<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
<font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">Harrison</span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">Thanks for these thought-provoking words.</span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">As far as invitiation - in my work as an artist supporting large groups to come together to create collaborative works of "permanently" installed art for their (the participants') communities - Invitation is the only thing that works.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">My underlying belief is that engagement in artistic endeavors is a useful piece in the puzzle of creating a peaceful world. I've found that eople creating art together generally aren't engaged in fighting</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">here are the ingredients of invitation, for me, that I believe contribute to good flow:</span></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; "> </span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">1) getting the word out is critical, </span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">2) the "stickiness" (see Malcolm Gladwell and more particularly, the brothers Heath in their book Making It Stick) of the invitation and project description heavily affects the outcome in terms of participation and engaged-ness of participants.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">3) having the setting ready before the participants arrive so I'm not distracted by DOING and can keep my attention on BEING PRESENT with the participants</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">4) having a structure in mind and at the same time being willing to let it go at any moment</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">5) keeping participation voluntary (a bit tricky when I am operating in a classroom setting where the children are basically in the position of being "sitting ducks")</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">As far as the invitation, my on-the-ground work is lots of word-of mouth, who knows who. Increasingly via internet - helps spread the word quickly, although in the end, nothing beats the realm of the personal, one by one invitation.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">Different age groups respond to different methods (snail mail/flyer vs internet etc)</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">my beginning thoughts on this for now...</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">Denise</span></font></div><div><div><div>On Dec 15, 2009, at 7:26 AM, Harrison Owen wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Several days ago I sent a note to what I thought was going to be a small group of friends, inviting thinking about opening space every day, what that might mean, and how to accomplish all that in specifics. In effect, I was taking off from my book "Wave Rider" which is my best shot on the subject to date -- with the expectation that there is much more "out there" in terms of ideas and actions. Along the way I did suggest that OST (as the meeting approach) might be getting in the way of the larger discussion. Even worse, I facetiously (jokingly) invited everybody to join "The Imperial Society of Wave Riders!" Well you can imagine the uproar this caused. Here I am suggesting that we eliminate OST and become imperialists! Not a good day -- but I do think the proposed discussion has merit. In fact from where I sit it may just be the most important discussion we could have.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Given the state of the world (no need for detailed analysis) superior human performance achieved in a peaceful fashion seems like a very good idea. Or put another way how do we find the intelligence and energy to deal with the massive issues we face without killing each other? I believe that the 25 year Open Space experiment has clearly shown that superior performance in a peaceful manner can be achieved any time we open space. It may not be perfect, but it works better than just about anything else, and for sure it is a lot less work. The reason for all this is that we are not really doing anything. Rather, we are inviting the system (business, family, organization) to do what it can do all by itself. Self organize. We are just helping people to notice that -- and when they do magic seems to happen. Peace and high performance show up. If we are honest about it, I think we might realize that OST is in some real ways a fraud and a joke, at least it becomes all that if we take credit for the power and effect of the process, and the special way that we might "do" it. Rather like taking credit for the power and effect of gravity -- which will continue no matter what we do!<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Anyhow, I believe the community that gathers here online (and anybody else who cares to join us) is uniquely positioned to engage in this discussion not just at a theoretical level but at a very solid practical level. We have the shared experience of hundreds of thousands of Open Spaces. And we have something else -- the shared experience of life in our community. As the world might see it the "Open Space Community" is a pretty strange thing. It has no boundaries, no formal organization, leadership, or corporate status. Membership is pretty much whoever shows up -- and the party has been going on for 25 years. Odd but very effective. Indeed there are multiple formal organizations in the world who with might greater effort have accomplished substantially less. Think about it! Multiple Global and regional meetings. A world wide reach. More training programs than you can name. And absolutely nobody is in charge. There has never been a Business Plan, and if a budget exists it has never been found. Is it all just a gossamer dream, a fanciful delusion, or something much deeper and more important? I vote for the latter. I think this is a conversation that needs to happen, not to the exclusion of all others, but this is where my passion is.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Anyhow I invite you to share and think about our common experience -- and let our experience be our guide. As a starting point we might just begin with invitation. What would happen if all our projects began with invitation as opposed to assignment?<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Harrison <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "> <o:p></o:p></div></div>* * ========================================================== OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a></span></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>*
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