A revolution in connection
Only connect!
E. M. Forster
Revolution for Peace: from nuclear disarmament to the tree of life
They say you want a revolution,
Well you know, We all want to change the world.
You tell me that it’s evolution,
Well you know, we all want to change the world.
John Lennon & Paul Mccartney (from the album Love)
Declaring a revolution
There is a certain freedom that comes from declaring a revolution .. a shift away from what has gone before. And so I will take the liberty to be so bold and declare my current quest – of creating spaces within public places that invite people to explore, play and connect – as a revolution in connection.
Why connection?
As a natural loner and a keen explorer I have spent my life striving to be alone and self sufficient in order to explore freely without the demands, expectations and judgements of others. As part of my explorations I have spent my life studying people and trying to understand why we experience and respond to the world in such different ways. My confusion about people and lack of confidence in my opinions resulted in my withdrawal from society or from any self expression to the point that I felt I might as well disappear completely. Instead though, I found a way to reenter the world – bringing with me a conviction in the importance of, and indeed the need for connection.
In my study of people, I’ve come to learn that there are in fact nine distinct worldviews that shape our experience of the world, each with it’s own strengths and limitations, gifts and challenges. I see tremendous value in having spaces where people can drop their guard and their patterned ways of being in order to open up to their essence. By shifting out of everyday life, letting go of egoic patterns and beliefs, and being in the present moment, we can come to discover that we are all connected.
Why play?
Play offers opportunities to explore, to find connections and to open up our experience of the world. It keeps our minds active and agile and keeps us young. Play can offer a way to shift out of stuck ways of thinking. Play is important at all ages of life.
Yet opportunities for play in public spaces diminish after childhood. Almost all playgrounds cater primarily for youth, and adults without kids in tow tend to be viewed with suspicion or amusement if they dare to use children’s play equipment. I believe we need play spaces that cater to all ages, and indeed that invite all ages to come together. The separatist nature of most playgrounds increases disconnection and ignores the fact that people of all ages get many benefits from play. In addition, there are benefits in young and old coming together to enrich the lives of both.
Why Cloudscape?
When I try to think of places where a person who feels isolated can go and experience a sense of connection while having no expectation to be part of a group or to act in a particular way .. I draw a blank. And so I have designed Cloudscape.
Cloudscape offers a shift out of the everyday with many different ways to connect; physically (as we climb through the sculpture and move our body), mentally (as we shift out of our stuck patterns of thinking and allow ourselves to see the world afresh) and spiritually (as we surrender to the present moment and as we experience our personal connection to the world, to ourselves and to others),
A solution to isolation
Cloudscape is a solution to isolation. It is a response to a world where virtual connection has rapidly replaced personal contact resulting in a disembodied experience of the world and epidemics of obesity and depression. Balance needs to be restored, and Cloudscape offers a solution for moving forward.
From life experience
Cloudscape is a coming together of years of searching, exploring and questing on a personal journey of evolution and trying to find my place in the world. It brings together some of my ideas and skills into a mission that feels meaningful enough to pull me forward while giving me the direction and focus I have been searching for.
Having spent my life lacking the confidence to express an opinion (always seeing alternative views as equally valid), struggling to make decisions (hating to cut off possibilities) and holding back from self expression (to avoid the opinions, expectations and judgements of others) – I have finally come to develop a clearer perspective on my values, needs, strengths and what I need to do to evolve. Though hiding and flying under the radar has enabled me to explore broadly and deeply with minimum distraction, it also took me out of the world and out of connection with others, and ended up with my feeling lost, confused and alone, struggling to find purpose in life.
Coming full circle
So Cloudscape represents a coming full circle, a return to presence and self expression, and a stake in the ground that declares what I am taking a stand for. And so, with Cloudscape I am proposing a way to bring more openness, acceptance, connection and harmony to the world.
A bigger picture
My big picture view is to have these spaces in cities around the world, as places for people to reconnect and shift their thinking.
Through Cloudscape I hope to break down barriers to communication and set spirits free.
What is your perspective?
So that’s my vision and my stance. Of course I remain open to alternative views and opinions – and welcome them.
What do YOU think??
Let’s talk!
Charmaine