Ep 85 Brenna Quinlan - ‘Moonthly’ Cycles, Sociocracy and a Weekly Dose of ’Soupie’.

Much has changed since we last spoke with this  illustrating educator.  She shares the ins & outs of life in a house truck, seeking ‘normalcy’ while building her new home in WA & her lived experience of life in intentional communities all over the world.   She delights at her recent discovery of sociocracy as a tool for empowering  and engaging individuals and we delve into her efforts to stay kind, creative and connected in this time of great transition.

Episode Summary

Becoming comfortable with really big changes
Her tick boxes for the place she is happy to live in
Life in their vegetable oil truck - big red bev
Creating her own vision with partner Charlie McGee
Sourcing her food without having a place to grow it herself
Creating a life that is less transitory
Land ownership was always an elusive idea
Finding safe places to live by trading social capital 
Building a long term home
Coming to terms with a forever home and think long term - building soil, growing perennial crops,
Using legacy thinking to make your decisions
Throwing her creative energies behind making change
New Year ceremony - writing a recap of previous year and hopes for the coming year
Animals really tie us to the deep ancestral seasonal existence, sun up, sun down
Moonthly cycle - celebrating every full moon with your people
The fund and games of building your own home
Living in a 2 x 3 metre truck 
Breaking the cycle of the endless to-do list
The nitty gritty of life in an intentional community Peace Street community
Her lived experiences of life in intentional communities all over the world
Sociocracy - details of this process in action
Dividing into working groups for action and accountability
Defining your roles in a new social environment
Designing her home using permaculture design thinking
Moments of reflection are an investment in a future work life balance.
”Sometime by taking a step back allows different and new ideas to flourish that take more than one step forward”
Tuning into creativity when things are quiet
Why hope sits in action
The main thing we need right now if for everybody who can - to do something, no matter how small
Seeking feedback loops which connect you to the issues surrounding us
Sourdough isn't going to save the world but if it connects all the middle class people in the world to do something then this is where the awakening will occur.
Observing how differently people approach the art of creating ripples.
We’re in this for the long haul - there isn't time for weekend activism
The role of the arts in making sense of the challenges and our response to it.
“Soupie” a community gathering excuse
Kindness for humanity lessons from around the globe
Finding ways to be happy with not much
Most of the world lives with so much less than what Australians call normal
If we have privilege and we live lives of abundance, the least we can do is actively contribute to our community.

References

Transition towns

Australian Food Sovereignty alliance

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