Creation story
Friday, March 9, 2007
In November of 2006 we attended the WorldChanging book tour to celebrate the release of their first book, WorldChanging: A User's Guide to the 21st Century. Already junkies of their website, we were excited to see how the night would unfold, and eager to discover what kind of crowd would show at the under-promoted event. The event took place at Kingman Studios in NE Minneapolis, a space filled with recycled art, theater props, and colored lights. Upon arrival we were shocked to see it filled to the brim, a fact that only added to the already surreal atmosphere. Everyone there had learned about the tour stop, as we did, through the website or by word of mouth and yet there were easily over 100 people there.
[Kingman Studios]
When Alex Steffen's presentation ended, the floor opened up for local groups and individuals to introduce themselves. Now, we both thought we had a decent beat on 'worldchanging' in the Twin Cities, but neither of us had ever heard of any of these groups... our eyes had been opened to the variety of people dedicated to changing the world, right here in our own backyard. We tried to meet as many people as possible, but as the night wore on and the room emptied, we sadly realized that we had only scratched the surface. As we returned to our everyday lives, connections fizzled and names faded, as if the whole night were just a collective dream.
While discussing the event the next day, we realized we needed to create a space for people to come together, share, and discuss future-positive creativity. A space where lasting and productive bonds could be made and new opportunities for collaboration and community building could be realized. Colin remembered hearing about an event in Tokyo called Pecha Kucha. Meaning "the sound of conversation," Pecha Kucha was a rapid fire show and tell event in which designers could share their work with peers in a comfortable and fun atmosphere. The event was spreading across the world, but always with a focus on design.
[Images from Pecha Kucha Nights around the world.]
It's probably important here to explain a little bit about where we are coming from. We are both graduates of architecture who have a deep respect for the profession and for design in general. But in the past few years, a lot has happened in the world. Many people have accepted the fact that the majority of our systems for living, working, and playing are fundamentally broken. War, poverty, and social injustice affect us everyday, and on a broader scale, global warming and a massive population boom constantly loom over a tomorrow that is already here. But we aren't pessimistic or cynical. People have the tools and capability to affect positive change on all fronts, and encouragingly, many are already doing so. We call it "future-positive creativity."
Shanghai, London, New York, and Los Angeles all have Pecha Kucha... but Minneapolis and St. Paul would have something different. We knew that to realize any kind of positive change, we would have to break down the barriers dividing our communities and open this vital discussion to a broader audience. We believe that when people come together they have a much greater capacity to see their ideas reach fruition and make positive change. We believe in the power of creativity.
[Kingman Studios]
When Alex Steffen's presentation ended, the floor opened up for local groups and individuals to introduce themselves. Now, we both thought we had a decent beat on 'worldchanging' in the Twin Cities, but neither of us had ever heard of any of these groups... our eyes had been opened to the variety of people dedicated to changing the world, right here in our own backyard. We tried to meet as many people as possible, but as the night wore on and the room emptied, we sadly realized that we had only scratched the surface. As we returned to our everyday lives, connections fizzled and names faded, as if the whole night were just a collective dream.
While discussing the event the next day, we realized we needed to create a space for people to come together, share, and discuss future-positive creativity. A space where lasting and productive bonds could be made and new opportunities for collaboration and community building could be realized. Colin remembered hearing about an event in Tokyo called Pecha Kucha. Meaning "the sound of conversation," Pecha Kucha was a rapid fire show and tell event in which designers could share their work with peers in a comfortable and fun atmosphere. The event was spreading across the world, but always with a focus on design.
[Images from Pecha Kucha Nights around the world.]
It's probably important here to explain a little bit about where we are coming from. We are both graduates of architecture who have a deep respect for the profession and for design in general. But in the past few years, a lot has happened in the world. Many people have accepted the fact that the majority of our systems for living, working, and playing are fundamentally broken. War, poverty, and social injustice affect us everyday, and on a broader scale, global warming and a massive population boom constantly loom over a tomorrow that is already here. But we aren't pessimistic or cynical. People have the tools and capability to affect positive change on all fronts, and encouragingly, many are already doing so. We call it "future-positive creativity."
Shanghai, London, New York, and Los Angeles all have Pecha Kucha... but Minneapolis and St. Paul would have something different. We knew that to realize any kind of positive change, we would have to break down the barriers dividing our communities and open this vital discussion to a broader audience. We believe that when people come together they have a much greater capacity to see their ideas reach fruition and make positive change. We believe in the power of creativity.
posted by Colin & Troy at
5:47 PM
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