Evaluation
I have come to realise that this is a big task! Looking at some of the other companies out there; most especially Blue Canoe and People Tree, there are some huuge aspirations here. Instead of feeling daunted, I am reminded of something that Rich often says about our diploma work..
"Just get it down, and then you can work on getting it good later".
This reminds me that these companies have taken years slowly progressing into where they are today, it didn't just happen overnight. I found the history of Blue Canoe really inspiring, the lady behind it all began in a house with 4 friends all manically sewing together, whilst working as a waitress and raising a family. This is something I am very familiar with!
I think here of the principle of small and slow solutions, not to rush things, that small steps are often the best way. This pattern is reflected in nature all around, whilst I may be rushing about crazily looking for instant answers, the plants around me are growing, the Earth is shaping mountains, the seas are shaping the ocean floor. Slowly things are working the way they should. Remembering this will help me to slow down, and look towards following the natural flow of these plans. Designing from patterns to details is another useful principle to design by. Taking the patterns we can see in nature and working with those, filling in the details as we go along. I think that feels like really good advice at this point.
It's good to remember that things may not happen as quickly as I would like them to, I think that will be a good learning outcome from this project for me, to slow down and find patience. One pattern I notice within myself is a lack of patience and a desire for everything to happen instantly. Things around me are often moving too fast anyhow, faster than our environment (or my head!) can follow them. In the middle of this design, just before leaving to Kathmandu to chase up the next sources of contact, I have decided to take a short time out to rebalance. I have noticed in the past I can become all consumed by an idea, and not rest until it is completed, often to the detriment of the final work. When I used to paint I'd always finish the whole thing in one sitting, as I couldn't bear to leave it half completed! This personal pattern of mine is in danger of happening again and I want to take a stock check here and be sure that things are following the right path and I am not getting carried off on any side tracks. Hopefully by taking a week or so away to rest and reflect on how things are progressing, I will notice a positive affect on not only my own personal health, but on this project as a whole. And if I manage to work on developing my patience too, that would be a great outcome.
Thoughts on carbon offsetting
Thinking about my impact on the environment with this design, I have realised how important it will be for me to work out some kind of system to make sure that the company will be carbon neutral, to offset the pollution caused by the transportation and manufacturing. I'm reminded here also of one of the permaculture principles - to produce no waste. I wonder what kind of system I could create to ensure that everything worked in a loop, with the inputs and outputs all connected, with no waste produced at all. This will need more investigation, perhaps once I have more idea what the process of creating the garments will be.
After taking a brief step back and looking at the project with a fresh outlook, there are things that stand out as being most exciting to me.
Firstly the idea of producing clothing that is made and dyed with colours and fabrics grown within a local area is so appealing to me. I originally saw this as an obstacle to work around as I was living in the UK and this was so difficult to achieve. But as I've been travelling my outlook has also shifted, now seeing myself as a moveable and transitory person, it becomes entirely possible to work with local materials as I am in an environment much more supportive of this. It's been an interesting shift of perception, one of firstly seeing the method of design as the moveable factor, to realising that it is me who can move.
Secondly, as this has become a large design that has the potential to stretch on into my/our futures and becoming a large part of our lives, it would be great to integrate the design with other learnings and opportunities for growth in a very holistic sense.
There are also great opportunities for collaboration here with others who may have many skills in areas I wish to develop,and so if I could stack the functions of this project with other learning outcomes, through a well thought out and integrative, cohesive design then it could be of much wider benefit, to me and to my community, whoever that may include. (Stacking functions is a primary tool of permaculture design used to ensure the most possible gain is produced from a design.)
"Just get it down, and then you can work on getting it good later".
This reminds me that these companies have taken years slowly progressing into where they are today, it didn't just happen overnight. I found the history of Blue Canoe really inspiring, the lady behind it all began in a house with 4 friends all manically sewing together, whilst working as a waitress and raising a family. This is something I am very familiar with!
I think here of the principle of small and slow solutions, not to rush things, that small steps are often the best way. This pattern is reflected in nature all around, whilst I may be rushing about crazily looking for instant answers, the plants around me are growing, the Earth is shaping mountains, the seas are shaping the ocean floor. Slowly things are working the way they should. Remembering this will help me to slow down, and look towards following the natural flow of these plans. Designing from patterns to details is another useful principle to design by. Taking the patterns we can see in nature and working with those, filling in the details as we go along. I think that feels like really good advice at this point.
It's good to remember that things may not happen as quickly as I would like them to, I think that will be a good learning outcome from this project for me, to slow down and find patience. One pattern I notice within myself is a lack of patience and a desire for everything to happen instantly. Things around me are often moving too fast anyhow, faster than our environment (or my head!) can follow them. In the middle of this design, just before leaving to Kathmandu to chase up the next sources of contact, I have decided to take a short time out to rebalance. I have noticed in the past I can become all consumed by an idea, and not rest until it is completed, often to the detriment of the final work. When I used to paint I'd always finish the whole thing in one sitting, as I couldn't bear to leave it half completed! This personal pattern of mine is in danger of happening again and I want to take a stock check here and be sure that things are following the right path and I am not getting carried off on any side tracks. Hopefully by taking a week or so away to rest and reflect on how things are progressing, I will notice a positive affect on not only my own personal health, but on this project as a whole. And if I manage to work on developing my patience too, that would be a great outcome.
Thoughts on carbon offsetting
Thinking about my impact on the environment with this design, I have realised how important it will be for me to work out some kind of system to make sure that the company will be carbon neutral, to offset the pollution caused by the transportation and manufacturing. I'm reminded here also of one of the permaculture principles - to produce no waste. I wonder what kind of system I could create to ensure that everything worked in a loop, with the inputs and outputs all connected, with no waste produced at all. This will need more investigation, perhaps once I have more idea what the process of creating the garments will be.
After taking a brief step back and looking at the project with a fresh outlook, there are things that stand out as being most exciting to me.
Firstly the idea of producing clothing that is made and dyed with colours and fabrics grown within a local area is so appealing to me. I originally saw this as an obstacle to work around as I was living in the UK and this was so difficult to achieve. But as I've been travelling my outlook has also shifted, now seeing myself as a moveable and transitory person, it becomes entirely possible to work with local materials as I am in an environment much more supportive of this. It's been an interesting shift of perception, one of firstly seeing the method of design as the moveable factor, to realising that it is me who can move.
Secondly, as this has become a large design that has the potential to stretch on into my/our futures and becoming a large part of our lives, it would be great to integrate the design with other learnings and opportunities for growth in a very holistic sense.
There are also great opportunities for collaboration here with others who may have many skills in areas I wish to develop,and so if I could stack the functions of this project with other learning outcomes, through a well thought out and integrative, cohesive design then it could be of much wider benefit, to me and to my community, whoever that may include. (Stacking functions is a primary tool of permaculture design used to ensure the most possible gain is produced from a design.)
I am starting to feel that what began as a starfish of an idea has fast turned into an ever expanding octopus...
Continue to the next stage, design!