Ecopreneur Files #23 - The Real World is Tragic

Hi Fellow Ecopreneur ????

I know, I know, for all my blathering about consistency, I sure haven't been keeping my newsletter up to date.

I've been sporadic in my posting - and not for any particular reason. I won't blame being too busy or tired or idea-less for my absence.

The world outside of my entitled writerly bubble feels like one massive pre-apocalyptic power grab, and while I'm here for drama, societal tragedy is not how I fill my cup.

Why I Don't Talk About the News

I don't make a habit of talking about big news here, climate, war, political, or otherwise. Not because I'm disconnected from it. Because it isn't helpful.

What can I report that you haven't seen in your own daily scroll through your own channels? Literally nothing.

You've seen the paramedics crying in Palestinian hospitals, Ukraine evacuating children just ahead of the next Russian bombing, the political trials in the US, the natural disasters in Africa and the Middle East, the new climate science saying we're doomed - this list goes on. And it's tragic.

What does this have to do with my sporadic newsletter?

Everything.

I believe that sometimes when the world has too much noise, the most effective thing we can do is close our mouths and open our ears.

Here's what I see when I take a step back and really look.

• Our societal systems are at a breaking point.
• We're stretching our planet, and ourselves, too thin.
• People of all creeds are demanding change and there are enough catalysts to make it happen.

For humans, historically and probably in your own friends/family group, change is slow and hard and ugly. We yearn for power and lean towards violence. And we usually take one step back for every two steps forwards.

Take a look with your objective self, you'll see what I mean. The ugly side of humanity is in full view right now.

So what am I doing instead of showing my teeth, sharpening my claws, and raising my voice? I'm looking at the pretty things.

My Pretty Things

It's windy in the Netherlands today, finally a proper autumn day. The poplar tree out my window is losing leaves and they're floating through the sky like yellow confetti against dappled grey rain clouds.

Dandelion Branding is currently working with brands around the world that are solving ugly apocalypse problems like water scarcity and desertification.

I'm still working on bringing community connections and thousands of hours of volunteer work to the Netherlands with RockCorps . I'll be at #DMWF at the end of November and hoping to meet some sweet people there that can I can propel this project forward with!

This week, I got invited to start working towards food sovereignty with a group of lovely people who are creating a biological farm in my community. That means I don't feel the need to grow food plants in my backyard, so my home gardens can now be fully dedicated to beauty and medicine and native biodiversity.

I'm lucky. It's a privilege to be where I am today. The birds sing, my oven turns on, and the Plamps my betrothed and I designed are working. This is a Plamp:

What Pretty Things Do You Spend Your Time With?