Making a Statement Creatively and Cleverly

Yesterday I watched ice melt. And I actually felt it melt. I sat on a bench made of ice in Union Square in New York. The bench was part of an art installation by a Taiwanese artist called Chin Chih Yang, who is concerned about global warming.

There were 3 or 4 benches made of ice, where you could sit – on a towel or not – and contemplate a structure made of 4 more blocks that was being measured with a yardstick. The project is aptly called Ice Emergency! As the ice melted in the hot New York sun, the levels dropped, mirroring what is happening every day at the polar ice caps. It felt good and cooled me down, but at what cost? My sitting on it was actually accelerating the melting process?

I often write and speak about people who are courageous enough to make bold statements. Well, this one hit home with me. It was so experiential. I have a photo which I will upload as soon as I can, but I wanted to share the news with you immediately.

You also have bold statements you would like to make to the world. If you don’t feel like producing a massive art installation, how else could you make as powerful an impact, with your writing or speaking?