Dear Wisdom

Travay se liberte. Work is freedom.

Near the iron market, entire streets were lined with beautiful Haitian paintings for sale, the vendors waiting patiently for the tourists that had stopped coming 30 years before. (from Haiti by Philippe Girard)

Art, in my experience, is organic. It's creation is organic. It's creation can be spontaneous and tedious and independent of time. For the artist, creating art doesn't usually feel like “work”. You'll know what work you've been designed to do because you'll can't help but do it...it will be feel like freedom. It will be your “work”.

I love the Haitian expression: Travay se liberte. Work is freedom. Coming out of physical slavery in the 1800's and descending into economic slavery, Haitians, in my experience, tackle the work they choose to do with enviable enthusiasm even when I question whether or not they have earned a profit at the end of the day.

While I have encountered many many Haitians who are unemployed, I haven't met but a couple who don't know how to work. Even young people who, like the teenagers I've observed in Canada in recent years, seem to spend their days looking into their cell phones, will jump to their feet and climb up a coconut tree, harvest, and skin the fruit on request.

I've spent a big part (but not all as some of my ventures have led to contract involving money) working but not getting paid for it. Sometimes my work was obvious: wash diapers. Other times it was more indeterminate: go to the Iron Market, like I did several times in the first half of 2012, to buy gifts and play kitchen pots (and yes I saw many lovely paintings and no I didn't see any tourists). I can not pretend to understand the economic insecurity that the majority of Haitians live with daily but I do commiserate with unemployed Haitians because working is good for people. Work is freedom.

I dream of working. And, I get it why Haitians flee to other countries when they can find work there.

I want to work (and one of the biggest reasons why we are leaving Haiti again this year, at least physically leaving). I crave the freedom of structure and deadlines. And, I just want to give of myself to the world at large. Extroverted ENERGY. I want to give because when I give out, I get a lot back. Travay se liberte.