My Group Diploma Adventure

INTRODUCTION

When I embarked on my Diploma journey years ago, it was founded in a desire to utilize my wide experience in many, yet related, fields and find ways to use my energy more effectively. To find a systemic supportive approach to simplify and focus my attention.

The purpose of my Diploma has been to use permaculture design to kindle my fire, and support the direction and continual exploration of the expression of who I am, and how I can serve what I have to give to the world. 

My past experience in Permaculture was been with organization, gatherings, some education and the community as a whole. I wanted to redirect my own energy in this field to include more learning for me about teaching, so that I can share more. Also I wanted to explore my own creativity- artistically and communally- how I can re-light this side of my nature.

My experience is also rich, through my deep experience of Tai Chi (TMW) and its embodied principles, in listening to the body and guiding a deepened experience of our natural, connected expression. This is work that naturally continues alongside Permaculture, and experiences that I facilitate within PC courses. . 

I am an artist and my creativity is embedded in all that I do, yet I also wanted to give more room for my artistic expression to be more alive in my life and sharings with the world. I wanted to explore deep listening to the land and invite people to find expressions of this communication.

In our time of converging complexity and world crises, to find a place of rest, beauty and inspiration and learn to love our nature, is an important aspect to support our balance, and will to take the action necessary for the earth’s wholeness. 

Many years ago,I had an illuminating moment of realizing that a great deal of my professional experience is in the field of teaching/ group facilitation. Having grown up shy and inconfident about speaking, have over time grown the ropes and now have many years of experience in leading groups, in many fields of many different kinds. My greatest strength here is the integrated knowledge I have, and continue to develop, in Tai Chi and its principles; an understanding of how we can learn to listen to ourselves and our true nature. Another area of solid experience is having led groups of people with special needs, and others over many years in creative activities and movement. 

GRATITUDE

I celebrate the impending achievement of completing my Diploma Adventure! What a journey it has been, and continues to be! I celebrate my fellow travellers and how we have grown in our group connection and in our own deeper connections to life.

I celebrate my incredible tenacity and enduring power to see things through- even when it seems overwhelming. My capacity to find joy in the smaller tasks within the big pattern; my capacity to re-member to activate my creative power to support connection and deeper meaning, encouraging momentum also at times when movement is slight.

I feel grateful for variety of all my actions in life; From friends and family activities, to Ringsby-time, to School work, to local permaculture groups, to GDA community

How my family has been a support in the safe haven they offer by simply being who they are- where I can go and feel at home.

How my friends step up and encourage me, by their warmth and sharing, by dancing playing and finding mutual nourishment. And by direct help in my processes.

Friends in particular (in random order): Andrea, Georgiana, Angela, Jen, Tim, Simon, Nicole, Julio, Eirik, Andy (Bennet), Morten, Andrew (McMillion), Dene, Joachim, Kevin; Damian, Else,

Places that hold me: ‘my’ ash tree, my home, Ringsby, Opsal, Gjettum, Norway, UK.

Deep gratitude to the whole GDA community, and new constellations growing from this.

Gratitude to Bess and Dharlyn my Action Learning Group, and others I have shared Action Learning with on the way.

Deep gratitude to Delvin Solkinson and Looby Macnamara, with your anchoring and encouraging guidance I have managed to sail this Diploma ship from shore to shore!

ETHICS

In this moment of writing it strikes me that the essence of the three ethics have in fact been a strong companion in my life. And in this moment i recognise that the moment when I first discovered permaculture it was the familarity that struck me. The familiarity arising out of how actions ideally are anchored in these ethics.

And so it is in this design that I feel a recognition that my actions – when I am conscious in them- are ‘sifted through the mesh’ of the ethics; I care for the earth and My actions reflect earth care, I care for people and my actions reflect compassion and respact, I care for equality, solidarity and a viable future, and my actions reflect justice, and fair share

Include? :

Part of my vision has been that the diploma journey will deepen my   understanding and integration of the Permaculture ethics in my life:

vEarth care: By learning more about designing, and also by facilitation of   courses/ gatherings/ community/ network/ ceremony I intend to   disseminate knowledge and experiences that will support earth care.

  I intend that my practices and lifestyle will support earths resilience.

  I am actively engaged in growing food.

vPeople care: Energy in my life is effectively used to nourish my self, and   to support others. I intend to

vFair share (future care): Business model where courses are made   affordable/ sliding scale.

ACTION LEARNING

Summary: ALG, GDA group etc ref ALPmenu.

VISION AND GOALS

VISION

At the outset of my Group Diploma Adventure this was my vision:

vThe Group Diploma Adventure is a journey where i learn, share and gain skills and confidence in myself and my value.

vI deepen in my nature-connection, resilience and integrated regenerative practices.

vI am alive to the connections in my life; all beings and places. Responsive to what arises.

vThe strands of my essence, gifts, passion, experiences and skills are woven into a tapestry of substance and clarity.

vI activate my abundant creativity to integrate my passion and work-life expression.

vThe work that I offer contributes to ‘the better world that our hearts know is possible’.

vI share my gifts through my work and in community, networks and play an active role in being a change agent; a rooting agent.

That the tools I activate and integrate will support me in my ongoing effectiveness of how I balance, plan and act in my life.

That the processses I am in now and onwards; the skills I already have and the new skills I will aquire; illuminate, confirm and expand- for me and for my surroundings -who I am and what I express.

I discover new things about my capacity and new turns in life fill me with wonder and exitement as I am present in changes and continutiy.

I am a mature woman in a transition during menopause and  keep in tune with the moon, and natures cycles to inspire and relate to my own balance in stillness and movement in life.

WHAT WENT WELL – Roses

My vision has to a large extent manifested- of this I am very happy. More detial of how it has manifested: how I have felt that I am continually weaving the strands of how I connect with, communicate and express what I have to offer the world

I am happy with the habits I have created, especially setting next achievable steps, and taking notes and my 20 minute practices of art, which also ripples into other fields of my life.

I have developed further ways to incorporate my experiences with earth- and human connectedness

Documenting my considerable activities over the years – in the ALP- has been really encouraging; acknowledging the work I have been involved in alongside the GDA designs, as well as my ‘day job’ at the Steiner school, has given a sobering reality check on my achievements. (This timeline can be seen on this site under the heading Action Learning Pathway Summary)

HELPS

Resources I identified at the outset: 

A stable and cheap place to live. 

Friends who can help me with development; i.e. Andrea: co-sharing of our business focus, Joachim; Website, Friends who have done PPU.

Permaculture association knowledge and experience.

A job: economy to support me even when the business in itself is not making money–YET!

The support of my practice of TMW/ Tai Chi the inner support.

My wide past experience. 

The knowing that all is well.

WHAT WAS CHALLENGING – Thorns

I have had a patterns of distraction and dilution of the focus, by engaging with activities/ directions/ expressions that are ways that I avoid really showing who I really am. My first design was a threshold: a design that illuminated how deeply embedded the ‘doing’ muscle of :”Im just gonna …” is and how it can divert and dilute my attention to a deeper need. Although painful to meet; as I gently notice patterns like these something is invited to loosen judgement and so a healing and redirection can happen.

Scarcity mindset: seeing limiting self-belief in how I envisage a right livelyhood manifesting. Again an opportunity to notice what my need really is, and how I can connect more deeply and activate my resourcefulness and creativity to invite and embody more abundant new possibilities, and heart enough to act from a deeper truth.

REFLECTIONS 

As life will have it, as I am writing this towards the completion of my diploma, I have very recently been part of a workshop with artist Shelley Sachs, whose work inspired me deeply, and ignited in me a will to activate the artist in me who ‘creates space for possibilities’.

To sum up the immense journey of the Diploma pathway encompasses all aspects of my life; relationships spanning inner and outer realms of my self, Family, friends, work, economy, home, community, creativity and earth connections

At the outset of my Diploma journey I identified a wish to deepen my tools for teaching. It has been heartening to re-discover what I wrote then and see what I have actually completed:

• I will do this by joining the PPU in design, art and crafts, and thereby include a formal teaching skillset that enables me to get work more easily within the educational system. Through this I will also give focus to ways I can share creative artistic activities and link them with an ecolocical focus. 
• I will also join a training of permaculture Teacher training as soon as I can- and as long as my work allows time off for this. 
• To include my exploration of workshops to design for the body and inner/outer listening focus. Like Soul Moves.  
• To make a website so I can promote and communicate my work; making a logo, defining the profile/ words/ pictures to reflect the essence of self, beings, nature.
• To develop and maintain a timeline of action.  
• To design a performance/ experience of permaculture through embodied listening.

What have I learned?

“You shall not cease from exploration, and the end of your exploration is the beginning and know the place for the first time”

The Group Diploma adventure has been a long journey. and at this stage I feel a sense of once cycle completing, leaving open space for the next steps. I feel a growing sense of completion and acknowledgement in how the journey has unfolded, and how the experience in itself expands past design practice and into an integration of who I am as a designer, who I am as an artist and what I have to offer.

I am glad I still have work to do in developing the vehicles for my work. Thankfully there is always more to discover. An important recognition for my self is to have come to a point where I can feel confident in the foundations that this diploma adventure has provided.

Realisation that There has been an edge of pathway not developing as I had thought; less ‘impressive’ or cohesive than planned. What had I visioned? Something ‘more’ than where I am; something ‘over there’, so aligned with my own TC principlesit has indeed come full circle as I realise that I dont really need that much more to have anything to offer, and that the step to weave my experiences together into a cohesive whole is what has been happening. I might not have deepened into 8 shields, TWTR, More Starhawk, and lots other things I had hoped for but in the process of working with the veriety of designs there is a part of me that has grown; the container of my experiences- me, I am here and I am enough.

As I have continually revisited my Action Learning Pathways I have also been tuning and tweaking my direction. And re-discovering past points as I sum up also feels inspiring; a cycle returning. Acknowledging that the core essence of my work and passion is about embodied listening, and that I am also curious to explore how I can develop this in new expressions and formats.

Exitement as I realise how much is included on my Diploma pathway alongside the 10 designs. So much more!

GOLDEN KEYS

Never forget what you have already done- dont do twice: Store (and remember) documents in the right place.

Here is a summary of my first Action Learning Pathway:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1K_MFK0hAGhd4szLDLgTSQagVVNTDPrP3/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115327501024071797272&rtpof=true&sd=true.

I was encouraged to read through it recently and realize that much of what my vision was, and the ideas for designs I had has manifested and implemented. Though the timescale has been very optimistic I am glad to have had this document to now revisit and rejoice with.

ACHIEVABLE STEPS ONWARDS – Buds

Inner Atelier and the work of Shelley Sacks- WRITE MORE HERE OF ESSENCE.

Whilst I celebrate and acknowledge the massive achievements and deepening experiences I have had, I also feel exitement at what is to unfold. There are many areas Id still like to dedicate to: more studying, reading, and research. More courses both as participant ans faciltiator. More time in nature to explore deep listening to the land and invite people to find expressions of this communication.

Yet at the core of it I feel an opening to the next steps on the mystery of what can unfold when I hold my vision and essence clear: