In a conversation over lunch with a dear family member, I was reminded of the quote of which I’ve encountered a few variations, but is broadly attributed to Maya Angelou. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Cognitive dissonance is a baked-in feature of human nature. We hold certain values and unknowingly carry out actions counter to them for a number of reasons – habit, convenience, culture, genuine innocent ignorance… Once identified, however, it triggers an internal struggle. This misalignment with our values is like emotional or spiritual low-grade inflammation.
My most recent bout of cognitive dissonance is with my website host. My plan is paid through the summer of 2027, but I have learned that I am not aligned with the company. I will be opting to add a $20 monthly bill to my life in order to right the ship. Long story short:
My very first website was hosted in Germany, but powered by renewable energy. Years ago when it was up for renewal and the company had shifted to conventional energy, I moved to a bright shiny object (my thinking: if it’s going to be powered the same way, might as well have access to all the bells and whistles). Rather than using Dreamweaver and coding bits myself in HTML and CSS, I was enticed by fancy templates, drag-and-drop options, buttons, and animation.
When I learned this year that my current host, through both its business and social actions, was misaligned with my values, I began researching my options. My main priority was to return to renewable energy. OtherPeoplesPixels was a clear match. It’s carbon neutral. OPP is also based in Chicago. In such a global industry, it is relatively local – I could get there by bedtime tonight if I started driving now. Bonus: It is woman-owned and made by artists for artists. The issue? Their design options are pretty limited in comparison.
I had enjoyed the autonomy of designing a unique website. Limits, however, have their benefits – a plethora of font, layout, and animation choices, and other features, are unnecessary and we are perhaps better off without them. We have all heard what generative AI is doing to the planet. In making the decision to switch hosts, I felt a similar feeling to when I made the decision to put a moratorium on my metalsmithing practice. To paraphrase a line from my artist statement: the overall positive impact of not doing something I love is more impactful than the joy I get from doing it. I want to live with enough, choose local options first, and do no harm.
Is there anything in your life you can shift to bring yourself further into alignment?
Here is info on my current shows:
- Small Wonders, True Grit Art Gallery, Middleboro, MA; December 13 - January 10
(True Grit is a gallery local to me. It’s an inclusive place run by an artist and Veteran that supports local artists and gathers the community with varied events like art shows, poetry readings, and plein-air painting. I currently have three pieces in the exhibition called Small Wonders. Their goal for this show is to cap the size and price of art to keep it accessible for the holiday season. Here is a recent write-up they did on my practice and one of my pieces in the show. As I type, there are about 100 works of art that are still available. Please take a look and like or share their Facebook post if you are able. It will support them in boosting their exposure. Thank you!)
- Members’ Exhibition, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA; December 13 - January 23
(One of my pieces was awarded Best Abstract by the juror.)
Until next time,
joç
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