POLLY SUPERSTAR

On the radio with Sexploration with Monika

2011-12-20T12:28:00.001-08:00

Being on the radio with Monika was like hanging out with Monika for an hour talking about the things we love. Only you get to hear it... http://sexplorationwithmonika.libsyn.com/webpage/sexual-economics-monogamy-scarcity-and-creating-abundance-in-your-pants-

Sex- Positive

2011-12-08T20:03:00.001-08:00

Let’s face it, sex has a bad rap. It’s cited as nothing short of the root of all evil by many religions- our sexual desire being held responsible for our fall from grace. Thinly veiled snake references and mass misogyny have left our sub consciouses seething with guilt and self hatred at our lack of self control. Our culture is the classic result of sex negativity, so predictable you could laugh if it wasn’t do damned tragic. Little girls are given padded bras and high heels before they reach puberty. An alarming amount of ‘celibate’ holy men are found to be relieving their frustrations with children. Our pornography is exploitative, cliched, formulaic and pervasive, earning billions of dollars for a small elite of people who don’t even remember what’s sexy anymore. Sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies rise unchecked because of archaic sex eduction which supports abstinence from sex as the only form of protection. Our hampered judicial system considers rape victims to be ‘accusers’ and forces them to prove their innocence in a demoralizing process of public interrogation. Young people discovering themselves to be trans gender or homosexual risk ostracizing themselves from their families and friends by even mentioning it, staying ‘in the closet’ and suppressing their truth. According to the Massachusetts 2006 Youth Risk Survey, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual classmates. I could go on, but this is getting depressing.

Wilhelm Reich, the Austrian-American psychoanalyst of the mid 20th Century responsible for coining the phrases ‘Sex Negative’ and ‘Sex Positive’ stated “some societies accept the inherent value of sexual expression and indeed insist on it as a prerequisite of mental health, while other human groups despise sexuality and are ceaselessly inventive in devising austerities and prohibitions as a means of social control.” The level of sex negativity in our culture is more than just unhealthy- it’s psychotic.

We have had the incredible good fortune to land ourselves in these amazing bodies which can bring us such great pleasure, I couldn’t imagine for a minute that was a mistake, or some kind of cruel test. If there is some sort of omnipotent being watching over us, I don’t believe that s/he would be so petty as to give us these bodies but deny us the pleasure that spills from them so easily. It’s totally illogical. Let me clarify for a moment that I am not a free love idealist, believing that we should all have sex with each other all the time like bonoebos. Sex is intimate and precious, and just as you would with any relationship, you should create standards and boundaries that work for you. If there is a scale with abstinence at one end and promiscuousness at the other, it’s up to each of us to discover what works for us, and changing or adapting to new circumstances- none of the places on that scale are right or wrong.

It is true that sex can bring things up for us that can be scary, particularly as we have been raised in such sex negative culture and so many people are survivors of abuse. We store a lot of pent up frustrations, phobias, and hang ups in our sexuality, and facing that can be intimidating. Like a super charged microcosm of our personality, if it’s approached with awareness, sex can be a button we can push for a fast track of personal growth. I firmly believe that one night exploring a sex positive environment like Kinky Salon can replace years of therapy. With that said, there can also be some pretty intense side effects. While your experience might have opened something up in you, brought up forgotten memories, or made you face something important, how that effects you afterwards is just as important. It can be easy to retreat back into shame, self hatred or just old fashioned confusion. This is why it’s important to have a ‘sex positive community’ rather than just a ‘sex positive party’. Creating a supportive and loving community is an essential part of the equation. We need to be there for each other.

Sex By Numbers in the East Bay Express

2011-12-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago a journalist from the East Bay Express interviewed me for an article on Polyamory. We sat and chatted over tea, putting the world to rights and talking about The Bigger Picture- how I see Polyamory and Sex Postivity as really great ways to learn about yourself, become a better person, and ultimately to be able to relate to the world in a more healthy way. The sexy parties that we throw at Mission Control are not just a hedonistic, narcissistic free fall into the apocalypse- although they might sometimes look that way from the outside. In a world that can be pretty scary and lonely, our events harness community spirit, foster connectedness and create real intimacy for hundreds of consenting adults every month.

The article ended up being interesting, but it's pretty basic and one dimensional. I guess it's a lot to ask to expect a mainstream newspaper to do anything more than that. She describes me as a 'Johnny Appleseed' which I think is hilarious. It conjures a picture of me spraying my polyamorous seed across America. LOL.

Anyway- here's the article http://www.eastbayexpress.com/gyrobase/sex-by-numbers/Content?oid=3056335&storyPage=1

ENJOY

Mono/Poly Dating Game!

2011-12-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

Last night I was honored to speak on a panel at The Commonwealth Club- moderated by the marvelous Violet Blue. It was a fun, conversational, lively discussion about dating in San Francisco. I will post the video once it's up on youtube.

I made these cards (which are a spoof on the 'Monopoly' game) to give out to people and get them talking at the afterparty which was hosted at a bar down the street. They had conversation starters, dating tips, bad chat up lines and of course a "get out of awkward first date free" card. I have to admit I cracked myself up when I realized that Mono/Poly had such a perfect double meaning for the game. I'm thinking of developing it into a singles night.

Polly on Sex with Emily

2011-09-15T10:37:00.001-07:00

Listen up kids!
http://www.emilymorse.com/video?chartID=304&pid=55277

Polly on the radio!

2011-04-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

have a listen to my interview with Erik Davis on the Progressive Radio Network!

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/expanding-mind/2011/1/20/expanding-mind-012011.html

Couchsurfing the Gift Economy

2010-06-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

When contemplating the Gift Economy, it's easy to get overly simplistic and see it as functioning in a similar way to our current economy. From this perspective there is an exchange- one person offers something, another receives. Money makes it easy to balance this equation, so that both parties are valued. So does the gift economy simply mean that some people win and some people loose? Does one half of the transaction require blind faith that someone, somewhere will return the favor? In order to understand how the Gift Economy works, you have to remove yourself entirely from the mindset how our current economy works, and take up a new perspective.

The Gift Economy isn't about one person's needs versus another person's needs, tit for tat, and checks and balances. And it certainly isn't about the capitalist notions of winner takes all, last man standing, and each for himself. In the Gift Economy the catchphrases are more like co-creation, group potential and mutual goals. Where most transactions in our current economy are generated by one person's need, in the Gift Economy, transactions are motivated by shared goals.

Case Study: Couchsurfing.com

Couchsurfing.com is an online tool which connects globe-trotting travelers to free places to stay. It functions as a social networking tool, allowing people to connect via friends of friends to a global network of potential couches. When most people first join, they assume that in order to take advantage of this tool as a traveler, they must also offer their couch in exchange, allowing travelers to stay in their home in order to cash in on their credits to find their own free place to stay. This is a perfectly natural assumption to make, when looking at Couchsurfing from the perspective of our current economy. It seems obvious that the host who is offering the couch is the one 'giving' and the guest staying on the couch is 'taking'. However, the reality of the situation is that both parties are having their needs met at the same time, which is why it has become such a successful example of a Gift Economy. The guest has the most obvious benefits, but what about the host? Why would someone use a service like this to offer their couch to a stranger in the first place? There are a few reasons- perhaps they wish they could travel but don't have the time or money to, and so they offer their couch so that they can experience a person from another culture. Perhaps they enjoy spending time being a tourist in their own town and have fun when they have people to show around. Perhaps they want to practice speaking another language. Or perhaps they just want to meet someone interesting, who is outside of their normal experience. Once you have had a couple of people staying on your couch you realize that a hosts experience can be just as positive and rewarding as a guests. In fact, when you think about it, it's easy for someone to open their doors and offer a couch to a passing traveler, and it's actually the traveler who does most of the work. They have to pack up their things into a bag, get on a plane, travel long distances spending many hours and dollars getting to your doorstep. To be a host, all you have to do is open the door. The fascinating irony of the Couchsurfing community is that expectations are totally reversed, and the travelers are the ones who are highly valued. Having someone stay on your couch who is well traveled with friends all over the world and good stories to tell is not a drain on a host, but a boon! If the shared goal for Couchsurfing.com is cultural exchange, then travelers can actually hold more value than hosts!

When both parties in an exchange benefit from the transaction it creates a win-win situation, which does not require any money to level out the balance. When both parties share a mutual goal, then working towards that goal together and achieving the desired result is all the payback they need.

Is it too obvious to mention that good sex is a great example of such an exchange? Probably...

Social Artistry

2010-05-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

Humanity is perched on an evolutionary precipice where the choice is, literally, start making smarter choices or die. There are few scientists who would argue that continuing along the path we are currently on will lead to a catastrophe, and those who do are probably receiving a paycheck from a corporation, an oil company, or a government. Although generations before may have thought that their age was the most exciting and dramatic of all times, I think we officially steal the crown. Across the planet, elders from indigenous tribes are declaring this era a time of prophecy and transformation, the Hopis declare “We are the ones we have waited for”, the Mayans talk about 2012 being the end of humanity as we know it, and technology progresses on an exponential curve. So in this time of massive transformation, how are we supposed to prepare?

One of the forerunners in this field is Jean Houston. She works with leaders and governments in 40 cultures and 100 countries, helping people understand better how to prepare for this shift. She was one of the founders of the Human Potential Movement , as well as a long list of impressive accomplishments including the authoring of 26 books. One of her principle philosophies is that of 'Social Artistry' and she describes it as “The art of enhancing human capacities in the light of social complexity... Social Artists are leaders in many fields who bring the same order of passion and skill that an artist brings to his or her art form, to the canvas of our social reality.”

So the idea is that in order to maximize your potential as a human being, and play an effective role in global social transformation, you should live your life with passion and creativity. Sculpt your life, your work, your relationships and your community as if they were precious works of art, and bring your uniqueness and inspiration to every breath. But it's not just about your life, it's about co-creating with other people and being creative about how we approach society. This means it's time to question the norm, and carve out new social structures for our culture. If the social complexities of our time require people to learn how to live creatively, and that process in turn makes them more capable of taking a positive role in social transformation, then we should take every opportunity we can to practice.

Taking on a more creative approach to your life means that nothing is taken for granted anymore. Every interaction becomes a journey of discovery, and your conscious participation is essential. Rather than making assumptions about how things work, every aspect of culture is enriched with a new layer of meaning. In order to take part in global community and the complexity it provides, we must prepare ourselves on a local level by literally practicing on our friends! Our art becomes our community, our passion for living is expressed in the nuance of our interactions, and the resulting deepening of awareness prepares us for a cultural shift. We can do this in many ways, just as there are an infinite different styles of painting, and finding your unique perspective is a step in the process.

The passion of an artist is so fundamental to their existence it's like breathing. Their in-breath is as they absorb their surroundings , and their out-breath is as they return the gift to creation. In simple terms, a landscape artist might breathe in to observe a vista, and then breathe out paint it. The process keeps them alive, and is as essential as breath. For a social artist, their in-breath is observing, allowing, listening, and understanding and their out-breath is connecting, enriching, inspiring, and enlivening. As with any artist, they seek out opportunities to stretch their capabilities beyond what they could imagine.

One case study for such an opportunity is the conscious rebuilding of personal relationships. Consider the classic married couple as an example- there is an assumption in western culture that once you meet someone you fall in love with, you then get married and have children. This is a cultural norm, and not necessarily the ideal scenario for the people involved, and yet, most couples simply default to what is expected. As a social artist the approach is different, and every element of the relationship is considered, as an artist would mix a paint, with passion and creativity. The palette of a social artist includes elements such as respect, empathy, honor, self care, communication, healthy boundaries, surrender and compassion, and each of these elements is applied with intention and artistry. Making conscious decisions, negotiating your ideal relationship, and then learning to move forward with flexibility and understanding to create a path that really suits your lifestyles and personalities could be a Sistine Chapel to a social artist. Some couples might decide that they want to be monogamous and live a more traditional lifestyle- but that decision becomes conscious, rather than an unspoken expectation, and as years pass, their needs might change, and their relationship adapt to those needs. Alternatively they might discover that they both want to explore a less traditional model, and negotiating what kind of relationship works best for them becomes a lifelong dance of social artistry. By bringing awareness to these aspects of your life, you gain a deeper understanding of how to become more conscious, flexible, and empathic, enhancing your capacities and drawing you ever closer to your true potential as a human being.

Scarcity of Love?

2010-05-04T15:20:00.001-07:00

What's up with this death-grip and fear of scarcity? People are terrified that they will lose their jobs, their homes, and not be able to take care of their families. This grip of fear permeates everything, and the media makes it painfully clear that we should be afraid, and that we have everything to loose. This panic causes people to hoard their resources and look out for themselves, with generosity being seen as naïve. It causes corporations to cut wages and cut corners, making decisions purely based on financial results, without caring for the planet or the people. Rather than healthy capitalist competition, we have a system which rewards heartlessness and inhumanity. In short, the panic itself causes exactly what it was afraid of. It is a self perpetuating prophecy which results in poverty and economic disasters.

Bernard Lietaer, the distinguished economist, suggested that this fear is a result of the suppression of the Great Mother archetype in our culture. The following quote is from an interview with Sarah Van Gelder.

“[The Great Mother] has been violently repressed in the West for at least 5,000 years starting with the Indo-European invasions - reinforced by the anti-Goddess view of Judeo-Christianity, culminating with three centuries of witch hunts - all the way to the Victorian era.
If there is a repression of an archetype on this scale and for this length of time, the shadows manifest in a powerful way in society. After 5,000 years, people will consider the corresponding shadow behaviors as "normal." The question I have been asking is very simple: What are the shadows of the Great Mother archetype? I'm proposing that these shadows are greed and fear of scarcity”

But it's not only the economy that has been affected on such a fundamental level by this collective psychology, we have to look a little closer to home at matters of the heart to see another core aspect of our culture which has also fallen victim to it's influence. Supposedly one of the building blocks of our society is the nuclear family- it is cherished and protected, voraciously guarded by governments. We are told that family values underpin the morality of the nation, and that in order to find happiness we must find a partner, get married, and forsake all forms of sexual intimacy with everyone but that partner for the rest of our lives. As divorce statistics show, this is not an easy task. Even with all the cultural support for this model, it still fails 50% of the time.

There is a fear that love is scarce. That when you find it you have to hold on to it, put it in a box and save it all for yourself. The perception is that there is a finite amount of love available, and that if you keep it under lock and key it will be safe. If you don't guard your love then you might be the one who ends up out in the cold. With divorce rates so high, the panic becomes greater. You must hold on even tighter, work even harder at making your marriage work. And if it fails, then you, in turn, are a failure. The heart is a powerful thing, and when high emotions are mixed with this shadow of scarcity reaching like a dark cloud across our culture, people become gripped with fear. When you imagine love as a finite thing, it makes sense that you would want to have total control over how your partner loves. If there is a finite amount of love and it is given to someone else then you will get less as a result. There are some couples who believe that even platonic love can be damaging to a relationship, and they don't allow their partners to have close friends. Wives stare territorially across the room if their husband so much as talks to another woman, and a frightened husband might even lash out with violence if he believes his wife's friendships are getting too close. People have become like cornered animals in their own hearts- their survival instinct kicks in, leaving them incapable of dealing with their emotions. When love is seen as scarce, the world becomes a very scary place.

My personal experience of love has never been this way, and am lucky enough to have only ever seen it as infinitely abundant. I have my upbringing and my curious life path to thank for my release from this cultural hypnosis. If I love one person it does not detract from my love for another person. I experience an endless font of love to draw from. When I was a small child I remember asking my mother who she loved most, me or my sister. She replied that she didn't love either of us more or less, but that she loved us differently. She told me to consider love to be like the colors of the rainbow, where loving one person green and one person pink doesn't mean you love them more, but just that your love is different, and one does not take away from the other. As you can probably tell, my mother's influence played an integral role in my young mind understanding this perspective.

This idea that love is abundant widens the realm of possibility for relationships, and reveals monogamy to be only one option in a spectrum of relationship models. But the pressure in our culture to conform to a monogamous model is so extreme most people don't even know there are any other options available to them. The practice of polygamy (marrying more than one person) is not only frowned upon, it's illegal in every state in America. Where cheating, lying and divorcing is broadly accepted as inevitable, the idea of actually negotiating with love and honesty is totally taboo!

But the truth is there are all kinds of options available, and most of them are legal in most states. Even within monogamy there is a variety of options- at one end of the spectrum there is the totally closed monogamy where you attempt to have all your emotional needs met by one person, and at the other is a more open monogamy where you don't feel threatened by close same sex friendships, and you might even explore being sexual with your partner in the same room as other couples, or the most daring might even allow their partner to kiss other people. At this point there is a blurry line- although you are still technically being monogamous, there is a sense of exploration and a fearlessness which allows you to be more experimental. Once you step outside the realm of monogamy, the options broaden further into the territory of open relationships. Some couples allow another person into their relationship, bringing in a third who they both interact with, but only together as a couple. Some couples like to have relationships with another couple, in the classic “wife swapping” model. You might allow your partner to go out on a date, but ask them to come home by a certain time. Or perhaps even negotiate full, enriching, loving relationships with an attitude of openness and trust. At the far end of the spectrum are people who don't believe in one on one partnerships, who have a fluid and changing set of relationships which they move through with negotiation, consent and honesty.

There are so many options, and in a world not gripped with the fear of scarcity, relationships would be as varied as the people within them, rather than limited to one dominant paradigm. Once you start to release the taboos around homosexuality and gender definition things start to get even more interesting, but that's a story for another post. Suffice to say, there are an infinite amount of opportunities and options for those with an open minded, abundantly loving heart.

Towards Effortless Exchange

2010-04-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

The act of paying for something with cash feels very different from giving a gift. Paying for something with money does not require any investment. You don't have to buy into an idea or build a relationship. It's a quick, easy, efficient way of making a reciprocal exchange, where your needs are met immediately. Giving a gift, on the other hand, does not need to satisfy that immediate desire for reciprocity.

When you give a gift, you give to something you believe in or care about. Whether it's donating to a charity, volunteering for a cause, paying it forward at the toll, or buying a housewarming gift, giving a gift brings a different sense of satisfaction. What you gain from giving cannot be measured in points, credits, or dollars. You do not do it because you want something in exchange, you do it because the act of giving feels good. Relationships are built and community is formed through the giving of gifts in a way that does not happen which cash is exchanged. On the flip side, there are a lot of complex expectations that could potentially form around the giving of gifts. Depending on the cultural context, if you are given a gift you might be expected to pass it on to someone else, or give something away of higher value. Without knowing, by receiving a gift you might be tied into a cultural obligation you know nothing about. A friend of mine told me about a time where she and her husband decided to give away hot dogs at an event. As people passed by their hot dog stand they would ask “how much”, but when they discovered they were free they refused them! They were afraid to accept the gift because they did not want to enter into an unknown obligation. Gifts require a certain amount of effort to engage, whether you're giving or receiving.

The effort in using national currency may not be as immediately obvious to people who use it all the time without thinking, and yet our economy is the biggest pink elephant in the room. More arguments are caused and marriages broken up because of money than just about any other issue. People who don't have money have huge amounts of pressure on them, wondering if they will be able to feed their families or have adequate health care. People who have a lot of money also have pressure on them, with responsibilities that poor people can't even imagine. People who are neither rich nor poor, but have some money, worry about loosing what they have and becoming poor, and are constantly trying to strive for more, thinking that when they just reach that next financial goal they will find happiness. There is stress on every level of society caused by money.

Money and gifts are two extremes on a scale, but they are similar because they both involve the movement of goods or services. Although they seem like polar opposites in some ways, they are simply different ways to move stuff around a community. One is filled with energy and context, the other is quick and anonymous, but steeped with feelings of scarcity and stress.

Imagine the analogy of a person as a powerful magnet, who draws things back towards himself. If you roll a ball bearing away from the magnet it will immediately spring back. If you use money for an exchange, you put something out into the world and something of equal value comes back to you. The energy of the magnet pulls value back into itself immediately. When a gift is put out into the world it's an opposite effect. The magnet is reversed and the energy radiates outwards, and that push of energy sends the gift out into the world. These two effects, with the energy they take to maintain, are both viable ways to exchange, but perhaps a balance can be struck which which is neither fraught with cultural obligation nor the cause of feelings of scarcity and fear. Imagine the magnet again, and picture the ball bearing rolling out a distance, and then returning. It doesn't snap back immediately, but it doesn't fly away completely either. It traces a leisurely arc around in a circle and comes back.

Giving a gift with no expectation of return is a noble gesture, but in the real world people need to have some sort of assurance that they and their families will be taken care of. They have a right to expect that if they share their gifts with the world they will be able to have their needs met in return. Not with the clinging desperation of money, where the value is snapped back and held on tight, hoarding for that rainy day, but rather in a just and fair system which allows people to loosen their grip and be generous without fear they will be left behind or taken advantage of.

Erotic Economy

2010-04-06T20:53:00.001-07:00

The word 'erotic' is derived from the Greek God of love, sexuality and beauty, Eros. It's a binding principle of attraction, emotion and union. Erotic nature draws us together in pleasure, desire, and joy. Where Eros is feminine, Logos is masculine and refers to the rational mind, logic and reason. Western culture is built on the veneration of Logos, with knowledge and understanding being valued above intuition and feeling. In Jungian psychology 'Logos' and 'Eros' refer to the founding principles of male and female psychology

"Woman’s psychology is founded on the principle of Eros, the great binder and loosener, whereas from ancient times the ruling principle ascribed to man is Logos. The concept of Eros could be expressed in modern terms as psychic relatedness, and that of Logos as objective interest." (Carl Jung Aspects of the Feminine)

As Lewis Hyde points out in his book 'The Gift', our current market economy is a classic example of a manifestation of the logos principle. It is simply numbers in a ledger that do not require emotion to understand, and it allows us to make transactions without building relationships. It satisfies the assumption that if I give something I want something in return. An Erotic Economy, based in the principles of Eros, is one that brings people together in community, and that loosens the binds on the steadfast logos principle that one plus one must always equal two. It allows people to build relationships and experience emotionally significant moments through their transactions. Erotic Economy is based in the giving of gifts.

"Unlike the sale of a commodity, the giving of a gift tends to establish a relationship between parties involved. When gifts circulate within a group, their commerce leaves a series of interconnected relationships in it's wake, and a kind of decentralized cohesiveness emerges" (Lewis Hyde, The Gift)

Giving an individual gift is different from participating in a Gift Economy- it's a one off transaction with no expectation of return. When you give a gift you do not expect that person to give you something in return, either money or a return gift. You give as an individual expression of your generosity, affection, or obligation. Culturally, there are all kinds of reasons to give gifts- birth, death, religious holidays, or to celebrate a child's new teeth.

A Gift Economy is something different- it is a system of commerce where goods and services are exchanged through the giving of gifts, where altruism and trust are rewarded by needs being met and a quality of exchange that becomes a gift in itself. Where our market economy begins with the question "what shall I buy?" the gift economy begins with "what shall I give?". It turns the question inward to find value internally, asking where your personal gifts might be received, rather than putting value on external commodities. Unlike the market economy, when you find a place where your gift can be received, there is no expectation that the person you shared a transaction with will return something of equal value to you. Instead, a Gift Economy expects (but does not demand) that they give something of equal or higher value on to someone else. The gift keeps giving, and flows outward, growing and moving, bringing value, building relationships and becoming a binding principle of community. The inevitable outcome of this process is that soon someone will give you a gift, and the equation will balance out. But rather than a feeling of entitlement, or being 'owed', when a gift reaches it way back to you the feeling is of joy.

In an Erotic Economy you put your gifts out into the world and let them leave your sight, without direct expectation of reciprocation, and then naturally receive gifts as a result of your abundant behavior, building trust and community through emotionally satisfying transactions.

But there are a few potential pitfalls for this kind of economic system. A fearful voice in your head wants to ask "what happens if I give and give and never get anything back?". The Erotic Economy focuses on the act of giving, with the act of receiving as a bi-product of the process and not the goal. For those people with a specific intention or goal in mind, or with needs to be met, this seems like a slow and inefficient way of doing things.

Barbara Marx Hubbard, the visionary and social pioneer, coined the phrase 'Supra Sex'. She describes sexual arousal is an evolutionary urge to procreate, and the success of the species has been dependent on it. Now, with overpopulation issues becoming a threat to humanity, the evolutionary (and sexual) urge has shifted from procreation to co-creation. In order for the species to survive we no longer need to create more people, instead we need to become more creative and collaborative. By being creative together we learn and grow, evolving consciousness and gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves, each other and the planet we live on, creating sustainable life on Earth. This urge to create together is described as 'vocational arousal', where a 'supra sexual' urge drives an evolutionary desire to co-create.

Well, I know I certainly experience this! When I meet someone who inspires me to want to collaborate with them I feel an arousal that is similar to a sexual urge. I want to join my thing with their thing and make beautiful music together. It makes me a little crazy, like the theia mania ("madness from the gods") of the Ancient Greeks. I admit I have an uncontrollable urge to want to collaborate on creative projects with amazing people! It get's me HOT!

So if you add this concept of Supra Sexuality to Erotic Economy, things really start to get steamy. A community of people driven by an evolutionary urge to co-create, and a system of commerce that builds a sense of interconnectedness and community- the very act of participating becomes a transformational, evolutionary experience!

The evolutionary stages of Supra Sexual Erotic Economy:

- The act of giving- A Supra Sexual urge to reach out
A sensation of release and surrender
A demonstration of abundance and generosity
A sense of being received for your gifts
Gaining trust in community

- The act of receiving- A Supra Sexual desire quenched
Having your needs met
A sense of gratitude and joy
Humility in allowing someone to do something for you
Building trust with community

Once Supra Sexuality is added to the equation the system is super-charged with an evolutionary urge to co-create. Rather than being stuck in the idea that there is a scarcity, and the fear that your needs might not be met, instead there is an outpouring of connection and creativity which fuels and drives future transactions. Finding a need that you can fill creates vocational arousal, and the act of giving satisfies your Supra Sexual urge. Giving becomes your goal, and receiving becomes an inevitable and ecstatic act of transformation.

The Culture of Giving

2010-01-22T00:45:00.001-08:00

From the caves of pre-history to the utopian survival freakfest, the Burningman Festival, man has been giving gifts to build community. Anthropologist Marshall Sahlins talks about the culture of giving that existed in Stone Age life as being an expression of abundance. This is evidenced by the very fact that people shared everything they had with each other in times that we, in our modern reality of aeroplanes and computers, see as being a time that was extremely 'poor' with only basic survival needs being considered. And yet Stone Age Man was a giver. So why, when resources were seemingly so scarce, did he share? Because the act of giving kept the community strong and built stone age mans reputation. Being highly regarded meant that you were taken care of when times were tough. Back in the Stone Age it was important not to hoard when resources were flowing, because living as part of a group was an essential part of your survival.

Fast forward to the Black Rock Desert, home to the Burningman Festival, and a very modern take on the concept of a Gift Economy. At the festival, participants are not allowed to buy or sell anything, and must arrive with everything they need to survive for a week in the desert. But they bring more that that, and they do more than survive- they thrive. Massive art projects spring out of the dust, created by teams of volunteers, and camps with every theme imaginable are created for one week, and then disassembled and brought home, or burned right there in the desert. People meet in the middle of nowhere and share what they have with each other, taking joy in the very act of giving. Neighborly camps cook breakfast for each other and share costumes, shade and goodwill. A chance meeting between strangers might lead to the gift of a necklace or a button, with people building up their wearable trinkets as the week progresses, each one a memory of a connection made. Less tangible gifts of interactive playfulness might send one person on a treasure hunt, or a quest. Spontaneous performances erupt as people become players in ad hoc theaters. Musicians play, dancers dance, artists make art, and philosophers speak, even those who are highly paid professionals in their “real” lives, at Burningman they do it without any money exchanged.

Economist Bernard Leitaer tells us “the origin of the word 'community' comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So community literally means to give among each other.” ( from an interview with Bernard Lietaer by Sarah van Gelder). So the idea that you give within your community is built into the very entomology of the word. And yet for most people the concept of giving gifts is something you do during the holidays, and only to your close friends and family. So what has happened to this circle of giving which started at the beginning of man's cultural roots in the stone age? In some places it survives, with Amish Barn Raising, Native American Potlatches, and even Open Source Software, but it certainly isn't the norm.

The most surprising thing about the lack of giving in our culture is that most people will say it feels really good to give. So it feels really good, it builds community and it meets people's needs, and yet we don't do it. Why? Because the message that we receive from the media tells us that there just isn't enough to go around and that someone, somewhere is going to have to go without, and in order to ensure that isn't you (and your family) you should save up for a rainy day, keep your resources close in, not rely on anyone, and not give anything to anyone without getting paid. We are given the impression that to give a gift is naïve, and that people who give will be taken advantage of.

Looking back at all these successful examples of gift culture, it begs the question- what are elements that exist in these models which can be transferred into modern culture, loosening people's grip on scarcity and giving them first hand experience of how good it feels to give?

Shared goals
Stone Age man wanted to survive, and that goal lead them to share what they have. Amish people join together and share resources to build barns. At Burningman, camps collaborate on creative projects, and share the bigger vision of creating a temporary city in the desert. Having a shared goal means that you are likely to have shared values, and therefore you can feel good about giving your gifts.

Reputation Building
Although your gift is given without expectation of a direct exchange, if you give freely and openly to your community, your reputation will build and elevate your status. Even if you are not intentionally giving to gain reputation, the only way to avoid it is to give anonymously. If a person gives within their community, then it will inevitably lead to people having higher opinions of them.

Trust Building
Some people need to know that when they give a gift, it's received by someone who they consider to be worthy of it. They are afraid they they will be taken advantage of, and so need to build trusting relationships within their community in order to give.

Gathering together
Giving gifts is a reason to gather, and being in a physical space together means that we can fully experience what it is to give and to receive. Community is strengthened when we celebrate together, and get to know one another.

Some thoughts about reputation

2009-12-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

Reputation is a big deal on the internet. How do we build trust with people we have never met, let alone those who may not be who they say they are? This is something that people have been trying to figure out since the internet began, and I wonder if it’s even possible by using algorithms and tracking behavior, or if there will always be a loophole that people can game. I think that real trust requires an ongoing relationship, and can’t be measured accurately using technology. With that in mind, my interest in reputation is more about identifying the behavior that happens in face to face interactions, and using that reputation to build value within an alternative currency. I am looking into how we can measure the good deeds that we do, and benefit from them in more ways than simply building a relationship with one person, or one organization. With a currency backed by reputation, we can encourage specific behavior, which could be altruism, creativity, or collaboration, or whatever we want to reward.

Reputation is DOMAIN SPECIFIC
Meaning trust cannot be generally assigned to a person, instead it must be assigned to an aspect of a person.
For example: Bob is a DJ. Bob is a scientist. Bob is a neighbor. Each of those aspects of Bob requires a separate reputation. For example, Bob may be a great DJ, but with all that practice he is always keeping his neighbors up at night with his loud music. Just because he has a good reputation as a DJ, that does not mean he would make a good neighbor.

The value of someone’s opinion depends on their reputation
On the review website yelp.com, the opinions of the reviewers who post frequently and honestly are more valued than those who don’t. On the nerd news site Slashdot, the value (and therefore visibility) of a contributors post is based on their reputation and quality.
The word of someone with a good reputation has huge value. When authors write books, they put testimonials from other famous authors or cultural figures on the cover to convince you of its value. When a new tenant moves into an apartment, they give the landlord a references- if that reference is from a lawyer or a doctor it is more valuable that if it’s from your buddy who hangs out on the corner. If you have a good reputation, you can pass that value on by vouching for people because your voice is trusted.

Reputation depends on WHO’S ASKING
In life, your relationships and connections affect your opinion of people. If I can rely on Sarah and Sarah trusts John, then I can assume I can trust John. This seems like a very simple mechanism, but it is fraught with complications. How well does Sarah know John? How well do I know Sarah? Maybe Sarah and John had a falling out but doesn’t like to talk about it. What if Sarah just isn’t being honest about how she feels about John?

Anonymity vs Transparency
We live in a culture that doesn’t support the giving and receiving of honest feedback. People just don’t like to talk badly about people, so even if Sarah doesn’t actually trust John, would she feel safe to say that openly? Measuring reputation anonymously would mean that people could be real without any fear of repercussions . But sites like yelp.com have proved that when you give people an anonymous soapbox it brings out the worst in them. With a transparent system where everyone’s reputation and opinions of each other are visible, rather than anonymous backstabbing, people are accountable for their actions and if they have a negative opinion about something (or someone), it is the beginning of a conversation which could lead to resolving the dispute or misunderstanding.

Carl Calleman The Mayan Calendar and Money

2009-08-13T19:38:00.001-07:00

If you're into this sort of thing.... Carl Calleman isn't one of those freaks who asks about your 'kin', he's an internationally recognized expert on the studies of the Mayan Calendar.

What if the idea of consumerism is taken out of the equation?

2009-08-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

I had a realization last night as I was going to sleep with Bernard Lietaer and Gwendolyn Hallsmith’s ‘Community Currency Guide’ rolling around in my head. There is a fundamental difference in the structure of a local, community currency based in tapping people’s creativity, and the more traditional complimentary currencies which are explored in all these amazing resources.

The difference is that everyone is talking about currencies in terms of consumerism. There are Business to Business exchanges, like barter currencies, there are Business to Consumer exchanges, like air miles, there are Consumer to Consumer exchanges, and Consumer to Business exchanges. Okay, furry muff, but what if the idea of consumerism is taken out of the equation? What if the dynamic was no longer dependant on the idea that businesses create stuff that people consume? If people are creators, not consumers, and we don’t look to businesses to have our needs met, and everyone is equal and (in effect) a small business owner creating their own product or service to share. So should we be looking at consumer to consumer models or business to business models as examples to work from? Or are both relevant? I guess we just have to figure it out as we go along.

Creativity as Currency

2009-07-28T23:20:00.001-07:00

We don’t need money to live rich lives- we are surrounded by wealth beyond our wildest dreams! I’m not speaking metaphorically here, this is a fact. I look around at my community and I see a surplus of creativity, an excess of beauty, an overflow of treasures. The problem is not lack of riches- it’ all just about perception.

Money isn’t wealth- it’s just an agreement about how we exchange. When none of us has money, then we all feel poor, but it’s an illusion! We all still have things to share, we just need a new agreement about how we exchange.

It’s a myth that money makes the world go around; in reality, its people’s creativity that really puts a spin on this planet. If we based a currency on our creativity, then it would be limited only by our imaginations.

Thought for the day

2009-07-23T12:47:00.001-07:00

Money is just a tool which gets us to collaborate.
We are bewitched by it's spell into working together.

Example:
"will you work with me on this project?"
"no"

"will you work with me on this project if I pay you $30 an hour?"
"hell yeah!"

It's so simple the mind boggles....

The Money Fix

2009-07-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

This documentary lays out the problems in our economy in simple terms:
Money is not a tangible thing, but rather an agreement between people that they will use it as a means of exchange. The fact is that there is not a shortage of resources on this planet, but there is a shortage of money. It is kept scarce so that it keeps it's value. But if between us we have everything that we need, then what's stopping us from creating new agreements about how we exchange?
I will be screening this movie at Mission Control soon. Stay tuned for details.

Currency ideas

2009-07-21T18:22:00.001-07:00

The foundation stone of the Beauty Engine Framework is CIRCULATE, and it has to do with sharing, exchange, and the giving and receiving of gifts. It’s the lifeblood of the Beauty Engine, where goods, services, ideas, creativity and wisdom are circulated throughout the community. It’s the economy, that distributes the riches amongst the people, where each person can write their own bank balance by declaring their talents, skills, passions and resources. Our first step in bringing Beauty Engine into the world is to build on CIRCULATE, by creating an alternative currency which allows people to easily share their wealth.

Creativity as the driving force

The focus of this currency will be to support creative exchange. Although practical every days needs can also be met, creativity will be it’s driving force. We will target our outreach towards creative people, and we will encourage people who don’t see themselves as creative to find their inspiration and participate with a creative offering. By encouraging people to focus on their passion and their creativity, rather than their basic needs, our goal is to shift people’s perception on what has value. Once the network is thriving, it can even pay out small loans to kick start projects, and make all kinds of cool stuff happen. Imagine free events and art cropping up everywhere, instigating activity as a direct expression of the abundant nature of creativity.

Build your CRED

To build this foundation stone we will be using a Local Exchange Trading System based on Mutual Credit which we call CRED. This system will allow people to ask for the things they need and declare the things they have to share. It will give them the means to exchange their CRED online and will keep track of the exchanges. In very simple terms, it will act like a cross between Craigslist and Paypal, where the currency exchanged is not in dollars, but in our alternative currency- CRED

For example-
-You’re a theater company and you’re looking for someone to paint a backdrop for you.
-You find an artist in the pool and pay them with CRED instead of dollars.
-The artist could spend the CRED on yoga classes, a custom pair of boots and going to a party.
-You could then repay the pool by accepting CRED to see your next production.

It’s a simple and elegant system which has been operating in across the world since the great depression. Originally devised in Switzerland in the 1930s, the idea of a Local Exchange Trading System is nothing new, but what is interesting is that now we have the technology to make it easy to do. No more thrifty penny pinching- you can spend your CRED on things you could never normally afford!

Give Tokens of Thanks

As well as giving you the means to exchange goods in a way similar to that of our current money system, where a number value is put on a service or goods and the item is exchanged for CRED this system will also have an aspect of community building which goes beyond an immediate exchange, where volunteerism and gifting are rewarded. Instead of the instant gratification of having CRED in your account, there will be an opportunity to volunteer your time or give your resources for the sake of the community at large, and for maintaining relationships within that community, without expectation of return. This system will not be based on numerical value, but instead the value will be represented in Tokens of Thanks, which show up on your profile. These tokens are represented as thumbnail pictures of flowers, thank you letters, chocolates etc, depending on how they want to thank you.

For example:
- You help your friend with an art project
- To thank you they spend a few CRED buying a Token of Thanks
- That token appears on your profile as a thumbnail picture of a bunch of flowers with a note saying “Thanks for helping me with my art project”
- All your friends know that you helped make something cool happen

Earn your PERKS

It’s all very well to get that fuzzy feeling you get from doing something nice for your friends, but if you volunteer time for an organization, you might also get some PERKS. This means that you’re not only getting recognition, but you’re also getting some extra special treatment! Organizations can choose to thank their volunteers with PERKS which are ongoing rewards

For example:
- You volunteer time at an alternative film festival
- To thank you, the organizers of the film festival send you a PERK
- That PERK appears of your profile as a coupon, with a note saying “Thanks for helping out at the Film Festival! You get 10% off all your visits to your local rep movie theater for the next year!”
- You can print out your PERK to use as a coupon at the movie theater

Twollers

2009-07-20T23:47:00.001-07:00

Twollers are a twitter based 'currency of appreciation'. I think they are interesting for a couple of reasons- firstly, the software is Open Source, so it could be used to integrate into any system, which is nice. Twitter is such a widely used tool, it could be a useful way to exchange, so it has big possibilities. I also think it's interesting because it's funny money- which is one of my favorite things. It's a way of appreciating people for their creativity- thank them for a good tweet by sending them twollars. They impose scarcity on it by only giving each person 50 Twollars to start with, after you've spent that you need to earn Twollars to rebuild your balance so you can spend it again!

The Beauty Engine

2009-07-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

I am very much enjoying working on the Beauty Engine site today. I deleted the entire thing and I am starting from scratch. Glad to have the old tagline up again....

Making Evolution Sexy

This is the stuff that I think about when I wake up in the morning. I love this work.

Money as Debt- a simple explanation

2009-07-09T14:05:00.001-07:00

(this is 1 of 5 clips)
I love this animation! Explains the way the current economy works in simple terms and makes the whole thing easy to grok. A whole hell of a lot better than an economics text book!! That's works well for me figuring this stuff out with my non-linear brain :)

Time Bank

2009-07-09T11:20:00.001-07:00

I never understood the principles of Time Dollars- where people contribute an hour of time and get an hour of time. I always thought it was kinda communist to value a doctors time as the same as a day laborer. But this interview with Edgar Cahn makes it clear. It's not so much about trade, but more about volunteerism.
Quite an inspiring guy... Makes me wanna join his cult.

Slow Money

2009-07-09T10:51:00.001-07:00

I like where these people are coming from. Solid agreements and clear truths well articulated.

from http://www.slowmoneyalliance.org/

The Slow Money Principles

In order to preserve and restore local food systems and local economies; in order to reconnect food producers and consumers and reconnect investors to that in which they are investing and to the places in which they live; in order to promote the transition from an economy based on extraction and consumption to an economy based on preservation and restoration; we do hereby affirm the following Principles.

I. We must bring money back down to earth.

II. We must bring our money home. We must put money back into local economies and carbon back into the soil.

III. We must invest as if food, farms and fertility mattered.

IV. We must invest as if carrying capacity, diversity and non-violence mattered; as if aquifers mattered; as if childhood nutrition and food deserts and obesity side-by-side with hunger all mattered.

V. There is such a thing as money that is too fast, companies that are too big, finance that is too complex. Therefore, we must slow our money down -- not all of it, of course, but enough to matter.

VI. Organic seed companies, organic farmers, manufacturers of organic agricultural inputs, slow food restauranteurs, niche organic brands, local food processors, neighborhood retailers, CSAs, farmers markets, urban gardens, edible schoolyards -- without them, there can be no durable economic health or quality of life, no durable food safety or food security.

VII. We must build the nurture capital industry.

VIII. We must give investors and philanthropists the tools they need to facilitate dramatic increases in support for small food enterprises -- Slow Munis, new philanthropic charters that steer foundation assets in support of mission, funds dedicated to CSAs and organic farmland, and collaborative structures for local investors.

IX. There is something beautiful about a diversified organic farm. There is something beautiful about a CSA. There is something beautiful about Terra Madre. There is nothing beautiful about bovine growth hormone or Red Dye #4 or high fructose corn syrup. We must invest as if beauty mattered.

X. We must dare to imagine that after the Age of Industrial Finance and Industrial Agriculture comes the Age of Earthworm Economics. Let us recognize the words of one of its first proponents, who said: "I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little like the farmer who puts back into the soil what he takes out." (Paul Newman)

XI. We must ask:

--What would the world be like if we invested 50% of our assets within 50 miles of where we live?

--What if there were a new generation of companies that gave away 50% of their profits?

--What if there were 50% more organic matter in our soil 50 years from now?

XII. We need slow money. . .quickly.

From an interview with Bernard Leitaer

2009-07-09T10:09:00.001-07:00

Bernard Leitaer continues to be my hero. The awesomest economist *ever*. I wanna give him a lapdance.

So you're suggesting that scarcity needn't be a guiding principle of our economic system. But isn't scarcity absolutely fundamental to economics, especially in a world of limited resources?

My analysis of this question is based on the work of Carl Gustav Jung because he is the only one with a theoretical framework for collective psychology, and money is fundamentally a phenomenon of collective psychology. A key concept Jung uses is the archetype, which can be described as an emotional field that mobilizes people, individually or collectively, in a particular direction. Jung showed that whenever a particular archetype is repressed, two types of shadows emerge, which are polarities of each other. For example, if my higher self - corresponding to the archetype of the King or the Queen - is repressed, I will behave either as a Tyrant or as a Weakling. These two shadows are connected to each other by fear. A Tyrant is tyrannical because he's afraid of appearing weak; a Weakling is afraid of being tyrannical. Only someone with no fear of either one of these shadows can embody the archetype of the King.

Now let's apply this framework to a well-documented phenomenon - the repression of the Great Mother archetype. The Great Mother archetype was very important in the Western world from the dawn of prehistory throughout the pre-Indo-European time periods, as it still is in many traditional cultures today. But this archetype has been violently repressed in the West for at least 5,000 years starting with the Indo-European invasions - reinforced by the anti-Goddess view of Judeo-Christianity, culminating with three centuries of witch hunts - all the way to the Victorian era.

If there is a repression of an archetype on this scale and for this length of time, the shadows manifest in a powerful way in society. After 5,000 years, people will consider the corresponding shadow behaviors as "normal." The question I have been asking is very simple: What are the shadows of the Great Mother archetype? I'm proposing that these shadows are greed and fear of scarcity. So it should come as no surprise that in Victorian times - at the apex of the repression of the Great Mother - a Scottish schoolmaster named Adam Smith noticed a lot of greed and scarcity around him and assumed that was how all "civilized" societies worked. Smith, as you know, created modern economics, which can be defined as a way of allocating scarce resources through the mechanism of individual, personal greed.

Wow! So if greed and scarcity are the shadows, what does the Great Mother archetype herself represent in terms of economics?

Let's first distinguish between the Goddess, who represented all aspects of the Divine, and the Great Mother, who specifically symbolizes planet Earth - fertility, nature, the flow of abundance in all aspects of life.

Someone who has assimilated the Great Mother archetype trusts in the abundance of the universe. It's when you lack trust that you want a big bank account. The first guy who accumulated a lot of stuff as protection against future uncertainty automatically had to start defending his pile against everybody else's envy and needs. If a society is afraid of scarcity, it will actually create an environment in which it manifests well-grounded reasons to live in fear of scarcity. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Also, we have been living for a long time under the belief that we need to create scarcity to create value. Although that is valid in some material domains, we extrapolate it to other domains where it may not be valid. For example, there's nothing to prevent us from freely distributing information. The marginal cost of information today is practically nil. Nevertheless, we invent copyrights and patents in an attempt to keep it scarce.

So fear of scarcity creates greed and hoarding, which in turn creates the scarcity that was feared. Whereas cultures that embody the Great Mother are based on abundance and generosity. Those ideas are implicit in the way you've defined community, are they not?

Actually it's not my definition, it's etymological. The origin of the word "community" comes from the Latin munus, which means the gift, and cum, which means together, among each other. So community literally means to give among each other.

Therefore I define my community as a group of people who welcome and honor my gifts, and from whom I can reasonably expect to receive gifts in return.

see the full interview here http://www.transaction.net/press/interviews/lietaer0497.html

Local Exchange Trading System for the Bay Area's CREATORS- a proposal

2009-06-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here in the Bay Area many creative, self employed people are suffering at the hands of the shitty economy. We are broke, we can't pay the rent, and we certainly can't afford 'luxuries' like bodywork, custom outfits, and parties. We look around at our amazing, creative friends and see that we are all in the same situation. Fashion designers, performers, artists, event producers, and healers- all these talented people sitting around with no work coming in and no money to spend. It seems like all we can do is be patient and wait for the economy to recover.

What if there was another answer?

What if we could take the bull by the horns and kick start our own local economy?

We are all familiar with the idea of trade. It's a common thing in creative communities. Well- imagine if we put all our resources into a pool and get what we need out of it? No need for direct trade with an individual- putting everything in a community pool means that there is a huge variety of goods and services and you can get all kinds of needs met!

For example-

-You're a theater company and you're looking for someone to paint a backdrop for you.
-You find an artist in the pool and pay them with credits instead of dollars.

-The artist could spend the credits on yoga classes, a custom pair of boots and going to a party.

-You could then repay the pool by accepting credits to see your next production.

It's a simple and elegant system which has been operating in across the world since the great depression. Devised in Switzerland in the 1930s, the idea of a Local Exchange Trading System is nothing new, but what is interesting is that now we have the technology to make it easy to do. Imagine a website that looks like a cross between Craiglist and Paypal. In the first section there are listings of goods and services people are offering, and in the second section there is the ability to exchange currency- but it's not dollars! Take that system and fill it with all the creative people you know, and all of a sudden you've got a vibrant mini-economy representing the most talented people in the Bay Area! No more thrifty penny pinching- you can spend your credits on things you could never normally afford! Once the network is thriving, it can even pay out small business loans (in credits, not dollars) to kick start projects, and make cool shit happen.

About Us

We are hyper-networked community leaders with a tendril dipping into every creative nano-community and sub-scene in the Bay Area. As a team we have been producing events and bringing people together for nearly 10 years, and have used our community as a petri dish for our social experiments. We have put our flag in the ground as champions of CREATOR CULTURE, and spend all our time thinking about ways to midwife this new social model into being. We are also economics nerds and understand how this shit works, and we are charismatic leaders capable of the kind of rallying and rabble rousing needed to make this happen.

Email to Bernard Lietaer, economist.

2009-04-17T16:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Mr Lietaer,
although I am not an academic, or an economist, I am inspired by your theory that our economy is a reflection of the repression of the Great Mother archetype in society. I have read your 'Fairy Tales that could come true' on transaction.net, and I think they are absolute genius.

I am writing to you because I have a very different perspective from you and I think you might find it interesting. Like I said, I am not an academic- I barely finished school- but I have become a well respected community builder, event producer, instigator of creative culture, and a self appointed social scientist. My partner and I have spent the last seven years studying successful communities and what makes them tick. The simple answer is ...(you know it already)- make it easy for people to share their stuff.
Which is economics, right? Haha
And that's why I am emailing you!
We have a theory about modeling a new kind of trading/ gifting system, that's based in the general idea of a LETS, but with a focus on creativity and creation, where value becomes a fluid concept, rather than a fixed price. It's a way to get your practical needs met within a tough economy, but it also gives you the tools to instigate creative projects, giving you not only the means to exchange, but also the reason.

This isn't just an abstract theory, but a fleshed out system which we have developed and tested in real communities. The system itself is as unexpected as the people who created it - it looks like a GAME. A really fun, compelling, creative, colorful game based in customizable trading cards. It's cell phone enabled, connected to your social networks, and totally web 4.0. It gets people out in the world being creative, collaborating, and making stuff happen.
We think a system like this could change the world, unleashing a new social model of CREATOR CULTURE. We might be eternal optimists, or we might be right!
Would you be interested in meeting with us over coffee to talk about all this stuff? Our brains don't work the way yours does, but we think they may be complimentary.

Kinky Salon Booty Camp

2009-04-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years Kinky Salon has been our social experiment in creating safe, participatory, sex positive community. Apparently it has been a success, as people seem to love what we do and have transformative experiences here. As a result we have decided to host a series of classes explaining our methodologies and making it easy for people to host their own mini version of Kinky Salon in their own home. Naturally, we are calling these classes KINKY SALON BOOTY CAMP. Below is the invitation and the outline of the curriculum.

How to throw your own arty, sexy party and change the world doing it.

Have you ever wondered why the frisky, fun vibe at Kinky Salon is so welcoming? At first were you scared to come, and then surprised by how easy it felt when you got here? Have you experimented in ways that you never thought you would because you felt so comfortable? Do you want to be a Rockstar sexy party host and produce an event for you and your friends that recreates that vibe at Kinky Salon?

The fact is that the formula that Kinky Salon is based on is not dependent on the location, the hosts or the scale of the event. With a few simple instructions and the right attitude, you can create your own mini-version of Kinky Salon in the comfort of your own home (or space shuttle or tree house).
That’s right, folks, it ain’t rocket science!

In this series of fun afternoons you will not only discover how we have mastered the art of creating a fabulous, creative, sex-positive space for our friends to play in, but you will also learn how to Do It Yourself (hence the name of the course).

There will be guest speakers and presenters who are experts in their field

Classes take place from 12-4pm on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month
You can purchase them individually at $100- $150 sliding scale each
Alternatively, you can purchase the comprehensive course for $600- $900 sliding scale
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL Buy the comprehensive course before April 1st for just $450! Contact us ASAP for details of this amazing deal!

All these payment options include entrance to Kinky Salon the evening of the class.
The course will repeat in the future, so you will get a chance to catch up and don't have to do it all in one go.
If all 7 classes are completed, you'll be qualified to create your own DIY Kinky Salon!
PRE REGISTER NOW

Saturday May 9th
Class One
Sex positive culture

This history of Kinky Salon and the communities that preceded it
The terms and the language of sex positive community, including what they mean to you.
Navigating sex positive space gracefully.
Sexual energy and how it affects a space. The power of Kundalini and it's before and after effects.
The importance of tolerance and diversity.
SAFE SEX!

Saturday May 23rd
Class Two
The Theme, Costumes and Invitation

Creating a narrative for people to interact with
The importance of the dress code, the hidden significance behind costuming
The value of getting out of everyday street wear.
Thinking up top notch themes and crafting compelling, witty invitations.
The art of invitation
Creating costumes on a budget
Creating décor on a budget

Saturday June 13th
Class Three
The Charter, and creating a safe environment

Why the charter exists and why it's important
The history of the Charter and how it was created
Reviewing the Basics of the Charter
The importance of Hosts and their role in introducing the Charter
The history of the PAL system and how it works to create safety
How to deal with the lurker factor and where to draw the line with voyeurism

Saturday June 27th
Class Four
Building a Participation Based Community

The importance of using volunteers and having a participation based model
Finding volunteers and creating an invitation that makes people want to participate
Signing them up for tasks and the logistics of getting all the tasks filled
Who to pick for which task
An in depth description of each task, including tips and potential pitfalls
Tips on being a good leader and how to create a positive experience for your volunteers

Saturday July 11th
Class Five

Volunteer Training and Advanced Hosting
Training your volunteers and creating a great support team
Tips and tricks for being the happy host
Checking in and getting your needs filled
Being conscious and attentive to the party, while still having fun!

Saturday July 25th
Class Six
Creating the environment- transforming your home into a Salon

- The importance of the right lighting and decor
- What music to play and how to change the mood with sound
- Creating multiple zones for different areas
- How to create clean, inviting, cozy playspaces
- Practical safety tips
- The Cabaret, why it's important and how it's done

Saturday August 8th
Class Seven

Maintaining the community
How to give friendly feedback
Giving thanks to volunteers and performers
The importance of a pre-party check in with your volunteers
Receiving feedback from your volunteers and your guests
Creating and moderating an online group for your guests to connect outside the party
Additional outings and activities outside the party
Volunteer appreciation- a special event just for volunteers
When and how to kick people out
When to be firm and when to be flexible, dealing with conflict without creating drama

Stupids

2009-04-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

St Stupids Day is one of my favorite San Francisco traditions. This year we celebrated the 31st year of this ridiculous parade. Wow. These stupids really mean it.

As if I don't already have enough reasons to dress in a stupid outfit and run around downtown throwing socks and pennys and napping on the sidewalk.
Part social commentary, but mainly just stupid, the parade winds around downtown San Francisco stopping for various surreal rituals led by Bishop Joey AKA Ed Holmes (a San Francisco institution unto himself and founder of The First Church of the Last Laugh the group responsible for the parade)

I have been to this parade every year since I arrived in San Francisco. That makes it 9 years of stupidity. Go me.

On scripting experiences

2009-04-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

(sent to a group of people who attended a discussion on the future of 'flashmobs')

I just thought I should explain for a moment the idea behind my flow chart.What's interesting to me isn't the logistics of the individual events, it's the overarching patterns, and how we can harness those patterns to create 'script building scripts' or 'metascripts'. Then it's not about us organizing things anymore, but about everyone creating scripts for themselves. We can make is easy for normal people to experience 'the zone' by giving them the tools and the wisdom they need to create their own scripts. (For those of you that don't know, this is the basic concept behind the work Scott and I have been doing for the last 7 years. We call it 'Beauty Engine' )

So I realized after the meeting and hearing everyone talk that there are 4 basic variables on creating a script
-Durability
-Size
-Social responsibility
-Production value
There are a few more less significant ones, but these are the ones that really effect the logistics.

So I put these 4 variables in all their configurations to get the 16 basic script types. And I created a flow chart that asks the questions in simple language and reveals your event type at the end. I thought this might easily be translated into an online tool. It's not designed to be read all at once, but rather to be a tool that helps you understand the inevitable truths about the kind of event you want to create.

The descriptions of each type are in no way finished. I just threw some rough ideas out there so I could start with something. If anyone else is interested in working on this with me perhaps it could become a wiki?

Click here for larger picture of flow chart

Select your type of script wisely. Understand the repercussions and be prepared for inevitable outcomes. Fuck with people. Make people smile. Change people's lives.

TYPE A
Durable
Large
Socially irresponsible
Requires no production

All large scale scripts are more work and more difficult to manage, but they reach many more people than small scripts.
This script will be very challenging to pull off again and again. If it's not socially responsible and there is nobody required to takes responsibility to make it happen, then it will likely end up out of control, make a big mess, degenerate to the lowest common denominator, piss a lot of people off and be shut down by the cops. In an anarchistic way, this script could feel very freeing to a lot of people.
The only way to make this kind of script durable is to appeal to the city and argue it's artistic merit, and it's worthiness to the powers that be. (example- pillow fight)

TYPE B
Durable
Large
Socially irresponsible
Requires production

This script is also very challenging to pull off again and again. But, because it requires some people to take responsibility in producing it, that means that there are at least a few people at the event who are helping make it happen, and those people are the ones who can keep the original vision of the event alive, stopping it from degenerating to the lowest common denominator. They are also the ones who can take responsibility for talking to the cops or people who are upset. The people taking responsibility might also make sure people don't get hurt. At some point this event could also attract the attention of the powers that be and require an appeal to the city arguing artistic merit and worthiness. (example santacon)

TYPE C
Durable
Large
Socially responsible
Requires no production

This script will require some organization if it's going to be socially responsible. It will take a group of people to make sure that it doesn't make a mess, that nobody gets hurt, and that the local community is happy and it doesn't piss people off too much. Because it requires no production to pull it off, the organization team is just there to deal with the aftermath. This script could stand the test of time and transform many people's lives. (example: Zombie swarm)

TYPE D
Durable
Large
Socially responsible
Requires production

This script requires an even bigger organization team. If it is going to be both socially responsible and require production, there will need to be people dedicated to make it happen. It will require resources and funds to be gathered, or a benefactor or sponsor making it happen. People will need a before/during/after plan to make sure everything is dealt with. Volunteers will need to be coordinated and work will need to be done. This type will result in a large scale, durable, script which will stand the test of time and could transform many people's lives. (example BYOBW). Although it may feel a little 'controlled' for some more anarchistic people's taste.

TYPE E
Durable
Small
Socially responsible
Requires no production

A small group of people is much easier to manage than a large one, but their impact is less. Smaller scripts will be easier to organize but won't reach as many people.
This script would be relatively easy to pull of again and again. Small, socially responsible scripts requiring no production will take very few resources and organization to make them happen. They won't piss many people off, they won't make a mess, they will just bring some experience of 'the zone' to a few people's lives.

TYPE F
Durable
Small
Socially responsible
Requires production

Again, this script is relatively easy to pull off. Even with some production and being socially responsible, a small script is easier to make happen. Being socially responsible means people won't get upset or get hurt or get arrested. It's just some fun around town with some friends. (example Peepshow Minigolf)

TYPE G
Durable
Small
Socially irresponsible
Requires no production

Being a small event makes you less visible to the powers that be, but being socially irresponsible puts you back in the 'you might be arrested' category. Luckily we live in San Francisco, so we don't get in huge amounts of trouble for doing things like gluing toasters to walls, even if you are damaging property.

TYPE H
Durable
Small
Socially irresponsible
Requires production

A small, irresponsible script with some production value has every chance of surviving the test of time. The production value means that some people will have to give some time and resources to make it happen, so even if it is generally socially irresponsible, there are still people taking responsibility, and putting resources into making it happen and therefor giving a shit about it.

TYPE I
One off
Large
Socially irresponsible
Requires no production

A large event with no social responsibility and no production value is likely to degenerate to the lowest common denominator pretty fast. Although as it is only designed to happen once, it's pretty likely that nobody will get in too much trouble for it, even if it is not taking responsibility for itself. A large, one off event, that causes a mess and pisses people off is quickly forgotten in the eyes of the authorities. It could well transform many people's lives.

TYPE J
One off
Large
Socially irresponsible
Requires production

When an even requires production it means that some people need to take responsibility for it. Someone needs to find the resources to make it happen. Therefore someone cares. Because it is designed to only happen once, it doesnt matter about being durable, just make it happen by any means possible.

TYPE K
One off
Large
Socially responsible
Requires no production

A one off script is relatively easy to pull off, because you dont have to worry about pissing people off. But if you care about being socially responsible with your one off script, then you need to consider all the angles. Don't make a mess, don't be dangerous, don't upset people. Having no production necessary means that all you need to do is worry about the aftermath. Clean up, make sure people are happy.

TYPE L
One off
Large
Socially responsible
Requires production

A large, one off script that's socially responsible and requires production takes a lot of work. Not as much as a durable script, because you don't have to worry about 'next time'. Just keep people happy in the moment and don't upset people. With this kind of script you are likely to reach a lot of people, make it into 'the zone' and enjoy good feedback from your script. Although it may feel a little 'controlled' for some more anarchistic people's taste.

TYPE M
One off
Small
Socially responsible
Requires no production

This one is easy! Small, just do it once, be socially responsible and no production required. Create a magic moment, don't piss people off, takes very little resources and responsibility. We should be doing this every day!

TYPE N
One off
Small
Socially responsible
Requires production

This script is a little more work than type M, as it requires some production. That means someone takes responsibility and it needs to find some resources to make it happen. But seeing as its a small scale script it's not going to be too much of a drain on anyone. It just needs a couple of people to make it happen. It's socially responsible, so it'll be smiles all around with the people it reaches

TYPE O
One off
Small
Socially irresponsible
Requires no production

This is no work for anyone. Just an idea that's put into action by a few people, requiring no resources to make it happen. Being socially irresponsible means you might piss a few people off, but it's just small scale, so its not going to do too much damage. As a one off script, its easy to avoid getting into trouble and you dont have to really figure out many logistics. This is probably the lowest maintenance kind of script you can enact.

TYPE P
One off
Small
Socially irresponsible
Requires production

This script requires some minimal resources to put together, but very little compared to the other scripts we have looked at. Being socially irresponsible means there's no need to worry about clean up or whether a few people are upset, so all the resources go directly to the 'art'. Just get in, do your thing, and get out.

Who is Polly SuperStar?

2009-03-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

Polly SuperStar is from the future.
Not the future where the human race destroys the planet and we have to live underground.
Or the future where we invent machines so intelligent they see our flaws and kill us off.
I’m talking about the future that not many other people are talking about.
The one where we get it right.

Polly SuperStar is communicating back to me from that future.
She wants to let you know that that everything is going according to plan.
Not that there aren’t some hard times ahead
But ultimately, when push comes to shove, the future is really quite amazing

Polly SuperStar is your best friend you never had at school
Passing notes to you under the desk and giggling
She’s your Fairy Godmother
waving her magic wand and uncovering what makes you extraordinary
Polly SuperStar is your soul mate
She’s not afraid to look you in the eyes and tell you she loves you.

She considers herself an artist, but she doesn’t paint or sculpt
Her art form is the way she brings people together
She sees the beauty in the nuances of human interactions
It takes her breath away to watch how people react
when they experience amazing things together

Polly SuperStar is a Scientist
She’s testing hypothesis, contemplating new theories and taking notes.
She’s dabbling with formulas and combining ingredients
reverse engineering her medicine back from the future.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of her test subjects
(don’t be alarmed it won’t hurt a bit)
She just wants to know how you have fun and what makes you happy,
So that she can help you have more fun and be happier.

She’s easy to spot, leaving clouds of iridescent glitter in her wake.
She likes to wear outfits with rainbows, stars and crowns, in ridiculous combinations.
She’s not afraid of looking like a fool.
Rainbows, because the future is full spectrum
Stars, because every man and woman is one
And crowns, because everyone’s King of their own castle, and ruler of their own destiny

She’s come a long way from the dark days of her past
She knows what it’s like to loose everything
She’s known addiction and abuse first hand.
She’s been afraid of her own shadow
Convinced that she would never find happiness.
Even in the future, she still has her off days.

Polly SuperStar likes to sing songs about Love.
Not the typical ‘boy meets girl’ love story, where you find love and have to cling on for fear of losing it.
In the future there’s a new kind of love story that speaks of a different kind of Love
The songs that she sings are about a love that radiates and generates more love
A love that we can swim in
Polly SuperStar’s not afraid of sounding like a hippy.
She sings about glory, victory and miracles
Because she’s seen it with her own eyes

Polly SuperStar is the person I’m becoming.
If I decide to be her today, does that mean the future has already arrived?