Terms of Intent: A Brief Glossary

As human beings, we all exist and interact within the context of some sort of system.  Whether that be family, work, school, one's community or some other organizational setting.  So, becoming more aware and understanding our role and impact within that context is an important first step towards a lifestyle of intent.  The chart to the left consists of a few basic terms that can help us to evaluate the quality of the systems we may be part of.

Systems, whose characteristics correspond to the terms listed on the left of the chart, tend to be less robust or resilient than those characterized by the terms on the right.  As a result, their overall performance may not be as strong, and they are at greater risk for partial or complete failure, during or in the wake of a disruption or catastrophic event.  However, as we begin to make the conceptual shift from the terms on the left to those on the right, we become more equipped to make choices that better support the creation of healthy, abundant and resilient systems that perform well and for the benefit of all their members.

Detailed definitions for each of these terms are below.

1. cultivation – to show care and consideration for all parties to a transaction or exchange; to treat fairly.

2. degeneration – a process of depleting resources without replenishing them, or doing so at a rate greater than they can reasonably be replaced before endangering, adversely disrupting or destroying the “system” from which they have been taken or “extracted”.

3. diversity – the state of having or being composed of differing elements, both living and non-living, within a group, organization or system.

4. eco-efficiency – tends to be a piecemeal approach primarily concerned with doing things as economically as possible, by minimizing or decreasing inputs in order to increase outputs or value (e.g. using less gas while increasing car mileage). Results may also be tracked within the strict time frames consistent with those typical of business cycles (e.g. monthly, quarterly, annually, etc). (see McDonough, W. & Braungart, M. (2002) Cradle-to-Cradle, Chapter 2, p.51-53, 61-67).

5. eco-effectiveness – a holistic approach that takes into consideration the quality of engagement or outcome in a transaction, (e.g. worker or customer safety, health, well-being, the environment, etc.). Value is derived over much longer time frames than are typical of business cycles (e.g. several years, decades, a generation) (see McDonough, W. & Braungart, M. (2002) Cradle-to-Cradle, Chapter 3 for more in depth discussion of this term).

6. eco-intentionality – to deliberately make decisions or take actions consistent with an eco-effective approach.

7. exploitation – to make use of meanly or unfairly for one's own advantage and potentially to the detriment of others.

8. extraction – to take without giving back; a transaction that fails to exchange something of equal or complimentary value.

9. holistic – relating to or concerned with considering a system in its entirety rather than just its individual components in isolation.

10. mindfulness – the state of having conscientious awareness of other elements, both living and non-living, within a system or one’s environment.

11. regeneration – a process that actively or deliberately seeks to replenish, build or cultivate. This approach tends to contribute to the overall health, well-being and resilience of a system by promoting complexity and diversity. Regenerative processes also work in both the short and long terms (see Roland, E. & Landua, G. (2013) Regenerative Enterprise: Optimizing for Multi-capital Abundance – version 1.0, 8 forms.org, p.20.)

12. resilience – the ability to recover or continue functioning in the midst or wake of an event or situation that causes the failure of critical infrastructure, disrupts key relationships or access to key resources.

13. system – “a collectivity of units which are functionally differentiated and engaged in joint problem solving with respect to a common goal. The members or units of a system may be individuals, informal groups, complex organizations, or subsystems. . . . Each unit in a system can be functionally differentiated from every other member. All members cooperate at least to the extent of seeking to solve a common problem or to reach a mutual goal. It is this sharing of a common objective that binds the system together.” (adapted from Rogers, E.M. & Shoemaker, F.F. (1971) Communication of innovations: a cross-cultural approach. New York, The Free Press, p.28).

General Characteristics of Resilient Systems

1. all elements (large and small) each have a part to play (or primary function) that contributes to the system’s overall, effective performance


2. each element should also be able to perform other functions, in addition to their primary ones


3. there should be redundancy for all “mission critical” system functions, in the event of the inevitable disruptions or failures that can occur. Mission critical functions are those that are absolutely necessary to a system’s well-being or performance, in achievement of its overall goals.

Resources For Further Reading

Background for Core Philosophies

1. Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability (2002) David Holmgren (co-originator). Australia: Holmgren Design Services.


2. Cradle-to-Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (2002) William McDonough & Michael Braungart. New York: North Point Press.


3. Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual (1988) William Mollison. Australia.


4. Gaia’s Garden: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd ed (2009) Toby Hemenway. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
   
   
5. The Permaculture City: Regenerative Design for Urban, Suburban, and Town Resilience (2015) Toby Hemenway. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.


6. Interior Design With Feng Shui: New and Expanded (2000) Sarah Rossbach. Penguin Group.

Strategies for Regenerative Design

1. Regenerative Enterprise: Optimizing For Multi-Capital Abundance – Version 1.0 (2013) Ethan Roland & Gregory Landua. 8forms.org.


2. The One Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming (2009, pbk) Masanobu Fukuoka. New York: New York Review of Books.

Strategies for Designing & Leveraging Systems

1. Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results (2015) David Peter Stroh. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing


2. Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (2002) Malcolm Gladwell. New York: Back Bay Books.

Strategies for Designing Holistic Interior Spaces

1. Apartment Therapy (2006) Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan. New York: Bantam Books.


2. Green Decorating & Remodeling: Design Ideas and Sources for a Beautiful Eco-Friendly Home (2008) Heather Paper. Connecticut: Morris Book Publishing, LLC.


3. Universal Design (2010) Barbara Krueger. Connecticut: Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Collaborative Strategies

The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups (2011) Starhawk. Canada: New Society Publishers.

Living With Intent: Five Ways to Grow Your Spiritual Self

by John Maney, Jr.

Have you ever been unfulfilled after obtaining something you thought would make you happy?

Did this make you wonder if there’s more to life than accumulating things?

Have you ever thought about why you’re here?

Many of us may have asked ourselves one or all these questions at some point. We’re more than the flesh and bones of our bodies, so these questions come naturally. In our essence we’re spirits, and it’s through spiritual development that we begin to understand.

Of course, great mystics and the religions that grew from their teachings have sought to guide us in this area. Each time a Christian takes Communion. . .or a Muslim turns toward Mecca to pray. . .or a Buddhist closes their eyes in meditation. . .or a Jew recites from the Torah, it is this understanding that they seek.

But which one is right? Which path should we choose? While a spiritual (or intentional) life may involve religious practice or affiliation, it is not limited by that.

The great mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi once said “what you seek is seeking you”. The thing about increasing your spirituality/intentionality is that as you grow, it becomes clear you’re part of something bigger than you. Your essence exists as part of a greater essence, which has been waiting for you to plug your awareness in. This greater essence can’t really be confined in the practice of any one religion, but is found in many. The key is in how any practice connects you to it, and the thing that connects is love. Religions, practices, and faiths that teach you to love are leading you in the right direction, because love dissolves illusionary barriers. The Apostle Paul from the Bible wrote “but now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love”.

You may be asking yourself what does that mean? Love who? Love what? The real question however is, what is there you shouldn’t love? If we’re part of a greater essence, as is everything, then shouldn’t we love everything? The answer is yes, except things that bring separation.

So, whether you practice a specific religion or not, here are five things you can do to help develop your spiritual as well as intentional self:

1. Engage in Daily Acts of Kindness

It can be volunteering for organizations that help those in need; or giving money without judgment to someone begging on the street; or maybe giving your seat to an elderly person on a crowded bus or train. Try to find something unselfish to do.

2. Give thanks

Say thank you sincerely, with a smile, even when someone may not be expecting it

3. Be appreciative

Take delight in the natural things that contribute to beauty and delight in the world. Before bed take time to reflect upon the stars, and when morning comes, the glow of sunrise. And again, say thank you, not to these things, but the force that connects you.

4. To err is human…

If you’ve done anyone wrong apologize, and seek to make amends. Similarly, if anyone has wronged you be willing to forgive. Don’t be imprisoned behind bars of resentment.

5. Humour

Keep a sense of humor, even when what you’re laughing at is you. Humility helps us take that first step on the road to a more spiritual self.

By developing your spirituality, you move closer to a life of intent. Your sense of consideration or appreciation for that which is outside of yourself or immediate interests grows.  This will allow you to expand your regard to include other living and non-living things, and an appreciation for the ways they enrich the world.

Changing Your Intent

Growing Your Spiritual Self: What You Can Do Now!

1. Try practicing these five things each day for a month.
2. What changes do you notice?  Are you happier? More at peace? Have greater appreciation for your family and friends?
3. Whatever it is, let us know! Share your experiences here or start a discussion on the With Intent Facebook or Google+ page.

~~~~

John Maney, Jr is a poet and creative writing workshop leader.
He has been published in several anthologies and magazines. You 
can connect with him at jmaneyjr@gmail.com or his website maneywords.

Connections: An Interview With Kalena Slaton - Girl Scout Cadette

Terrarium: a Mother/Daughter Project

That everyone can contribute something useful or valuable to the well-being of his or her family or community, no matter their age, background or specific talents, is a fundamental theme here at  With Intent.

For this Connections interview, I reached out to Kalena Slaton, the daughter of a good friend of mine. I wanted to learn more about her involvement with the Girl Scouts and her recent “bridging” ceremony. The Girl Scouts, founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, is an organization affording young ladies in grades K-12, opportunities to make new friends, build confidence and character, learn new skills and help make the world a better place through community service and other activities.

Read on to find out more about Kalena’s “bridging” ceremony, what involvement in the Girl Scouts has meant to her, and how all of that relates to living with intent:

So Kalena, how long have you been a Girl Scout?
Kalena Slaton: I have been a Girl Scout for approximately seven years.

Wow, that's a long time!  How did you come to be involved with them?
Slaton: I was five years old in kindergarten at Colson Elementary School, and they had a table with information about Girl Scouts. I was interested and wanted to join so I asked my mother to sign me up and I joined the “Daisies”. Daisies are the first level of Girl Scouts. My Mom was a Girl Scout.

Ahh…so your Mom was a Girl Scout too! Did that play a part in your wanting to be one or did you only find that out later on?
Slaton: Yeah, I think I might have known, but yet don’t remember if I did. I’m not sure if it influenced me, but I think my mom’s knowledge about past Girl Scouts helps me today.

I know that you recently "bridged". What does that mean and what did you have to do to achieve that?
Slaton: "Bridging" is the term used in the moving up from one level to the next in Girl Scouts, for example, Daises to Brownies to Juniors to Cadettes.

In the bridging ceremony, me and my scouting sisters cross over a small bridge as a symbol of moving on from Junior scouts to Cadettes. Each girl must show up to Girl Scout meetings and participate in all group activities including community services in order to bridge and earn badges.

So you kind of come to rely and support each other as well as your community through your participation in the activities. . .
Slaton: Yes, we work together to help ourselves and the community (especially the community). Helping it, we get badges to earn cool awards.

Tell me a little more about the kinds of skills you have learned through your involvement with the Girl Scouts.
Slaton: I learned about setting up community projects and events through planning a party we had for Juliette Gordon Lows' birthday. She founded the Girl Scouts. I’ve also learned about event planning— our troop planned a Breast Cancer Awareness event— fundraising and public speaking, and  participated in planning a sleepover during my “Finding Common Ground” badge teaching.

That sounds interesting. What is the “Finding Common Ground” badge? And what are some other badges you have earned?
Slaton: It is basically about how to make decisions so everyone can be happy with the decision you made. Before I taught my badge, we learned the Trees badge, which is about trees and more of what they do for us.

Those two badges sound fantastic! The ability to help people feel comfortable with decisions when working in a group is a really good skill to have.  It helps us to be resilient. I also like trees! I don't think people really appreciate all the great work they do for us.

So, would you recommend other kids participate in the Girl Scouts or an organization like them? If so, why?
Slaton: Yes! I would recommend others to join Girl Scouts or other organizations like it, because:

• it helps you to learn more about your community and make new friends
• it teaches respect for yourself and others
• it teaches teamwork, leadership and making lots of fun crafts

Getting to know others in your community, the teamwork and leadership involved in working together, and most importantly, respect for yourself and others as well as the environment is exactly what living with intent is all about. You’ve also shown that it’s never too early for kids to learn these skills so they can start giving back to their community!

Kalena, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us here at With Intent about your participation with the Girl Scouts!

~~~~

Kalena Slaton is twelve years old and lives with her parents in Brandon, Florida.  She is in the sixth grade and attends  Orange Grove Middle Magnet School for the Arts in Tampa, Florida.

Skill Set: How Does Your Garden Grow? Part 1 - Welcome to My Indoor Edible Paradise!

 


. . .with silver bells, and cockle shells. . .And pretty maids all in a row.






In Building Blocks of Intent (Pt. 1), we looked at the importance of developing or refining different skills in leading a life of intent. I refer to them as “life skills”— those directly related to meeting basic human needs, such as

• food and nourishment
• shelter
• clothing
• maintenance of basic health and well-being

With that in mind, one of my goals this year was to do just that. So, this past January I enrolled in an introductory gardening class through the New York Botanical Garden’s adult education program. I had always wanted to try my hand at gardening, but just never got around to doing it until now.

You’re probably wondering “January! Why would anyone take a gardening class then?? What kind of gardening could you possibly do in the dead of winter especially with all that snow we got…???” You are not alone! Everyone I told about the class asked these same questions. However, there’s quite a bit that goes into achieving the beautiful (or edible) end result that most people associate with gardening, and we spent the time covering fundamental theories and concepts such as

• the basic parts of a plant how they function
• soil health & structure
• organic gardening techniques
• pest control
• basic garden tools
• plant selection and care
• propagation and pruning
• general site considerations when planning your garden

all done from a nice, warm and cozy classroom!

Also, you may not realize it, but there's a life cycle to gardening, so there's always something to be done year round.  In fact, our final course assignment was to take what we learned and create a simple plan covering a year of maintenance and planning for the garden of our choice (you can see my final report here). The tail end of winter is a key time for indoor seed starting, so your plants will be ready to go into the ground come spring. Then of course, there’s the main growing season from spring, through the summer, and depending on what you’re growing, even into the fall. In the late fall it’s time to begin preparing your garden for winter…clearing out dead growth, sprucing up the beds and so on. Something else you may not know is that there are things you can plant in the late fall at the end of the season, also known as “cover crops” or “green manure” (e.g. ryegrass, winter rye, clovers, oats, buckwheat, etc), which help protect and prepare the soil for spring when the cycle begins anew! This provides ground cover that helps prevent soil erosion, replaces nutrients depleted during the growing season (e.g. nitrogen), and helps with weed suppression as well as pest control.

Unlike most of my classmates, I don’t currently have access to any outdoor gardening space (not even a terrace!), so I will be adapting what I learned for an indoor garden. Another challenge for me is that I live in a small apartment with limited space.

But, be those things as they may, I am starting with the picture on the left and intend to move towards the picture on the right!

And, after listening to a podcast by Erika Harris of Empathic Writer, during which she talked about her grandfather and his talent for turning his back yard into paradise (go to Episode 001: Say the Things You Want to Hear in the World and jump to the 00:03:09 to 00:03:30 mark), I was further inspired to create my own Indoor Edible Garden Paradise.

As described in my garden maintenance plan, my goals are modest. I plan to get started with some herbs and other edibles (cilantro, scallions and rainbow chard) suited to my particular site constraints.  I have some seeds I purchased from the Hudson Valley Seed Library. I originally bought them because the outer packets were so beautiful, never thinking to actually plant them, but now I figure “Why not!”

However, I also have a Plan B, just in case! I purchased a Burpee “Culinary Herb Garden All-in-One Kit”.  According to the package it includes “everything you need to grow 5 delicious herbs”

     > 5 seed packets – parsley, cilantro, chives, basil and oregano
     > 3 containers and a watering tray
     > growing pellets
     > instructions
     > recipes!

So, we’ll see how it goes and which approach works for me. I hope you’ll join me on this journey, and be inspired to try it yourself! If I can do it, I’m sure you can too!
 

Changing Your Intent

Get Skilled: What You Can Do Now!

1. Pick a new life skill that you would like to learn whether it’s gardening, sewing, cooking, first aid, fishing, or whatever tickles your fancy. Your local weekly paper is an excellent resource for discovering workshops and classes that might be going on in your community.


2. Tell us about what you've decided here or start a discussion on the With Intent Facebook or Google+ page.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Maybe that title should read “Make it go! Make it go! Make it go!”

It’s winter time here in NYC and this year it came with a vengeance! Freezing cold, snow, snow and MORE SNOW! Even a few of the southern states, that don’t normally get snow, got it this year. And, like those ubiquitous, white, icy flakes, the question on the tip of everyone’s tongue was “When will it end!?” and “What to do with it all until then???” In an urban setting like New York, the snow can slow everything down to a crawl, or even a complete stop. People quickly grow tired of the daily traipse through the slippery, slushy and increasingly dirty mess, or of digging their cars out from under it. And, of course there’s the scrutiny on public officials as to how well they handle clearing it away and keeping things moving.

However, even as I too lamented all of these things, it also got me thinking about whether the snow, typically thought of as an inconvenience or hazard, might instead be viewed as a potential "opportunity" in disguise! Hmmm. . .a problem containing its own solution. . . ! This seeming dichotomy is a key principle in permaculture. In “Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture” author Toby Hemenway states

". . .Constraints can inspire creative design, and most problems usually carry not just the seeds of their own solution within them, but also the inspiration for simultaneously solving other problems." Put another way, "We are confronted by insurmountable opportunity" (attributed to Pogo, the eponymous character from the long-running comic strip created by Walt Kelly), p.7.

So, rather than an annoying, even dangerous obstacle, perhaps all those mounds of snow and ice potentially represent just such an "insurmountable opportunity" to be taken advantage of!

With that in mind, I set out to find examples of projects that deliberately captured "unwanted" snow and somehow “put it to work". Please note that my Internet "research" was by no means scientific. Here are some of the examples I found.  They all describe plans to store snow in the winter and use it later on, to help with cooling in the summer:

1. Snow Becomes a Splendid Cooler – Exciting Challenge in the Town of Funagata (M. Kobiyama) – this article appeared in the scholarly journal “Snow Engineering”. It described an experiment conducted in Funagata, Yamagata Prefecture (Japan) back in 1997 to investigate the feasibility of using snow for cooling. A system was developed and installed in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Practices Building there, and was found to work quite well.


2. Snow Cooling in Sundsvall – a hospital in Sweden has utilized a snow cooling system since 2000.


3. Snow To Be Used to Replace 30% of Japanese Airport's Cooling Energy Needs – in 2008, Japan’s transportation ministry began making plans to collect snow in the winter to assist with summer cooling needs at New Chitose Airport, located on the island of Sapporo, in Hokkaido, Japan. Apparently they can get 20-30 feet of snow each year, so finding something useful to do with it is an excellent example of turning a problem into a solution!


4. Ottawa To Investigate Snow-Powered Air Conditioning's Potential – also in 2008, the Ottowa council (Canada) in conjunction with Hydro Ottowa (a power utility), announced plans to study the feasibility of collecting snow from city streets to later cool institutional buildings. I wasn’t able to find any subsequent references to this project, so don’t know if they ever ended up implementing it.


5. Lawson To Be First Convenience Store To Save Winter Snow…For Summer Air Conditioning?! – a little more recently (2013), a Japanese convenience store chain announced that they would install and test a snow cooling system at one of their locations in Akita Prefecture (Japan).

Again, my research methodology was in no way rigorous or comprehensive, but just considering the question led me to the following insights:

1. as you cans see, the references I found for productive snow reuse, were for projects being considered or undertaken overseas-- Japan, Europe and Canada-- so, it appears that at least for the moment, the notion of large scale snow reuse is kind of under the radar here in the United States. These references were also infrequent and spanned across time (1997 to 2000, then 2008 and most recently 2013), so it is not exactly a regular or ongoing topic of discussion, either.


2. that living in a modern and increasingly urbanized society, may tend to color how we perceive and treat resources. All too often, we may be completely unaware of them until they occur in excess (or abundance!), and disrupt our routines during or after a storm event. Then, they become or are perceived as a nuisance or hazard to be removed or discarded as quickly as possible, rather than the potentially valuable assets they actually are. In the case of snow, it is something we hope will melt down a drain or simply disappear into thin air, after a day or two.

However, extreme weather events are not limited to winter, and will likely only grow in frequency, occurring year round. Therefore, eventually it will become necessary for us to shift our attitudes and perspectives about what those natural events bring, and figure out how to take advantage of those “gifts”!

Changing Your Intent

Catch and Store Energy: What You Can Do Now!

• Read about a project making use of snow as an environmental service? Or, maybe you have your own idea for doing that? Share it here or start a discussion on the With Intent Facebook or Google+ page.

Connections: An Interview With John Maney, Jr. - Poet & Creative Writing Workshop Leader

In nature, bio-diverse systems tend to be more productive, robust and resilient. Each element contributes to the system’s overall success, as do the web of relationships that exist between those elements.  This phenomenon is mirrored in human networks or communities, which are also strengthened when they are diverse, and where members feel respected and valued for their contributions.

In this inaugural Connections conversation, I sat down with Bronx poet, John Maney, Jr. John conducts creative writing and poetry workshops with those who often lack opportunities to develop their creative voice and to share and contribute their perspectives and experiences with others.  Read on to learn how creative writing has helped John’s students connect with themselves as well as their wider communities, enriching their lives as well as his own. 

You conduct writing workshops. What kind of writing do you teach and why?
John Maney, Jr.: I teach creative writing, because I love it, and want to nurture this in others.

What types of communities do you work with?
Maney: Well, I work with all kinds of communities. I’ve worked with the formally incarcerated. I’ve also done work with recovering heroin addicts. And of course, I’ve conducted workshops for the general public.

How did you come to work with these communities?
Maney: I’d been studying writing, attending workshops, and sending things in for publication, while at the same time volunteering to work with the less privileged. It was in one my favorite writing workshops put on by Cave Canem that I met Angeli Rasbury. She worked as a Creative Writing Workshop Leader for an organization called the New York Writers Coalition. This organization had a social justice bent, and offered workshops for people who normally wouldn’t have access to them. Angeli suggested I apply. I did, and was accepted. Some of my previous work was with the formally incarcerated. I requested the Coalition help me start a workshop with this community. My first workshop was at the Fortune Society, an organization dedicated to giving formally incarcerated people a chance to turn their lives around. I wanted to be part of this by helping validate their stories, and thereby them as human beings.

Wow! It sounds like taking a creative writing might not be at the top of the list for members of some of the groups you’ve worked with! How have they responded to taking your workshop?
Maney: Of course the effect of my workshops varies depending on each individual. It’s true many participants never thought of themselves as writers, until workshop prompts awakened something in them that required a written response. Crafting that response in a non-judgmental, nurturing workshop environment, helped many participants realize they had important things to say. This in turn made them realize, maybe for the first time in a long time, that they were important. And so, writing took on a new significance for them. I still stay in contact with several previous participants, and often find they continue to write. It appears once people discover they have a voice, it’s very hard to shut them up. If my workshops have done nothing else, I’m pleased to know they’ve done this for at least some in the ignored, under-served communities I’ve often worked in.

Why do you feel it is important for members of the communities you’ve worked with to learn to write creatively?
Maney: It’s my belief that everyone has a story to tell, and in having people listen they’re validated as human beings. The communities I’ve often worked with whether ex-cons, or recovering junkies as society likes to refer to them, are comprised of people whose stories are often minimized if heard at all. I feel the work I do helps people tap into their stories, and tell them in a more effective way.

We’ve talked about why you’ve chosen to work with certain communities, but do you feel you get something in return from teaching creative writing in those communities?
Maney: This is a good question. To tell the truth sometimes I think I get more out of my workshops than other participants. I of course write along with them. The play of thought and emotion that comes from writing with others can be very inspiring. Designing the workshop also gets my creative flames burning, as I think about who may be attending, then design prompts to capture their imaginations. So in addition to writing, I must listen to the words and hearts of those who to write with me, and respond creatively. This causes me to be creative on several levels. It’s truly an enriching experience.

How do you feel this creative exchange might enhance or alter how we all experience the world?
Maney: Hearing other people’s stories, (their pain and struggles, their dreams) helps us see better how we’re all connected. Once we see that then the next step is learning to care. Once we care, then maybe we’ll start to change things for the better.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us here at With Intent!  Do you have any workshops or projects coming up that you’d like to share with our readers?
Maney: Yes. I'll be conducting a new Saturday creative writing workshop series entitled "Finding Your Poetic Voice" starting February 22nd, through April 5th, 2014.  We’ll be meeting from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm at the Kingsbridge Library in the Bronx, NY (291 West 231st Street).
 

~~~~

John Maney, Jr is a poet and creative writing workshop leader.
He has been published in several anthologies and magazines. You 
can connect with him at jmaneyjr@gmail.com or his 
website maneywords.

Introducing "Connections": Conversations With People of Intent

The importance of a healthy, functioning system is a fundamental concept of living with intent that we'll revisit again and again. A system can be thought of as a collection of different elements, both animate or inanimate, which work together to achieve the system’s goals. An eco-system (e.g. a garden) is one such example. Those that are bio-diverse tend to be more productive, robust and resilient. Each element has a primary role (and perhaps others as well) to play in the eco-system’s performance. A web of relationships also exists between elements, which helps contribute to the system's overall.

The same is true for human systems or networks. In a Night at the Theater we saw how a community comprised of diverse participants, each respected and valued for their contribution, created an opportunity that allowed everyone in the theater that evening— performers and audience alike— to benefit and experience something magical.

For this reason, I am pleased and excited to introduce Connections, an interview series featuring conversations with people who work to create inclusive, thriving communities. Through their work with others, whose abilities or contributions may have often been overlooked or devalued by society, they demonstrate how we all win by being open to the possibilities everyone has to offer. We’ll also sit down and chat with people whose work incorporates some aspect of the six Building Blocks of Intent first introduced last year— Health, Knowledge and Skills and Spirituality, Philanthropy and Arts & Culture.

Our inaugural conversation will feature Bronx poet John Maney, Jr. who conducts creative writing workshops. In addition to working with the general public, he also works with those who have often lacked opportunities to develop their creative voice, as well as to share and contribute their perspectives and experiences with others. Join us next week to find out how, through the written word, John has helped his students to connect with themselves as well as their wider communities, enriching both their lives as well as his own.

A Night at the Theater: Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and What it Teaches Us About Living With Intent

The Tempest: Public Works/Public Theater
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Last summer, a friend invited my partner and I to see him in a production of The Tempest (shout out to Patrick Mattieu in the role of Gonzalo!) at the Delacourte Theater. While tickets to the Delacourte are free, you still have to enter a lottery to get them so we were quite excited to actually be picked. This production was part of the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park series as well as their inaugural Public Works initiative.

Entertaining

Now, I had attended performances at the Public Theater before, but little did I know the treat that lay in store for me this time. In his welcoming remarks to the audience, Oskar Eustis, the Public’s artistic director, promised that before the night was over, no fewer than 250 people would stand or move across the stage.  Well, he definitely delivered on that promise! What followed, under a beautiful summer night’s sky, was 100 minutes of pure magical, whimsical delight.  This production took its inspiration from a staging of Caliban by the Yellow Sands, conceived and staged as a mass-participation pageant by poet Percy MacKaye in the early 1900’s at Harlem’s Lewisohn Stadium.

Community Building

The Tempest attained an exquisite vibrancy, reflective of the diversity that is New York City, by intentionally including an exciting mix of

• community organizations located in neighborhoods across the city's five boroughs who work with populations that are under-served or considered to be marginalized
• experienced, professional actors, novices and the non-experienced (three members of the New York City Taxi Workers Alliance made a brief appearance!)
• the very young and the "seasoned"
• colorful costumes
• cultural and ethnic influences
• dance & musical traditions such as hiphop, ballet, mariachi, pop and more

And, I assure you that it was all artfully orchestrated by Lear DeBessonet in her Public Theater directorial debut.

An Act of Intent

What’s any of this got to do with living with intent?

As discussed in Building Blocks of Intent: Part 2, the arts are a source of delight and a welcome interlude from the inevitable stresses of daily living.  From that standpoint alone, this production worked marvelously, and therefore moves us towards a lifestyle grounded in intent.

However when we consider the Public's founding principles as stated by Eustis in the program notes:

“. . .theater and democracy are inseparable. . .” and “. . .Joe Papp [founder of the Public Theater (1967)] believed that the best theater in the world—the greatest playwright, the greatest actors—belonged to all Americans and should be available free of charge."  Further ". . .in order to complete the democratic theatrical circuit, it was not enough to offer great plays to New Yorkers, he needed to put the voices of those New Yorkers on stage”.

as well as the following

“Art is an experience, not a commodity; art like life, is a set of relationships, not an object . . .” and it was “. . .hoped this production of The Tempest embodie[d] those truths.” [emphasis added]

we can begin to see how the intentional emphasis placed on creating opportunities for diverse, community participation and engagement— both as part of the theater's overarching mission as well as the specific goal of this production— are consistent with core values of permaculture and therefore an intentional lifestyle. Additionally, describing art as a set of relationships also aligns the creative process, its participants and its output with those same values.

It is this combination of factors that make the Public's production of The Tempest an excellent example of the role art can play in a life of intent.

Changing Your Intent

 

 Support the Arts: What You Can Do Now!

1. Attend a local cultural program or event, volunteer with or donate to a community arts organization in your neighborhood. Your local paper is an excellent place to start to checking out what's going on near you.


2. Giving the gift of the arts is also a lovely way to express your appreciation of friends and loved ones. You'll be creating experiences and memories that last a lifetime, don't take up space (except in your heart and mind), and never have to be exchanged or discarded.


3. If you've created, attended, or participated in a cultural event or program or plan to do so soon, drop me a comment here, or start a discussion on the With Intent Facebook or Google+ pages.