It been overwhelming, and quite humbling, to see the outpouring of support and positive response to the launch of Our Blue World. As an Irish person, (and indeed a Canadian), I can get easily embarrassed if I am in the limelight too much, and don’t tend to naturally know how to handle compliments or praise all that well! Apparently, I am a ‘learned extrovert’ and I have learned over the years that being in the spotlight is part of what one needs to do in order to get things done.
I wanted to say a few thank-yous, as while I am privileged to have been a conduit for this storytelling project, things of impact only happen when we channel the positive energy of diverse groups of people towards a common shared goal.
Surround yourself with good people, and good things happen. I could sum up my life philosophy in that sentence.
I am very lucky to have a family to share this with and am glad that we made the trip to the Big Apple.
I am also fortunate to be surrounded by great people at BlueTech Research and Brave Blue World Studios who give me the freedom to explore this idea and support our work on so many ways: Aoife Kelleher, Jeff Guild, Ann-Marie Brady, Rhys Owen, Saurabh Singh, Kim Wu, Olga Murujew, Lily Chen, Peter Barden to name a few.
I was once told, (at a WEFTEC Biosolids Committee meeting of all places at 7am!), that ‘human being are hardwired to derive happiness, by working together towards a common shared goal’. In water we are all working together, toward a common share goal, helping by doing our bit, whatever that is, towards advancing towards a brighter water future for people and the biosphere we are part of. My work at BlueTech Research and O2 Environmental, has given me my Ikagai, my reason for being. I am passionate about it, the world needs it and I can create value through that work. (We will be hearing more about our Water Ikagai from our leaders at BlueTech Forum in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 3rd and 4th)
I want to give a shout out to our amazing director, producer and co-writer, Ruán Magan , who has dedicated 2 years of his life in service to this project. Ruan is an extremely talented and experienced director. He is at the point that he can choose his projects, and I am so happy that we was captivated by the vision and concept Aoife and I pitched to him. There were times, when I think Ruan wondered if there was room for both of us in the project! (-; We both had strong visions and we both had to learn to trust each other and I am happy to say that after endless miles travelled and hundreds of hours together, we have developed a friendship were both smiling inside and outside last week to reach this milestone. And to our incredibly talented Directors of Photography, Oliver Hegarty and Brian O’ Learywho grappled with the altitude in the Andes Mountains, sub-zero temperatures in Northern Quebec, torrential rain in New Zealand and endured incredibly long days, and did whatever was needed with a grace that was inspiring.
To our composer, Anna Rice, who lifted the atmosphere and emotion of every scene with her beautiful original score.
There was a buzz around this launch, and I can understand now why people in show business continue to perform to live audiences long after they no longer need to. You get energised from it. Audiences too. Anytime you get people together, it happens. This is why the water walks, that Li An Phoa, Drinkable Rivers leads are so powerful. Why the coalition of the Mayors of the Mississippi, that Mayor Errick Simmons helps to lead, is so impactful. Its what motivates Mark Nelson, to collaborate with Nature Iraq, and artist Meridel Rubensteinto create Eden in Iraq, regenerating a habitat that has sustained one of the longest living civilisations and cultures in the world, the Marsh Arabs of Mesopotamia at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
I channeled inspiration from many many different places, books and people. I mentioned in a recent post, that at one point there was a book a day arriving in the mailbox. I gathered up a few of those books and took a photo of them which I added in here.
I want to give a shout out to a few of them:
Water in Plain Sight, by Judith D. Schwartz, Lo-TEK – Design by Radical Indigenism, by Julie Watson Water Always Wins by Erica Gies, Drinkable Rivers by Li An Phoa, Drinkable Rivers, Wayfinders by Wade Davis, The Water Kingdom by Philip Ball, When Rivers Run Dry by Fred Pearce, Eden Again, by Suzanne Alwash, Water for Recovery of the Climate, a new Paradigm, Water and Society by Terje Tvedt, Letters to the Leaders of China, Kongjian Yuand a The Wastewater Gardener, by Mark Nelson.
I was on a high from the event. I think shut the bar down Monday night, with me chatting with the barman, Aidan, who of course, was from Ireland, and we ended the night sharing a shot of what we refer to in the Irish language as ‘Uisce Beatha’, translated literally, as ‘water of life’. How fitting!
