Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Changing Human Behavior

A You Tube link came the other day from Steve Self in Durango. This clip features an experiment to get people to use the stairs instead of the escalator. Take a look at the Musical Stairs. It turns out this is a bit of viral marketing from VW who want to make a statement about innovation. The have highlighted several other ideas for changing behaviors at The Fun Theory.

This is a great example of how creative thinking can guide change without hitting people over the head.

Craig Childs at Wade in the Water

Great news! Craig Childs has agreed to be a presenter for the Salida 2010 Artposium: Wade in the Water. Craig is one of my favorite writers. He has written extensively about the canyon lands, water and the fate of the Anasazi. I am re-reading The Secret Knowledge of Water. It's a work that demonstrates how art can give us a new vision for the future. The book celebrates water in a unique way and encourages the reader to think about this precious liquid.

Water is a tough subject because so much of the work lately has been pretty gloomy. There is no question that world-wide our aquifers and surface waters are in serious trouble. However, we believe that creative thinking people can help guide us out of trouble. At Colorado Art Ranch we hope to inspire such people and give others new ways of looking at topics and issues.