SISU  is in the Heart
  • About
    • Park Cofield
    • Project Partners
    • Project Team
    • Project Timeline
    • Vaivaisukot (Pauper Statues)
    • Ancestry & Genealogy
  • My Story
  • Plays
    • Fairport Harbor
    • Lapua
  • Share
  • Events
  • Latest Updates
  • Contact

YEAR OF SISU - 2015

2/18/2015

6 Comments

 
Picture
A couple of weeks ago, I became acquainted with Emilia Lahti, a researcher whose work revolves around understanding how individuals, groups and organizations grow from challenges and come out of hardships with a newly discovered sense of strength, purpose and adaptability.  She is a scholar of "sisu" and seeks answers to many of the same questions I  am posing with the SISU is in the Heart project. 
 
In ten days, Emilia will spearhead a global event titled, "Day of Sisu" in order to recognize and celebrate the strength that resides in all of us. The event will kick off at Korjaamo in Helsinki on Saturday, February 28th, and comes with an open invitation for people to host their own sisuesque events all over the world. You can check out more of the details here and learn how to set up an event in your community. This event officially adds "sisu" to the Finnish calendar for the first time in its 500 year history and will continue to grow in future years-- it's quite the undertaking and pretty awesome if you ask me!

On Tuesday, March 10th, there will also be a global challenge called the "Hour of Sisu". Between 3 PM and 4 PM (your local time) Emilia is encouraging you to do one thing that you know will benefit you, but is something that you have been putting off. Maybe it’s something scares you but which will help you push your boundaries in a healthy, empowering way. The goal is to turn these boundaries (e.g. fear, uncertainty, complacency or desire for comfort) into frontiers.

So, what will I be doing to participate on the 28th? Two things! 

1) I'll be sharing a blog post compiling all of the definitions for "sisu" that I have gathered over the past year of research for the play. Want to contribute? There's still plenty of time. Send an email to: SISUisintheHeart@gmail.com with the answers to these two questions: What does sisu mean to you? Where do you get your sisu?  and I'll add your response to the list! 

2) I'm hosting a small personal gathering in Los Angeles, CA in partnership with Chekov Studio International and Helsinki West to dig a little deeper and to hear more stories from the Finnish American community and to hone in a little more closely on what it means to have "sisu" as an artist. Click HERE for more information and to RSVP. After the session, I'll share a re-cap with some thoughts (and possibly some video) from the session. 

If you've just found yourself on my site for the first time, please check out ABOUT THE PROJECT to learn more about the play I am writing about my family and my mom, who had more "sisu" than anyone I have ever met.

-PC 

P.S. Want to know more about sisu and how Emilia defines it? Check out her recent talk from TEDx Turku!

6 Comments
Debbie
2/20/2015 12:12:35 pm

What a great project! I have the "SISU 12" on my personalized Seahawk license plates.

Reply
Park
2/23/2015 01:57:36 pm

Thanks, Debbie! That's a great license plate!

Reply
Dan Lampinen
2/26/2015 08:40:37 pm

Sisu to me means tough , resilient , one who never quits when the pressures on

Reply
Park
2/27/2015 02:35:03 am

Thanks, Dan! I'll be sure to add this to the list. Resilience keeps coming up when I mention SISU.

Reply
Tami Rosnell link
1/28/2016 11:56:15 am

I've been in touch with you before ref'd by Emilia Lahti... My family is Finn-American in SD, CA & we would like to know if there is anything going on this year 2016 for SISU- will it continue to proceed with Feb 28th as the Day of SISU or was that just for 2015? Thank you! You can reach me by phone also 760-470-1068

Reply
Taya link
12/14/2020 06:57:17 pm

Goood reading your post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    PARK COFIELD

    Latest updates about SISU is in the Heart.

    Archives

    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.