18th Jun 2024 Gemini 1.5 Pro
Susanna Aichele and Tony Lai co-founded Mothertree Labs as a space for research, gathering, and "figuring things out." Aichele, with a background in storytelling and filmmaking, and Lai, with experience in law, engineering, and technology, saw a need to bridge the gaps between different communities and their approaches to the challenges facing the world.
Mothertree Labs aims to foster connections and collaborations by bringing together diverse perspectives and encouraging dialogue. They believe that tackling complex issues requires moving beyond siloed thinking and creating spaces for shared understanding and collective action.
"And I think through our, us being in a lot of communities and having, you know, a very broad range of interests as well, we've been able to connect some dots and people's thinking and to create spaces through the gathering that was at Wilbur."
One of the key initiatives born from Mothertree Labs is the Eco Weaving Gathering. This event embodies the organization's ethos by bringing together individuals from various fields, including technology, regenerative protocols, and land stewardship, to engage in meaningful dialogue and explore interconnected solutions. The gathering emphasizes the importance of human connection, shared experiences, and fostering a sense of belonging alongside the exchange of knowledge and skills.
Aichele highlights that Eco Weaving is more of a practice than a singular event, a practice they aim to nourish and see reflected in a broader network.
"And to what extent we can bring all of us to spaces where we feel inspired and safe and also can look at the difficult paradoxical aspects together."
Aichele emphasizes the significance of storytelling in shaping our understanding of the world and our place within it. She believes that stories have the power to both construct and deconstruct our realities, influencing our individual and collective identities. Recognizing the limitations of traditional, top-down narratives, particularly the hero's journey, she advocates for a more nuanced and collective approach to storytelling.
She critiques the prevailing narratives in the climate and regeneration space, particularly the emphasis on hope and urgency. While acknowledging their importance, she argues that an overreliance on these themes can lead to a flattening of perspectives and a sense of paralysis.
"And so she takes that metaphor further. And It just feels so right. So I've been looking into how we tell stories collectively, how we as a community, as a family, as also even as a person with many parts can add many voices and perspectives into narration."
Central to Aichele's vision of a new story is the embrace of complexity and vulnerability. She encourages moving away from the pursuit of simplistic solutions and singular truths, acknowledging that the challenges we face are multifaceted and require nuanced approaches.
Aichele argues that vulnerability, often perceived as a weakness, is actually a source of strength and connection. By creating safe spaces for individuals to share their perspectives, uncertainties, and experiences, we can foster deeper understanding and collaboration.
"And I think the vulnerability comes with, hey, I've just, you know, I've just said something. I was actually upset, but I'm really sorry because it wasn't about you. This was about something that I realized. So this kind of like self-knowledge thing will will help us to navigate the complexity and the paradoxes um and and i think a lot of compassion will be required and um and again not everyone is working at the same speed and i've found it incredibly inspiring when other people were being vulnerable you know and i admire them so i'm like yeah you know more of that um so um so yeah i think in this in this um I said like the new story and the next story, but I think that there's like a unstorying process and the unstorying requires a little bit of that dissolvent of the parts of your identity that are attached to being an expert at something because we've put so much energy in it, you know."
For Aichele, the process of "un-storying" and re-storying is best undertaken collectively. She emphasizes the need to move beyond individual healing and self-improvement and embrace practices that foster connection and collective wisdom. This includes incorporating diverse forms of expression and knowledge, recognizing the value of embodied practices, and creating space for silence and reflection.
Aichele views events like the Eco Weaving Gathering as fertile ground for experimenting with new ways of connecting, collaborating, and co-creating. By incorporating elements such as opening and closing circles, tea ceremonies, and spaces for quiet reflection, the gathering aims to cultivate a holistic and embodied experience that honors diverse ways of knowing and being.
"And I think these sometimes seem so disconnected, but actually there was just something where people could join or kind of go into the more spiritual and maybe story side to the extent that they felt comfortable, but just having it present there."
Airtable