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Hi Phelim,<br><br>
Thank you for your insights about being an inside facilitator. Very
enlightening! :)<br><br>
Michaels comments are also right on the mark. Great exchange, made me
learn a few things today for which I am grateful :)<br><br>
Warmly from a somewhat chilly Utrecht,<br><br>
Koos<br><br>
At 10:43 17-5-2011, Phelim wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Hi Harold,<br><br>
Aha.. Yes I have my special edition of Seth's "Poke the box."
complete with "No Free Lunch," poster! His challenges are
pretty useful to entertain. What you talk about is pretty much how I got
into open space. I started doing it because I saw some situations I
wished were better and followed the recipe. Requests to do open space
gigs followed elsewhere. This month we will be doing one of our regular
OS evening events for the arts world about what happens now that
our arts funding cuts announcements have happened. Here's the link
to the invite.<br><br>
<a href="http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a5189ca3fc76859d6e74c21e3&id=863ec71dce&e=a24d55ee54">
http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a5189ca3fc76859d6e74c21e3&id=863ec71dce&e=a24d55ee54</a>
<br><br>
We set up one every month and partner up with a venue who usually support
the event by giving us the space. They get to meet a passionate theatre
crowd and call there own issues if they desire. The following month
it's going to be about the conflicting issues around theatre critics and
new theatre bloggers who come see theatre shows before they open. Very
juicy. Recent topics have been: women in theatre, queer theatre, theatre
architecture, puppetry in theatre etc.. Sometimes we leave a slot totally
open for people to just bring up anything they are devoted or disgruntled
about. If we notice an issue that's in the air we often approach someone
who feels strongly about it to write the invite. Someone who we know will
pull people in. Sometimes we ask two people to write the invite to get
more diversity in the reach. Overall this feeds into our big annual
Devoted and Disgruntled and keeps the gathering new faces as well as
regulars. Our smaller evening open spaces are also a great training dojo
for new people in the company to facilitate. <br><br>
When I came to San Fransisco Wosonos I was surprised by some people's
strong reaction to the idea of me facilitating open spaces that were
about my own issue. I remember someone jokingly making the sign of the
cross at me (like you do to vampires) when I said I myself was going to
facilitate an OS for a big show I was going to be directing. <br><br>
Now I understand the impulse. I think it's one about knowing that a big
ingredient of good facilitation is detachment... From outcomes and things
going well etc. But I just think it's not true that you can't do that
around your own work. One of the reasons I recognised I'd been working in
OS for years was the similarity in OS and stage improvisation skills. The
fact is you just can't do good improvised scenes if you want them to turn
out good! You have to drop your plan or agenda. It's not possible. So the
practice is how to be happy about whatever outcome there is and stay
present. The origin of it is probably the situation where the big boss
wants to facilitate cos she wants to push an agenda. So we suggest.. no
it's best if someone who isn't so invested holds the space.<br><br>
However I sometimes wonder if this idea has created an unconscious
"middle man" distancing us from our own passions in our work.
Or the idea that the open spaces we do are dependent on there being a
client out there. <br><br>
Anyway I agree with Seth. Harrison has said it too and Barry in different
ways.. don't wait for a client to create your business. Be your
business. Poke that box and go create some space!<br><br>
Love<br><br>
Phelim <br><br>
________________________________<br><br>
I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the working
day. I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If it is urgent
please call me on 07956 187298. <br>
_____________________________________<br><br>
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@openspacer<br><br>
<br>
On 17 May 2011, at 00:37, Harold Shinsato
<<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com">harold@shinsato.com</a>>
wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">I just read this in Seth Godin's
latest tract - "Poke the Box". I've heard occasionally that
some folks are having trouble making ends meet as Open Space Technology
facilitators. Yet others seem to be doing ok. I've been wishing I could
do this full time - go out - get clients - and facilitatre OST
conferences full time - but Seth's quote kind of threw that back at
me.<br><br>
<br>
"My friend Jessica wants to be a conference organizer. You can hire
her and she'll sweat every single detail of your event. Give her the
attendee list, the venue, and the agenda, and the conference will go off
without a hitch.<br><br>
"The problem with this plan is that it involves being picked by the
event promoter. If she gets picked often, it's a fine living. If she can
negotiate a fair payday, it's a fine living. But Jessica must pitch the
promoter, hat in hand.<br><br>
"So... why not be the promoter, the initiator, the one in charge and
responsible?"<br><br>
- Seth Godin, Poke the Box, p. 25<br><br>
<br>
This sounds a lot more like the spirit of OST than going out looking for
clients who want to do OST events. This is very personal for me as
Missoula BarCamp's OST event happens on Saturday. I went out and just got
it started - but it's not exactly a money maker at this point. But what
Seth says, just initiating cool OST events, sounds a lot more juicy than
trying to pitch OST facilitation.<br><br>
Any enlightenment anyone? What's the path to abundant full time Open
Space living?<br><br>
-- <br>
Harold Shinsato<br>
<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com">harold@shinsato.com</a><br>
<a href="http://shinsato.com/" eudora="autourl">http://shinsato.com</a>
<br>
twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/hajush">@hajush</a><br>
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