I have been asked to speak as part of a panel at Johns Hopkins called “Agents of Change.” In preparation for the panel the moderator has sent out a series of questions. The thoughts bouncing in my head might serve more than the freshman students I will be speaking to that day. Many of our readers are likely on the precipice of being an “agent of change.”
How would you describe a change agent in your own words?
A change agent is someone who uses the resources at their disposal to creatively solve problems. Society often assumes that meaningful change is the result of significant investment of time, money, or special skills. The reality is that change is more often a series of small steps that require nothing more than commitment and your best effort. Age is a number. Money is a medium of exchange and is not required. Skills can be learned. Relationships can always be formed. Your presence and desire is all it takes to start making an impact. A change agent is someone who starts acting with what they have. It’s an artist saying I can paint and that wall could use my skill. It’s an engineer saying I can analyse a situation and make it more efficient. Change is a verb.
What motivated you to get involved and start your project?
Relationships. Art is not in my background. Through relationships with several talented artists my perspective on the value of art altered. I started to see that artists were intelligent in ways that I was not, and that art has the power to transform philosophy. Human action is the result of our perspective on the world, or our philosophy. If we can shift a person’s perspective we can radically change the world.
What’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced? How did you overcome it?
One of the most difficult aspects of art, and anything creative, is that it is disruptive for those who did not create it. Something is brought into reality from nothing. This disruptive nature, which is often times positive, is not always understood. A significant challenge of art, particularly art that is seeking to create social change, is inviting the audience to engage with something they may not understand. We have to overcome this challenge through carefully articulating our idea. We have thoughtfully considered our story, how best to tell it, and where to tell it. Then we have gone out and practiced. There have been numerous occasions where we have failed, but we have used those occasions as points to learn from and grow.
What advice do you have for others?
Spend time with people that are different from yourself. If meaningful change is the result of action and action is the result of our philosophy, we will never act differently if we are never confronted by people who think differently. And bonus points for spending time with people who agitate you. Those people likely possess strengths very contrary to your own that could be put to good use in tandem with your strengths. It’s how an engineer is working with an artist to change Baltimore!
