The quiet town of Jokkmokk (pop. 8000) in Swedish Lapland has
been the subject of considerable study.?It seems that most of
the schoolgirls there are smart, and most of the schoolboys are
not.?Experts have taken a look at the gene pool, relative brain
capacities, corpus callosum deviations, family dynamics, even
teaching methods in the schools.?Things seem about the same as
most other Swedish towns.?But for several generations now the
girls get the marks and the boys drop out.
What's going on??Hunting, fishing and forestry are Jokkmokk's
main industries.?Young men have traditionally made their living
in the bush or on the water.?Young women, perhaps responding to
some faintly understood genetic need, or just realizing that
they need to get out of the place, use good grades to gain their
exit.?The girls work harder.?The boys goof off.
It's called "The Jokkmokk Effect" when one group or another
moves away to the big city, travels abroad and "makes something
of themselves."?Jokkmokk girls have rocked the world by
becoming scientists, financiers and artists.?Albert Einstein
said: "One of the strongest motives that lead to art and science
is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and
hopeless dreariness."?It's all about desire.?"Desire," said
Benedict Spinoza, "is the very essence of man."?Desire and the
intention to do something are more important than brains,
wisdom, or even talent.?In IQ tests, Jokkmokk boys are just as
smart as Jokkmokk girls.?Georges Braque said:?"The only thing
that counts is intention.?What counts is what one wants to do."
In many cultures The Jokkmokk Effect applies more to men than to
women.?Men move away to seek their fortune, find work, and find
their way in the world.?Women, on the other hand, by biology or
by choice, keep the home fires and raise the kids.?Through all
of this there's the precarious balance of self-realization and
social obligation.?Artists of both sexes--particularly these
days when the free-self has become such a popular goal--feel the
tug from both sides.?Back in Jokkmokk there's a shortage of
women and the population is in decline.?One wonders how happy
they are.?The boys are out in the boats.?Mark Twain noted: "If
you want to be happy, learn to fish."?When you think of it,
fishing is a lot like art.?"Some days there ain't no fish."
Best regards,
Robert
PS: "There is one big thing--desire.?And before it, when it is
big, all is little." (Willa Cather) "Take care to get what you
like or you will be forced to like what you get." (George
Bernard Shaw)
Esoterica: "Brain drain" and "talent drain" are part of the
phenomena of globalization.?One thinks of the magnetic appeal
and opportunities of Paris or New York.?Theoretically, we
visual artists need not be tempted.?Jokkmokk might be quite a
good place for creativity.?The instrument you now see before
you is a window to the world.?Through its keyboard you can
learn, teach, grow, play, buy and sell.?It can be an instrument
of your desire.
