drawnotwar.com

"One little person, giving all of her time to peace, makes news.

Many people, giving some of their time, can make history."

Peace Pilgrim

 

The website and art project has been driven by the focus for 'World Peace'. It is my belief that all peace comes from 'within us' and therefore using our 'creativity' is paramount in our desire for achieving 'inner peace'.

 

Drawnotwar.com invites all creatives to participate in an online 'creative protest' that 'draws' attention to the 'nonsense of war' and therefore the destruction that 'all acts of war bring to humanity. The outcome of this project will be a UK based book/event.

To focus on the symbols of peace, life and love creates a resonance with the very vibration that these words express. Art for Peace and the work generated in this project is intended to both celebrate and inform, to 'illustrate and illuminate' through the wonder and magnificence of the human soul. Of course some of the imagery here will show the 'shadow side', not least through the images that clearly tell of the ‘forces’ and their puppeteers that have instigated anything but peace, through 'endless war', 'occupation' and destruction of our fellow human beings lives. Feel free to use the text here as inspiration for your image.

The Brief - Peace on Earth
The question of why peace cannot be achieved on Earth and why even as I write war continues in many parts of the world, whether Afghanistan, Gaza, Ukraine, Syria or civil disputes in Africa, war is ‘profitable’ on many levels to those that instigate such horror. Economics and tax has been inextricably linked to war throughout history, with income taxes rising to 50% by 1945 and continued to grow to 80% by the mid 1960’s.  Government approved World Wars and the taxation they demand will continue to blight humanity, unless we refuse to participate with the injustice and madness of both the military-industrial complex and the economics that support war. A declaration of a 'State of Peace' would be to refuse to participate in the economics that provide governments with the means to both start and wage wars!

Those that support war too often never stop to reflect beyond the polarity of the situation, to see the devastation such action brings to all life on this Earth. Wars are started through 'acts of violence' and those that want to bring about war to suit their own ends, perpetrate terror that too often leads to multiple theatres of war. The Project for the New American Century proposed by the Bush administration back in 2001 (prior to 9/11) culminated in over 1 million dead Iraqis since the invasion over a decade ago. Today in 2015 we are witnessing acts of agression and brutality in the Middle East from Gaza to Syria and in Iraq once again. We have also watched the invasions of Libya and the conflict in the Ukraine has not really stopped since it started in 2013. In 2015 we have seen horrendous attacks in Paris and Copenhagen targeting artists and cartoonists too.

 

Of course war and terror have continued under new administrations on all sides, because war is a vehicle to human enslavement and control. War is 'inhumane' no matter what rhyme or reason! In the face of such devastation we need to remember our true human creative power, and this project I hope, is an acknowledgement of the true potential within us all. As creators in our own right we have a plenitude of magic and power at our disposal. Acts of war, both inner and outer, are a failure to embrace, contemplate and consider our actions in relation to others. The true power of peace is consciousness over thinking, or 'wisdom' over intellect. My art has been an attempt to 'speak to' consciousness rather than the 'intellect' and to honour the truth that we are all each other when we 'act out of consciousness' and 'wisdom'.

The power of the ‘true human being’ is like a tree that stands firmly rooted to the Earth with its branches or arms reaching into the cosmos. The 'sacred tree' that offers shelter and protection to all life it co-exists with. It is the Bodhi Tree of Buddhism that offers wisdom and sustenance both spiritually and materially, for example. The tree is also a symbol of the 'breath of life' and like the upside down trees of our lungs (our Bronchioles) this symbol is one of 'sustenance' and peace. It is also a symbol of reverence for the 'silent spaces' between our thoughts and our breath, our stilling of the mind. The sacred tree is also the 'inner temple', and like all places of worship from the 'forest groves' to the cathedral, it is a place where we can go within to attain inner peace.

Symbols of Consciousness
'Draw-not-war' is a reminder to all who look upon such work, that we have to become silent and enter into that inner space. The imagery in this project will be hopefully the expression of 'individual' thoughts, ideas and no doubt a personal journey for those who undertake the creative process.

 

Therefore, it has been my wish to instill a ‘state’ of inner peace through creativity and art forms. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “ Nothing can bring you peace but yourself?" So by making art, by using the creative imagination inherent within us all, we remind ourselves of our own power and uniqueness as creators.  We have a responsibility as human beings to care take, to nurture and to protect our fellow human beings. Even in the face of adversity and strife, we still have a responsibility to support, aid and celebrate life. Acts of war by definition are violent and therefore violate others lives. True human power is one that acts out of compassion and love for others. In truth acts of war are acts of fear, they are ‘reactions’ and therefore mindless by definition. The idea behind the 'drawnotwar' project is to enable a voice for creatives to speak out against war.

It is my belief that the human imagination is the key to unlocking the door to 'infinite awareness', and through this infinite 'consciousness' we can enter the 'State of Peace'. To achieve peace for ourselves, for the world, we must first accept some kind of change in our thoughts and imagination of ourselves. As Gandhi said, “ We must become the changes we wish to see in the world”.

 

Through art and illustration we can start that process of change that leads to contemplation and a 'state' of inner peace. 'Come on creatives', let's show the world how we feel about war.

 

We want to hear from you and see your work.

Remember to visit the Little Book of Draw Not War link