Intention
I decided to attend the College because it was aligned with my Metrics For a Year Well Lived. I've never studied Experience Design before and wanted to explore what it was all about. A few photos of the event can be found here.
Expectations vs. Reality
I think I was expecting to experience the pinnacle of experience design inside this magical castle with 140 attendees. Instead, the experience was much more improvisational, random, and unpolished than I expected.
I suspect that this was semi-intentional; it permitted everyone to come as they were, and to feel safe to play, experiment, and co-create together.
Takeaways/Homework
A 1:1 workshop with Ana Milbo Schoeps helped me to discover a lack of alignment between the design principles that govern my life and the principles that govern my work. TLDR: I focus disproportionately on outcomes when pursuing my work, whereas I enjoy the process in my life. Current WIP is to write out a series of Golden Guidelines that combine these two philosophies into one set of rules.
Conversation with Vanessa Armendariz: “ Rather than trying to create the inflection point for social change to happen, instead, focus on nurturing the conditions for a paradigm shift to be inevitable.” - Similar to how the College nurtured the conditions for creative workshops and co-creation to thrive.
Observation: Everything we experience in life falls into the category of Experience Design. To become an experience designer, is simply to be intentional about the journey, the senses, the outcomes. What differentiates a great experience designer from a mediocre one is taste… and the level of intentionality put into each and every element.
Thought: “Impact Experience Designer” feels like a more accurate description of what I do, as opposed to “Activist” - since my art is essentially an digital and physical experience.
Everyone is trying to have a positive impact on the world. Nobody becomes an Experience Designer to create a forgettable experience. The question is not how we get more people to care about impact, but rather how we create the conditions for designers to focus on second and third order impact. (Personal -> Community -> Societal Transformation)
I really enjoyed being a support character in other people's journeys - helping to invite and valet people into Brenton Zola 's 4 hour 1:1 private concert - offering massages to anyone who sat directly in front of me - supporting general operations whenever I had free time.
Structure
The structure of CoE is intentionally bare bones to maintain both mystery and flexibility. Participants only have a sense of time blocks, but not of content. Personally, I enjoyed that - but some people would have liked to have a better idea of what was coming up so they could choose to opt-in or out.
Arrival Ceremony
Hundreds of guests arrived on buses from the Berlin Airport. They were walked to their rooms by volunteers who held up signs with their names on it. The system was remarkably efficient, allowing all participants to be matched to their rooms in under 10 minutes.
45 minutes later, participants gathered in the courtyard where broad announcements were made. We were sorted into 6 different houses of ~20 people each, photographed with an Instax, and then welcomed into the college via an hour-long ritual.
Attendees gathered in the courtyard and exited the castle together and slowly walked counter-clockwise around the Castle. Rob acted as the guide, and tried to encourage everyone to walk around in silence. It took me a while to realize it, but this ritual was a playful and creative way for us to explore the castle, meet our workshop teachers and open our hearts and minds before entering the experience.
We first encountered Sensei Zen, in full ceremonial mask and garb who silently performed a Samurai blessing ritual.
We then met JoséGalan - A wildlife tracker - who shared a mysterious phrase while inviting us to touch a brain he was holding.
Our third encounter was with the “Master of Robes”. He invited us to first line up in 3 rows… and then asked us to swap places with the person next to us, if and only if they were taller than us - effectively organizing everyone from short to tall. Once that was completed, we flipped around 180 degrees to go grab robes that had been laid out on the grass… short to tall. (Loved how playful, simple and fun this was)
Our fourth stop was with Monica - where we were invited to vocally harmonize together, hold hands, and to create a human Cinnabon (group hug)
Our fifth - Teachers from Meow Wolf who invited us to co-create a living sculpture by touching one other person. Simple and effective.
And finally - A meditation with Tiu, who welcomed us into the castle to enjoy an extraordinary adventure.
First Two Days
The first two days were organized around workshops, while the third was entirely free for people to host workshops and offer different co-creations. Spontaneous performances happened throughout the evenings, and secret treasure hunts and actors were scattered around the periphery of the castle that people could stumble upon.
Our days were tighty controlled, but the evenings, open to wander.
I spent 4 hours of one-night inviting folks into Brenton’s Confessional experience, introducing them to the concept.
An amazing co-created cabaret closed the evening. I remember being blown away by how complex the performances were, despite the lack of resources. It gave birth to clever moments including hand-held flashlights that were used as spotlights.
It Included:
A musical and movement opening by Zil & Steigraff
A group sing-a-long of Wayfaring Stranger, followed by an improv performance with Brenton Zola with Steigraff
A Samurai performance with Sensei Zen and Casson playing live on the Hand Pan
A 3-minute improv stand-up show by Rozie where she performed her inner voices.
A levitation crystal ball show with Carnelian
A burlesque clown show with Elena
A repeat-after-me camp song with Mike
(Penguins Atten-shun! Penguins Salute. Have you ever seen a penguin such as me. Take a look at me, a penguin you will see. And Now? Relax.)
Poetry reading with Anne + Paul
Closing Ceremony Group Dance with Edgar.
Right foot forward, left, and back. Left foot Forward, Left and Back.
Workshops - Natalia’s Drawings: https://tdy.lol/wmtuT
A Voice workshop with Monica
A few participants were invited on stage and invited to perform a poem or song. Monica coached in real time, as everyone observed. Her invitation was for us to associate the song/performance with a real story in our lives - to help us really feel every single word that we say. It made me think about
Shadow-art workshop with Meow Wolf
I enjoyed observing how Meow Wolf created a workshop that was accessible to anyone. It was fun, creative, and exploratory. It made me wonder what kind of creative workshop I might be able to offer to folks.
Step 1
See the ordinary world differently
Ordinary objects with light/shadow
Step 2
See and interpret the world around you
Cut and object that inspire you
Step 3
Create a world with just a word using the shapes you see.
Have others interpret the creative world.
A wildlife-tracking workshop with Galan
He invited us to study tracks that were made not by shoes, but by an object that was hidden just a few meters. An invitation to not overly focus on the result we expect.
He made us measure a stick with rigged rulers, and asked the group for consensus. The lesson was that it was important to check our tools (and methodologies, and underlying belief systems)
A samurai "energy" workshop with Sensei Zen
The experience design in this experience was all about the venue, the clothing, the smells and the way he was able to harmonize an entire group.
His entire narrative was about inviting us to ground in our “tandem energy” within our bellies. (Interestingly, his invitation was opposite to Monicas)
A LARP Workshop with the Master of Robes.
He invited us to explore how a FEELING of power or submission transformed our how we had conversations.
The importance of body posture within an interaction.
The role of the audience/environment within the context of a performance
Funeral workshop with Tiu
Funeral Design Exercise
I seemed most concerned about all the stuff that was going to be left behind, and came up with the idea of a month-long garage sale where people could come and grab what they wanted.
Activities
Odyssey Map with Ayden Le Roux
Funeral Guide with Tiu de Haan
Fundraising for Experience Design workshop with Meredith O’Shaughnessy
Co-created erotic literature striptease with Elena
Moments
Deep 2-hour late night conversation with Smadar Krampf about relationships
Rooftop hangout with Alexander Gierholz and Bartosz Nowak talking about everything from measuring climate impact, to simulation theory, to artificial intelligence.
1:1 session with Ana Milbo Schoeps - she offered to help me design a course inspired by what I didn’t know I knew.
Interesting conversations with Iddo about friendship, Britt the value of experiences, Irina about the war in Ukraine, Galan and his art career, and Experience Design from an academic perspective with Mike.
Wonderful cuddles and a feeling of safety with the Stegreif folks (Valerie, Anne, Celia, Bartosz) along with Caro.
Contact Improv with Brenton was a unique/different way for us to connect.
Great connections with the folks from the Order of the Wild
Challenges
The heat!! It was so hot (esp. in the dining hall and the rooms). I should purchase a travel fan.
I found it hard to really go deep with people, because there are so many individuals who create a flow of constant interruption unless you manage to seculde yourself.
References:
College of Extraordinary Experiences
Context:
I first learned about the College of Extraordinary Experiences from Brenton Zola. I cold-emailed them to see how I might support them in future impact-themed projects, which led to a design sprint, an invitation to the College, and a decompression.
Appreciate these thoughts? You can show your support by buying me a Coffee ☕️!
Tags: #index#WIP