Last night we took a rest from our design work and had a group creativity evening. We created a felt panel and did some hand casting. For a few hours we worked on a wall panel together. The spontaneity and creativity was a joy and a release. It really demonstrated the importance of the pause anchor point in the design process. The panel was a way of representing our experience of the course in imagery. Together we worked harmoniously, and really embodied the concept of synergy where 1+1=3. Together we produced an incredible panel which would have taken us weeks to do alone. (photos later)
The hand casting was part of a project for the ‘edge sculpture trail here in september. The piece is around the web of life and acknowledging our interconnectedness. People were asked to express this in gesture with two hands together. With sitting together connected for 10 minutes, there was a warmth and embodiment of the gestures. We also cast 4 hands together the same as the cover of People and Permaculture.
Mel who runs the High Heathercombe centre sees the crossover of arts and permaculture as a way of empowering ourselves. Through arts we can transform ourselves, we can reclaim the arts from commodification. Through making we can reconnect with our creativity, we can explore our edges. When we make something we understand the value of handmade objects, valuing them for the time and energy put in. And making things together increases our social wealth. Reskilling ourselves is an important part of the future of the Great Turning story. Whenever we explore our edges and move past limiting beliefs we may have about ourselves and our creativity, we allow new possibilities to arise.
See www.highheathercombecentre.org.uk
for details of the edge sculpture trail.