In March/April, Creating the Future will celebrate its 3 year anniversary!
3 years since our first official immersion course. 3 years since the thought frameworks that have become Creating the Future’s vision, mission & values began spreading into communities and making a bigger and bigger difference. 3 years since the publication of The Pollyanna Principles.
It feels like a huge milepost, somehow unreal as we are currently so deeply in start-up / ramp-up / scale-up mode. It’s a good reminder that there is always a ton of work that leads to being poised to begin well – the entrepreneurial equivalent of the 20 year Hollywood veteran who, after a big break, is described as “coming out of nowhere.”
All that work is now a path we can look back on, as we look forward to the next huge leaps forward toward accomplishing our mission – the equivalent of a bar mitzvah, a Quinceañera, a coming out party (in the old sense of the word, but yes, perhaps even in the new sense as well!).
And so, we are thinking it is time to look back and look forward, to celebrate what has been accomplished, and more importantly, to step forward together into what is ahead.
Which, we confess, is about as far as we have gotten in planning this celebration! 🙂
We do know that we want this occasion to help accomplish as many of Creating the Future’s strategic objectives as possible.
And we do have a few building blocks in mind – the publication of a report celebrating all we have accomplished in these 3 fledgling years (aka our WOW List). And the publication of a white paper and video detailing Creating the Future’s “Theory of Change” – something we are all VERY excited about. These are pieces we are in the process of creating anyway, and it just seems a great time to announce them.
But the rest of how we build this celebration is entirely up for grabs.
And so, before diving in to brainstorm ideas, we need to determine the bigger “why” and “because.” What do we want this celebration to accomplish? And that is what we are hoping you will explore with us:
What could this anniversary celebration make possible?
And for whom?
The easy part is determining what this could make possible for Creating the Future as an entity.
The more important question, though, is what it will make possible for others – and who are those others??
Once we know what we want this celebration to accomplish and for whom, the rest is the easy part – brainstorming ways to make that happen.
So for now, please help us explore – what can such a celebration make possible? And most importantly, for whom?
Looking forward to generating great goals for this incredible (in every sense of the word) occasion!!!
I’d like to see the anniversary create a critical mass of aware people in many communities, so CTF grads have many allies, and community benefit organizations are hearing the CTF message from many sources. CTF becomes an authoritative and respected approach not a fringe idea with scattered voices.
The anniversary celebration could help bring together world-changers of many different flavors and help them realize that they are not alone.
By creating a celebration that’s both (1) meaningful and (2) fun, it will attract (1) the right audience, and (2) they’ll actually show up.
Making it both meaningful and fun also encourages CTF allies (like me and Kyeli!) to invite our tribes to show up. Connection between communities, sharing ideas… it could lead to a connection revolution and/or creating the future! (;
I’m on the advisory board of a big event planned in Egypt in March 2013 — the merger of an awareness raising exhibition with big stage dance party with large container for inspiration splintered into smaller spaces for further niche development of connections, epiphanies and continuity into future projects
does this sound like something interesting
If so, I could put you in touch with the people
From what I know, this is much bigger and wider (not to mention further away than you’d like) than the work you are involved with Hildy — it just came to mind
Hildy, I can hardly wait for the video describing your theory of change! This anniversary is such a great opportunity to reflect with you about the journey and all that has inspired you. As I’m writing this I’m wondering about not only the “wow” moments but also the stories of those moments that turned uncertainty into action — those times when you felt an awakening to something new or different. I wonder if others would share their stories as well? Thinking ….