Our plan
The Golden Rule Project began with my desire to reintroduce the golden rule to children in a practical way. I contacted Bonnie Phillips, the founder of this non-profit organization to share my ideas with her. The emphasis of the project, for me, is a way to participate in the community with a worthwhile fundamental principle. My observation of the original idea for our project is that artists practice the Golden Rule by creating a representation, through their craft of what the golden rule means to them. I explored my own intent to serve the Golden Rule Project while working at Columbus Community Center, a school that strives to teach independence in the community to challenged adults, by introducing the Project’s teaching materials, one Golden Rule at a time. The residents practiced drawing and coloring that encouraged their artistic ability in relationship to the Golden Rule. Their expression and exploration of the concept helped to build confidence in the people at Columbus Community Center. For example, one woman felt inspired by this quote, "The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form" Shinto She selected this quote and envisioned an image of an Indian girl in her heart. As I had worked with her throughout the year, she told me of the challenges she faced involving her health. Day after day she would tell me about the offensive feedback she endured in relation to her health problems. Her challenges were especially impressed upon her at her workplace, as she requires help from others to function. The Golden Rule discussion and art project gave her a chance to look at how she saw her own heart and share in a safe place. www.goldenruleproject.org/videos/Golden%20Rule%20Web%20sized.mov
What we did
In order to encourage the people I worked with at Columbus Community Center, I chose an activity that required participation in a familiar environment; outside their typical everyday community. I contacted an art therapy class at the University of Utah Hospital on behalf of two of the adults, first. Then, I asked if they would embellish donated Golden Rule Project posters. Secondly, I contacted Bonnie Phillips, Founder and Stephen Seko, Project Director, to arrange a visit to Phillips Gallery, where the Golden Rule Project is based. One of the adults who spent all her free time drawing had never been to a gallery. I observed that she had developed coping skills by way of art and thought she may like to visit the gallery to see other drawn art. After the visit to Phillip’s Gallery I could see that her spirit was strengthened as well as our friendship.
Our results
My involvement has heightened my awareness of kindness and consideration for others due to the many efforts by schools, artists, community centers and individuals who apply the practical principle of the Golden Rule. Artists like Linton Dean, who expresses below, “When I did the little show at the University of Utah I talked about the Golden Rule and shared many of the books I have bought with the kids. I think some of them thought some of the books were cheesy. The thing is, when the kids wrote their own scenes (practically all of the spoken dialogue in the show was student written) the scenes were actually quite poignant and incorporated the Golden Rule nicely and practically (and weren't particularly didactic either which is always refreshing when teaching a moral lesson). Now for the effect on the kids I can't really know how it affected them. I hope in the long run they will remember a song or two from the show and think about it when they encounter something in life that requires a choice. As for me, I was singing ad humming the songs for the next few weeks (it has only been a few weeks since the show). Every time I do sing one to myself it makes me think of how I need to police myself and try to have the Golden Rule be active in my life that day.” Linton Dean, Artist and Teacher "It was such a perfect springboard to help others (I focused on school kids) to see how universal kindness is. I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but kindness is important and is something that is seriously lacking in our fast-paced, high-tech world. This let me get back to the basics myself and spread the happiness to whoever wanted to listen." Linton Dean, Artist and Teacher The awareness that our project has created can be measured in gratitude for the arts. We hope that more people continue to initiate practical efforts to observe the Golden Rule in action. We provide teaching materials and our first locally produced coloring cards, illustrated by artist Kelli Bellon, to educators. Another local artist, Linton Dean, says this about the coloring cards after use in his first youth production, "It was such a perfect springboard to help others (I focused on school kids) to see how universal kindness is. I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but kindness is important and is something that is seriously lacking in our fast-paced, high-tech world. This let me get back to the basics myself and spread the happiness to whoever wanted to listen." Linton Dean, Artist and Teacher “The effects that sharing the Golden Rule has on a community may cause immeasurable results, besides the results you may count by noting the changes that occur in your own mind.” Julie Lehr, Outreach Coordinator www.goldenruleproject.org
marc jacobs
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