How remarkable when we can share labor in our communities in ways that lift up common values and create safety and joy with colleagues. Remarkable, at least, in a societal 'normal' that seems to insist work should be detestable, done under duress, and its contributions to global crises unavoidable. Four indigenous communities in India prove just how false that narrative is as they band together in densely populated Gudalur to create The Great Elephant Migration sculptural exhibit of 100 life-size Asian elephants, each a known individual, out of Lantana camara, an invasive woody species that has decreased elephant habitat. In the video above, you can hear from individuals about their work on the elephants, and about the human dignity, safety and joy that this work creates for them.

When i paused to visit the elephants at the National Museum of Wildlife Art last week, the artists' joy rippled through their empathetic response to the needs of these native creatures, and pulsed across the sagebrush to fill my lungs until i felt like dancing. Click on the photo to read more and check the schedule for further travels of this incredible installation. You can even support the effort by purchasing an elephant, like the large tusker above, or maybe a matriarch and youngster duo to celebrate the family values within the herd.

On another continent, Ann Nzilani holds a small sculpture as an example of the artisanal work she does alongside a group of fellow creators. Lilian Malupi is Clean-Ups Coordinator for 15 Kenyan communities where discarded flip-flops are collected off ocean beaches to be up-cycled by artisans into vibrant sculptures. They focus on wildlife at risk from careless human behaviors, like littering or creating climate chaos or traveling too fast through wildlife country (land or sea). Other discarded footwear gets up-cycled into useful items like mattresses. Malupi invests her labor in the work because "the world is not an ashtray" and her #FliptheFlop movement expresses with trademark humor a triple-bottom line-win defined by creative and dignified work that also benefits ecosystems and provides social goods like food networks for hungry communities. Since this past Sunday was World Oceans Day, and this week is Turtle Week, their social enterprise called Ocean Sole is offering discounted prices on all sea turtle sculptures. Follow the link to learn more and be inspired. In whatever ways you can, join the movement to love your work by creating positive change out of our world's negatives, from litter to invasives and far beyond.