The ‘creative tension’: a guiding light
Last week, I held a speech at the ClimaNow Spotlight Event, the evening where the finalists pitched their solutions to reduce the FOODprint of Switzerland. The brief was a 10min inspiring and motivating input, on the topics of visions and solutions.
I sat at my laptop for hours, acutely aware of a world in flames, the suffering of innocent people, hatred towards people based on ethnicity or religion spiking, and how we collectively are so far away from reaching the climate goals we absolutely must reach to sustain a decent future for humanity on this finite planet. Wondering what I could possibly say that would do reality justice, whilst also being 'inspiring'.
I came back to a concept that has allowed me to keep going in the face of challenges often: the creative tension by Peter Senge. This concept proposes that as changemakers, we need to be fully cognisant of the present reality. We cannot deny or bypass it. At the same time, we need to remain connected to the future potential. To that which we know to be possible, to our hope, and our visions for the future.
If we are only connected to the present reality, we risk becoming depressed, cynical, or apathetic. If we are only wrapped in what could be, we are detached, unable to enact change on the ground, perhaps even a little delusional. In both extremes, we are not contributing to moving forward.
Hence, it is in the creative tension between present reality and future potential that changemakers act. It's by being connected to both what is, and to what could be, that we can make a contribution.
So this is what I started with. In dark times, daring to stand up with our hope, to raise our voice for a better future, and to strive to embody our visions is all the more important. Without denying reality, simply choosing not to give up, and staying in that creative tension, can be a powerful thing.
It can also be a scary thing, to stand up for your values and dare to challenge the status quo. Sharing your vision is making yourself vulnerable. So kuddos to all of you out there doing this day by day, no matter what naysayers or even spiteful messages land in your inbox.
I see you.
None of us choose where we were born, or when. None of us did anything in particular to deserve one fate, or the other. Not in my worldview, anyways. But I truly believe that is our responsibility to do our best with the cards we were dealt. For those of us who were dealt cards of privileges such as a safe and peaceful country, male privilege, white privilege, cis privilege, generational wealth, or any other form of advantage, I don’t believe hating ourselves or living in perpetual guilt is the answer. This typically only leads to inaction or defensive mechanisms against change. Rather, I believe it’s our responsibility to face reality, accept it for what it is, and do our best to make our contribution towards a more just and beautiful future from where we are, in whatever way we can.
In doing so, we might find that we mutually support each other, that we can work together towards our shared goals. But even if we don’t get into contact directly, one person daring to shine their light and make up their contribution can inspire and give hope to another. Sometimes, witnessing someone else’s courage can light up my own. And as such, I remind ourselves that as we stand in the creative tension, all in our own unique ways, we are not alone. We are many. We stand together, as far as the eye can see.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
