Reflection on CoLab's Advanced Spring Institute for the Arts
What might this experience take us to? The next. Level? Experience? Idea? Collaboration? I see this experience shooting off in a variety of directions: 1) Locally (within the South Coast Writing Project) 2) Internally (within my committee at SWriP) 3) Nationally (across all WP sites).
I'm finding that the landscapes I'd like to explore are not physical locations. While pushing the boundaries of an art museum or historical site is intriguing and important work, what's driving me is pushing the cultural landscapes of the organizations I'm involved in. How can SCWriP take this design model to build a more powerful, involved community that opens up opportunities for those interested? To expand on this collaborative process? Likewise, in our tech committee-where can we go? At a larger level, where will CoLab go next?
Five big ideas that are pinging around in my head now that the institute is over:
1) How intentional building creates community
2) The power of noticing, both at a broad level and at a minute level
3) Explore, Envision, Enact as a model for solving tough issues and creating meaningful change-meaningful to the people "in" the "building," not just for those constructing the building
4) In helping others solve problems, we open up solutions for our own lives, too.
5) Use a joker to keep things fun and to push to the next level of understanding.
Comments
Mike Murawski
on Mar 17 2012
at 19:54
Nicole -- excellent
Nicole -- excellent reflection on our CoLab experience back in Santa Barbara. Yes, and ... I think our current work may already be exploring the ways we shape communities of practice outside of any physical spaces. Through our experiences these past few years, though, I keep wondering about the role that the physical spaces play (even connected to that idea of a "third space" or finding a place/location where people can come together and feel free to build something 'outside the box'). I really like your idea about the processes we go through being more about our own organizations and the mindsets "back at home" and less and less about the organizations we inhabit (or invade) during these institutes. I would love to find a way to connect CoLab members digitally in a meaningful way that would allow us to connect but also allow us to remain in our own spaces and use the process to open up the cultural landscapes we each live in. I think we each need an iPad 3 so we can Skype or FaceTime in HD ; )
Erin Wilkey Oh
on Feb 28 2012
at 12:41
Love your excitement!
Hi Nicole,
This is clearly an inspired blog post! I love that feeling of excitement after a transformative professional development institute. I'm unfamiliar with the "CoLab Advanced Spring Institute." What is it? Who participated? Did you facilitate? Tell us more!
Erin