Capstone Life & Career Review - PreCapstone Journey through Output Packets

Link to my OP 1a : Life & Career Review

Summary

 Through observation and selection, I design the story of my life through the lens of a permaculture project.  This output packet represents the assessment and visioning of the story of my life seen through the lens of Mollison's and Holmgren's principles.  I incorporate the metaphor of water -- embracing easeful flow -- as my primary objective: a balanced happy life mimicking nature.     I hope to discover and reveal myself as an observant learner and reflector creatively responding to life's opportunities.   I gain insight into patterns, tools and methods embedded in my personal and cultural mythologies.

 Key Outcomes

• Conscious reflection of where I have come to in my life
• Realization that I allow life to present the opportunities and I create the stories.  I am cultivating an active interest in activating life, creating my destiny through action rather than story.  
• Recognition that I write too often in the passive voice.  
• Assembled all of the certifications, organizations, degrees, etc. .  into the best resume/portfolio I’ve had in years. 

Link to OP 1b : Learning Intentions & Pathway Design

Summary

The Learning Intentions and Pathway Designs outlines projects and goals that I aspire toward in my lifetime -- concentrating specifically upon this next year.   It includes a description of 3 projects I am currently undertaking, the 10 output packets I intend to accomplish in my Gaia U program and lists of skills that I both currently have and/or hope to develop.   There are several timelines (one specific to Gaia U OP's, one a general timeline for the next year including work and personal and other study).  There are several mindmaps and concrete next steps to achieve some of the goals I have and skills I hope to develop.  

Key Outcomes

• Spent part of the dark season of the winter soulstice intending in what direction I wished to point my life
• Good practice in creating timelines and summaries of projects (including my life) that I wish to design. 
• Good recognition of the many skills that I have and inspiration of so much I hope to do.  

Link to OP 2: Rethinking Energy

Summary

In Rethinking Energy, I aim to deepen the conventional conception of energy and demonstrate the value of renewable energy.  I share perspective on what energy is,  global consumption and production.  I hope to teach PDC classes on Solar and Renewable Energies and inspire more investment in this technology.  I use the design and implementation of my 1.12 kWatt solar system in Baja, Mexico as a personal lens into a 2 hour class on renewable energy.  Specifically, within the design of a solar system, I discuss pros and cons of grid tie and batteries and how to size solar systems and articulate the key components of a PV solar system and how it works.   Sharing the joys and the challenges of running a 1 acre homestead on 1.12 kwatts on solar power and good design to move forward as a culture with good energy policy.

Key outcomes:
    •    “It depends” is the answer to many questions because so many aspects of solar power (indeed anything) can find solutions along many paths.   There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
    •    The sun, water (including storage), chi, living soil, trees, and seeds represent the most renewable energies and are where I am most interested in investing resources.
    •    Deep understanding of current electrical and energy use and where that production is coming from.  I grok how much fossil fuels are being burned to satisfy our energy addiction. I deeply understand that we are a consumptive society. 
    •    Confidence in explaining key features of how a solar system works (both grid tied and battery based)  and how to size a system.
    •    Understanding the economics of solar power in 2013.  It still is a god investment with some of the federal and state rebates in any area with more than 3.5 noon suns averaging over the year. (and this is not assuming greatly increased conventional energy prices.)
    •    The politics of energy being related to money, values, and in place power structures.
    •    I uploaded my first ever youtube video which felt exciting on a digital literacy level and on presenting myself as a teacher.

Link to OP 3: Land of Milk & Honey

Summary

"In today’s society, many people have lost the homescale food production knowledge that humans used for thousands of years both to connect with nature and feed themselves. This hands-on workshop is an introduction to and celebration of the farmstead arts."  Thus reads the introduction to a course that I teach at Esalen Institute each spring.  This OP documents this workshop functioning both as a living document of the experience and a practical guide for cheesemaking and beekeeping.  In the farmstead arts tradition and in the theme of cultures, I include a page on microbiology and fermentation that we weave into this cultured workshop.    I would like people to go away from this workshop or OP with a respect for the unseen microorganisms all around and within us, and a sense of knowing how to make cheese and keep bees.  I hope many are inspired that these microorganism and bee cultures provide wonderful nourishment for both our personal and global health. 

Key outcomes

• Digital literacy is growing, certain skills learned in OP 1 (like links) are becoming second nature.
• Increased awareness and execution of presenting information that I have researched and accumulated.
• Fermentation awareness growing with culturing my own kefir and other milk products, using the kefir “whey” to lactoferment beet water and cranberry/pomegranite chutneys.  Realizing that the difference between ethanol fermentation and lactic fermentation is the outcome of alcohol or lactic acid.  
• Greater awareness and supporter of  Top Bar Hives. 
• Health — our worlds health from the smallest bacteria and bee culture to Gaia herself is completely interconnected.  
• Causality.  There is no one item causing CCD; but rather a myriad array of atrocities perpetuated by greed and growth that are not reflecting on the process  — only the product.  
• My biggest learning is a synthesis of understanding that most of our modern problems are a function of scale and that we have been making everything bigger since the industrial revolution -- literally fueled by petroleum. That global scale values efficiency hence, mono-cropping, queen rearing, etc. and consequently loses resiliency. The collapse of the bees are the canary in the coal mine informing our own fate if we don't apply good design to our food systems and lives.

Link to OP 4 Designing Design : Lens of Catering and OPs

Summary

This OP utilized my 2014 NCDC catering gig as a touchstone/launchpad to build and recognize my tools and methods as a designer.   This project focuses upon my skillflex as designer, I chose to examine the design process both for creating an OP and for designing a catering event.    This OP has provided me the initiative, tools and awareness to streamline my catering gigs through good design:  templates for accounting, ordering, contracts, sample menu, recipes, action sheets, material data sheets, employees, so that I may arrive at events with all the necessary food and equipment.

Key Outcomes

OP Outcomes

• Clarity that all Output Packets have at least 2 designs embedded within them: the core report and the OP itself.
• I  am a designer.
• Use concise articulate language to tell people what I am telling them. (At university as an English major, the erudite patterns of metaphor and illusion revealed the meaning only to a select few.)
• I created templates and outlines to use in future OP’s.

Core Report Outcomes

• I created templates, recipes and feedback loops to use in future catering events.  
• Recognized that templates and automation are different design strategies responding to the iterative nature of the world. 
• Design feedback loops (for self and others when managing) to implement growth from the iterative nature of the design.
• Use concise articulate language to communicate with employees.  Create clear agreements. 

Link to OP 5: Learning to Learn

Summary

In this Output packet, I examine the last 16 months of my life through various filters, primarily focusing upon what I've learned and how I learn, the content and the process.  Each filter represents a single thread that is woven with the many others to form a tapestry that reinforces itself through multiple perspectives.  There is not single thread but the 5P's play a starring role as do "Tools of Gaia" and "Pathway through the OP's."My lens is often through the Gaia worldview and in some respects a meta approach of learning about how I learn and discovering action learning as it relates to my life, projects and pathway.  I examine Liam as Learner, Designer & Leader. I reflect on the many tools GaiaU has placed in my toolbox and especially there ramification upon me as a learner.

Key outcomes

    •    Through Gaia, I have embraced design methodologies and many useful skills and tools for project design and management.
    •    Gaia has shined a light upon types of learning and I am embracing active experimentation for maximum growth potential.
    •    I am digitally literate.
    •    I have gained a deeper acceptance and confidence of doing the work that I love
    •    A website, an in depth portfolio, a vision and an acceptance
    •    Maturation as a healer, a permaculture designer and a chef (including managing sizable catering gigs)