The ‘Dark Horse’ Gremlin:
Why did Queen Elizabeth go to bed with a copy of Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’ under her pillowcase?
A - Because she was a cold blooded assassin?
B - Because she was born during the ‘nomad’ era and her generation were primed to be individualistic anarchists?
C - She was an unexpected dark horse.
D - all of the above?
You bet ya, all of the above. I’ve been reading up and studying shifts in culture for a while because it’s very important for Gremlins to understand historic patterns so we don’t combust into a monster at the wrong time. Instead, if we are smart gremlins we will CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIME to transform into a monster. I’ve found a connection between culture and history by connecting the dots between the history book ‘The 4th Turning’ and analysing my artist heroes.
“History shapes the generation, and when that generation is old enough to lead, they shape history. Why will our generation be the generation of heroes? Not because we are special or interesting. No, but because we were born in a season in history called, the ‘The Fourth Turning’.”
According to Howe we are at the beginning (since 2008) of a Fourth turning. A Fourth turning is characterised by economic and financial instability and it is a period of war or crisis. It happens every 80/90 years. In their book, Neil & William state that each generation is born into a season, or a ‘turning’, and for thousands of years you can trace this pattern.
For example there was a crisis of the American revolution, and then 80/90 years later was the American civil war and 80/90 years after that was WWII and 80/90 years after that is… today. So what we are going through now, with the USD in its official 2nd state of recession, along with China/Taiwan/Russia tension marks the cusp of the Fourth Turning - a climax leading to crisis.
Last week I spoke about the comedown and how I spotted the creative patten so I can I prepare myself for it next time. Well, this is also a ‘better to prepare for it, than to be assaulted’ moment. If there is a Fourth Turning it means two things
1- Prepare yourself for a winter
2- What values do you want to hold during crisis?
Works in progress in the studio
I’m interested in how ART WILL BE, AND HAS BEEN, PRIMED TO CARRY THE CULTURE THROUGH HISTORY. And I am looking at WHAT MENTOR OR LEADER I CAN FOLLOW so that I can stabilise their vision when they pass on the baton.
In the circle of life history shapes generations and then generations shape history. The overlap between the seasons of your life and the seasons of history determine who you are.
According to Howe and Straus there are 4 seasons, or turnings and each turning has a generation
Born 1941-1961 = Baby Boomers or ‘A prophet’
Born 1961-1981 = Gen X or ‘A Nomad’
Born 1980-1997 = Millenials or ‘A Hero’
Born 1997-2015= Gen Z or ‘An Artist’
In the era of ‘nomads’ (the Gen X) art is about individuals who lost faith in the system before - think punk, think Keith Harring. Dad, this is your era. The Nomads are the generation who were neglected by the authourity- latch key kids who learnt to raise themselves and solve problems individually, hence their cynicism of broader causes. The nomad generation (our parents) overcompensated and overprotected their kids (us). Hence we, the millennials, were raised being told that we are special and sheltered. The hero generation (the millennials) are the ones to reshape society and go through a major war. Then after that crisis, the hero generation give birth to the next archtetype - the ‘artist’ (these would be my theoretical kids, or grandkids).
In this time of crisis a nomad - (my parents gen) are the leaders who take us through this turning and embrace the new collective transformation AND the ‘heroes’, the millennials, are primed to be of service and create new institutions (think NATO, UN, IMF) or culture to serve COLLECTIVE TRANSFORMATION.
This pattern is interesting because in the nomad era art serves individual expression. BUT in the hero era, also known as a crisis, art is about being a vehicle to carry the cause, for example in WWII Hollywood moved to Washington to support propaganda. And so if we are going into a Fourth Turning, us gremlins will be asked to create culture that serves the broader collective. Sound far fetched? WRONG.
New goodies in the studio
Think about how our generation, the millennials, have been primed to shift our values towards community and connection through social media and shared tragedy such as Covid, 9/11 and the 2008 crash. During a Fourth Turning - the period of time we are in now, creative gremlins will be using art to serve a cause, at least when we look back in history thats what the historians will say. Frankly, right now, it just looks like us making work for what we care about.
A crisis turning isn’t totally doom and gloom. In the midst of crisis, the community decides to remake everything. After WW1 congress was made. After WWII the UN, NATO the IMF and the EU was created. Therefore during crisis BIG world changing umbrellas can be created, by us gremlins. This is why I say prepare for the pattern. After the Fourth Turning is a new season. I’m looking at life in cycles of decades and seasons. In ten years time when our generation, the ‘hero’ generation are in mid life leadership age, we will be the ones shaping history. I want artist gremlins to shape history. Like I said. Keep it cute and furry - do the creative stuff, embrace the wild, and when the world goes into fear we will be primed in our creativity to be calm & collected and act out of service. Not to be used.
SO I LEAVE YOU WITH TWO THINGS.
1. Look around. Who are the visionary mid lifers around you than can adopt a new vision of optimism? Can they mentor you or take you under their wing?
2. And in return can you give that mentor a spark of hope and show them that you will be able to help execute and eventually stabilise this new system that you create?
AND IN TEN YEARS TIME. YOU KNOW WHAT? They will call you the dark horse.
I know this was a big one so save it, come back to it in a few months or years and re-assess.
Till next time you beautiful beast,
K X
