Team Tree

Though the smallest gathering so far, this may well have been the one that raised the most passionate responses in all those taking part.

in the first half of the evening we split into two groups to explore the pros and cons of all working by yourself and working in a team respectively. What was interesting was that one group really closely followed the facilitators suggestion, and looked for the negative and positive sides of certain aspects, whereas the other went for a much more organic approach and explored possibilities of working together in a very imaginative and light-hearted way.

Each aspect was written as a key word on a post it note and placed on the whiteboard for all to see.

Between the two groups, we soon had a really comprehensive picture of how working together is not only in most cases preferable, but also highly practical - enabling you to share skills and ideas, and most importantly tea and biscuits.

After a break for warm banana bread and crudites, we dived straight into the core of the evening - creative ecology. Using the image of a tree, we explored everything that the tree might need to grow and bear fruit, from pollinating insects and wind, to water and mulch and soil.

With this image in mind we looked at the process of bringing a creative project to its successful completion, and the parallels were easy to see. Not only do most creative projects involve more people and resources than many of us would think, but also the climate and timing
are vital too.

To close the evening we carried out an exercise in abundance, with each member asking the group for a specific resource or information - this quick exercise had inspiring and immediate results as we found that many of the answers already lay in the group.

We are already planning our next session - creative tools, and would love you to join us...