Calling my curious people! What’s better than finding inspiration in our own communities?

I am thrilled to be partnering again this year with Street Wisdom on the WORLD WIDE WANDER, Friday, September 27, 2024, a day of free 90-minute “Walkshops” that get people wandering the streets, finding ideas and answers in the most surprising places, right at home, all around the globe.

It’s free. It’s artfully facilitated. And, frankly, it’s magical.

I really want you to experience it with me!

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We’ve Got Options!

• You can be part of the free join-from-anywhere online program: WANDER FOUR at 11am EDT, 10am CDT, 9am MDT, 8am PDT; join individually, no matter where you are
• You can host or join a free Gathering (see footnote¹ ) as part of WANDER FOUR
• You can learn the model (fun, easy, free) and host a free in-person Wander of your own!

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My Big Hairy Audacious Goal

My goal is to have curious friends gathering in partnership with all the wonderful community radio stations that carry Choose to be Curious — that’s more than 15 fabulous communities, coast to coast!

I will help find the right option for every location that is interested. Let’s connect our community media to the larger, global community. It’s a perfect fit: a way to bring people together, celebrating and finding inspiration from the streets around us, sharing our stories…

And regardless of how many stations/organizations participate, I hope to see 50 curiosity friends online for WANDER FOUR, one way or another! Grab a nearby friend and join the fun, or make a date with a far-flung friend and use it as an opportunity to share a special experience.

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Want to Know More?

A Walkshop is a guided walking workshop, led by a Street Wisdom facilitator who coaches you through the wonder-sparking practice. You can use your phone out on the street (camera facing outwards if you can) or inside your home if outside isn’t feasible.

A Walkshop has three parts:

TUNE-UP. A series of short exercises that are designed to “tune-up” your senses so you can tune in to the world around you.

QUEST. Here you choose a question you would like some fresh thinking on and then set off in search of insights, ideas and answers, looking for signs and signals from the streets or space you explore.

SHARE. Everyone gathers back together again and shares insights or listens to others.

Once you’ve learnt the technique, you can use the practice again and again on your own!

Check out the FAQs from Street Wisdom for a deep dive.

Question? Email me!

Listen to my interview with David Pearl, Street Wisdom’s visionary founder. No one explains the magic of Street Wisdom quite like David.

Interested in hosting a Gathering? Last year, Arlington Presbyterian Church served as our Gathering place. We started in the Community Garden and then wandered the nearby streets. When it was over, we reconvened in the Garden and shared our experiences. (I’ve included some of the images that offered insights and ideas on my quest, below. What do they suggest to you?)

Still have questions? Email me. We’ll figure it out!

And a reminder: All Street Wisdom events are run by volunteers and participants take part at their own risk. Whilst any personal injury or loss is unlikely, we encourage participants to remain vigilant when out on the streets and we are not liable for any injury or loss caused when taking part in a Street Wisdom activity. These were some of the things I encountered that helped answer the question I posed for myself in my Wander.

1. We pioneered this last year and it worked really well. Like an in-person Walkshop, you host a group of people, in-person, in an area you know and love and which you think will provide rich stimulus. But rather than you leading the Walkshop, you gather your group, bring everyone together with a warm introduction, and then help everyone switch on their phones, pop on their headphones/airpods and make sure everyone is able to sign into the online Walkshop you’re all joining as part of the World Wide Wander using Zoom. (You don’t need to be a technical whizz as we’ll help people get prepared before the Walkshop.)
   Your group participates in the online Walkshop from the start to finish, just like anyone else online — the difference being most people online are in separate places, whereas you and your group are together, in the same place! Once the online Walkshop is over, you gather your group back and have your own in-person Sharing to reflect on the experience.
   If you’d like to host a Gathering, please email me and/or contact Philip (he’s the guy at Street Wisdom who makes all this magic happen!).
   
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