Greetings and Happy Midweek!
I thought we would jump right in this week and explore a few cross-cultural lessons we might learn from the pretty amazing ‘art’ of basket weaving, which is practiced around the world in many different cultures.
Anyone who has seen my home and watched me carry things around knows I am a dedicated basket collector and user! One of my favorite memories from 40 years ago, revisited through the now aged basket I still treasure, was watching an artisan in central Africa do his craft. Sitting outside in his village courtyard, using freshly harvested green reeds soaked for pliability, he worked quickly and skillfully thru the afternoon - weaving a large, round flat basket with a braided edge and intricate patterns of shades and light. I was later given that basket as a gift...and did use it myself several times to try my hand at winnowing rice - with awkward enthusiasm!
To weave a functional basket, in addition to the skills, one also needs the right materials, tools and time. But then too, one of the many wonders I find about baskets I have seen used and used myself in many cultural contexts, is not only are they practical and often environmentally efficient - but the weavers (like that man in the village) have taken the extra time and used their creativity and expertise to make baskets which are beautifully unique.
One immediate ‘application’ we can make is that, in our Global SKILLs training for cross-cultural communications and community building, we definitely focus on needed skills. But we look also at how they can and should be applied toward mastery - using our time, energy and the necessary tools and materials.*
Another thought is that beyond the practical cross-cultural skills we need and use in our lives and work, how much better it is when we too take the time and energy to add unique beauty to whatever we are creating or doing?!
How about you ~
What cross-cultural skill are you mastering now, and might you add a touch of beauty to it?
Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for more insights into basket making as a cross-cultural source of skills and beauty!
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
* PROACTive Learning Strategies: PRO = PROfile, PROcess, PROgram
ACT = Applications (which we looked at today), Collaboration and Transitions
~ contact me for more information on these strategies and how you might use them in your current programming
Global SKILLs LINKs
~ baskets as ‘culture carriers’: https://festival.si.edu/past-program/2006/carriers-of-culture-living-native-basket-traditions
~ baskets with bountiful benefits: https://www.thecultureconcept.com/the-art-of-basket-weaving-brings-forth-bountiful-benefits
AND
~ inspiration for YOU to make a basket perhaps?! https://mymodernmet.com/basket-weaving/
2021 ~ Celebrating 40 years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
Connecting, Collaborating, Cultivating Community