By: Johnny Hartsfield

 

So, this is my last entry related to this years Living Future conference up here in Vancouver B.C.  It has been a great paper-less “unconference” brilliantly organized to stay intimate, relaxed and organic - very much in contrast to last years Greenbuild Conference in Chicago where more than 20,000 people crowded in chaos to listen to and discuss all things green. 

I still have one more day full of interesting discussion and a closing keynote by Sim Van der Ryn - visionary, author, educator, public leader, and internationally distinguished pioneer in ecological design.  And although Sim is a professional hero of mine, I really wanted to focus on someone else before I wrap up these great few days in Canada

Claudia Davila did not attend this years’ unconference but she played an integral part during yesterdays session called “15 minutes of brilliance”, where a few people shared with the entire crowd unique and inspiring work.  Unlike the other presenters, Claudia’s 15 minutes was taped and broadcast onto large projection screens where she could not be interrupted.

Claudia was once the art director of kids’ magazines Chirp and Chickadee, and now is a freelancer designing and illustrating non-fiction children’s comic books.  Her first comic was Spoiled, a self-published story about the petroleum era. 

Her latest creation is a story about “Luz” - rhymes with moose and means “light” in Spanish - who is a 12-year-old girl who “tends to be on the serious side and finds herself reflecting on life…..Luz knows a big change is coming as she hears on the news and sees in headlines that petroleum is becoming expensive and scarce, and the climate is noticeably getting more erratic.  Although surprised that no one seems very concerned, she doesn’t wait for somebody to take the lead.”

Luz is an earth-awareness story derived out of “LOVE”, and not the “FEAR-MONGERING” that American media and politicians use to tell these same stories.  Through the comic style, Claudia has found a creative medium that can relate to everyone no matter their cultural background or age.  Luz is a breath of fresh air and a unique story that must be shared.  Power-on Claudia and never stop story-telling.

 

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