LivinginPeace Testimonial by Dave Besseling

Indeed, a state of mind or existence dreamed of and aspired to by all.It remains a truly universal term yet it is sought through disparateavenues in a variety of ways by the multitudinous assortment of beingson this planet, sought regardless of social standing, bank balance orpersonality type. Be it a scavenging street urchin, single parent orcorporate yes-man, the need to feel this peace, to let one's hairand/or stress level down after a period of hard work is inherent in theebb and flow of human experience (the word "escape" comes to mind).Then there are those with idealistic proclivities in the matter, whowould prefer to see this state of " living in peace" not ascompensatory to the drudgery of day to day existence; but instead as aprinciple to be fostered AS our day to day existence (the word"freedom" comes to mind).

For many of us, the 21st century urbanity in which we find ourselves isat odds with this deep desire for peace in our immediate environment.We crave an existence where communication with our neighbours is basedon mutual respect and honesty. We dream of community living that is notjust sustainable, but also environmentally responsible andinspirational. For the people involved in the LivinginPeace project inKaramea, like-minded souls have come together and aspire to live inthis way. The dreams are big and we've only just begun, but I don’tthink anyone could have wished for a better start to the project. Oneof the main goals of this project is to build an artist retreat, wherelike-minded creative types of all disciplines can nurture their craftin an environment as described above, away from the cacophonousdistraction that city living has become. I suppose you could say I wasthe first "artist in residence" at the LivinginPeace site, even thoughthe physical artist retreat is still a long way off. I am comfortablewith the reference though, because even when the thing is in fullswing, I believe artists who find their way to this little piece ofparadise will be met with the same spirit of responsible rebellion andconscious activism that I equate with this choice of lifestyle. Theywill be inspired by the same natural wonders that have re acquainted mewith that ever-elusive sense of awe that fades with age, even if it isa fleeting thing. I’m sure they will feel the wide open space that thisenviron provides, and I hope they will leave with the same sense ofawe, wonder and humbled appreciation for the fact that they've beenliving day to day in the very masterwork of the greatest artist of all.