The Artist, the Poet, and the Ocean

Linda Cabot speaks with reverence about her lifelong bond with the high seas. "I just love being on the ocean; I feel a sense of spiritual connection to it," she reflects. "There's a vastness to it, and I love that it's wild and free."

An artist and avid sailor, Linda spent her childhood summers on a rocky island off the coast of Maine, immersed in the raw beauty of the sea. "We always used to sail and row around in small boats looking for mussels and clams," she reminisces. But now, rising sea levels, warming waters, and changing currents have come to Maine’s shores.

"It's changed so much. Because of warming waters, the mussels have completely gone from our harbour as well as the clams," she shares, her expression thoughtful. "It's so sad to see the degradation that's happening."

Driven by her passion for the ocean and concern for its future, Linda founded Bow Seat in 2011. "I thought I would take this energy and passion that I have and try to get it into schools and reach young people online," she explains.

Her enthusiasm led to the launch of the organisation's flagship programme, the Ocean Awareness Contest, which invites youth aged 11-18 to explore their relationship with the changing planet through artistic expression. Linda emphasises the power of this approach: "When the participants make something of their own that's original and personal, they become very connected to the cause or the issue."

While Linda’s connection to the ocean was forged on the coast of Maine, thousands of miles away, in the arid landscapes of Phoenix, Arizona, Akhila Bandlora, a young poet, would find her own journey to the sea through Bow Seat.

Two unlikely allies emerged in the fight for ocean preservation: Linda, a seasoned artist witnessing the ocean's transformation, and Akhila, a young poet with a far-away connection to the water. Their convergence through Bow Seat illustrates the power of art to transcend geographical boundaries, a rallying cry for a common cause.

A Global Community United by Creativity

From its modest beginnings, Bow Seat has blossomed into a global phenomenon. Today, it stands as the world's largest environmental youth program for the creative arts, engaging over 38,250 students from 142 countries and all 50 U.S. states. To date, the organisation has awarded over $750,000 in scholarships and grants to youth, as well as $114,000 in awards to support educators and schools.

Through initiatives like the Future Blue Youth Council, a diverse, international group of programme alumni, Bow Seat continues to empower young leaders. Participants create works spanning diverse mediums, from soul-stirring poetry and vivid paintings to thought-provoking films and interactive multimedia.

Though forged across miles and through the digital realm, Linda and Akhila share a profound connection through their love for the ocean and commitment to its preservation. "I've never met Linda in person, which is honestly really sad," Akhila admits. "But, to understand global environmental issues, you have to talk to people from all over the world and hear their perspectives."

Linda echoes this sentiment, highlighting the transformative potential of Bow Seat's global community.  "What is really magical about our global community is that kids can see themselves in other countries," Linda explains. "There are really no borders around global environmental issues like climate change – these kids are from all sorts of backgrounds and countries and are all working on similar projects, and they feel supported by each other. Part of what we're trying to do at Bow Seat is create a global, nurturing community."

This emphasis on community and shared purpose resonates deeply with Akhila.  When asked about the role of art and creativity in the fight against climate change, Akhila's response is unequivocal. "I think it's so essential," she states with conviction.

"Art changes people, poetry changes people. And we've seen from past movements that art has the ability to capture people's attention and hearts in a way that, sometimes, facts and figures just can't."

This sentiment lies at the very core of Bow Seat's mission and Linda's vision for the future.

An Art of Their Own 

“the girl with sea foam fingers writes letters 
on napkins left on beaches like loose change, 
words stumbling down staircases of five-seven-five haikus 
— i want an ocean, 
the one mama whispers of, 
when she eats, sleeps, prays — 
she ties them to the webbed foot of a seagull, 
sends it off to the governor– 
“the tide is coming.” 

--Excerpt from ‘never forget’ by Akhila Bandlora 

‘Never forget’ is not just an award-winning poem; it’s become a call to action, exemplifying the power of artistic expression in environmental advocacy.

Reflecting on the impact of poetry, Akhila shares a few words from her mentor: "Poetry may not change the world, but poetry changes people and people change the world."

Akhila is one of many young lives touched by Bow Seat’s mission. Discovering the Ocean Awareness Contest during her freshman year of high school, she seized the opportunity to submit a poem and went on to win the Gold Award - a testament to her extraordinary talent.

"It made me aware of the power of my own voice," she says. "And it continues to do that for so many other young people."

Through Bow Seat, Linda has created a platform where young voices like Akhila's can rise above the noise, using their creativity to advocate for our blue planet. The contest has become more than just a competition; it's a movement, inspiring a new generation of ocean stewards and proving that art can indeed be a powerful impetus for environmental awareness and action.

Linda's artistic journey began in her New England childhood, inspired by the region's natural beauty. "I loved the mountains, the coastlines, the fields," she recalls. For three decades, Linda created land and seascapes using various painting techniques. Her art became a bridge between her passion for nature and her desire to inspire change.

In 2016, Linda ventured into the world of digital design, transforming elements of her paintings into repeating patterns. This exploration led to Linda Cabot Design, her business creating textiles and homewares featuring nature-inspired patterns. "I would take a band of waves, and it would become sort of this abstract horizon motif," Linda explains.

A Journey to the Sea

While the ocean speaks to Linda Cabot and Akhila Bandlora in different mediums, its message resonates deeply with both.

For Linda, the sea is a lifelong companion, a source of both tranquillity and exhilaration. "I feel almost safer on the sea than I do on land," she confides.

Linda’s bond with the ocean is one forged through adventure. She recounts a harrowing six-hour lightning storm weathered with her young daughters during an overnight sail. "That was a good six hours of terror," she admits, "but that's part of the adventure of it all."

Fearlessness in the face of nature's power draws Linda to the sea, offering her a sense of limitless possibility.

In contrast, for Akhila, growing up in Phoenix, the ocean was more a dream than a personal experience. "Growing up in a desert, you don't really know how to imagine the ocean. It really feels like a mythical place," she explains, her voice soft and contemplative. Yet, it was this very distance that fueled her fascination and drew her to Bow Seat's mission.

Miles from any coastline, Akhila nonetheless felt the ocean's magnetic appeal. This unlikely connection blossomed under her father's guidance. "I guess the reason I was connected with nature so early on was because of my dad. He really loved it," she shares.

Together, Akhila and her father would embark on desert adventures, seeking out rare water bodies for citizen science projects. These experiences, though far from crashing waves, planted the seeds of Akhila's environmental awareness and eventually led her to Bow Seat and a deeper engagement with marine conservation.

"It's funny to think about how your relationship to the ocean or bodies of water changes over time," Akhila muses. Despite the physical distance, her connection to water grew, mirroring Linda's lifelong passion in unexpected ways.

Charting a Course for the Future

For Linda, Akhila, and the countless young artists they inspire, the key to creating lasting change lies in fostering a deep sense of connection - to the ocean, to one another, and to our shared future.

"The world needs us to all be environmentalists," Linda affirms, her words a rallying cry. "It's just something we all have to do."

Art, whether born from a lifetime of sailing or a desert-dweller’s imagination, has the power to unite us all in the fight for our planet's future. Within this thriving ecosystem of creativity, Linda Cabot and the youth of Bow Seat are charting a course towards a brighter, more sustainable future for Earth’s oceans.