Stories are at the center of everything. The most powerful and potentially debilitating being the ones inside our head. The stories we tell ourselves. The erosive stories we’ve been told. Stories formed from our experiences. That’s why it’s so vital we have access to and seek out alternative stories that give us strength and hope. Help us realise our full potential. Particularly our children and young people.
Not in a ‘Be wealthy and successful and famous’ way. But to be kind enough to ourselves that we can then go out into the world more securely and do good. Be a thriving, kind, compassionate and caring human being. But that starts from within.
The Army of Ink and all the characters are the carriers of stories full of strength, hope and possibility. They pitch an alternative to what we’re being told (and sold) through social media and popular culture.
They put a caring arm around our shoulder and keep us safe and strong. Encourage us to think and question what makes us who we are. Help us take back some control over our sense of self. Our lives. Our world. And our future …
What’s with all the smiley faces – things are not really that great.
The one thing she disliked most was false optimism 🙂 And it was making its mark everywhere, particularly in emails and text messages 🙂 Sometimes people even shouted happiness :)!!! But was all this just a disguise? Were people really that happy :/ She sensed the world increasingly turning away from those who weren’t feeling all that happy right now 🙁 Opting for the pretense of living fairy tale lives:) That made her feel sad. 🙁 As did the effect of so many colons and wrong way brackets consuming a perfectly good language.
See this Rose who is free from the labor of smiling. This Rose about dealing with all matters of the emotional kind. This Rose is curious about the origin of sadness.
Black Dog came to life in 2006 from the simple idea of freely sharing art, stories, poetry and music as a source of strength and hope in the community – and to support Difference. (Poem: The Black Dog Story)
It has grown to create an ever-growing number of characters known as The Army of Ink and beyond the website to use print and street art as additional places for sharing.
Black Dog relies on word of mouth promotion from supporters to help it grow and reach others. If you’re able to help in any way, it is greatly appreciated.
The motivation for creating Black Dog came from both personal experience, and from working as a volunteer with Youth Focus who support young people at risk. (Poem: Once Upon A Dark Time)
One of the hardest things for young people to do was talk, put words to feelings and what was happening in their lives. Art, image, writing, poetry and music provided a means of communication. A way of expressing and exploring who they are – who they wanted to become.
So the idea evolved to provide an ever-growing pool of all these things – an place everyone was welcome to call into, be part of. Those struggling. Those close wanting to understand better what that struggle’s like. And those who share an interest in the social, cultural and personal issues that affect us all – particularly our next generation.
In 2006 Black Dog came to life as an on-line space, later redesigned through the kind, gifted time from a group of Melbourne creatives, Mike, Che and Kareen. And Harley Manifold created the Black Dog for the project.
Black Dog has since grown to include an ever growing ‘Army‘ of characters along with books and card series for both personal use (adults also) and by counsellors working with children and young people. Along with a sponsorship option which enables the books to be given (through community workers) to the young people to keep. (Related story ‘Once Upon A Dark Time’).
In 2019 the books and card series were brought together in printed form through the book, Clunk & Jam. Cover art kindly by Stormie Mills.
Clunk & Jam book. (All content within the book is freely available in the Black Dog Blog here). Book available here.
Thank you … Harley Manifold for creating the Project’s Black Dog; contributing art throughout the Blog and Clunk & Jam book; and designing ‘In My Room’. Thanks also to Stormie Mills for home page art; contributions throughout the Blog; cover art of Clunk & Jam and support. Also to Michael Cairns, Che Douglas and Kareen (Melbourne) for so generously recreating the website in 2008 and Mike for the many years of tech support. Maggie-May for her involvement in the Project and doing the handwriting for ‘Rock The Boat’ book. And the sponsors for generously enabling the books to be gifted to kids throughout the community.
“The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
