The American University in Cairo
Maadi, Cairo, Egypt
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This week I’m completing the second half of my two-part series on homes, home ownership, interior decorating, and all manner of related subjects.
The video I’ve included is a real treat. It’s a TED talk by Huntsville, Texas, home builder Dan Phillips, founder of Phoenix Commotion, a twelve-year-old company that builds affordable, one-of-a-kind houses from “trash” and other recycled material. But don’t let the term trash fool you. The houses are beautiful—at least to my eyes—and soulful in the extreme.
As you’ll soon find out, you get a lot of bang for your buck with this clip. It includes some lovely photos of some truly unique homes. It’s informative, thought-provoking, philosophical, and incredibly funny—the sort of thing that can be enjoyed by all sorts of viewers on a whole bunch of different levels. Expect to be surprised and entertained.
The first time I watched this video I was floored. I guess I had certain expectations that were a product of some narrow-minded thinking. I knew Phillips was a “home builder,” so I figured he’d come off as a typical hammerhead. Then I played the video and was shocked.
Phillips is a living example of what he was trying to get across in his talk. We hear “home” or “house” and we have certain expectation of these concepts based upon our past experiences. It’s his goal as an artist—certainly he is one—to challenge those preconceptions and to offer alternative interpretations of what those terms can mean. His life’s work is to teach us to go beyond the limitations that labels impose on our minds.
I certainly learned a few important lessons watching this video. One of them was not to be afraid to live boldly and authentically and experimentally. Another was that I constantly have to guard against the sort of thinking that limits possibilities.
Of course I also learned that Dan Phillips makes some of the most interesting and attractive homes I’ve ever seen.
