Co-creating the emerging future — June reflections

Been a busy few weeks for me, with some different and intense projects in full flow, I’m wanting to capture some emerging reflections…

Been a busy few weeks for me, with some different and intense projects in full flow, I’m wanting to capture some emerging reflections, thoughts and ideas. The thread to my work is co-creating with others what is emerging, what is wanting to happen, the emerging future, one grounded in ecological principles. These are some of the connections I’m making as I go. So I’m documenting them openly. A practice I want to get better at. So this is a messy post.

The difference between saying and doing.

“We cannot talk our way out of problems we’ve behaved our way into”

Stephen Covey

I’m fascinated by how climate action is unfolding, sometimes it seems we are on the threshold of huge shifts, but then it often feels like scratching the surface in terms of action.

Last week the UK was named host for the next COP 26 conference in 2020, but even though we’re living in a climate emergency, (the UK govt has declared it) — the government cannot seem to align action with words.

Saying vs doing.

This is a strong example > after a year long inquiry into the disposable fast fashion sector and the acceptance of the huge environmental impacts it creates, the govt are refusing to put 1p tax on disposable fashion — yes 1p!! — read here for more detail > or today the treasury has announced a whopping VAT tax on solar batteries for home use — Again think about it…

We’re in an emergency situation, so why make it MORE expensive to act on the emergency….you can’t make this stuff up.

How might our institutions shift from saying things to acting on them in a joined up and intentional way ?

How might we start acting on things without knowing all the answers ? This is a core practice of co-design, participative culture and co-creation, but it appears to be missing from HOW things get done at a systemic level.

“The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think”

Gregory Bateson

This ^^ from Gregory Bateson has been front of mind for me for the last few years.

Recently I was watching a bit from a live stream at Parliament with the committee on industrial energy strategy exploring the net zero targets from the UK govt , one of the panel was Gail Bradbrook, a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion who is fast becoming my climate super hero. Not just because of her ability to see in wholes and speak with that interconnected intelligence and wisdom which is so tragically missing from our leadership and power structures, but also because she speaks from the heart, and without blame, continues to try and help people see what is unfolding and why we need radical and urgent action.

I was again reminded of the huge disconnect between how the non human world (nature)functions and how industrial minded humans who love the illusion of control cannot seem to compute these implications.

For example….

When Gail was asked did she believe in the continual investment and development in UK nuclear energy, she responded by saying (I’m paraphrasing here) that ‘in light of sea levels rising and projected to rise significantly, and as nuclear plants are always developed on coastal sites, then for that reason alone it would be reckless to humans so no we should not continue.’

One minister then responded ‘but what about my constituents who need jobs?’

= How nature works, how humans think.

This is the big challenge of our time. Busting through to a new way of knowing and thinking, and seeing the world as a living thing, a complex system of interconnected relationships creating the conditions for life, with an operating system and set of principles which can create abundance but is no longer able to carry the destructive impacts of the industrial growth model globalising the planet.

The Great Unknowing

I’d argue that to step fully into acceptance of climate and ecological breakdown and therefore the need for systemic transformation is to step initially at least into grief, uncertainty and unknowing. This is not something many of us have much experience of, and certainly most of us have been educated and trained to rationalise our way out of fully letting go and descending into this place of unknowing.

And from what I witness of the power dynamics in business, the idea of leaders ‘not knowing’ or exploring the practice of ‘unknowing’ is nowhere.

I’d argue that only through the descent to this place of ‘unknowing’ can we rise to new possibilities and more beautiful ways of being, doing and creating in the world.

I’m currently working on a guided ‘unknowing’ experience to support leaders in creative businesses to start exploring this and building their capacity to operate creatively from this place of uncertainty — hit me up if you want to know more.

Shock and trauma the catalyst for real change

“Only a demanding common task builds community “

George MacLeod

How does shock and crisis really effect change?

I have recently returned from a week in Puerto Rico visiting communities who are redesigning their lives in the wake of the hurricanes that destroyed them in 2017, I was reminded by how much a shock, trauma and crisis combined with huge constraints often catalyse profound shifts in people.

I saw it with a guy who’s created a Farm Lab, after nearly 9 months with no electricity, and with over 80% of their food imported, he’s been hacking together hydroponic systems and growing diverse salads, vegetables, fruits, skilling up locals to do the same, convening growers and buyers to understand their needs and grow a self organising network who are co-creating a new system to co-exist and to build resilience into the local food system.

The organisation I was working with are trying to nurture an ecological culture, working with communities from the bottom up to reimagine how they live by working with and as part of nature.

It’s making me think does the industrial growth system and culture need to tangibly start to collapse for a new one one grounded in ecological principles, to fully emerge? Do we need to fully and personally experience the symptoms of collapse to accept it?

What would that look like ? From financial system collapse, end of subsidies, high taxes on dirty stuff, the intentional hospicing of destructive industries, right through to food shortages, climate shocks, flooding, water security, mass migration.

We in the UK are still so shielded from the impacts and will most likely feel these issues later than many others in the world — though I have a nagging feeling that food security issues may be the wake up call.

Community co-creation as core design principle for the emerging future

From the communities in Puerto Rico, to my ongoing Good for Nothing experiments to a recent collaboration with one of my favourite UK brands Finisterre, I’m reminded again and again after a decade of experimenting with co-design and co-creation approaches — how community, real humans in real places together, expressing their true selves, co-creating and participating and often with no money changing hands is such a fundamental part of this journey — of a culture shift beyond industrial growth society, beyond passive consumerist culture, to something more regenerative, emergent, participative, loving and open.

It’s not rocket science but it’s artful, it’s about HOW we do things, and it’s a key practice that’s missing from how we govern politically, how we organise and make decisions in business, and how we educate our children.

I’ve just finished an experimental project with Finisterre — Ocean Mic. A five city tour of evening events — Open mic meets ocean and water themed stories and expressions — a co-created participative experience. I’m going to write a proper post about it because its been so epic — but the big take out for me is, safe spaces to invite people to express themselves, open our hearts, be heard and held and not judged by others feel really needed right now. The experience was hugely generative, creating energy, ideas, connections and community. Everyone has something to share, and community really does build through sharing and listening to others.

Add I might just add an observation and my opinion, but people who live with an intentional connection to water (wild water = rivers, lakes, ocean etc), i.e they get in water or near water regularly seem to have an aliveness and appreciation for life that often seems missing from the modern human.

So interesting!

Integrity and persistence are hugely undervalued qualities in leadership

Thank you Mac Macartney for this one — I managed to sit in on an hour conversation with Mac at Schumacher college where I guest lecture every year on the Co-creating the Emerging Future course. He talked about integrity and persistence as core qualities we need in droves from leaders right now, but historically are undervalued qualities in corporate and political leadership.

For me this supports what I’m learning and sensing from those leading on the messy uncomfortable edges of change and it also spoke to that nagging feeling I often have, and have been feeling lately, why am I doing this work, why do I continue to go at this, why do I care? Thank you Mac.

Until next month

Peace and Out

dan