2020.11 | Steve |
What do you do?
I lead leaders into new realms of collective human agency.
What you are passionate about, what inspires you?
Seeing people become more fully and deeply themselves.
How does this relate to your work?
The kind of leadership we typically look to, has failed us. Miserably. We are heading into a future in which "everyone is a leader" can't just be a cute catch phrase. It has to really be true. For people to step into the kind of leadership we need, means stepping into what it means to be human. Stepping into our humanity in a universal sense means bravely stepping into becoming yourself, your messy, conflicted, beautiful, shining self. The human part of collective human agency prepares you for the collective part.
What are you working on now? Can you show us and talk about some work in progress?
I'm working on The Cartographers of The Future Handbook. It has to do with circles and pyramids, and the 5 mindsets that will help you turn pyramids into circles. It's not done, and I can't really let you in the kitchen.
I can show you some recent drawings, and talk about them. I started doing 5 drawings in 20 minutes. I use Procreate on an iPad Pro, so I just make 5 layers, do the first drawing, turn that layer off, then do the next and so on. What I discovered was the drawings start relating to each other. When I turn on all the layers there's a kind of final piece that more final than each of the 5 quick sketches.
I've been playing with each layer standing on it's own, and integrating into the final whole. But not over thinking it too much. Also, I never cheat and turn a layer back on once I've moved on to the next. Not until the very end, when I turn on all the layers, which is a little bit like Christmas every single time.
How did you get to be part of Space?
I had a meeting with Mark Busse at Agro Coffee. Near the end of the meeting, Pat and Ender happened by. Pat and I went for a walk and talked for 2 hours. The rest is history.
How have you improved lately, what’s easy for you, what’s difficult?
I'm getting much better at taking myself and my work seriously. It's still difficult. Holding space, listening, being with difference comes easily to me.
What’s inspiring today?
'A society must assume that it is stable, but the artist must know, and he must let us know, that there is nothing stable under heaven. One cannot possibly build a school, teach a child, or drive a car without taking some things for granted. The artist cannot and must not take anything for granted, but must drive to the heart of every answer and expose the question the answer hides.'
–James Baldwin
What is something that you’ve let go of recently that's been part of you for as long as you can remember?
What comes to mind is my high school art portfolio, as odd as that sounds. I carted it across the country for more than 30 years, Ontario, Sask, Alberta, BC. We were moving out of a house and into a condo, there was no where to put it. Had to get rid of it. I took pictures of every single piece. Honestly, the first time I'd opened it in probably 30 years was to take those pictures, so it was all very logical, getting rid of it and everything. Having the pictures made it slightly less painful to let go of.
Any words to live by?
More art. More meaning.
