Creative Projects for SICK Problems

By Lucyna Straszynski

The Butterflyway Project is a citizen-led organization to plant neighbourhood ecosystems for bees and butterflies across Canada. It is funded by the David Suzuki organization (Check the map of 100 neighbourhoods hosting Butterflyways). This project allows residents of any neighbourhood to focus on bettering their communities by producing more biodiversity in plant and animal species, as well as inviting individuals to create new relationships with neighbours and feel included in a movement. These newly forming relationships foster feelings of inclusion and support that could benefit mental health. During the pandemic, it can be hard to feel motivated to go out and participate in socially distanced activities. Community organizations such as the Butterflyway Project enables residents across Canada to participate in a networking activity while working safely outside.

My choice to join the Butterflyway project was prompted by my good friend Ethan after mentioning the summer course. After considering the type of community development project I wanted to be apart of, it got me thinking about what other community projects were also underway locally that I was not aware of.  I recently made the trip from Toronto to Montreal in order to plan a move from one apartment to another. I was delighted to see the large number of impromptu gardens lining the streets of the Plateau and Mile End. As I stay here now, I find it increasingly intriguing to join one of these many neighbourhood gardening projects. There is an urban garden run by the neighbourhood on the same street as my house!

Below are two photos of the types of pollination plants planted by the organization: Two different variations of daisies.

For more details or to apply as an individual or school to Butterflyway Project, visit Butterflyway 

By Labrini Vlassopoulos

This activity has been created to help those interested or curious to learn more about the plant life that surrounds them. With the current pandemic and quarantine situation, this activity is also designed with the hope of supporting community mental health by giving opportunities to connect with nature and also each other. Each participant can informally share what they have learned from their yards or surrounding environments orally through the hashtag #learningsharingnames. Sharing this information and building a community around this knowledge is key to propagating acquired knowledge and sharing the appreciation of nature.

You can explore my own findings of my parents’ blossoming backyard by taking a stroll through the attached Prezi presentation here 

Alternatively, download the PDF that includes instructions on how the activity can be followed and done.

By Hamid Ayoub

Kwanzaa (“first” fruit or harvest in Swahili) is not a religious holiday, but a cultural festival originating in the United States by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966. It is a week-long celebration (December 26th to January 1st ) created for African-Americans to welcome the first harvest in response to the over-commercialization of Christmas. It involves celebrating and thinking about the seven principles called (Nguzo Saba). These are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). These seven principles can be shared in social interactions through food, quizzes, games and designed art interventions. Nguzo Saba can enhance social inclusion and cultural competence such as building acceptance and respect between individual differences among cultures and serve as a reminder to be open to different cultural points of view (Humes, 2019). This project intended to be a practical engagement for participants introducing cultural principles for integrating and enhancing community wellbeing, which is a part of Canadian social determinates of health (Sonke et al., 2019).

Figure 1. Ayoub, Hamid. (2020) Kwanzaa celebration. Ottawa Ontario. Watercolour on paper. Size:11”x 14” inch

Figure 2. Ayoub, Hamid. (2020) Kinara (candelabra). Ottawa Ontario. Coloured pencil on paper. Size: 5.5"x 8.5" inch

The candelabra for Kwanzaa is called a Kinara. It has seven candles for the seven principles described below. Middle black candle represents the people, three red candles represent the blood (struggles), three green candles represent the earth and hard work (cultivation). Kwanzaa helps participants look within themselves and connect with others. This includes exchanges of forgiveness.

1. Umoja (Unity) This principle highlights community strength, diversity and power.
2. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) emphasizes three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence (motivation, high-quality performance, and wellness) (Deci, Olafsen & Ryan, 2017).
3. Ujima (Collective work and responsibility) is about building, maintaining and solving community challenges together (e.g. an African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child”). Ujima can help reduce individualistic perception, competitiveness and stress (Miller, 2017).
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) refers to building partnerships, supporting shared economics, and sharing the work and wealth of the community.
5. Nia (Purpose) is the self-empowerment attained through setting personal goals that are valuable for the community as a whole.
6. Kuumba (Creativity) emphasizes the power of thought and imagination to energize and innovate aesthetic value that enriches cultural identities. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have”. ~Maya Angelou (Myers, 2019).
7. Imani (Faith) is to believe and appreciate with all our heart in society including parents, mentors and leaders. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase” – Martin Luther King (Pearson, 2013).

Kwanzaa celebration song video: link 

I hope this presentation enriches your knowledge and cultural vocabulary.  

Reference

Deci, E., Olafsen, A., & Ryan, R. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: the state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4(1), 19-43. doi: 10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113108

Humes, D. (2019). What Is Kwanzaa and How Is It Celebrated? [Video]. Youtube: Inside Edition.

Miller, H. (2017). It takes a village to raise a child. Youth First. Retrieved 25 June 2020, from https://youthfirstinc.org/takes-village-raise-child/

Mobilemusic 4kids. (2018). Kwanzaa Celebration [Video]. Youtube.

Myers, L. (2019). 101 Powerful Creativity Quotes to Motivate and Inspire You. Retrieved 15 June 2020, from https://louisem.com/59649/101-creativity-quotes

Pearson, T. (2013). You don’t have to see the whole staircase. AADE In Practice, 1(6), 10-11.

doi: 10.1177/2325160313508269

Sonke, J., Golden T., Francois S. et al. Sonke, J., Golden, T., Francois, S., Hand, J.,  Chandra, A., Clemmons, L., Fakunle, D., Jackson, M.R., Magsamen, S., Rubin, V., Sams, K., Springs, S. (2019). Creating Healthy Communities through Cross-Sector Collaboration [White paper]. University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine / ArtPlace America.

By Frederique Mariamo and Moh Abdolreza

For our project, we focused on the social determent of health “social support and coping skills”. We hope that by sharing our stories and our art-making process that more people will reflect on their own relationships with seniors in their lives, and how to build better connections with them.

For our full project, you can find it on Instagram at @intergenerationalstorytelling (link)