Douglas Cohen has been described in many ways, from “sustainability leadership specialist” and “catalyst for a regenerative future” to “facilitator” and “trainer.” Douglas is a revered change agent and leading thinker, and his bio celebrates his “leadership development, sustainability literacy, and systemic change literacy, especially for tomorrow’s leaders.” I was lucky enough to take part in a very interesting exercise on how to create sustainable communities with him during a Marylhurst University Sustainability Advisory Council (MUSAC) get together, which helped to crystallize the sometimes ellusive idea of examining alternative futures.

Mr. Cohen, acting as facilitator, informed us that we were all now part of the “culture of the committed,” simply by being attendees. This declaration reminded me of positive workplace leadership strategies focused around alignment and engagement in order to create a committed group working towards common goals. Doug’s invitation to be a part of the narrative (which we are all a part of whether we accept the invitation or not) was a successful strategy, and reminded me of my social responsibility to step up to the proverbial plate.

Our collective talents and problem solving will be needed to overcome the most pressing of our earthly crises. Better yet, I’d like to borrow – and turn on its head a bit – the famous Margaret Mead quote that goes

“never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”

I propose that, in fact, only our collective efforts will determine our future success, and this is particularly true regarding climate change. I hadn’t, though, imagined the idea that we could create an integrated narrative and use scenario planning in order to recognize the plot and therefore, the plot’s subsequent outcomes.

Doug began the meeting with a rapid-fire backdrop of the myriad organizations he is involved with, as well as mention of the Boston based think tank called the Tellus Institute. A quick Google search reveals that Tellus gathers data from teams of thought leaders hailing from varying disciplines who conduct research “to advance the transition to a sustainable, equitable, and humane global civilization.” From this work, Tellus has created a scenario planning toolkit that allow the “user to create, evaluate, and compare alternative futures based on current data and hypothetical trends.” One of the results is called the Great Transition Initiative. It is here that the use of envisioning an alternative future, and to me, the use of story and narrative, act as real forces in scaleable change.

How, though, do we transition from the narrative to implementation? First, we create the collective narrative. Our exercise for the hour was to gather around one of four quotes* that Doug provided for us. Choices included the great quote from Paul Hawken that says:

“If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand the data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse.”

Another quote by William Gibson says:

“The Future is here, it’s just not widely distributed yet.”

The quote that drew me in was:

“We are a Society in search of a good post-capitalist model.”

I didn’t know it at the time, but Doug himself created this last quote. As four of us gathered around the “post-capitalist” model, others congregated around the idea that resonated with them the most and we began generating discussion. It dawned on me after the fact that we were in the process of envisioning alternative futures by discussing these various quotes, and I’d be interested to hear some of what came forth in the other groups.

Our group talked about localized economic systems, shared resources, and the behavioral paradigm shifts needed to realign the manner in which we share resources (or don’t) within our communities.

Like with any self-governing group working towards common goals, it proves to be especially difficult to implement some of the great thinking that comes from these collaborative efforts. To go from conversation to action can be a daunting task, and one that seems to often stall the forward motion of committed and compassionate people. While I’m not yet clear on how Mayrlhurst and MUSAC will use the beginning of this “narrative thread” to get from here to there, continuing the experiment in order to collectively create the overall University fabric is an exciting endeavor.

Above all, Douglas Cohen proved to be a generous connector of plot. Specifically, of our own combined narrative that provides us with the leading questions, and ultimately answers, to help us create strategies and solve the climate crisis within our own communities. In creating this story together, we create our own opportunities to also become the actors in a regenerative future. I imagine the ongoing conversation and work ahead will help us to envision our path and begin to implement some larger scale strategies towards that goal.

*There was also a longer quote by David Orr which I’ll update this post with in the near future

Have you heard of Jane McGonigal? Until yesterday, I hadn’t, which now makes me feel like I was perhaps living under a rock for quite some time. But thanks to meeting up with a friend yesterday who cites Jane as “his hero”, I feel grateful to learn about her and her amazing, positive work around gaming and how it can change the world.

I don’t relate to the term gaming, but when I asked my friend what constituted a game, his response was along the lines of this: “A game is anything where we create a set of artificial obstacles (rules) to achieve an end goal”. So, all sports, board games, anything – really, that fits that definition, is a game. And if you partake, you’re a gamer. So, now that I know I’m a gamer (aren’t we all?) – what can we do as “gamers” to change the world?

McGonigal’s “Ted talk” can more easily convey some of her grand and beautifully elegant ideas than I ever could. Her breakthrough thinking could easily change our collective lives, and already has. Learn about the history of “gaming” and about some of McGonigal’s real-life applications that have tackled peak oil, famine, and disease.

Art. Art is inherent to our human experience, and while I don’t know much about art in general, I know that I’d like to be more involved with the “art scene” in Portland. So yesterday, after lunch with a friend, I made a pilgrimage to check out some of the current installations in the Pearl District.

I ended up visiting seven galleries, and my second stop provided more of what I was after; inspiration and awe. Chambers@916 is presently showing work by Scott Johnson that plays with light and illusion, which was interesting, but quickly dissolved into the “um, ok” category for me. Better yet is this amazing installation by Ethan Jackson called strait.

strait is an unconventional video work in which distorted images swirl together on a pedestal’s surface. Viewed in the accompanying cylindrical mirrors, the images resolve into paired elemental landscapes.

So, what does it look like? It’s best to view it, really:

Next stop was the Elizabeth Leach Gallery, which provided this very large, white space full of hand stitched, hand dyed quilts, called Portraits, by Anna Von Mertens. Each piece reflected a famous persons “aura”, and are named with titles like “Marilyn Monroe’s Aura After Warhol”.

Also here is Folded Light sculpture by Hap Tivey. An all around great space, but beware of gallery dealer types in all black with serious, various looks over pushed down glasses.

My favorite stop of the day was completely spontaneous. As I was strolling down the street, amazed and grateful for this beautiful and leisurely Thursday afternoon, just me and the city to do as we pleased, I noticed this unfinished space that looked like a construction zone with pictures of homes taped to the windows. It was hard to see in, but one of the huge windowed doors was wide open, beckoning passers-by inside. I happily took the invitation. Standing in the middle of this huge space was artist Curtis Speer, surrounded by his beautifully raw photos, a perfect fit for the unfinished and highly texturized environment.

I’m naturally drawn to photos of decay – I love the texture, and there’s something eerily peaceful to seeing decomposition frozen in time. Curtis Speers’ dwell is described as “a visual story telling of the places we reside and the things on which we fret.”

Speers’ bio explains:

Portland photographer…shows us the power that the past can have and that we can change our present situation if we just change our perspective…Abused as a kid, Curtis knows the importance of stopping the cycle…”

Curtis has also made several short films, one of which coincides with his current exhibit, both called Dwell. Visit his youtube page to view all of them, and check out his Facebook page for upcoming info and to connect in that sphere.

I had the pleasure of rapping a bit with Curtis about his photography, what brought him to Portland, and what he’s got on the horizon. I suggest you stop by and meet him yourself, perhaps for “First Thursday” next week if you’re in Portland? You can find Curtis and his work at 411 NW Park at Flanders in Portland.

My final parting note is that if you find yourself in need of inspiration and your vessel needs a fillin’, head out to your city’s art spaces and catch the creative spirit.