đ¨Mindful selfishness, the kind that: Defies conformity to pursue personal truth. Sets boundaries that guard mental, emotional, and cultural health. Turns pain into inspiration. Gives others permission to be unapologetically themselves. Yes, privilege played a role. Yes, systemic barriers shaped outcomes. But at the core, each story is a testament to how âselfishâ choicesâwhen made with integrityâfor the greater good of humankindâcan spark transformation in the world we create...Â
đ¨And then thereâs Jack Bush. Trapped in the commercial art world for decades, he suffered anxiety and depression. He longed for a life of emotional honestyâone where color, not corporate briefs, spoke for him. Inspired by the Group of Seven and later mentored by Clement Greenberg, Bush âselfishlyâ chose abstraction, ditching safety for soul. His art didnât chase trendsâit chased feeling. And in doing so, it soared internationally.Â
đ¨Selfishness often gets a bad rap. Itâs branded as greedy, thoughtless, a trait best left on the villainâs shelf. But peel away the stigma, and youâll find that in art, selfishness can be revolutionaryâespecially when itâs paired with vision, vulnerability, and integrity. Take the Group of Seven: A.Y. Jackson and Lawren Harris didnât have their fame handed to them, even though Harris had wealth from the Massey-Harris fortune. They worked hard, committed deeply, and âselfishlyâ pursued an idea that Canadian landscapes deserved their own voice in art.Â
đ¨By rejecting European traditions, they carved out space for a uniquely Canadian aesthetic. Their boundaries werenât barriersâthey were a declaration: We paint what we believe. Contrast that with the Indian Group of Seven (Professional Native Indian Artists Inc.). These artistsâNorval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Alex Janvier, and othersâhad no silver platter, no institutional warmth. What they had was fierce resolve. Their âselfishnessâ wasnât about egoâit was survival. They refused to be typecast as cultural artifacts and instead demanded recognition as contemporary creators. They built their own galleries, funded their own shows, and shaped a legacy that fought with artistic defiance.
đď¸ Birds of a Feather,13th Art ProjectÂ
Tribute to Virgil Abloh & Dennis Edney.
đ§ľ Virgil Abloh, the Chicago-born visionary, stitched together worldsâarchitecture, music, fashion, and youth cultureâinto a tapestry of possibility. He didnât just design clothes; he designed new ways of seeing. His Off-White label blurred boundaries, challenged norms, and gave voice to the silenced. Virgil taught us that symbolism is power, and that even quotation marks can be revolutionary. His work reminds us that art is not decorationâitâs declaration.
âď¸ Dennis Edney, Edmontonâs fierce defender of human rights, stood where few dared. As legal counsel to Omar Khadr, he faced down political storms with moral clarity and unshakable resolve. Dennis didnât just argue casesâhe argued for conscience. His fight for justice was not abstract; it was personal, spiritual, and deeply Canadian. He showed us that democracy is not a spectator sportâitâs a practice, a promise, and a responsibility.
Do it with HeArt, Not War
"Enjoy freedomđUS, Thank a veteran"
A time to serve, and a time to play...
XLÂ HeArt
đ¤ XL Black Tee | LISTEN Label Edition Front (6x6" print, Center or Stage SM Right) âLegislature Assemblyâ â a visual invocation of civic presence.Â
Back (Centered or Shoulder Blade): đď¸ Enjoy freedom. Thank a veteran. Know your season. A time to serve. A time to play labels in place of LISTEN in "Quotations"