Future Culture

Although I'm no longer in the "art world" I have been working on developing ideas for a culture that survives the coming crises. IF we survive as a species it will be because we pivoted quickly to a civilization that is not self-destructive.

So I will share with you some of the ideas I've been working on:

Purpose:  We are creative, social creatures and are fundamentally denied life in a civilization that forces us to spend our time grinding nature into money. I envision a future where people spend a majority of their time on relationships, creative enterprise, enjoying nature and discussing ideas. (The kinds of things we dream of doing in retirement!) Our hi-tech society can support that kind of life if we live more simply. I long for a civilization that values human beings over the economy, interchange over business, art and ideas over domination and subjugation of nature.

Travel:  I envision a future where very few people travel from one place to another as if there was no distance in between, but rather, (through an integrated rail-sail system) experience those places. A full human life includes both productive activity and leisure. There is no reason (other than making money is quickly as possible by ignoring human aliveness) not to live both at once. Immediate business can be done remotely. When travel is necessary, we could travel to a distant location while enjoying the countryside, meeting other travelers and natives of the regions we traverse.

Hotels:  Hotels were designed in the 19th century to give travelers the sense of what living like the other half was like: having a staff to look after one. But we need a new vision for this century of what travel is about. I envision a future where hotels are few but most people live in B&B-style home environments, where travelers meet each other in our great variety, giving each a chance to hear the stories of those who travel along side us, Canterbury-Tales-style.

Institutions:  I envision a future with re-tooled institutions, like:

Community Universities, where––beyond training individuals to be curious and inquisitive but giving them no tools for action–– any creative person or group with an idea could access a university-like system of workshops, departments, experts, labs, etc. where any useful or beautiful idea produced within a community could be brought to life and shared. This would encourage not only ideas that make money but those that enhance human flourishing.

Churches, designed not to promote one single path to finding the divine, but to nurture the searching individual in their quest for wisdom through any and all traditions, allowing the individual to find their own preferred path. Church buildings could reflect contemplative spaces geared toward meaningful community rituals, group spiritual events, etc. without dogma or coercion. All are searching for something.

Hospitals for the Healthy -hospitals where any person could go, not primarily for a medical emergency, but to address any need the person may feel, such as loneliness, ennui, angst, listlessness, in short any condition where a person feels they could use some guidance, help, training or encouragement. We all need help at times.

We all could help thinking about how to move forward. What do you think we can improve?