Possibly the best place to start is here:

www.youtube.com/user/ProjectFlowers88/videos

 

On facebook:

www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Flowers/332399996639

Only stated really using it since late May; until then it was at 21 Likes.

 

Or a bit more concise.. and only opened on June 14th:

www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Flowers-YouTube-Channel/26...

 

"Helping to co create.. in a beautifully disarming and +ively creative manner.. by bringing solutions to the foreground.. towards a better, more harmonious and happier future reality on this tiny little planet we all share."

 

Welcome to Project Flowers!

 

This project was partly inspired.. is in a kind of continuum created by an Artists Against Violence exhibition on and near the Pushkin Steps in Odessa in October 1993. Some 30 internationally renowned artists took part.

The idea here was to create a project in which everyone who wishes to do so can easily join.. shine.. flourish. And with the focus on solutions to the current societal and environmental crisis.

More about how the idea came about in the info below.

 

Thus far more than 2.000 people have taken part.

You can see the sheets produced when you click Photostream at the top of this page.

The project can only grow of course when more people decide.. at their initiative.. and together with some people close to them (this is community art.. and it's about sharing the space) to join in.. and produce a sheet to a subject of their choice. See Sets: "Some good examples.." and "How to join"

 

As to the name of the project:

Project from "to project.&quote

And flowers because they represent positivity.

Flowers are in harmony with their environment

and their beauty transcends all things that too often separate us:

age, gender, belief-system, nationality, upbringing,..

And above all: their beauty is easily understood by everyone; they go beyond language..

 

And - in a way - we all are like flowers.

We all like to live a quiet and peacefull life

and have an equal right to flourish in all our different colours.

 

This is a community art project created for everyone to freely enjoy..

and.. with a group of friends.. to also participate in.

Basically everyone who is opposed to conflict , wars, pollution,

further destruction of the environment and who likes to see nature restored

is free to participate and can draw a flower as a sign of approval and / or intention

to a choice of subjects.. solutions proposed.

Though on a sheet shared with other people;

as you can see when clicking the Photostream: this is easily possible.

 

And also.. for once: no money involved. No investment (except maybe for some colour pencils.) You can.. with some friends.. take part in this project from your own home.. wherever you may be.

 

And one flower each.. because that way a page can be shared

by many people.. thus a bit like in the real world: we're all in this together..

and it can also just be nice to simply share.. and everyone has an equal right

to just BE.. to just "flourish" in all their different colours.

 

Obviously:

the more people that take part and bring in more funny beauty and positivite stimulation for sharing.. with everyone else.. the more interesting this whole project becomes.. for everyone.. the more it gets talked about.. and the bigger the chances for real changes.

"Cocreating.. through +ive visualisation.. future reality."

 

We've deliberately opted to put all contributions on flickr, so that everyone who feels

like it can easily download or print out their (or other people's) contributions.

 

Now.. before you start reading any further:

when you make a click (e.g. to YouTube).. to go back to this section

please use the top left (return) flash on your screen.

 

The built-up for this project came in many stages.

Though it's mainly from - for so long already - seeing what the world is at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG4EF2eYfTs

 

Early 1999 seeing R.W. Fassbinders' Lili Marleen.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_6_3Jb7OEE

Though for a large part fictional the film was inspired by the life of Lalle Andersen

who made the song famous during the 2nd World War.

And its' main theme were the absurdities of.. and the pains caused by conflict and war.

Lili Marleen was taken to heart by the German as well as the Allied troups.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lili_Marleen

(Note March 9th 2010: though like in the clip: after those 5 minutes the war went on. And many since then. Those things.. as well as the further destruction of our planet.. and other things as described below.. will continue as long as people aren't able to look each other in the eyes and realise that we're all in the same mess.)

 

A few weeks later being in the mountains with some friends singing Peter Seegers "Where have all the flowers gone?" Made most famous of course by notorious anti-war icon Marlene Dietrich www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_ptqXqjsZw

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EJ8NTRu8Jo

In a way it's about war, whereas at the same time it can be interpreted as a cry about so many good things disappearing (not just people, but also nature..)

And i would like to repeat this: the common wish (and right) for everyone to live a quiet, peaceful life and - just like flowers - to be free to flourish in all their beauty.

 

In the fall of 1993 an exhibition on and near the Pushkin Steps (famous from especially these 2 scenes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxg83VuS7cw&NR=1 and www.youtube.com/watch?v=euG1y0KtP_Q ) in Odessa: I AM YOU Artists Against Violence. (Violence in its' many forms) Originally this was a German initiative.. as a reaction to the increased xenophobia and intolerance in Germany society. Though it was not just there, of course. And other forms of violence were also touched. A plethora of artists from other countries took part in the campaign. The manifesto included an invitation to join.. one of the reasons being that more funds were required for future exhibitions.

 

Nearly 40 years ago (June 1st, 1969) .. as a protest against the Vietnam War: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF91o0HenhU&feature=related

The Vietnam War came to an end only years later.

And not sure if since then there has already been one single day without a conflict somewhere on this little (once green) planet.

 

Quite a few years ago seeing an acquaintance in a wheelchair.

I didn't want to ask him the reason, but one can say that in a way he was lucky to still be alive, unlike the +3.000 that continue to die in traffic every day. Source: www.fiafoundation.org/Pages/homepage.aspx

At the time i happened to have a green flyer from a CD on me. So i asked him if he liked to add a flower to it. Which he gladly did. Thus.. in a way he was the first real participant to this initiative.

 

Another idea behind this campaign is that art is there for everyone to be enjoyed. You don't need to be a (professional) artist to draw a flower (or something resembling one) nor do you need to be an art critic to appreciate the beauty of a handdrawn flower. Nor does it matter how old or how young you are, where you are from, the language you speak, or what you believe in. The beauty of flowers transcends all the differences.

 

And now be ready to be surprised by this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTBmgxDZIVE&feature=related

 

This project has taken off very gradually over the last few months and some mistakes were still made. A few times (out of habit) some people tend to add words; we

had one A-4 being put on a wet table (fortunately it was only tea on there) as well, but errors are there to learn from.

Anyway: ideal would be: no words (the flowers speak for themselves) or symbols that express a specific allegiance.

This is about the good in people and nature. And the themes are simply gentle suggestions on how to make the place a bit happier, healthier and more in harmony all over again.

 

Also: part of the idea is about sharing the space (in this case: a page) together. As you can see in Some Examples:: 10 participants (flowers) on one A4-page is easily possible.. and more works just as well. And also: perfection is not the aim.

It's meant to be fun, beautiful and - why not? - funny as well.

 

This Project is non-exclusive; everyone is welcome to take part and should someone for e.g. a physical reason not be able to participate it can be done by delegation.

Thus far (april 2009) about 300 people (it's become really difficult to count meanwhile) have joined in, from + 40 countries.

Idea is (as started meanwhile) to set up a kind of virtual museum with - after a while - contributions from all over the planet.

 

How to participate?

In the sets you will find some icons you are free to use (or not to use.) You can take a sheet of paper, draw one flower.. ask someone near to you to add another one... until you have a beautiful pallet together. And maybe try to make it a challenge to ask someone as well who you would not normally talk to; makes it a lot more interesting.

 

And the easiest way to go about things after that is to simply make a scan (or a photograph) of what you and your friends get together.

Please only send in JPG/JPeG format; any other format will not be considered and to avoid loss of time at this end they will not be sent back either.

Please mention where it was made.. as detailed as you like. If you prefer to only mention the country it's okay. If you like to mention the town it's okay as well.

 

You can mail to thankyouforsharing@ymail.com.

Please try to reduce your format to maximum 1Mb.

Unless they contravene public taste all contributions will be added.. and there to look into freely by whoever feels like it.

 

By sending your contribution you and everyone who has participated agrees with the fact that the drawings will become public property, there to be seen and freely enjoyed by everyone. And they will never be sold; it just turns into common good.

 

Thus far no website due a lack of funds, because the funds as well as the time are simply lacking.

And basically.. a flickr account.. why not?

It's free and very easy to look at all the images in detail..

simply by clicking on the image.. very easy to download as well and it's easy also to add information or useful links below the images.

 

As you can see from some of the earlier examples: everyone has their own ways of expression and perfection really isn't the ultimate aim. This is about +ive energy.

 

So.. You too are welcome to join the project by expressing yourself in a positively creative manner by adding a flower onto a sheet to your choice!

 

As mentioned before: apart from sharing aspect it is all about helping to co create .. in a disarming manner.. a better, more harmonious future reality wherein everyone has an equal right to flourish.

 

Thank you.

  

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" - John Keats

 

*: so many have taken part meanwhile that it would become almost impossible to mention everyone

** www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk