What About Humans?

I had lunch with an architect last weekend. During our conversation, I told her that there should be a law that stated that anyone who designs a living space for humans must live in it for at least a year after being built. That way, they will learn how to put humans at the centre of their practice. This came about because I was telling her that I just moved into a new flat, and one of its most interesting features is that if I go to the loo with the door open the people from the building across the street can see me in all my glory. Nowadays, we are too focused on maximising income and minimising costs. But, what about humans?

You see the same happening with the leaders of our communities. We elect people who are supposed to represent us, but when the time comes they only respond to the needs of those who contributed economically to their campaigns. Not even to the needs of the people who voted them in.

This has become very evident during the times we are living. I reckon there should also be a law that forced all politicians in power to personally console the families who have lost someone during the pandemic. Maybe that way their decisions would be more human-centric.

As creatives, how can we make sure that the work that we create is human-centric? If we are designing or creating something that will be used for human consumption or appreciation, we must take into account humans while our ideas are still on the drawing board.

People, environment and business must always go hand in hand. What sense does it make to bring something into the world that doesn't have humanity at heart? And when I say humanity, I include everything that humanity needs for the survival of the species. If there is no planet Earth, there is no human race.

Creating something that will have a negative impact on the world, or working in environments where humans are mistreated, or engaging in practices that put the planet and all its species at risk shouldn't be excused anymore.

Start by asking yourself some questions:

1. Is the work that I'm creating improving human lives? How am I portraying the people in my images? Am I representing them well? Am I unfairly profiting or taking advantage of the people in my work? Who's my work helping? What is the message that I'm sending? Some of these questions have answers that must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but there are behaviours in the photography and creative world that have been tolerated for a long time and that now are being put under scrutiny. Such is the case of leading photographers from the world-renowned agency Magnum and the way that they have profited from victims of exploitation in the name of art.

2. Is my work causing harm to the planet? Am I using processes or materials that have a negative impact on the world? Could I be doing something to reduce my impact on the environment? I am aware that, at first, some of the answers to these questions might not be obvious. But even taking small steps towards a more environmentally friendly practice can go a long way.

3. Is my work being used in detriment of humanity? Sometimes we get commissioned to create work that will be used by others to promote their products, services or agendas. Are we responsible if the work that we created is used to promote practices that harm humans or the planet? This is something that sometimes it's completely out of our control, but choosing to work only with like-minded ethical and sustainable partners will reduce the chances of this happening. What if I need the money, you may ask? That is a question that only you can answer.

You don't have to be an activist or a volunteer to contribute to humanity. You don't have to work for an NGO or a non-profit, you don't even have to support charities. All you have to do is take the time to think about other humans and the planet when making all your decisions.

Paraphrasing JFK, ask not what the world can do for you – ask what you can do for the world.

Image caption: this is how neighbours keep their windows open during windy days in our newly built flat.

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In Order To Grow, We Must Change

These are not easy times for humanity. We are probably the most privilege and well-off generation of humans to ever inhabit the planet. But, at the same time, we are the first ones to live a shared global experience of the magnitude of this pandemic. The repercussions of what we have lived over the last few months will be felt for years to come and they will put humanity to the test. Only those who are willing to adapt to the new circumstances will have a better chance of coping with the new reality.

Change happens all the time. Even when we don't want it to. You may stay in bed all day and not do anything at all, and still, your body will change. It is programmed to grow. From the minute we enter the world, that's all we ever do. We change as we grow. So, if even the tiniest pieces that make who we are don't do anything other than change all the time, why would we want to stay the same?

Change is good. It is ok to change, no one forces you to be, to think or to behave the same way throughout your life. If they do, be wary. You might be living under an authoritarian regime. Change has helped us arrive where we are today. If it hadn't been for change, we'd still be banging two rocks against each other to create fire. When you allow yourself space to change, you grow and you evolve. Look back and ask yourself: are you still the same person that you were 5 or 10 years ago?

One of the key factors why human beings have been such a successful species is our ability to adapt easily to new circumstances. We see something that is not favourable to us, we study it, we experiment with solutions, we implement change and we adapt.

However, being adaptable is a double-edged sword. The better adapted you are, the less adaptable you tend to be. Maybe to live in a constant state of change and growth is what we should all aspire to. We see it in our bodies, why not implement it in our minds as well?

The pandemic has created an inflexion point in the history of humanity. It has revealed the flaws in our ways, but it has also created the perfect opportunity to reinvent ourselves and our societies in order to correct those flaws. If under normal circumstances change is good, under exceptional ones change is vital.

Four centuries ago, during a different outbreak, Shakespeare gave life to King Lear, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra. If the plague hadn't shocked his world, there might have been no Lear, or Romeo and Juliet, or Hamlet.

There will be a clear before and a clear after once we overcome the present situation. And I would like to see myself on the other side of the tunnel as someone who was receptive, someone who took the time to look around and acknowledge their flaws and decided to change and to grow.

At the end of the road, very few will remember where you came from. Most people will only see you for what you have become.

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What is Our Role as Creatives in Times of Crisis?

A few years back, when Fashion Week was accused of being all of a sudden too political, I wrote this post about the role of creatives during times of crisis. I read it again this morning and it feels more relevant than ever. But, at the same time, it makes me feel as if we are just going to have to fight for the causes that we believe in every day for the rest of our lives. Is there truly no rest for the wicked?

There might not be. Our role as artists and photographers is to look around us and try to make sense of the world we are living in by studying it, interpreting it and presenting it to society to offer a different perspective on the issues that we care for. We have a powerful and effective way of engaging with our audiences, and we must use it to encourage others to question their own realities.

Is it enough, though? I keep asking myself this question. Lately, I've been thinking that we need a more sustainable and lasting approach. One that doesn't end when we finish the last piece of our series or after our exhibitions are over. What happens after people have engaged with our work? Are our pieces just conversation-starters or are we actually changing people's minds?

The same goes for online activism and all the protests on the streets. Are they enough? They are definitely necessary. All the riots, all the hashtags and the raising of awareness, they are very much needed and they do work. But, are they enough? What happens after all the placards are swept away by the cleaning crews? What happens when all the hashtags stop being trendy?

All of the above acts are not enough. Don't get me wrong, we need the activism and we need the riots and we need artists to create work motivated by this political and social climate. But, the expectation that these actions will spark immediate change in our societies can be demotivating. Sustainable change takes time and commitment. It takes working towards social change every day.

How do we do it? I don't have the answer. But, I can tell you what I'm doing. Over the last few years, I have been producing work with an ethical and social conscious and a focus on making a difference to the world using the work that I create. Every project that I start and every decision that I make begins with the question: how is this making the world a better place?

Maybe we should start by asking ourselves that question in all our endeavours. From doing the groceries to working in our current jobs. When it comes to contributing to humanity, no action is too small. Let me know your thoughts.

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There Is So Much Noise Around

Last month, I partnered with Partnership for Young London to write a piece for their blog on my experience during the lockdown. Partnership for Young London is a charity that connects everyone who cares about young people in London – bringing together organisations, local and regional government, and young people themselves. Young people make up 25% of London’s population but are 100% crucial to its future.

Partnership for Young London's blog aims to shine a light on the mental strength, positivity and solidarity shown during the pandemic. Centred around the 5 pillars of mental health, they highlight the innovative ways we’ve been supporting our own and others’ mental health during the lockdown.

The piece was published on the Good Thinking website, a collection of blogs and podcasts about people's own experience of coronavirus. Good Thinking is an online resource delivered by Healthy London Partnership and it’s free for Londoners thanks to London’s NHS, London’s borough councils and Public Health England.

The Good Thinking website offers wellbeing information sources, guides to improving mental health, courses on and offline, and mobile apps to support individuals in managing their own mental health.

You can read the blog post on this link.

Photo credit: Me & My Community programme in partnership with Skaped.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

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