about these murals? They aren’t sketched or painted on a wall, they are planted in epic proportions in the town’s rice paddies. And these massive starchy masterpieces aren’t just breathtaking... over the past three decades they have revived a once struggling town!

Image: A valedictorian at commencement, facing the crowd of graduates the way this non-speaking valedictorian did in her speech.

Non-Speaking Valedictorian Gives College Commencement Speech

College commencement ceremonies highlight the transition from being a student to going out into the real world. The moving speech at Rollins College – a private college in Winter Park, Florida – on May 8, 2022, admonished the graduates to use their own voices and serve others. It was especially poignant because the valedictorian is a non-speaking autistic woman who never said a word.

5 min read

Image: A man walking down a side walk in front of an orange mural with blue writing that says "Good", using street wisdom practices.

Turn off Autopilot: See the World with Fresh Eyes Using Street Wisdom

How often are we on autopilot when we are on our routine commutes? When was the last time you really noticed your surroundings as you walked through downtown? Did you really notice the sounds of the birds when you walked into your backyard to tend the garden? We spend so much time getting from one place to another to “do things” that we hardly ever look at the spaces between those tasks and see their richness. Here's how we can change that with Street Wisdom.

Image: FABSCRAP Volunteers holding some of their fabric that will be mended, repurposed, or recycled

21 Billion Pounds of Clothes Go to Landfills Every Year… Now FABSCRAP is On the Case!

We’ve mastered how to make the most of food scraps, but what about textile scraps? Let’s meet the female CEO of FABSCRAP, the company transforming textile waste from the apparel design process into a catalyst for a community of changemakers.

Image: A woman hanging from a slackline while slacklining

What is Slacklining? These Fearless Women Defy Gravity and Stereotypes

Have you heard of slacklining? This daredevil sport has historically been very male dominated, but things are starting to change. Walking almost on air, four fearless women have become pioneers of the open space, finding mental calm while harnessing their physical strength. By being open and vulnerable high in the air, they display brave feats that we all might just be able to learn from.

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