Author: Tenneson Woolf

I moved ten days ago. From an apartment to a townhome. Of course, that meant moving boxes. I’m taking the time to go through those boxes. Mostly to recycle, toss away, clean house. In those boxes are some gems that I have not seen for some time. A few that delight me with surprise — “oh yah, I remember this — that was good!”

Enjoy this, from an email offering (with Sharon Joy Kleitsch in Tampa), a bit of definition on what the Art of Hosting is.

-an experience of learning in living systems
-being in big imagination as community
-broader practice beyond method in deep, lasting, sustainable change
-framework for transformation
-a learning and operating pattern for full stakeholder engagement and action
-a way to build leadership capacity
-fielding, working with energy fields in groups

Nice grounding points as people begin to explore the choice of this form of work together.

Yesterday I was pleased to welcome a couple of colleagues and friends into a workshop, Playing to Change the World. Edgard Gouveia Jr., a Brazilian friend in the Berkana network, led this workshop. His spirit and disposition are welcoming, gentle, playful, and committed. Steve Ryman, a fellow Art of Hosting Steward and co-leader with me of a Berkana Community of Practice on changing health care systems, joined as participant. I’ve known Steve as ever curious in his learning and always one who offers and serves. And my son Isaac joined us. Isaac is 13 now. A gentle and kind heart, who has been my teacher in so many ways in life. My son, yes. And indeed a colleague and friend that I love in this journey of life. Together we joined with 15 other friends and colleagues in the Salt Lake Valley to learn well together.

One of the things I loved about this workshop is the games that we played. Invitations to just let go. Ways to touch our toes. Ways to moved around the circle to meet people. Ways to re-pattern our brains through counting, clapping, jumping. A simple circle dance to help us greet each other in play. And a couple of other circle dances in beauty and joy.

With these, and I find with all of the games I use, I work from the principle — “there are things our bodies know that our minds can’t know.” Games give us one way of coming into that kind of knowing, both for ourselves and for the knowing that can show up in a group. This principle shifts for me the context and purpose of games — from a cuteness to a deliberate learning strategy that invites all of us to be more whole. I enjoy the simple playfulness. I also really enjoy the moment when I feel opened, when the group feels opened to much more intelligence together. And I love how people respond to remembering this kind of body intelligence and opening.

Another thing I loved in this workshop was the sharing from Edgard about the Oasis Game, some of his work in deliberate use of games to create communities that can change the world. He shared videos of people playing together, working together, creating beauty together — all of this in an area devastated by flooding. He shared some of the framework from which the Oasis game works — in this 2 minute video Edgard talks about three of those principles (1. Gaze – an appreciative approach to seeing beauty everywhere; 2. Affection — find the story behind what you see — we are not working to save people, but rather learn with them; and 3. Dream — blow on the ember and hope that is within people to restore hope in communities.).

Here are a few pictures from the day (and a hike the day before in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains).

Thanks Edgard, Steve, Isaac, and all who participated in our growing local Salt Lake Valley network of people practicing participative leadership. Through our learning and connection, my hope is we continue to evolve ourselves and our local leadership culture (connected to others regionally and globally) into its next level of wholeness, wellness, and participation.

Some of the journey that had me hosting with labour educators in Port Elgin, Ontario, with Berkana friends in NY, AoH in Arnprior, a trip with my boy Isaac to Indianapolis, and moving… The most current on top — the oldest on the bottom.

– Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated… everything invites me to cherish it. Anne de Lenclos French Author

– Story is data with with a soul. Brene Brown, Researcher – Storyteller.

– Working in Utah, imagining a nonprofit to support local artists at next level. Moving from intellectual diversion to cultural investigators.

– Moving Day — From the Pleasant Springs apartment home of the last 18 months to a town home in Lindon. New adventure beginning.

– Settling in to 17 days in Utah after being on the road for 5 weeks. Moving too. Lunch with my daughter. And readying for UT Artists Thriving

– Just toured Indy Motor Speedway with Isaac, including a lap on the track. 100 year old track, built first on brick. Seats 250,000!

– Start with purpose and real intention (accessed through diverse voices) that is clear enough to hold an unfolding of the rest. #AoHArnprior

– With D Durham: Through interaction, we create a center, a hearth of possibility. The warmth is felt through the fire of people’s actions.

– Sweet closing circle. From the belly, promises, declarations, requests, and appreciations. Baricate! #AoHArnprior

– Knowledge Camp: Chaordic Stones Chris; Callings Jean; Theory U Jane; Harvesting and Appreciative Inquiry Tenn & Kathleen. #AoHArnprior

– Checkin with OH cards. Deep places. Provocative words and cards as symbols that offer us ways to project ourselves. #AoHArnprior

– Celebrations. Song. Stories. Music. Poetry. Community enjoying itself in such sweet ways. #AoHArnprior

– The Art of Hosting is the art of getting to places we need to go. And the only way out is through. Chris @ #AoHArnprior

– Lots of laughter as people call sessions in Open Space. The community has arrived! I went with Jean to support an Ottawa CoP. #AoHArnprior

– RT @inlifeawareness: The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new. ~Pema Chodron

– Fantastic cafe on what we as hosts do to prepare the ground for effective and engaging processes. Fishbowl harvest. Really good #AoHArnprior

– Deep circle to open the day. An invitation to share where you are. A witnessing of many deep shifts and much cracking open. #AoHArnprior

– With global vibration changing, attuning and recalibrating is only natural. Good for learning together. Sharing over breakfast. #AoHArnprior

– Sir Ken Robinson on Changing Education Paradigms. 12 minutes of bigger picture. Just watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

– Night walk, 11 of us, along the Ottawa River and into old grown pine. Silent. Good spacing between. Solo and group. #AoHArnprior

– Watched “The Age of Stupid” — Powerful documentary on realities of consumerism, peak oil, post carbon possibilities. #AoHArnprior

– Open Space Sessions. I called “Starting and Nurturing a CoP.” Networks bring us together. CoP grow from shared practice. #AoHArnprior

– Chaordic Path through improv. The 2 loops, emergence at scale roles, leadership acts, well-placed conversations. #AoHArnprior

– Check in with circle dance (Tenneson), followed by Resonant Voice work — the head, the heart, the belly (Jane). #AoHArnprior

– AoH is many practices, none of which is the Art of Hosting as a whole. Just like steaming is not the art of cooking. Chris at #AoHArnprior

– Waste is one of the most abundant resources we have. Aerin Dunford on Upcycling at #BerkanaWTW.

– #AoHArnprior — A good start tonight. Cafe on qualities of life-affirming experiences that can guide us as we explore the next three days.

– #BerkanaWTW: very inspired by Berkana family. Very clear on commitments and offerings. Easy in my breath. Feeling a web beautifully alive.

– #berkanawtw – opening circle: “I want to serve well in places that serve me too.”

– Great day on the Bashakill north of NYC. Kayaking, hiking. Bald Eagles, Loons, otters.

– Groan Zone Learnings — Friendship might be the only thing that can be offered, and protection of space so that learning can happen.

Twitter: TennesonWoolf

A bit of harvest from our local monthly Practitioners Circle, hosted by Jennifer Hamilton and Glen Brown. Jennifer offered the harvest and links below.

To the Practitioner Circle in SLC – It was such a treat to co-host with Glen Brown at our last Practitioner’s Circle to gain support, feedback, and referrals for launching a HUB in SLC.

We opened the circle with the following question…
“Have you experienced an open co-working space? If so, how did it feel, sound, look and how did it affect your work, life, and play?…If not, how do you imagine an open co-working space to feel, sound, look…etc”

Here are some of the responses…
“It feels like a walkable community within a building, an interweaving/merging/layering of industry”
“Enhances the creativity of everyone”
“I see the Hub being a shining example for the SLC community..”
“Joy in sharing = less isolation = less burn out”
“Natural Materials, chimes, mobiles, warm lighting”
“Living Building which honors connection in an urban environment”
“Collective Ownership & Understanding”
“Hip, Innovative, Alive”
The HUB website was projected on the wall and we got to virtually visit the other Hubs around the world… HUB Milan and HUB Amsterdam were some favorites!
After a small break, thank you Glen for providing yummy Pad Tai wraps for everyone, we returned to discuss the Pros and Cons of launching a HUB in SLC. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of a HUB SLC!!! (I will provide photos soon).
With the information gathered I created the attached proposal for a HUB in SLC… which I then sent to several of the referrals give to me during the Practitioner’s Circle. And WOW!! Everyone is LOVING the idea!!
Full Harvest with Next Steps Underway
HUB SLC Proposal

Our next Practitioners Circle will be November 18th (third Thursday evening, 7:00 – 9:00).