Contents
1. Vision (including Introduction- why I want to do this
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7. Integration
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1. Vision
Generosity is an interesting topic for me. How generous can I be without feeling like I'm 'in deficit' or losing something? Where are the 'edges' of my ability to give and can I maximise them?
Generosity is a massively important component of Buddhist practice so it would benefit me to give it some thought. I've heard that giving and receiving, if done skilfully, can almost be without subject and object, rather a flow or a cycle.
I first heard about the Gift Economy in 2014, when 2 attendees on a Introduction to Permaculture at Grow Mayow Community Garden gave The Gift Economy as an example of Fairshares ethic . I was intrigued and asked them more - they suggested I find out properly by reading Charles Eisenstein. It took a while to get round to it but it was on my to do list for at least 6 months! Reading Eisenstein's 'Sacred Economics', I discovered ideals in line with Buddhist practice and wondered if I could somehow create a design for my portfolio that allows me to experience and experiment with The Gift Economy and document the results.
I was aware that something similar to the Gift Economy is practiced at some retreat centres (Taraloka and Dhanakosa) and some meditation classes are run on the basis of :'Give what you can, take what you need'. It seems to work because of the generosity of those that can give more enables those that can't to still have access to events and retreats. There is still a minimum cost which is need to run the retreats, but anything above that is a given freely in gratitude and out of generosity.
In Permaculture the the Gift Economy sits well with the ethic of Fairshares . There are often surpluses that need not go to waste, there are needs that aren't being met. How can I use Permaculture design to encourage more giving/receiving/gratitiude by my actions? (Maximise the edge and value the marginal) and get away from a 'bean counting' approach to getting paid for what I do?
Design aims: to reduce distinction between money exchange and gifts
to experiment with alternative to 'scarcity economics'.
Framework ; Looby's Web
Generosity is a massively important component of Buddhist practice so it would benefit me to give it some thought. I've heard that giving and receiving, if done skilfully, can almost be without subject and object, rather a flow or a cycle.
I first heard about the Gift Economy in 2014, when 2 attendees on a Introduction to Permaculture at Grow Mayow Community Garden gave The Gift Economy as an example of Fairshares ethic . I was intrigued and asked them more - they suggested I find out properly by reading Charles Eisenstein. It took a while to get round to it but it was on my to do list for at least 6 months! Reading Eisenstein's 'Sacred Economics', I discovered ideals in line with Buddhist practice and wondered if I could somehow create a design for my portfolio that allows me to experience and experiment with The Gift Economy and document the results.
I was aware that something similar to the Gift Economy is practiced at some retreat centres (Taraloka and Dhanakosa) and some meditation classes are run on the basis of :'Give what you can, take what you need'. It seems to work because of the generosity of those that can give more enables those that can't to still have access to events and retreats. There is still a minimum cost which is need to run the retreats, but anything above that is a given freely in gratitude and out of generosity.
In Permaculture the the Gift Economy sits well with the ethic of Fairshares . There are often surpluses that need not go to waste, there are needs that aren't being met. How can I use Permaculture design to encourage more giving/receiving/gratitiude by my actions? (Maximise the edge and value the marginal) and get away from a 'bean counting' approach to getting paid for what I do?
Design aims: to reduce distinction between money exchange and gifts
to experiment with alternative to 'scarcity economics'.
Framework ; Looby's Web
2. Helps /Reading and Research
I read Marie Goodwin's article http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-run-a-business-in-the-gift-economy and she says:
'If you are going to live your business life in the gift, you will need to examine the place from which you are acting and creating. No longer is your motivation necessarily about money. You are serving larger ideals: fostering gratitude, honoring friendship, serving connection to your community, contributing to the dismantling of the economic beast of neo-liberal capitalism. Whatever your motive, that place is what will keep you going when you are feeling doubtful about this whole gift economy experiment—and believe me, you will sit in that place of doubt often'.
I like the sound of dismantling the beast!
However, there is probably not a strict dichotomy between self-interest and altruism, the edges are blurred by our interdependence ( Everything gardens).
'If you are going to live your business life in the gift, you will need to examine the place from which you are acting and creating. No longer is your motivation necessarily about money. You are serving larger ideals: fostering gratitude, honoring friendship, serving connection to your community, contributing to the dismantling of the economic beast of neo-liberal capitalism. Whatever your motive, that place is what will keep you going when you are feeling doubtful about this whole gift economy experiment—and believe me, you will sit in that place of doubt often'.
I like the sound of dismantling the beast!
However, there is probably not a strict dichotomy between self-interest and altruism, the edges are blurred by our interdependence ( Everything gardens).
The benefits of Gift Economy
(read Sacred Economics for more info)
1. Needs are met by gifts. Money or materials flow to wherever they are most needed. (Fairshares)
2. It also gives people an opportunity to contribute to life which according to Non Violent Communication (NVC )is a human need. (Intuitively I know that to be true). (Obtain a yield)(Peoplecare)
3. As well as helping balance inequalities, The Gift Economy builds community. It reconnects people in a face- to- face way. Money or the Gift becomes a kind of glue that binds people as it circulates from one to the other. Sources of gifts are acknowledged and appreciated. (Create beneficial relationships). (Peoplecare)
4. Gifts circulate not stagnate, so are not sitting on the shelf idly, (Produce no waste).
5. The Gift Economy protects the earth from depletion. No 'externalities' means we can see results of our actions and how much earth can give and keep that in balance (Earthcare Ethic).(Observe and interact)
Interestingly, he says anonymous gifts do not create ties, create any obligation, or strengthen community. Gratitude may be felt but it is from an abstract source. Giving entails receiving at some point in the future and vice versa. So giving is seen as a cycle not a one-sided gesture. 'To refuse a gift is to refuse a relationship'.
If I can practice the gift economy to some degree, then maybe I will be helping to build community, 'giving back to life' by contributing something to community, 'working with nature' ie the flow of energy and materials to wherever they are needed, 'producing no waste', applying Fairshares ethic with surpluses, as well as Earthcare ethic by keeping things local and low impact. (And Peoplecare by offering what some cannot afford)
(read Sacred Economics for more info)
1. Needs are met by gifts. Money or materials flow to wherever they are most needed. (Fairshares)
2. It also gives people an opportunity to contribute to life which according to Non Violent Communication (NVC )is a human need. (Intuitively I know that to be true). (Obtain a yield)(Peoplecare)
3. As well as helping balance inequalities, The Gift Economy builds community. It reconnects people in a face- to- face way. Money or the Gift becomes a kind of glue that binds people as it circulates from one to the other. Sources of gifts are acknowledged and appreciated. (Create beneficial relationships). (Peoplecare)
4. Gifts circulate not stagnate, so are not sitting on the shelf idly, (Produce no waste).
5. The Gift Economy protects the earth from depletion. No 'externalities' means we can see results of our actions and how much earth can give and keep that in balance (Earthcare Ethic).(Observe and interact)
Interestingly, he says anonymous gifts do not create ties, create any obligation, or strengthen community. Gratitude may be felt but it is from an abstract source. Giving entails receiving at some point in the future and vice versa. So giving is seen as a cycle not a one-sided gesture. 'To refuse a gift is to refuse a relationship'.
If I can practice the gift economy to some degree, then maybe I will be helping to build community, 'giving back to life' by contributing something to community, 'working with nature' ie the flow of energy and materials to wherever they are needed, 'producing no waste', applying Fairshares ethic with surpluses, as well as Earthcare ethic by keeping things local and low impact. (And Peoplecare by offering what some cannot afford)
3. Limits
Limits to giving are of a practical nature as well as attitudinal. The scarcity paradigm is hard to escape. 2015 is a time of 'austerity' and things people need and share are closing; day centres, libraries, hospitals. We are being told we need to 'tighten our belts' for the good of the economy. This filters down to everyday life - I might be less happy to give money to someone on the street, a beggar or a busker, I might feel I need every penny I earn to buy essentials and pay the bills and if there are any surpluses? Well, I might want to keep them in order to feel abundant or even secure.
4. Patterns
What are my gifts and needs? An Input/Output diagram
This diagram shows the cycle of giving I am involved in - intentionally and unintentionally.
I need and receive things free of charge: air, sunlight, company, delight, surprise, learning, care ....
Other things are I give consciously or unconsciously, : Co2 , time, attention, company, collusion, approval etc.... the list is endless (The yield is limited only the imagination of the designer). added to this are more physical gifts such as books, items for charity shops, clothes.
I have to pay for some essentials however such as shelter, clothing, food and water. I could probably grow my own food but shelter and water I could not provide for myself at this moment in time.
The 'luxury' items I receive and have paid for include: entertainment, broadband, coffee, travel, education and some leisure. I don't really need them but they make life feel easier or more enjoyable. (Why does going to the train station and buying a coffee make the journey more pleasant than taking a bottle of water to drink?) Not sure, but it does!
I need and receive things free of charge: air, sunlight, company, delight, surprise, learning, care ....
Other things are I give consciously or unconsciously, : Co2 , time, attention, company, collusion, approval etc.... the list is endless (The yield is limited only the imagination of the designer). added to this are more physical gifts such as books, items for charity shops, clothes.
I have to pay for some essentials however such as shelter, clothing, food and water. I could probably grow my own food but shelter and water I could not provide for myself at this moment in time.
The 'luxury' items I receive and have paid for include: entertainment, broadband, coffee, travel, education and some leisure. I don't really need them but they make life feel easier or more enjoyable. (Why does going to the train station and buying a coffee make the journey more pleasant than taking a bottle of water to drink?) Not sure, but it does!
This zoning exercise shows more or less where I'm likely to give at the moment.
I'm more likely to give if I know the recipient of my giving and if I feel I have a surplus. (Zones 1 to 3)
I'm more likely to give if I know the recipient of my giving and if I feel I have a surplus. (Zones 1 to 3)
With more free time I could increase giving to Zones 0, 1, 2 and 3 but I need more money to being able to give to 4 and 5. Giving to zones 4 and 5 feels less like a cycle and more linear, though I can still feel compelled to give to strangers though it may feel like a different kind of giving, more general and humanitarian, less personal and specific. However, when the Nepalese earthquake occurred in early May 2015, there was a lot of media coverage which helped motivate me to contribute to the aid being sent there.
(Re Zone 5: I can also give to the earth, with careful gardening and nutrient cycling by composting).
Howard Odum Tripartite Altruism
In Holmgrem's 'Principles and Pathways', he speaks of Tripartite altruism, described by ecologist Howard Odum. 1/3 of captured energy goes on self-maintenance (in this case, the person, zone 0), 1/3 to system providers (people I am interdependent with in zones 1 to 3) and 1/3 to higher order system 'controllers' though in this case the higher order would be people I don't know and/or Gaia/world at large, zones 4 and 5.
(Re Zone 5: I can also give to the earth, with careful gardening and nutrient cycling by composting).
Howard Odum Tripartite Altruism
In Holmgrem's 'Principles and Pathways', he speaks of Tripartite altruism, described by ecologist Howard Odum. 1/3 of captured energy goes on self-maintenance (in this case, the person, zone 0), 1/3 to system providers (people I am interdependent with in zones 1 to 3) and 1/3 to higher order system 'controllers' though in this case the higher order would be people I don't know and/or Gaia/world at large, zones 4 and 5.
5. Ideas
I needed some ideas on how to reduce distinction between money exchange and gifts. and to more specifically : increase my giving, inspire or encourage giving in others and create beneficial relationships though gifts
The article I read mentioned in 2. Helps above gave me some inspiraton
My clients?
How would they react if I suddenly said I only wanted to be paid expenses plus what they thought the job was worth? I suspect some would just pay me what I 've been charging as they might not want to underpay or overpay, or even figure out how they felt about it. Some are very appreciative anyway because they just don't have time or energy to do their own gardens.
Perhaps I could offer one session in Winter where they could pay what they liked.... and see how that goes.
Permaculture taster workshops?
This idea I like the most. I get to to present Permaculture to beginners and hopefully spark their interest in the area and no one excluded on grounds of cost. However to pace myself, I would keep the workshops fairly short 2 to 4 hours max. (Unless co-teaching with someone and taking it in turns to lead activities).
The possible issue with this is cost of venue which has to be covered. Also risk of people not turning up as no financial committment made. Maybe a £5 deposit might help. This would cover venue costs and my travel expenses hopefully. (Though do I charge for preparation? Minimum wage?)
I don' t think it would be realistic to run a whole Introduction to Permaculture or PDC on this basis (unless I knew all the participants fairly well). The amount of time it takes to prepare for longer courses is considerable as well as the time it takes to deliver and the energy involved in holding a group for extended period of time. However, some places could be on a 'scholarship' basis if enough paying full fee.
On meeting Transition Town Brockley bookclub in March 2015 to discuss Sacred Economics, one of the group came up with using 'cynical marketing ploys' such as 'buy one get one free' in a more sacred way. For example, buy one place for yourself and bring a friend free (great way to encourage generosity or sharing the cost of something and ensuring places get filled!).
I brainstormed ideas and came up with this illustration.
The article I read mentioned in 2. Helps above gave me some inspiraton
My clients?
How would they react if I suddenly said I only wanted to be paid expenses plus what they thought the job was worth? I suspect some would just pay me what I 've been charging as they might not want to underpay or overpay, or even figure out how they felt about it. Some are very appreciative anyway because they just don't have time or energy to do their own gardens.
Perhaps I could offer one session in Winter where they could pay what they liked.... and see how that goes.
Permaculture taster workshops?
This idea I like the most. I get to to present Permaculture to beginners and hopefully spark their interest in the area and no one excluded on grounds of cost. However to pace myself, I would keep the workshops fairly short 2 to 4 hours max. (Unless co-teaching with someone and taking it in turns to lead activities).
The possible issue with this is cost of venue which has to be covered. Also risk of people not turning up as no financial committment made. Maybe a £5 deposit might help. This would cover venue costs and my travel expenses hopefully. (Though do I charge for preparation? Minimum wage?)
I don' t think it would be realistic to run a whole Introduction to Permaculture or PDC on this basis (unless I knew all the participants fairly well). The amount of time it takes to prepare for longer courses is considerable as well as the time it takes to deliver and the energy involved in holding a group for extended period of time. However, some places could be on a 'scholarship' basis if enough paying full fee.
On meeting Transition Town Brockley bookclub in March 2015 to discuss Sacred Economics, one of the group came up with using 'cynical marketing ploys' such as 'buy one get one free' in a more sacred way. For example, buy one place for yourself and bring a friend free (great way to encourage generosity or sharing the cost of something and ensuring places get filled!).
I brainstormed ideas and came up with this illustration.
I noticed that to do this I needed to do a kind of skills audit, which allowed me to see what I can already offer and what gifts I need to develop more in order to give more effectively.
6. Principles
Energy cycling By taking part in the cycle of giving and receiving, I keep the 'energy' that is embodied in me or my objects, flowing and moving. This does imply however that I have to be able to receive gifts too!
Each function is supported by multiple elements
In order to give a workshop, for example, several things have to come together: the venue, me if I'm leading it, some preparation, materials, attendees, participation. A synergy is hopefully created from all those elements. (Obtain a yield).(The yield is theoretically unlimited)
Each element has multiple functions
For example, lending people books. There's a connection between us, I am giving a surplus item (though I might want it back at some point, am not going to read it all the time), the book may be helpful to that person or bring them inspiration or pleasure and it saves them having to buy their own copy (Produce no waste).
Create beneficial relationships (and relative location) Eisenstein says giving can create strong bonds in a community, bonds of gratitude and wanting to give back. Giving to strangers in need is important to me though I would prefer to give to someone I have a relationship with. My daughter enjoyed receiving clothes from friends' older daughters (until old enough to prefer choosing own clothes).
The problem is the solution (we can be a problem or a solution!) and Creatively use and respond to change
In times of economic recession we can re-learn the art of sharing and giving. We may find we are happier because we need each other just superficial reasons and have more meaningful interaction in our lives than we did before.
Everything gardens
If our community is a system, small acts of generosity may result in positive changes, eventually!
Each function is supported by multiple elements
In order to give a workshop, for example, several things have to come together: the venue, me if I'm leading it, some preparation, materials, attendees, participation. A synergy is hopefully created from all those elements. (Obtain a yield).(The yield is theoretically unlimited)
Each element has multiple functions
For example, lending people books. There's a connection between us, I am giving a surplus item (though I might want it back at some point, am not going to read it all the time), the book may be helpful to that person or bring them inspiration or pleasure and it saves them having to buy their own copy (Produce no waste).
Create beneficial relationships (and relative location) Eisenstein says giving can create strong bonds in a community, bonds of gratitude and wanting to give back. Giving to strangers in need is important to me though I would prefer to give to someone I have a relationship with. My daughter enjoyed receiving clothes from friends' older daughters (until old enough to prefer choosing own clothes).
The problem is the solution (we can be a problem or a solution!) and Creatively use and respond to change
In times of economic recession we can re-learn the art of sharing and giving. We may find we are happier because we need each other just superficial reasons and have more meaningful interaction in our lives than we did before.
Everything gardens
If our community is a system, small acts of generosity may result in positive changes, eventually!
7. Integration
Taking some ideas and holding in mind the principles I wished to apply, I came up with a design in a branching /web format, starting at the top with the aims, trickling down to the more practical at the bottom.
I have decided some skills I would like to improve before offering (in pink) however the yellow skills are 'good enough' for me to start asap.
Timebank offerings I will not be paid for monetarily, but I can draw on the resources of many members to get my needs met at a later date.
The Permaculture Tasters (workshops that hopefully encourage people to go on and do an Introduction to Permaculture) and outdoor meditations outside of Timebank will be donations-based, a small deposit plus whatever people feel its worth. There are some local venues such as The Field that may be amenable to this idea.
The skills I would like to develop further are indoor meditations and drumming - these are more complex than they look! I will leave them aside for the purposes of documenting this design.
8. Action
1. Keep reflecting regularly on my motivation to 'work in the gift'.... social justice? reduce gap between rich and poor? dismantle that beast? give access to those who have less?
2. Offer a winter session to clients as pay-what-you-like-session (Done, with JM on 20th Jan 15 - 3 hours in garden pruning and tidying see 10. Appreciation)(Also with J for her bird garden, starting in Feb 15)
3. Discuss the book with Transistion Town Brockley and ask for any ideas on how to encourage giving. (Done, see 9. Momentum below )
4. Keep donating regularly to charity, (on new moon?) letting go of things I don't need to benefit others. (Decluttering).
5. RE: outdoor meditations: Plan a 30 minute session. Contact Robert at timebank, with an outline of how session could go. As outdoors will need to be from April to September 2015, if goes well, try Sydenham garden where horticultural therapy takes place.
6. Offer a Taster workshop for donations only for International Permaculture Day on May 3rd at The Field. (See 9.Momentum below).
2. Offer a winter session to clients as pay-what-you-like-session (Done, with JM on 20th Jan 15 - 3 hours in garden pruning and tidying see 10. Appreciation)(Also with J for her bird garden, starting in Feb 15)
3. Discuss the book with Transistion Town Brockley and ask for any ideas on how to encourage giving. (Done, see 9. Momentum below )
4. Keep donating regularly to charity, (on new moon?) letting go of things I don't need to benefit others. (Decluttering).
5. RE: outdoor meditations: Plan a 30 minute session. Contact Robert at timebank, with an outline of how session could go. As outdoors will need to be from April to September 2015, if goes well, try Sydenham garden where horticultural therapy takes place.
6. Offer a Taster workshop for donations only for International Permaculture Day on May 3rd at The Field. (See 9.Momentum below).
9. Momentum
What happened?
1. My continued motivation to 'work in the gift'? Yes I feel motivated, to try little bits here and there. If I make a surplus I can offer more courses in this way and enable more people to access Permaculture. See point 6. below.
I later remembered that I had given a short intro (4 hours) to permaculture in March 2013 to Transistion Town Westcombe park and Quakers at Mycenae House. This was for donations and the 7 or so people that attended were very generous. Somebody offered to pay for the room rental too. I feel inspired when I recall this.
2. I worked on one client's on 21st January 2015 for 3 hours and was paid....for 3 hours! I made mistake of telling her I'd done 3 hours (was that me worrying that I'd get paid less than usual? if so, then I need to check my motivation!). After subsequent sessions, I billed her for my time and she did pay a little extra, which was encouraging.
The other potential client did not respond to email so assume not interested or too busy at moment!
Also offered to work 'in the gift' with travel expenses on J's bird garden as design nearly finished, she needs to divert her funds to other things and we are friends so visiting her is another benefit. (Applying principle of Stacking). The first session we did this I was paid a bit less than usual but as I was expecting this, it didn't feel like a loss. Plus it felt right that she shoud still have access to a gardener even though money was tighter, as garden is important to her. So this I will continue with too.
3. Discussed the book with Transistiion Town Brockley. See 5. Ideas for what came out of that.
4. Charity donations/decluttering. I have a temporary job in a charity shop (Spring 2015) so am very motivated when I see customer donating quality stuff for no reward other than a heartfelt thank you. I still hoard books a bit and am rescuing some items due to be ragged but regularly take in stuff that I (or daughter) don't really use and could be wanted by someone else.
5. In January 2015 I offered to lead outdoor meditations to Time bank who also run a Community Garden. (Plan in appendix). Robert very interested, possibly as an acitivity pre-work session to allow participants to get -in-touch in site more deeply. Need to contact again in Summer.
6. The Permaculture taster on International Permaculture Day. I approached The Field in New Cross as they have a lovely community venue and are creating a garden out the back. I asked for donations only. (I didn't specify a booking fee as some of the attendees are regular volunteers who come Sunday morningss anyway). .
I adverstised the event for Internation Permaculture Day and one person that attended came as a result of seeing this on website
For Taster workshop outline click here.
The workshop was attended by 5 people, the Sunday gardening group and self-named 'recovering American'. It was very relaxed and laid back, suitable for a Sunday morning (before a Bank Hol). It had the feel of a round the table discussion group rather than a workshop. (See Appendix for fuller evaluation of workshop). I didn't receive any money but there was plenty of input, interest and appreciation from the attendees. In addition, I didn't really feel as if I had 'worked' in the sense of giving up time or energy, it was a pleasure to be able to present Permaculture, especially the principles, to people who were open to it.
1. My continued motivation to 'work in the gift'? Yes I feel motivated, to try little bits here and there. If I make a surplus I can offer more courses in this way and enable more people to access Permaculture. See point 6. below.
I later remembered that I had given a short intro (4 hours) to permaculture in March 2013 to Transistion Town Westcombe park and Quakers at Mycenae House. This was for donations and the 7 or so people that attended were very generous. Somebody offered to pay for the room rental too. I feel inspired when I recall this.
2. I worked on one client's on 21st January 2015 for 3 hours and was paid....for 3 hours! I made mistake of telling her I'd done 3 hours (was that me worrying that I'd get paid less than usual? if so, then I need to check my motivation!). After subsequent sessions, I billed her for my time and she did pay a little extra, which was encouraging.
The other potential client did not respond to email so assume not interested or too busy at moment!
Also offered to work 'in the gift' with travel expenses on J's bird garden as design nearly finished, she needs to divert her funds to other things and we are friends so visiting her is another benefit. (Applying principle of Stacking). The first session we did this I was paid a bit less than usual but as I was expecting this, it didn't feel like a loss. Plus it felt right that she shoud still have access to a gardener even though money was tighter, as garden is important to her. So this I will continue with too.
3. Discussed the book with Transistiion Town Brockley. See 5. Ideas for what came out of that.
4. Charity donations/decluttering. I have a temporary job in a charity shop (Spring 2015) so am very motivated when I see customer donating quality stuff for no reward other than a heartfelt thank you. I still hoard books a bit and am rescuing some items due to be ragged but regularly take in stuff that I (or daughter) don't really use and could be wanted by someone else.
5. In January 2015 I offered to lead outdoor meditations to Time bank who also run a Community Garden. (Plan in appendix). Robert very interested, possibly as an acitivity pre-work session to allow participants to get -in-touch in site more deeply. Need to contact again in Summer.
6. The Permaculture taster on International Permaculture Day. I approached The Field in New Cross as they have a lovely community venue and are creating a garden out the back. I asked for donations only. (I didn't specify a booking fee as some of the attendees are regular volunteers who come Sunday morningss anyway). .
I adverstised the event for Internation Permaculture Day and one person that attended came as a result of seeing this on website
For Taster workshop outline click here.
The workshop was attended by 5 people, the Sunday gardening group and self-named 'recovering American'. It was very relaxed and laid back, suitable for a Sunday morning (before a Bank Hol). It had the feel of a round the table discussion group rather than a workshop. (See Appendix for fuller evaluation of workshop). I didn't receive any money but there was plenty of input, interest and appreciation from the attendees. In addition, I didn't really feel as if I had 'worked' in the sense of giving up time or energy, it was a pleasure to be able to present Permaculture, especially the principles, to people who were open to it.
10. Appreciation
Using four Action Learning questions
1. What's going well?
Realised recently that I am already in some way working in the Gift Economy already - I garden for a friend who lives by the sea. He pays for my travel expenses (which are a barrier to my visiting more often) and I garden for whatever he wants to give above that. The garden calendar keeps us in touch too - long-distance friendships are more prone to drifting so doing this helps.
So far I am pleased with results of working in the gift. The client that I suggested winter one-off gift payment has started showing appreciation financially, paying a little extra as a thank you for conscientious work. Getting paid now feels a bit more fluid. I have fewer expectations. I'm not working for a specified amount and it makes it more interesting, getting paid is more like feedback on how much she appreciated my work (and how comfortable she is financially) than just 'pay'.
I'm starting to reduce the distinction betwee money exchange and gifts. The more I hear and see other people doing this, the more I feel inspired to do it. I have started working in a charity shop run by Buddhists and I'm very aware of other people's generosity towards the shop with donations and appreciation of how the shop is run. The shop does not make as much money as other charity shops but enough to employ a team of staff, who in turn offer the customers their time and kindly attention whether they buy or not. Many customers are regulars who enjoy the friendly atmosphere in the shop, as a friend said, 'shop is just a front for something else'. (What did she actually say?)
Working in the gift can also be an expresssion of Peoplecare. A member of Transition Town brockley spoke about Happiness Cafes. Their ethos is promote positive relationships and helping others, rather than always being out for ourselves. Being sociable and connecting with other people is rewarding in its own right and can help significantly improve mental wellbeing,” says Sam Challis, information manager at the charity Acton for Happiness. “Loneliness and a lack of friendships can contribute to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, so taking up opportunities to share worries and problems with people who have similar experiences can be invaluable. In an age dominated by social media and with ever greater pressures on time, face-to-face contact with people who can provide meaningful and supportive relationships has never been more important.”
Have I maximised the edge of my giving? After the workshops and working in gift for a friend and a client, I feel satisfied and am reminded that I do have 'enough'. I've got a long way to go before I feel rich enough to divert all my working life to gift economy, but I've started a good habit. I can decide which work I want to do 'in the gift' and what I need to charge fixed amount for.
2. What could be better?
It does feel a of an effort sometimes if someone doesn't 'get it'. It is like swimming against the (main)stream. But then isn't practising Permaculture a lot like that anyway? Some people might not understand and won't perceive my time and effort as a 'gift' to them and maybe more like a 'freebie' from a gullible person. (That is more likely to happen with people I don't know obviously and people who have had to struggle alot to get their needs met). I have to accept that, at times, I won't receive as much as perhaps I would have liked to be given. (Small and slow solutiions) But this is part of the process, learning not to have expectations and hopes and just 'work in the gift' - be happy that I am contributing something that someone else needs. (If they don't actually need it, then yes, I would be wasting my time).
NB Confession I haven't expressed my gratitude financially for Charles Eisenstein's book, it was available from Amazon but for some reason couldn't be shipped to my address. I will look into how to make a donation asap! It was also avail from better world books but the link was broken. I have ordered it from consortium of London libraries and asked them to buy copy for Lewisham as it's such a life-changing read.
3. Hopes and dreams
As I said in the design aims: to see work I do and payment for it as 'gifts'. To feel rich but need less.
To sustain self in this way.
4. Next acheivable steps?
See 12. Pause (and Tweak)
1. What's going well?
Realised recently that I am already in some way working in the Gift Economy already - I garden for a friend who lives by the sea. He pays for my travel expenses (which are a barrier to my visiting more often) and I garden for whatever he wants to give above that. The garden calendar keeps us in touch too - long-distance friendships are more prone to drifting so doing this helps.
So far I am pleased with results of working in the gift. The client that I suggested winter one-off gift payment has started showing appreciation financially, paying a little extra as a thank you for conscientious work. Getting paid now feels a bit more fluid. I have fewer expectations. I'm not working for a specified amount and it makes it more interesting, getting paid is more like feedback on how much she appreciated my work (and how comfortable she is financially) than just 'pay'.
I'm starting to reduce the distinction betwee money exchange and gifts. The more I hear and see other people doing this, the more I feel inspired to do it. I have started working in a charity shop run by Buddhists and I'm very aware of other people's generosity towards the shop with donations and appreciation of how the shop is run. The shop does not make as much money as other charity shops but enough to employ a team of staff, who in turn offer the customers their time and kindly attention whether they buy or not. Many customers are regulars who enjoy the friendly atmosphere in the shop, as a friend said, 'shop is just a front for something else'. (What did she actually say?)
Working in the gift can also be an expresssion of Peoplecare. A member of Transition Town brockley spoke about Happiness Cafes. Their ethos is promote positive relationships and helping others, rather than always being out for ourselves. Being sociable and connecting with other people is rewarding in its own right and can help significantly improve mental wellbeing,” says Sam Challis, information manager at the charity Acton for Happiness. “Loneliness and a lack of friendships can contribute to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, so taking up opportunities to share worries and problems with people who have similar experiences can be invaluable. In an age dominated by social media and with ever greater pressures on time, face-to-face contact with people who can provide meaningful and supportive relationships has never been more important.”
Have I maximised the edge of my giving? After the workshops and working in gift for a friend and a client, I feel satisfied and am reminded that I do have 'enough'. I've got a long way to go before I feel rich enough to divert all my working life to gift economy, but I've started a good habit. I can decide which work I want to do 'in the gift' and what I need to charge fixed amount for.
2. What could be better?
It does feel a of an effort sometimes if someone doesn't 'get it'. It is like swimming against the (main)stream. But then isn't practising Permaculture a lot like that anyway? Some people might not understand and won't perceive my time and effort as a 'gift' to them and maybe more like a 'freebie' from a gullible person. (That is more likely to happen with people I don't know obviously and people who have had to struggle alot to get their needs met). I have to accept that, at times, I won't receive as much as perhaps I would have liked to be given. (Small and slow solutiions) But this is part of the process, learning not to have expectations and hopes and just 'work in the gift' - be happy that I am contributing something that someone else needs. (If they don't actually need it, then yes, I would be wasting my time).
NB Confession I haven't expressed my gratitude financially for Charles Eisenstein's book, it was available from Amazon but for some reason couldn't be shipped to my address. I will look into how to make a donation asap! It was also avail from better world books but the link was broken. I have ordered it from consortium of London libraries and asked them to buy copy for Lewisham as it's such a life-changing read.
3. Hopes and dreams
As I said in the design aims: to see work I do and payment for it as 'gifts'. To feel rich but need less.
To sustain self in this way.
4. Next acheivable steps?
See 12. Pause (and Tweak)
11. Reflection
Using Permaculture design processes
Framework: at first came up with my own ARisdoc (attraction to topic, research, interpret info, survey, design, outcome, check), which is really another variation on SADIM so decided that looby's web might work better and get me away from linear process that can sometimes happen with SADim, unintentionally but due to necessity of documenting. I only went round the web once and for sake of documenting, kept it sequential, but do like the flexibility of being to go to any point of web at any time as many times as I need to. I've used 10, Appreciation section to evaluate the effectiveness of this design and the Four Action Learning questions.
On reflection I could have used CEAP (Collect info, Evaluate, Apply Principles and Put into practice) which would have worked equally well for this design.
Tools
Input/outputs analysis this is a good tool for looking at components of an element or system. However, with cycle of giving, it is hard to capture all the inputs and outputs! Using this tool, I could see that there is already an abundance of gifts, whether I think of them in that way or not!
Branching/Web of connections design - I used this to show that the aim was foremost in my mind and that the branches were possibilities coming off and becoming more and more detailed the further down they get. I used colours to show differences between gifts I can offer now and gifts I'd like to offer and also places and people to offer them to. This can be updated as I used a software tool called Visual Understanding Environment (VUE).
Zones and sectors - using this tool helped me identify the 'where' of giving and what was behind the main impulse to give. (The sector of 'enoughness'). (See 10. Appreciation, What's going well).
Stacking, multifunctionality - I've overlapped some of the Action aspect of this design with working on J's bird garden, which has other functions too, such as increasing zone 5, meeting a friend and increasing my knowledge of bird habitats.
Four action learning questions - I used these to Evaluate the design, which is ok they are more suited to Reflection as they are subjective questions. I could have used SWOC or PMI at this stage, which are more objective.
Principles
See section 6. Principles above
Ethics
As stated in the Vision section, the main ethical focus of this design is Fairshares, though Peoplecare and Earthcare also play a part.
Progress as a designer
Another unusual topic to design around, embarking on this design has led to developments in my working life and attitude towards money.
Documenting has mainly been little and often... adding here and there (over 6 - 12 months), lots of research was necessary and re-reading Sacred Economics as there were a few new ways of thinking about money for me to reflect on. (For example, the way we see money can bring about a scarcity mentality). I did a final draft after the workshop in May 2015 in time for final assessment.
I hope I have documented this clearly enough for the readers - I have tried to be succinct in explaining the the gift economy, but it is best explained in the book Sacred Economics itself.
I've found using the tools very helpful just to clarify what is there and what could be there (the direction of the design). I'm more fluent using Looby's web and will use it again for larger designs. I 've benefited from taking a closer look at Fairshares, which is the least straightforward of the ethics to implement, in the current socio-economic climate, in my view.
The diagram with in Ideas section could have been clearer, especially the What, Who and where, though this is made clearer with the illustration in Integration section.
Framework: at first came up with my own ARisdoc (attraction to topic, research, interpret info, survey, design, outcome, check), which is really another variation on SADIM so decided that looby's web might work better and get me away from linear process that can sometimes happen with SADim, unintentionally but due to necessity of documenting. I only went round the web once and for sake of documenting, kept it sequential, but do like the flexibility of being to go to any point of web at any time as many times as I need to. I've used 10, Appreciation section to evaluate the effectiveness of this design and the Four Action Learning questions.
On reflection I could have used CEAP (Collect info, Evaluate, Apply Principles and Put into practice) which would have worked equally well for this design.
Tools
Input/outputs analysis this is a good tool for looking at components of an element or system. However, with cycle of giving, it is hard to capture all the inputs and outputs! Using this tool, I could see that there is already an abundance of gifts, whether I think of them in that way or not!
Branching/Web of connections design - I used this to show that the aim was foremost in my mind and that the branches were possibilities coming off and becoming more and more detailed the further down they get. I used colours to show differences between gifts I can offer now and gifts I'd like to offer and also places and people to offer them to. This can be updated as I used a software tool called Visual Understanding Environment (VUE).
Zones and sectors - using this tool helped me identify the 'where' of giving and what was behind the main impulse to give. (The sector of 'enoughness'). (See 10. Appreciation, What's going well).
Stacking, multifunctionality - I've overlapped some of the Action aspect of this design with working on J's bird garden, which has other functions too, such as increasing zone 5, meeting a friend and increasing my knowledge of bird habitats.
Four action learning questions - I used these to Evaluate the design, which is ok they are more suited to Reflection as they are subjective questions. I could have used SWOC or PMI at this stage, which are more objective.
Principles
See section 6. Principles above
Ethics
As stated in the Vision section, the main ethical focus of this design is Fairshares, though Peoplecare and Earthcare also play a part.
Progress as a designer
Another unusual topic to design around, embarking on this design has led to developments in my working life and attitude towards money.
Documenting has mainly been little and often... adding here and there (over 6 - 12 months), lots of research was necessary and re-reading Sacred Economics as there were a few new ways of thinking about money for me to reflect on. (For example, the way we see money can bring about a scarcity mentality). I did a final draft after the workshop in May 2015 in time for final assessment.
I hope I have documented this clearly enough for the readers - I have tried to be succinct in explaining the the gift economy, but it is best explained in the book Sacred Economics itself.
I've found using the tools very helpful just to clarify what is there and what could be there (the direction of the design). I'm more fluent using Looby's web and will use it again for larger designs. I 've benefited from taking a closer look at Fairshares, which is the least straightforward of the ethics to implement, in the current socio-economic climate, in my view.
The diagram with in Ideas section could have been clearer, especially the What, Who and where, though this is made clearer with the illustration in Integration section.
12. Pause
Stepping back and pausing. Do I want to continue with this practice? Take it further?
I will continue working this way as far as I can, reassessing my needs and gifts periodically and observing results. I would like to try a whole month of working in the gift and build on that, if successful. (Probably a 'quiet' time such as winter). This is very much an interactive design and my sense of success will depend on whether other people 'get it' which in turn depends upon my ability to explain it to others! so one of my next steps will be to practise explaining it to others! (Perhaps at London Permaculture Festival)
Tweak
As a guide, I could have used the tripartite altruism mentioned in Patterns section. One third of my working life could be 'in the gift' and the other thirds what I need and want to sustain myself.
I will continue working this way as far as I can, reassessing my needs and gifts periodically and observing results. I would like to try a whole month of working in the gift and build on that, if successful. (Probably a 'quiet' time such as winter). This is very much an interactive design and my sense of success will depend on whether other people 'get it' which in turn depends upon my ability to explain it to others! so one of my next steps will be to practise explaining it to others! (Perhaps at London Permaculture Festival)
Tweak
As a guide, I could have used the tripartite altruism mentioned in Patterns section. One third of my working life could be 'in the gift' and the other thirds what I need and want to sustain myself.
Accreditation criteria met;
2. You have actively applied permaculture over a period of at
least two years since your permaculture design course (PDC).
Research category:inner transition
3. Demonstrating design skills: zoning, Looby's web, Input/outputs, PMI
4. Applying Permaculture in your own life . I have addressed the issue of Fairshares in this design and adapted my life and working practice to meet this ethic.
5. Developing your permaculture practice.
'the process of evaluating your work, and reflecying on your permaculture practice, to increase your skills and understanding' reflection and evaluation (PMI) as well as Appreciation and Pause stages of this design.
2. You have actively applied permaculture over a period of at
least two years since your permaculture design course (PDC).
Research category:inner transition
3. Demonstrating design skills: zoning, Looby's web, Input/outputs, PMI
4. Applying Permaculture in your own life . I have addressed the issue of Fairshares in this design and adapted my life and working practice to meet this ethic.
5. Developing your permaculture practice.
'the process of evaluating your work, and reflecying on your permaculture practice, to increase your skills and understanding' reflection and evaluation (PMI) as well as Appreciation and Pause stages of this design.