Walk Out Walk On II

Here are some paragraphs I thought were awesome in the Walk Out Walk On book.

The practice of being a leader who is a hero versus being a leader who is a host:

Questions we can ask ourselves:

Walk Out Walk On

Two competing roles to play:
1. We have to be thoughtful and compassionate in attending to what’s dying-we have to be good hospice workers.
2. We have to be experimenters, pioneers, edge-walkers.

Walk Outs
1. We make our path by walking it.
2. We have what we need.
3. The leaders we need are already here.
4. We are living in worlds we want today.
5. We walk at the pace of the slowest.
6. We listen, even to the whispers.
7. We turn to one another.

MFA Collaborative Design Open Studios

Well, we finally had our show, and it was an amazing time. A lot of people came to support us. Here are some photos, click on the image to see the Flickr set:

Selling vs. Gifting

In starting this entrepreneurial venture, I’m being asked how am I going to “sell” myself, to think of the elevator conversation that I can pitch to a person. This all seems fake to me. Although I understand its significance. I must be able to articulate what I’m doing clearly to people. Got it. Check.

However, I don’t want to “sell” myself. I am not a commodity. I don’t want to “sell THINGS.” This brings me to what I’m reading, Walk Out, Walk On by Margaret Wheatley. In the book, she talks about a gifting culture.

Here are some lines that I thought were really important:

Wicked For

Last semester, I wished I would have written down a few of the important thoughts I had. Some of my thoughts had to do with systems thinking. It seems that the nodes of the systems are of equal value to the connections. Since, if you don’t make a connection, you never realize that node is out there. Also, I hope to live in a world where systems thinking is not “the way” for two reasons. One, it will mean that we have achieved it as a norm in society and there isn’t a need for convincing anymore. Two, if a person starts thinking it is “the way,” that person is bound to be missing out on other ways.

Which brings me to the major thought of the week: Designing for versus with something/someone is probably the most wicked problem of all. To have the self-righteousness to assume you know the exact way how to do something is to ignore what is actually needed in the system. Additionally, if you are fully immersed in the system, how can you actually attain the “big picture” and make the decision needed in that moment?

Thus, a person needs to both be connected without bias? We are taught that bias is bad when it comes to doing research, but if we don’t have any bias, what is our true stake? Does it take someone to have a stake in the issue to bring value to the possible solution? What makes a valuable contribution?

Lastly, we should be weary about sticking to only one thing. For example, its not just the left or the right side of the brain, it is both. In order to be a well-rounded individual in this universe, a person should be functioning in both capacities. If the person cannot, then it is the job of the universe to balance it out with another person, situation, skill and/or tool.

I am left-handed (but ambidextrous in early childhood), right foot dominant and with sports I go from left to right when it comes to throwing/pitching/hitting. I think that stressing musical instruments or sports that demand multifunctional capabilities on the body and mind are crucial for total brain development.

Maurizio Cattelan – The Game

In, “Who Cares” with Levi Strauss and Martinez, I was surprised to read this quote and then such a juxtaposition of praise from the Guggenheim on the artist:

STRAUSS Maurizio Cattelan was overheard talking to friends at one of his openings, apologizing for his phenomenal success in the art market by saying, “I am just really good at playing the game.”

Jonah Lehrer on Choices

Jonah Lehrer’s website

Intertwine Field Trip

This field trip is a part of a course offered in the MFA in Collaborative Design program.

“The Intertwine has united a broad coalition of public agencies, private businesses and nonprofits to celebrate, protect and improve this network of outdoor places and trails. As partners in what is called The Intertwine Alliance, we check our jurisdictional and geographical boundaries at the door to work side-by-side toward a common mission. By joining forces, we boost our effectiveness to increase investment in our parks and expand conservation efforts.”

Here is Joan birdwatching. Click on image to view the set on Flickr.