on the ground ness
aka: irl ness.. actually practicing, prototyping, experimenting with, doing/being.. all the ideas/dreams/visions/imaginaries
a summary of the years spent iterating toward the unconditional part of left to own devices ness (from findings abstract page which was edited from story board [2008 to present] page):
1\ (2008-2009) – in the quiet of the noise – the situation
in some deep conversations (200ish local and 200ish global – mostly youth in school settings – mostly in math class and student council) we noticed a situation.. most people are stressed (from all the things ie: grades; money; life; death;.. how people are suffocating from the day in many different ways).. most can’t wait till 3/5pm and/or the weekend. we took special notice/focus of suicide.. as at the time our district was 6th in the nation in suicide rate.. so we saw/felt up close and personally how non discriminatory suicide was.. which helped us realize this ‘stress’ was deeper than any cause/label.. (this is where we fell upon and then organized this other way around maté basic needs.. via gabor maté)
we realized we’ve got to change up how we’re all spending our days.. we asked permission to experiment the next year with self-directing.. within a space we already had (had to have) ..a math class
2\ (2009-2010) – in a math classroom – pilot math
1 min video of pep talk to keep on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoq2uZ86pyE]
we (30) experimented with all the ways to self-direct in a school math setting (aka: get to the end of yr with all boxes checked off).. very creative in getting it done.. and did just fine ‘grade’ wise.. but most weren’t in love with school math enough to self-direct w/o some reward.. and that reward compromised free time/thinking (ie: many ended up with a bunch of free time to pursue curiosities/interest.. but there was always a looming ‘is this free time legit in math class?’.. so the grade, other classes, the raised eyebrow,.. kept trumping energies) ..
we asked permission to experiment the next year with self-directing something that mattered to us.. each wrote own curriculum, got it pre-approved to fit within the credentialing system we already had (had to have)
3\ (2010-2011) – in a tech building – innovation lab
12 min video about the lab [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zolh-jsLHc&t=478s]
we (50ish) experimented with independent study ness.. but even writing own curriculum compromised daily curiosity (ie: pick something that mattered like hebrew, soccer, human trafficking.. then life/death happens..and other things matter like cancer, homelessness, treehouses, ..)..people crave daily choice.. the freedom/bravery to change their mind.. and/but actually even beyond choice – that finite set of choices .. we all dance best/free via curiosity (aka: itch-in-the-soul.. 1st thing everyday).. so we worked/focussed on the conditions needed in order for us to let go of our control issues and just listen to/for that.. [ie: tech as nonjudgmental expo labeling sans any form of measuring, accounting, people telling other people what to do].. we realized that how we gather in a space is huge.. that we need to try spaces of permission where people have nothing to prove to facil curiosity over decision making.. because again.. the finite set of choices of decision making is unmooring us.. keeping us from us.. so the vision: whatever for a year.. a legit sabbatical ish transition..
we asked permission to experiment the next year with whimsy/curiosities .. we asked to declare learnings (if anyone desired credit) at the end of the year (instead of on the front end) to help free us to change our mind.. if we so wanted
4\ (2011-2012) – in a house downtown – be you house
(very amateur/shakey) 6 min video about the be you house [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKuUzQ_bwmQ]
we (50) experimented with what it might be like to live in a wealthy unschooling home.. we fashioned the house to experiment/model how the entire city/world could be that free/unconditional.. kids had their own rooms where they could be free to dream/do/be art.. other spaces (at the house) got fashioned and refashioned as we desired.. pop up style.. as public space to gather (rooms/spaces for ie: detox, techs, music, foods, arts, gardening, film, sport, et al).. we felt that we were getting closer to following curiosity/whimsy but further away from people.. once detoxed from supposed to ness.. what we craved most was other people to explore/build/be with.. we found that people free to follow daily curiosities.. crave people..
we planned to spend the next year in the city.. as the day .. experimenting with ie: beyond prototyping app in detox room (detox via laptop in closet) of be you house (input).. into coffee house/bookstore, city sketchup of ‘wish this was a’; modeling the dance (the unconditional ness of left to own devices ness) in be you house; playing in the streets and in city spaces/companies/library et al;
5\ (2012-2013) – in coffee shops, library, .. – city as school
13 min video of ‘i wish this was a’ visions gathered for loveland – city sketch up [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO3reLWjt8k]
we (not enough) experimented/listened with city as school .. since all people matter to the conversation/dance/ecosystem ..we had to find a way this would work for 100% of humanity even the inspectors of inspectors.. ie: tech as it could be..
at the end of this year i resign from district feeling we were at the end of potential/friendly permission asking.. aka: the point of being too crazy for school system (warning ness.. resign ness et al)
6\ (2013-present) – everywhere and nowhere
we (rather me.. but never just me) listened some more.. aka: research/experiment with potential loopholes of trying year ? – a people experiment (conditions needed for the dance) .. finding out what people have tried globally.. and why nothing to date has set us all free.. fine tuning tech w/o judgment as means to facil what would be the assumed chaos of that legit freedom
7\ (?) – a people experiment – anywhere
perhaps what has not yet been experimented with: 1/ a city-wide experiment, to provide an ecosystem of eclectic people/resources; and 2/ an as-the-day experiment, rather than adding something on after hours (after school/work)
aka: the unconditional part of left to own devices ness.. via a sabbatical ish transition
1 min video on the bravery to change your mind.. every day/moment anew [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVwu_cD4iSU]
we were swimming in that free\dom, uncertainty, unpredictability, seeming chaos.. something you can’t unsee.. and now something i can’t not do.. for (blank)’s sake
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since it’s start (just after the death of david graeber).. been a part of museum of care.. i was especially excited about nika dubrovsky‘s visions: to experiment in madagascar and then in st vincent .. but (to me) neither were yet free enough to try the unconditional part of left to own devices ness
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1\ undisturbed ecosystem (common\ing) can happen
2\ if we create a way to ground the chaos of 8b legit free people
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be you. 