By Patrick William Dodoo – Multidisciplinary Artist, Creative Director, SDG Advocate
In an era where the word “sustainability” is echoed in conference rooms, political podiums, and global platforms, it is tempting to let the vision fade into mere rhetoric. But as an artist, a cultural strategist, and a builder of dreams through paint, purpose, and people I am here to say: We do not shape the future with faint promises. We paint it with bold choices.
The canvas of the world is vast and layered with crises climate change, inequality, poverty, broken education systems, urban chaos. But like every great masterpiece, its transformation depends not on hesitation, but on daring strokes of conviction. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not abstract ideals they are colors on our palette. They are the blueprint for a just and livable world, but only when picked up by real hands. My hands. Your hands.
As someone deeply invested in the intersection of creativity and social change, I have long believed that art is not passive. It is active advocacy. Each brushstroke I make tells a story of resistance and hope. Whether painting live at international gatherings, designing community art therapy sessions, or curating exhibitions that question the norm I take bold steps to contribute to the SDGs.
This quote “A sustainable world is painted with bold choices, not faint promises” emerged from my heart during a moment of reflection. I had just completed a live art session during a United Nations-inspired dialogue, and I realized that the energy of the room was filled with great ideas… yet many walked away without action. What if we held ourselves to account the way artists do with every layer contributing to the final impact? What if we moved beyond hashtags into habits of change?
Bold Choices Over Comfort… for me, choosing sustainability hasn’t been easy. It meant walking away from exploitative art contracts. It meant investing my own funds to train young creatives in underserved communities. It meant saying no to quick fame and yes to legacy building the kind that aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). I believe in infrastructures of creativity systems where art and innovation fuel development and decision-making.
A bold choice is starting an artist residency in a forgotten part of the city.
A bold choice is designing programs for boys who code and girls who sculpt.
A bold choice is confronting policy makers and asking, “Where is art in your vision for national
development?”
These are not easy steps. But nothing about sustainable development is meant to be easy. It is meant to be transformative.
From Words to Work… The world doesn’t need more conferences filled with buzzwords. It needs implementers. Change agents. Cultural disruptors. Art diplomats.
This is where I situate myself, not just in exhibitions, but in boardrooms, classrooms, and
community halls championing the fact that sustainability must reflect in how we live, not just how we speak.
As I continue my journey, I urge every reader to make one bold choice today:
Plant that tree.
Mentor that youth.
Challenge that outdated policy.
Support that artist building community.
Start that foundation, app, school, or center… even if it’s just with a dream and a few coins.
Let us create a world that is not only beautiful in theory but livable in practice. One where the boldness of our choices paints justice across continents and generations.
And remember:
Faint promises do not feed nations. Bold actions do.
So let’s paint boldly together.
