Never before have our choices been so determinant of the future of humankind. The status quo has become unsound. Old, rusty hierarchies have become unstable and new ways of being need to find their way to the mainstream.
All over the world, individuals and groups are tuning into this transition and taking on topics that have major societal potential. Yet how can we power this transition? How might we actually create a wider shift of paradigms?
We believe that with imagination, intelligence and connections we can come a long way. With this in mind, Noa Lodeizen and Lynn Zebeda initiated a collaboration titled The Imaginal Cells Project. We will form temporary coalitions of innovators, artists, experts and scientists, to create a masterplan for one paradigm shift at a time.
How will this work? Our inspiration came from nature. True story: when it is time for a caterpillar to transform, it begins to consume without bound. It outgrows its own skin, it becomes too fat to even move. Then one day it stops eating and spins itself a shiny chrysalis, limiting its own freedom for the time of transformation, placing itself upside down. Inside, the caterpillar dissolves into cells, let’s call it caterpillar soup. Within the soup, you can find a few cells that are awesome. Biologists call them “imaginal cells”. They vibrate to a different frequency and carry different information - that of the emerging butterfly.
At first, the imaginal cells are attacked by the others as enemies. But they don’t give up and grow in numbers manifold. When there are enough of them, they organize themselves along new structures, overwhelming the caterpillar soup and supporting the growth of the butterfly. When it’s hatching time, the chrysalis becomes transparent and ready to open. And a new type of freedom unfolds its wings.
Based on this metaphor of our current transition from the old world (the caterpillar) to the new (the butterfly), we will identify the individuals and groups that are the imaginal cells of our time. Those who hold part of the new world’s DNA and are ready to collaborate to create new structures.
Together we will work towards new paradigms. Think: “we need to protect nature from destruction at all times”, leading to laws preventing ecocide. Or: “we need our politicians to think as long term as possible”, leading to a tax system that puts high taxes on polluting industries, natural resource extraction and greenhouse gas emissions. Or: “we need to produce as little stuff with as little material as possible”, leading to resource passports for products. Or: “we cannot accept poverty in a world of money abundance”, leading to a basic income for all.
In our toolbox we hold design thinking, sustainability expertise, artistic intuition, scientific evidence, cultural sensitivity and perseverance.
The process will produce concrete collaborative programmes, along with artistic statements and publications to share all our insights.
And hey you, reader, are you an imaginal cell? Reach out to us and let us know about the paradigm shift you are working towards. We would love to hear from you.