preserving

Humans have always had a need to record. To capture what is going on with us, and around us and leave it someone where for another person to experience. Perhaps this originates from the idea that we are all mortal and our lives are fleeting. Perhaps is it a way for us to live on. We also record experiences to share them, to replicate a portion of our lives and communicate that through the record. The earliest of our records are those cave writings, and stone etchings, then scrolls, and further hand written books and paintings. Now we have a diverse array of technology to capture and record these moments in Hi-Definition audio and video. We can beam it, stream it, store it, and share it at real time.

My question this month is, why do we record what we do? I also wonder about how the ease of the recording process influences and preservation of that content influences what we feel is worthy. I can’t recall seeing any comedic cave paintings. There is something very documentarian about all of the ancient work. It would seem that these were records of events, as they happened, or as they were remembered. It is hard to see what the cultural fabric was like, of humor and entertainment. We know they danced but there there is no recorded music of those times. We can only infer this from the ancient cultures that still exist in our modern world. Now we have full television channels devoted just to comedy, others dedicated to food. The reason to record something has moved beyond just documentation and communication. It is now done for the sake of entertainment and education as well.

I invite you to join us for Shareworthy, our monthly social, to come and spread inspiration. It is a chance to show what items, videos, songs or audio impact us and influence our culture. The value of this record is revealed and we have fun and create a sense of community at the same time.

The record, we analyze this month is the collective history of our culture. We’ve gone from the stone tablet to the blogosphere and from scrolls to social media. Our ability to preserve whatever fleeting emotion or incidence is nearly limitless. As the year comes to an end I challenge us to ask if we are capturing a history that deserves it. We’ll be speaking set designers, and the film industry and even the publisher of a podcast, to uncover what we really value. It is not a new question but as we come to years end, it is important to reflect on the past twelve months. Now more than ever, we have the ability to do so. What would you refine if you took a moment to edit your Facebook time line, we’ve all noticed the kinds of pictures that get the most likes and shares. Is this because they add the most value to our lives or because they offer a brief moment of joy by way of distraction. Are we connecting  with our current forms of audio and video or  simply clouding that connection with frivolity?

There are no right or wrong answers but in 2014 we have a clean slate, and we want to think about what we are etching in the stone of next year. In doing so we are creating a better opportunity to build culture and curating a record that will be relevant and meaningful for years to come.

-Maceo Paisley-