UEP | Dare Boldly

United Way of Calgary and Area

Yesterday, the United Way of Calgary and Area announced the results of its 2015 Campaign.

Calgarians contributed $55,200 million to Calgary’s social services network. In spite of job losses, increased and on-going anxiety around job security, the continued collapse of oil prices pummelling the major industry of our city, Calgarians once again stepped up to show they care and to make a difference.

Last night, I presented at one of my favourite projects initiated by the United Way — Urban Exposure Project or UEP as everyone calls it.

I can’t remember if this is my 4th or 5th year of presenting to this group of ‘next generation’ Calgarians. I only remember how much I love being part of their desire to make a difference in our city and how grateful I am to be invited to be part of their endeavours.

The description for UEP on the United Way’s website reads:

The Urban Exposure Project (UEP) engages next generation Calgarians on social issues affecting our city and the impact of United Way through the lens of photography. Participants enhance their knowledge of social issues and photography, producing a final project to be shared with the community. UEP empowers young Calgarians to build leadership, awareness and community through their art.

The project runs from late January – April each year with weekly sessions focused on social issues, photography skills and the work of United Way and partner agencies in our city. UEP culminates with a gala-style event in May to showcase your work, stories and experiences with friends, family and community members.

The amazing and talented Jeremy Fokkens shares his photographic knowledge, tips and talents to inspire the photography skills of the group. My role in the project is to help the participants get comfortable with story-telling. To help shift their awareness from ‘fear’ — how on earth can I ask someone if I can take their photo? How do I find my story in the photo? How do I not mess up?… To a place of — Wow! What a great opportunity to connect, heart to heart, to other Calgarians and to learn more about our human connection and inspire others to learn more too.

The first time I presented at UEP there were maybe 15 – 18 participants. Last night, there were over 40 people crowded into the room — all of them coming from different walks of life, all of them eager to learn more about Calgary’s social services network.

I always begin my presentation with an invitation for participants to pair up and…. wait for it… “Draw the face of the person beside you. You have 1 minute. Start. Now!”

And the response is always the same.

Groans. Nervous laughter. Apologies for the lack of ability to create a masterpiece.

When the minute is up I ask, “How many of you immediately went to ‘I can’t do that!’ when I gave you the instructions?”

Inevitably, at least 50% of the group says yes and then, when I challenge everyone else, most of them sheepishly acknowledge they too felt an inner angst kick in the minute they found out what they had to do.

The point of the exercise beyond it being a great ice-breaker– we all have a natural push back when asked to do things we tell ourselves we can’t do. Few of us are immediately comfortable stepping outside our comfort zone. Few of us actually believe we can draw – or allow ourselves time to explore our creative abilities.

So what? I ask the group. Did you have fun? Did you laugh a lot and did you get a little more comfortable with the person beside you?

Last night, I had the privilege of working with a group of engaged, excited and inspiring people who are committed to learning and doing more to create a great city.

Yes, Calgary is facing tough times. Everyone in that room is nervous about their job security. Everyone is nervous about the uncertainty of the future. As one young woman I spoke with said, “I’ve never gone through this before.”

It’s okay.

Whether we’ve gone through a market downturn and downward slide of the economy once, or twice or more, it is always hard. Even without a crumbling economy, people experience hardship, tough times, uncertainty.

What’s important isn’t The Job or The Title or even the newness of label on our designer clothes.

What’s important is we turn up. We commit to making a difference and we give back.

Giving is Receiving.

Last night, as evidenced by the number of next generationers who were in the room to give back to community and the United Way, Calgary is in good hands.

Markets may tumble and stocks may fall, but our willingness to give back, to be there for one another, to support eachother will carry us through.

Thank you UEP, to everyone in that room last night, to the United Way of Calgary and Area, to the thousands of people working in hundreds of agencies across our city to support people in good and tough times.

You make a difference.

It is said that a picture says a thousand words.

What happens though when to each picture the ‘taker’ gives you the story behind the picture. Their story of heart, of life, of soul?

Last night at the BeCause Urban Exposure Project (UEP), I found out.

Last night was the UEP exhibit where I felt and saw and sensed what each photographer felt and saw and sensed in the moment of capturing their response to the theme of this year’s UEP — What is family? In their expressions of family, I experienced their vision of the beauty, wonder and awe all around them. Beyond the connection each photographer had to the subject matter of their photo, I sensed the spirit of the eye behind the shutter, the hands holding the camera, and the heart telling the story.

And in that experience, I was made different.

I first wrote about UEP here when I gave a presentation on story-telling to the group in May. Being able to experience the body of work created by this group of 17 photographers ranging in age from 20 to 40 was a gift. A moment in time to be cherished, savoured, and shared — which is what makes it seem so sad that the exhibit only happens one night of the year. While a couple of hundred people witnessed what I experienced last night, more people need to see it too. More people need to know — there is hope in our world, possibility, compassion, caring. The future is safe in the hands and eyes and hearts of this generation.

I love days like yesterday. Filled with possibility. Hope. Compassion. Wisdom. Sharing. Days like yesterday leave me open and eager to do more to make a difference. It began with a breakfast meeting at 7 where I listened to Dr. Michael Yapko share his insight and wisdom on depression. Author of Depression is Contagious, Dr. Yapko’s pragmatic and humanistic approach was a refreshing, hopeful take on what appears to be a very depressing situation — 1 in 5 people suffer from depression in their lifetime. $7.9 billion cost to business in Canada every year. Predicted to be the second most prevalent disorder in the world by 2020 (currently #4 behind heart disease, cancer and traffic accidents).

The theme of Dr. Yapko’s work parallels the theme of UEP — when asked ‘why does it seem like depression is growing in our world and in particular, business?’ his reply centered on family. For many people, he said, work has replaced the traditional family. When you add social and technological change occurring far more quickly than biological evolution, you have the perfect storm for people unable, ill-equipped, unskilled in coping with such massive change. Despair, fear, hopelessness rise and incidences of depression increase.

There is hope. And it all begins with awareness.

In the photos and stories of the photographers last night, I saw that hope shining through the awareness these photographers brought to the subject of family. Through the eyes and hearts of the participants, I felt the possibility of a kinder, more caring, more just society. I was moved, just as their perceptions shifted when they visited agencies throughout the city and area and experienced the work they do and learned more about the people they serve.

It is all about family. And we are one big human family. Connected. Diverse. Complex.

We are all one family of human beings doing the best we can to get by, get on with, get through, get into our lives — sometimes messy, sometimes sad and tragic and complicated and always, always real.

From the beauty of a photo of the Peace Bridge seen through two clasped hands to the very real and courageous story of an infant baby fighting for her life to the smiles on a young couple’s face who received the gift of generosity and time from one of the photographers, UEP gives meaning, depth and perspective to our human condition.

Kudos to those who helped organized, mount, stage and produce last nights event. From the amazing food prepared by FRESH, the studio space where the exhibit was held to the greeters and coordinators (Liseanne you are amazing! and I am so very proud of you), UEP inspired compassion and ignited passion. It opened minds, touched hearts and lifted spirits up to see — anything is possible when we open ourselves up to receive and experience the beauty of our human condition. UEP reminded everyone that love and beauty and wonder is all around and when we share our stories — life happens.

UEP is making a difference. Thank you Sean Culbert, Shawn Elisha Hausauer,Katie Murray, Stefanie Gescher, Carla Bitz, Danelle Wettstein, Keisha Russell, Allyson Simpson, Dennis deJesus, Carolyn Torhjelm, James Koslowski, Samantha Peck, Tessa Steadman, Jessica Mable Bonaparte, Sarah Baker, Edward Chow, Mackenzie Chu, Megan Marshall, Jason Saldanha, Ross Tabalada.

You inspire me.