Systems: The Emergence of Interconnectedness- Part One

"My pride became my affliction. I found myself imprisoned in the stronghold I had built. The day came when I wished to break my silence and found that I could not speak: the actor could no longer be distinguished from his role."

-James Baldwin

Our reality as we know it is composed of many systems, some better than others. All were created by people who it made sense for at the time. From the time we are born, we are forced into roles that aid in keeping our current systems intact. Many of us go through life without even questioning this. The problem with most systems today is that even though everything is inherently connected- these systems operate as if they are separate entities entirely, with no regard for how their actions may impact the larger system as a whole. Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing wholes. It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things and 'patterns of change' rather than static snapshots.

What makes a good system? We know that a system is a product of the interaction of its parts, not just the sum of its parts. You can have every part you need to build a bicycle- but until it is connected or assembled it ceases to be a bike- just a pile of parts with no clear intended use. The same goes for groups or organizations. You can have an All-Star roster, but until your team figures out how to plug in and utilize everyone's talent efficiently: creativity and productivity will most certainly suffer.

What if our intended outcome was not to be more productive- but to be more creative, more communicative, to actually be inspired while we work? What if productivity was the byproduct of people utilizing their talents while operating from a place of confidence and joy? I have a secret for you all: it is. That's only if we allow it to be though, the good news is that we don't have to reinvent the wheel. All good complex systems start with a simple system that works. We build and expand from there.

One aspect that is often overlooked when picking and choosing your team is compatibility. You cant build with everyone. That is something that has become abundantly clear to me over the years. Often times chains come disguised as gifts. We have to be mindful so as not to chain ourselves to sinking systems. As humans, we become encumbered by the sunken cost fallacy. - when we have invested time, money, and resources into something. It's easier to cling to it in hopes that it will pan out and that everything wasn't for nothing.

Enter discernment.

Pride and shame are two sides of the same coin. They will have you hanging on to people, places, and things that aren't for you. Quicksand of the mind. It inhibits our ability to think and act rationally. When we are centered in self we are not concerned with how our decisions and actions affect the greater whole. Anchored in these emotions we are separated from our true nature. If we are not in touch with our true nature how can we do our best work? Shame had me accepting less than I deserve and constantly giving more than I had in order to find validation from those who would never truly value me. Pride told me that I've come so far so many times, if I just hold out it will get better and then I won't have to look like a failure to whomever may be watching. Releasing both of those feelings showed me my path forward.

My friend and comrade Dare always talks about not letting the interpersonal become personal and it's something that I think about a lot. So many good organizations have suffered and even collapsed because of this. That is one of the most challenging aspects of cooperative work. When we have clear written expectations and roles it takes out the guesswork for everyone involved. When there is a breakdown in the system it can be identified and corrected. It's not to say that there won't be bumps in the road- but having a strategy in place to handle those bumps goes a long way. It allows your team to build trust in its practices and each other- and to be assured that everyone knows their role and will play it. Without trust, you cannot have an efficient system. If you don't trust your people then what are you even building? That's an excellent place to start.

I will elaborate more on ideas and strategies for building effective systems in another post.

In the meantime, I'd like to hear what you all think in the comments:

What makes a system a good system?

What are some methods you've found helpful in creating systems in your daily life?

In what ways have pride and or shame kept you stagnant in your work?

Amber Alyn

They|Them|Theirs

Finding My Place in Craft: Home is where your people are.

From a young age, I was keenly aware that how I thought about and approached life differed vastly from my peers and family. I often found myself studying people and their responses in different social situations. Part of this practice felt wrong- like I was a spy on a super top-secret mission to learn how to behave like a normal human being. Needless to say, that mission has yet to be fruitful, and over time I have come to accept that I will never be able to operate in all of the ways that are deemed normal. Maybe sometimes- but certainly not all the time. Just recently- as I am approaching my mid 30's I am learning to be not just okay with that- but actually comfortable with it.

I often find it challenging to relate deeply with others because so much of what we are taught to do is lie- about how you are feeling, about your day. Small talk has always seemed like a carefully curated container of falsehoods that I wanted no part in. In the past, I spent so much of my time questioning the intentions of others. This is because so often people's words don't align with their energy. Why is it so hard for us to tell the truth? Being a truth seeker in this world is rife with pain and confusion if you are not grounded within yourself.

One thing that I often tell people that ask me about my life up until now- is that those who know me know that I have lived many lives in this lifetime. I grew up at the intersection, (at times crossfire) of many conflicting agendas. For the most part, I grew up in rural Southern Illinois born to a white mother with Southern Baptist roots from what is known as Wyoming in Blackfeet Territory. My father, as far as I know (and that's not much) is a native black man with roots to what is known as Southern Tennessee and Mississippi in unseated Choctaw and Quapaw Territory. I do not know my father's side of the family, but I do hope that will change in time. My mothers family is racist, homophobic, and utterly intolerable. I am the blackest of black sheep in their eyes. Despite the fact that her entire family did well for themselves, we were poor.

Being raised in poverty gives you a different sort of outlook on life. The ability to look beyond what is on the surface and see the layers and the nuance. Creation is born out of necessity. You learn how to make more with less, to make things stretch. You find new ways to repurpose the old and bring life back to things others might just discard. To this day I have a gut reaction to throwing away food. Even if I know that it is spoiled beyond use. It physically hurts to waste it, and so much of that was tied to my relationship with survival growing up. My need or desire to not waste was often riddled with shame. Now I see that some really positive and effective systems I have today were born from some really negative experiences in my life and for that, I can be thankful. Often I think society measures success by how much you can afford to waste. Bigger, bolder, more extravagant- but to what end?

I started this part of my journey as an Urban Farmer in St Louis. I was operating the farm mostly alone and I was making no money. I realized that I needed infrastructure to expand and keep moving and after some research, realized that hiring someone was completely out of the question and I would have to learn as much as I could myself. I had some experience in the trades up to that point but mostly just demolition, helper tasks, and building simple garden boxes. Enter my first teacher, Paul. A master builder and furniture maker this guy was good. Real good. He was also getting older and looking for someone to pass his knowledge down to while building his dream Tiny Home. The timing and alignment were perfect. We needed each other and we both learned a lot. Over the course of my time there I was introduced to methods that dated back centuries, up until the present day and my world exploded. I won't say that I forgot about farming. I will always return to the land in that way- but I took a HARD pivot FAST. Still to this day when I look back on our time together things that he taught me are still processing and downloading. The more that I learn the more I am able to recall and integrate my teachings. I grew out of that place- as we do and had to move on. I am learning still that you can honor what you've learned from others without allowing their journey and their process to take up too much real estate in your mind. It can be a challenging line to walk, but the lesson for me has consistently been that honoring myself always produces my best result.

I've worked for many companies who have done beautiful work in their own right- but at what cost? I learned so much about systems during my time in residential new construction. Mostly that a great system cannot actually be great if the harm that it causes significantly outweighs the benefit or the end product. Watching wildlife being actively displaced. and angry red-faced men yelling at ducks and all but running them over for crossing a road (one that we literally just built) where the forest used to be with a lake view. Those views we are parceling for a million plus a pop. It made my soul scream in ways I've yet to find the words for. But damn those stupid ducks right? Not to mention the tons and tons of waste we are constantly trucking out- a lot of it not really waste at all. It's infuriating- we have these big brains and all of this individual and collective power and this is how we are using it?

No one else ever seemed too bothered, and if they were they never talked about it. I would look around and see no one like me. Not black, not queer, not a tree-loving snowflake in sight. That's not to say I never found common ground with my peers, on the contrary- it was mandatory to find something to maintain my sanity. BUT where are MY people? and why aren't they here? The answers to that question have painfully revealed themselves over time. Some are obvious- others maybe not so much. I will dig deeper into and unpack those reasons here as I continue this journey.

Historically, or as they tell it at least- building is a space for men. It is hard work and requires brute strength and the ability to totally disregard your body's needs and warning signs to complete the mission at hand. Even in the midst of pain and discomfort... but does it really?

Who decided? Not me and I would like to opt out of that narrative. I work hard. I am very physically strong, but my mental strength is one of my greatest. I am also tender. I don't have to kill myself to do great work. None of us do. I can get easily overstimulated and appreciate gentle direct communication in the environments I spend the most time in. I also need space to articulate myself in ways that aren't foreign to me. I have yet to find a space where that is accessible for me and I know many of us feel the same. I know that when I have the space to do the things I need to care for myself, I do my best work and am the most connected to others.

Imagine a world where we could all have our ideal set and setting. Now imagine all that we could collectively accomplish if we all showed up equipped and ready to put our best selves forward.

That is the world I am building for myself and others who have struggled to find a place to dream, create, and contribute while living in their whole entire truth.

What is your ideal set and setting? In what ways are you showing up in your daily life that don't align with your spirit? How can you cultivate more experiences that align with your true nature?

Welcome: Creating Space for World Building and Connection

Welcome to a new world. One of our creation.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. This has been a long time coming and I am thankful to finally be at a place where I can commit to a consistent writing practice. My goal with this space is to share relevant information I find along my journey including tips, tools, processes, and guest expertise.

*Amber of Driftwood Alchemy watches quietly as Kohei Yamamoto of Somakosha lays out and marks the timber before laying out the facets for rounding during a Japanese Timber Framing course in Sandpointe, ID June 2023. . So much can be learned simply through observation .

This is a space that is open to envisioning, collaboration, and world-building. I welcome all feedback (constructive). Please utilize the comment section and let's get these conversations started. If you find the content especially useful, it is my hope that you share it with your network, and or make a contribution to support our work.

You can expect bi-weekly posts on a variety of topics including my lived experience being a Black|Queer|Non-Binary|Neurodivergent Builder, Natural Building Practices, Design, DIY: How to Series, Building Land Trusts and Housing Security, and more.

If there are any topics you'd like me to cover- or start an open discussion about drop your suggestions in the comments!

Amber Alyn

They|Them|Theirs