THE HOLES IN THE WALL COLLECTIVE
7
We aim to revalue and reclaim creativity back into everything we do. Creativity is the leap from one perception to the next. To make holes in what is to see what could be. Its possibility exists in every field- art, law, education, health, science, food, shelter, clothing, on and on. The act of creating is essential in everything we value, from the music we love to the phones in our pockets. Because to create inherently takes more time than to destroy, we need to support space for creativity and the time it takes as much as possible. We believe it is through creativity that we can make things better for us and the world, simultaneously.
To fully face the complex challenges of our time, we need as much diversity of intelligence, representation and access as possible. To remove the pitfalls of one perspective. To challenge, collaborate and check each other. We don’t think one thing will fix anything. In fact, we think we need to deconstruct the very idea of a hero. To get it together means stepping up and stepping back. Getting loud and learning how to listen. This work is on-going and will always be a work in progress. No one said it would be easy.
Radical Optimism is not blind. It exists in the tension between total overwhelm and outright denial, making holes in the wall of what is and shining through. It finds the strength to move forward and finds optimism through telling the truth. We believe that in order to make something better, we have to first move through the debilitating despair that comes when one is honest about what’s happened and where we are now. Radical optimism empowers us to choose creative action over despair, nourishing fortitude through reflection and action.
There are many things in our world that need rebalancing and one of the best places to start is by looking at the basic needs. Food, clothing, shelter- but also the environment (water, soil, sun, air), energy, education, health, community, feedback... Imbalance in any of the areas of our basic needs keeps us from having the capacity to be creative and thrive on this planet. Balance comes from returning equity and integrity to the process and outcome. As our, and the greater planet’s basic needs are better balanced, it will both free up time & space for creativity and new models of living and being.
To face the reality of our future and to make one that we can and want to live in, we have to change the climate. Literally. Socially. Politically. This starts with recognizing ourselves as a part of the natural environment, honoring the time it takes for something to grow, restructuring power, listening better to and working with people who aren’t like us, and finding ways to keep our minds supple. To step towards ourselves and the world at the same time. To keep ourselves from cataclysmic catastrophe, we’re going to need some major systemic support and strategy as well as courage, a multi-perspective approach, and immense creativity.
We do not think Mars is our best option for the future and we do not believe that humans will ever find a better planet than Earth, and if even we did, we do not trust we wouldn’t create imbalance and destruction there as well. We believe it is our privilege, our right, and our responsibility to live on, for, and with this planet– with everyone, and everything. This means we must radically alter the way we have been living if we are going to secure a future. All of us. We’re all guilty and we all could do better. Time to make holes in the wall, to see what can be.
We believe it is possible to make things better for ourselves and the world simultaneously. We believe that outcomes that are better for both actually are better for all, and outcomes that serve the immediate and the long term are where our focus should be. This is where creativity comes in. This is where radical optimism comes in. This is where we get it together and rebalance. This is where the climate changes and where we will secure our future.