the experience highway
It all begins with an idea.
We begin in British Columbia, down the West Coast of the United States, wrapping around the tip of Baja and into greater Mexico. Further, we journey into the jungles of Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Crossing the carribean coast, the gulf of Mexico, and around the Florida panhandle. To greater upstate New York, eastern Canada, and pushing further east into the Atlantic High seas. We arrive in Portugal and wrap into the Spanish coasts. Through the mediterranean and onto the banks of Tel Aviv. Jumping south, we have journeyed halfway around the world from where we began - and sit in the sacredness of the Balinesian tapestry. We rise up to see the entirety of Southeast Asia, and even further up to planetary view, where we see the thread continuing to weave around the planet.
Everywhere we look, nomadic and sustainably driven communities are assembling along one of the most spectacular highways in the world. Cultures throughout history used to connect down the banks of rivers, through valleys, over mountains, and more. In today’s modern times, technology and global connectivity has allowed new ways by which we can stay connected, stay in motion, and feel at home in numerous different places.
The ways in which we connect these locations to their subsidiary community members, find the housing around each location, and design the transportation systems that take us between - is of unparalleled importance to how we will behave as communities, how we collaborate, and ultimately cohere as a greater whole.
We are not building communities. A community cannot be built - it grows. Human connection is the fabric of any great community. And, like anything organic its growth happens through a pulse in a repetition in the way that the community and it’s participants gather. Different communities inspire different ways of being, and different ways to make impact in the world. How we explore those communities, come in contact with them, and grow alongside them is still a mystery we are all working to solve together.
Most communities lack systems for interoperation with other communities. And often the only way to understand who these communities are or what they are doing, is to go to their website or their Facebook page and check out whatever deemed necessary to share.
Where is our feedback process for how communities are going? Where is our exploration of what communities work for us? How do they talk to each other? Do we really still think it’s through Facebook?
This is where technology comes in, and why it is so important for us to be sharing a dialogue, in order to create the best tools to support this organic growth process within communities and between them. What is without is within, and what we design will inevitably design us back. Technology has unlocked new forms of communication and connection that are unparalleled to anything human society has seen in its history. With that comes great responsibility to ensure these technologies are supporting Our highest good.
This entire system is driven by shared experiences. How we designed those shared experiences and how they point towards each other will inevitably shape the behaviors of communities to come. So what are these places to be, and if you had a hand what would you have them do?
This is the question we are asking ourselves every day within The Canvas. How do we grow together, and invite the best forms of behavior to induce greater connections to ourselves to each other, and to nature. And through those experiences, we explore how we can co-create solutions for more people to do the same.
We are a community of seekers, explorers, and visionary leaders. We are on a mission to redesign the way people convene and collaborate. We are dedicated to creating immersive playgrounds that explore the shifts needed in the world through shared experience, trusted collaboration and common ground. We want to encourage others to share this journey with us. We are here as a rallying call for the leaders of Spaceship earth; and to create locations that host the Solutionists of a decade long revolution toward a more sustainable and playful world. We believe it can be done together and we are hoping you will share the ride.
Brass tax?
We are a system for operating locations, and a platform with new tools for communities to share land and resources, co-create solutions, and live around those locations. We believe that the leaders of tomorrow are community organizers, regenerative and experiential designers, and ontological thinkers. We are preparing to arm this group with the tools they need to support their missions.
ontological playlists
Every year I rebuild my playlists on Spotify. Below are descriptions to playlists for 2022. Each one is based on a mood or behavior.
grow - progressive music with rhythm and space where the songs build. great to get people starting to move
vybe - background music for any experience where people are hanging out and meeting
“Go” is a strong (mainly progressive house music) playlist that is for dancing.
“Run” is built with all songs that are in the exact tempo that most people run at. So when you run your feet can go to the rhythm of the music which I love.
“Nostalgia” is all old stuff I used to love growing up from like 8th grade through high school
“Repair” is for breakups. It’s good lyrical music to help put the heart back together
“Float” is a beautiful ambient playlist with no Rythyms whatsoever. It’s beautiful for morning backgrounds or when you just need light music for relaxing - bathtubs etc.
“Learn” is all tracks that have people like Ram Das, Tibetan Monks, Alan Watts, and other thought leaders sharing wisdom with beautiful music in the background.
“Reverse” is oldies. Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, Nina Simone, etc
“Rock” is all 80’s rock and ballads
“Touch” is sexy music for hanging out with someone or dating etc
“Wander” is good for hiking. It’s like life background music. Singer songwriter feel good stuff.
“Vida” is all lively Spanish guitar that will likely get you dancing
“Play” is a lot of French and melodic bouncy house. Polo & Pan and stuff like it. It’s happy
“Innovate” is great for working, design, background for daytime with people coworking, etc.
“Quest” is theme music from cinematic films like arrival, lord of the rings, Star Wars, avatar, etc.