All About You FRIDAY – One Man’s Trash…

“So, it’s a fork.”

I still laugh when I think about one of the first the times the she said that out loud at a modern art exhibit we visited together. I have been known to get lost in museums of all types, but modern art evokes a different kind of wonder for me. I don’t always understand it, but I always want to know the story.

In 1986, a man by the name of Tyree Guyton returned to the street where he grew up in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood of Detroit. Finding houses abandoned and in shambles, and armed with an art degree, Tyree set out to draw attention to the plight of his hometown. Inspired by his grandpa, Sam Mackay, who was in his 80’s at the time, Tyree began taking found objects and the Heidelberg Project was born.

His goal was to “take nothing and create something beautiful and whimsical to the point that it makes people think.” And it does just that. We visited recently while on a city bike tour of public art.

“I helped with this art when I was a kid,” our bike tour guide, Henry Ford (can’t make that up), said. He pointed out one of the installations, an old SUV he had helped partially bury in the dirt. Adults like Henry come back years later, some with their children, and are filled with a sense of pride about what they helped create.

“When I’m creating something…the subconscious takes over the conscious and I lose track of time,” Tyree said. “I hear an orchestra in my head and the music takes me to another zone. I look at the canvas and it tells me what to do.”

40 years later, the Heidelberg Project has become internationally famous, drawing thousands of people a year to see the evolving outdoor art installation. Tyree has traveled the world speaking about creating a community for art and inspiring people who would never otherwise set foot inside a museum. He still lives on Heidelberg Street in the house painted with polkadots. Only now the street is clean and safe.

I admire people who set out to make a change in the place they live. Like the woman on my street who walks everyday and writes messages of love and hope on the sidewalk. Or the one who used to walk by with dog treats and visit all the neighbor’s pups.

In a world where chaos seems to reign, I am reminded of a wise man’s words:

Hate has 4 letters but so does Love.

Enemies has 7 letters but so does Friends.

Lying has 5 letters but so does Truth.

Cry has 3 letters but so does Joy.

Negativity has 10 letters but so does Positivity.

Life is 2 sided.

Choose the better side of it.

Maybe it’s just a fork. Or maybe it’s someone’s story. Maybe it’s just junk. Or maybe it’s something that changes someone’s world. There are two sides to every story. I prefer the better side.

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate.

Until next time…