“Onwards & Upwards!” exclaimed the trees…
Hello there!
Given what the calendar suggests (well, at least what it suggests in my current home of New York City, versus, say in Ethiopia), 2016 is drawing to a close. My tradition proposes this is a time to promote peace on Earth and maybe exchange a few gifts. Call me crazy but I think EVERY day is about promoting peace and giving away nice things (objects or otherwise) to friends and loved ones as inspiration strikes. In other words, this note isn’t holiday-themed. It’s simply intended to share what I’m seeing and doing, and it’s a pretty self-promotional note, if I’m honest. But since I’m not selling anything and really just want to spread ideas about a better future that maybe even has some trees in it, I hope you don’t mind. (If you were hoping for gift-giving ideas, you might try Etsy, a certified B-Corp that has something for everyone.) Here’s the update:
I recently launched a website with an overview of my work collaborating with business, with the mission of making the transition to a restorative economy. I’ll admit, my mission is a tall order. Fortunately I work with deeply knowledgeable people across sectors in different parts of the world, and we’re noting that many companies are getting serious about what needs doing.
I co-authored a 2-part blog series with my collaborators at SustainAbility about the Future of Food. As the holiday feasting gets underway, I invite you to give some thought to how our eating choices can be part of a new and better path ahead. I don’t mean that in a preaching way—I don’t have many answers—but maybe if we ask the questions with open minds and curiosity we’ll all get a little closer to where we want to be.
I formally kicked off work on my book project—a series of essays about the human relationship with trees. This sprouted from a realization that I love trees, and have been taught and entertained by them over the years. And I also love writing and have been crafting stories since I can remember. To guide me through Bookland (a dark and magical forest in and of itself), I attended an on-line course on non-fiction publishing with the amazing Jane Friedman, and I’ll be putting what I learned into practice in the months ahead. Stay tuned! I hope you enjoy what you see here and that you will share your feedback, or even share a link or two with others. And if you're on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, maybe I’ll see you there, too. Meanwhile all the best to you and yours for a wonderful, peaceful finale to (Gregorian calendar) 2016 and a healthy and joyful year ahead. Yours in connectedness, Lorraine PS This piece first appeared as an emailed newsletter in December 2016