3. Integration

It is clear that I have abundant interests & my permaculture thinking means I see the connections between diverse areas, but how does one refine this to a manageable workload? How can we ensure we are not repressed my reductionist thinking but focused enough to achieve specific outcomes that specialism generates?

Looking at how integration - by seeing the patterns, potential beneficial connections & multifunctional opportunities - can benefit my life has been a key part of the Zone 00 process.

To find these potential beneficial connections I undertook the following design processes:

• Created a table with all of my interest areas on either side, filling in cells with how each area could support the other (see right)

• Identify opportunities generated by writing a large full list

I then applied my own filters which included:

• Questioning if they are tangible & realistic
• Deciding if they are feasible & desirable at present (if not defering them)
• Applying my own ethical criteria

Deciding Priorities

With such abundant interests & strong awareness of the connectivity of areas, deciding priorities has also been a personal challenge.

In order to apply design analysis, I created the table as can seen on sheet two of this integration section. The aim of the table was to help me organize my thoughts & feelings so that I can ensure all projects will:

• Be as congruent with my beliefs & values as possible
• Be realistic in terms of energy, so that I know whether tasks should be designed to maximize or collaboration or whether a projects success will depend on my leadership e.g. self-employment
• If the project area will be high yielding enough to meet my social & ecological criteria
• If there is a way that the project can be regenerative or multifunctional, rather than depending on ‘activist/unpaid energy’.

In addition to this I also wanted to acknowledge if my work was balanced e.g. not all resistance ‘fighting’ led, but balanced with local & practical work, hence the circles of connection in the venn diagram. The projects at the edges show the collaboration between two areas and I feel that the ones closes to the centre & on the edges are most congruent with who I am. This has been a liberating design exercise that should hopefully give me the focus I need for my energy.