🍄 Possibilities of . . .

Rekindling, depleted soil

Mondegreen Codex’ - Acrylic on canvas By Nem Styer (2021)

In 2011 Kyung Hee Kim Published a study on the decline of creative thinking in kids since the 1980s onwards. One of the major factors that contributed to that decline in creative thinking was an increase in high-stakes standardised testing. I find this correlation very interesting because while IQ results seem to be going up in the same time period creativity was going down. This finding seems to point at something deeper in our collective predicament, while we seem to be getting faster at getting what we want we seem to have a lack of imagination on what we want and what is possible. Another way of putting this is to say - we seem to be good at problem solving within our current context but rarely do we transcend those pre determined confines to dream up new contexts.

Before we can dream up new solar punk realities it strikes me that we need to cultivate the soil, the cultural commons and develop an Imagination infrastructure that recognises and encourages divergent ways of thinking, being and becoming.

Culturally healthier possibilities are likely to blossom if we start from the humility & acknowledgement of our existing landscape of depleted imagination. From this basis of re working the soil and the environmental conditions that either nurture or inhabit imagination, we are more likely to yield new, more exciting and diverse variations of fruit.

🍃 Some Invitations 🍃

🍂 Try to walk slower next time you are out

📀 Listen to this sonic trip

🪔 In Light of. . . (Upcoming gathering)