Michelle Micalizzi, Artist
(All rights Reserved)
10% of the proceeds from the sale of this work benefits Conscious Capitalism.
Heidi Jannenga’s Interview covered two WebPT Values Accountability:
F Up; Own Up (Part I) and Community Outreach: Giving Back (Part II)
Click here to read Part I of this interview
and see both her interview’s video and the painting
Give your Mistakes Wings then Make them Fly in Formation.
ILLUSTRATIONS STORY (Part II)
VALUE 2: Community Outreach: Giving Back
When the Tide Rises – All Boats Rise
Heidi told me that she believes in the “rising tide effect” of using profits for good. This saying intrigued me so I researched it.
This phrase is widely attributed to JFK after he used it in a speech while campaigning in Canton, Ohio in 1960. JFK mentioned that McDowell County in West Virginia was the highest producer of coal due to automation. As a result, there were more people getting surplus food packages in McDowell County than any other county in the United States. He boldly stated, “The problem of automation is to make sure that machines make our lives easier, not harder, for those who are thrown out of work.” He then drew attention to the importance of developing our natural resources by mentioning the impact the St. Lawrence Seaway had on Ohio’s economy. The future President then said, “I was proud, though I came from Massachusetts, to vote for it, because it is a national asset and a rising tide lifts all boats. If Ohio moves ahead, so will Massachusetts.“
(Read the entire speech at the American Presidency Project website.)
The irony here is that Heidi has actually created 300 WebPT jobs and 10,000 WebPT members who have in turn created jobs by automating the business functions of rehabilitation therapists.
I am ashamed to admit that I did not know a lot about the St. Lawrence Gateway, which inspired me to research further.
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened to navigation in 1959. Construction of the 189-mile (306-kilometer) stretch of the seaway between Montreal and Lake Ontario is recognized as one of the most challenging engineering feats in history. Seven locks were built in the Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the seaway, five Canadian and two U.S., in order to lift vessels to 246 feet (75 meters) above sea level.
(Learn more at: The Great Lakes St Lawrence Sea System Website)
What a HUGE undertaking that is an exemplary example of how great people and countries can work together for the good of all.
Based on this information, I knew that this image would have something to do with how locks operated. As I dug deeper to understand how locks functioned, I learned that the miter lock was invented by none other than the great artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. This made me laugh.
The Duke of Milan, invited Leonardo da Vinci to be the State’s war, arms, and engineering consultant from 1479 to 1508. Milan’s economy, very much like Ohio’s economy, depended upon a complex canal system. Da Vinci improved the locks of the time and his improvements are what are used in modern locks to this day.
Study the Art of Science, study the Science of Art. Develop your senses, especially learn how to see,
realize that everything connects to everything else.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci
The miter lock is another great example of how art (and science) is business and business is art (and science). An artist and inventor created something that directly relates to big business and the in turn the success of the community as a whole.
The irony is not lost on me that what Da Vinci so wisely describes is exactly how I work. I look for synergy in everything and connect the dots.
All of this solidified how I would present this next image, which would have to include a Da Vinci symbol. One of the most recognizable Da Vinci works is his The Vitruvian Man. I am sure most people do not know the name of or the story behind this widely recognized piece. Da Vinci believed as Vitruvius did, that architecture and the human form were directly related to the universe.
“The drawing is based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise De architectura. Vitruvius described the human figure as being the principal source of proportion among the classical orders of architecture. Vitruvius determined that the ideal body should be eight heads high. Leonardo’s drawing is traditionally named in honor of the architect.”
I have seen the drawing many times during my time on this planet and did not know the words were basically the same words my instructors taught me during my life drawing classes in art school.
So these words that Heidi used to describe how she feels about giving back are deeply rooted in the art of leadership, science, business and humanity.
This painting is a study of the miter lock and a “Vitruvian Woman” drawing attention to Heidi’s commitment to lifting her fellow women upward. I have been drawing and painting the female figure in this loosely stylized way since I was a young girl as some of you may know if you have been following me. The combination of these ideas and my own history as an artist celebrates the fact that water seeks its own level. When we create successful conscious businesses that use their profits for good, the tides rise and when they do, in turn we all rise
“Your Life is An Occasion. Rise to it!”
~ Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
Work was shown at the The Art of Fearlessly Giving Back I – Web PT opening on May 18, 2018 at The Arizona Science Center.
Thank you to the 2018 Fearless Partners:
11Eleven Consulting|Peg Quinn| The AZ Consortium for the Arts|Charity Charms|Bob Diercksmeier of RJD Creative
Entrepreneurs and inspiring stories of all kinds are Fearlessly Deliver’s muse and focus. As an artist, a business woman and a visual journalist Michelle Micalizzi paints with a purpose. The Fearless Art Projects are collaborative social practice art engagements that connect art + business + community.
The ART OF FEARLESSLY GIVING BACK (AoFGB) is a community awareness series that focuses on the mission of select charitable organizations and the social responsible companies and philanthropic individuals that support them.