conscient podcast

this moment in canadian culture

reflections on conscient e214 roundtable – this moment in canadian culture 

Note: you can read the original posting on my a calm presence Substack here.

Also see the Transcript of this episode for the complete posting. 

Big thanks to all roundtable participants, Robin Sokoloski, Annette Hegel, Jai Djwa, Owais Lightwala, SGS, also known as Sarah Garton Stanley, Max Wyman and Chris Creighton-Kelly for taking the time to share their thoughts and to you for listening and considering what ‘this moment in canadian culture’ means to you. 

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). 

It’s my way to give back.

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish free ‘a calm presence' Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.

Your feedback is always welcome at [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on September 28, 2025

Hey there faithful and brave conscient listeners, 

Welcome to the second conscient roundtable conversation. This one was recorded on Sunday, March 16, 2025 in Vancouver. In a minute you’ll hear an acknowledgement about the original stewards of these lands followed by a minute of silent contemplation.

Normally, conscient roundtables feature a group of artists and cultural workers talking about their passions, fears and dreams and, in fact, we did do this, but this was a special episode of the conscient podcast : e216 in memoriam tracey friesen. Tracey left us on January 6, 2025 at age 58.

Who was Tracey Friesen, you ask? It’s a good question. Many of you have not had the pleasure. 

Tracey was many things, including a media producer and media strategist, most recently Managing Vice President of the BC Branch of the Canadian Media Producers Association but I knew her as climate champion with the SCALE-LeSAUT and as a trusted friend. I had a conversation in 2021 on this podcast, e85, where she said:

• What's starting to interest me is stories of resilience for a post-carbon world. What are we going to need for our emotional well-being? It's going to be a different world, not long from now. If we do this, and we must do this, this transition has to happen and there's going to be a sense of loss and sacrifice and challenge, not just with what's happening externally from a climate point of view, but in how we're going to have to make changes to our lives and reorient our energies in terms of our advocacy. I feel like there's an opportunity for artists - I'm more connected to the film and television sector and the documentary community - but throughout the system, to be able to provide realistic and yet reassuring narratives about what the upside of all this might be.

You can also check out an amazing celebration of life that took place on February 22nd, 2025 in Vancouver, see Livestream of Tracey Friesen Celebration of Life - Live at 12:45pm Feb 22nd, 2025.

So I turned to my friend Jai Djwa help me bring together some of Tracey’s closest friends in Vancouver friends and we talked for 70-minutes about everything. You’ll hear Jai, of course, also Amir Niroumand, Liz Shorten, Sue Biely and Lucia Dekleer. Sadly a few others were not able to attend but I think there will be other opportunities. 

You’ll hear us talk about how Tracey was an exceptional person and how she influenced our lives: anecdotes, stories, funny moments, sad moments. Tracey really believed in storytelling, as witnessed by her book: Story Money Impact. 

So I think kind of public mourning and celebration is a topic of interest to us all: how do we deal the untimely loss of a friend or family member? How do honour the memory of a loved one? How can we carry their work forward? 

I want to thank this group of friends for their generosity, courage and wisdom. 

If you want to comment on what you hear please go to conscient.ca and use any of the conscient podcast social media to share your thoughts.

If you like what you hear then I invite you to share it within your networks and-or give conscient podcast a review on Apple podcasts. All of this helps to get these conversations to circulate. My email is [email protected]

So, I invite you to sit back, relax – maybe grab a drink - and enjoy e216 roundtable - in memoriam tracey friesen.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

• I would say that while there's absolutely no question that we're in a crisis, there's no question about multi crisis. I'm not sure we're in the state of collapse. And I think that methodology, that vision, that understanding of the world can lead to... You were talking about it a few minutes ago, doom scrolling and just doom. I find that that can create a lot of inertia in people, a lot of hopelessness and pessimism. I have a colleague in the US, Arlene Goldbard, and she's quoting (Antonio) Gramsci and she says, ‘pessimism of the intellect, but optimism of the will' and I like that shorthand way of thinking. 

My conversation with artist, writer, and cultural critic Chris Creighton-Kelly on September 24th, 2024 in Sidney, British Columbia, which is on the traditional, unceded territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ People. Chris is among others things, is co-director, along with artist France Trépanier of  Primary Colours – Couleurs primaires. I’ve condensed a long and rich conversation with Chris down to this new ‘fifteen’ minute format. You’ll hear highlights from our exchange about the role of art in times of crisis, the importance of listening to Indigenous peoples, generative discomfort and more…

Episode notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Explore the diverse roles art can play during crises, moving beyond propaganda to prompt meaningful questions.
• Embrace ‘generative discomfort’ as a tool for self-awareness and understanding one’s positionality in history.
• Prioritize listening to and learning from indigenous knowledge to enrich environmental movements.
• Recognize the importance of inspiration, defiance, and imagination as motivators, rather than guilt and blame.
• Consider how global narratives of human migration intersect with traditional, place-based Indigenous knowledge.

Story Preview

What role does art play when the world feels like it’s teetering on the edge? Chris Creighton Kelly challenges us to move beyond simple answers and propaganda, urging us to find inspiration in discomfort and listen to the wisdom of those who have stewarded the earth for millennia.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Crisis of Our Times
01:55 The Role of Art in Crisis
03:50 Art as a Catalyst for Change
07:15 Generative Discomfort in Art
08:37 Indigenous Knowledge and Environmentalism
11:13 Migration and Traditional Knowledge

Featured Quotes

• Art is best when it doesn’t give answers but rather prompts questions.
• This idea of confronting your positionality, or maybe even confronting is the wrong word, but becoming aware of your positionality…means knowing your place in history.
• One of the most unexamined resources of how to save this planet is to listen to Indigenous people.

Behind the Story

In a world grappling with climate change, social inequities, and mass migration, Chris Creighton-Kelly seeks to understand how art can foster awareness and action. He challenges the Western-centric view of environmentalism, advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and a deeper understanding of our place in history. The conversation delves into the complexities of motivation, suggesting that inspiration and imagination are more powerful drivers than guilt and blame.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

• I think, as has already been mentioned by a number of you, that we need to slow down, not speed up. This is a moment for really slow thinking and to be listening and to be doing deep listening. I like this concept that we use, again in Primary Colours. Instead of thinking of outreach and trying to convince people and tell them about how great the arts are, we need to do in-reach, we need to go into communities and listen to people, go where people are and understand what it is they understand about their cultures, plural. And their art practices plural. And after that process, maybe there's something to be said. 

- Chris Creighton-Kelly (1h03m05s)

A special edition conscient roundtable with Robin Sokoloski, Annette Hegel, Jai Djwa, Owais Lightwala, Sarah Garton Stanley (SGS), Max Wyman, Chris Creighton-Kelly and Claude Schryer

Key links

• https://createcanada.ca
• Save the Arts, Blow Up the Old Ways
• Does Canadian culture reflect Canadian identity?
• Controversy over lemmings painting exposes the real snowflakes at PEI veterinary college
• Primary Colours

Episode notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Acknowledge the ongoing nature of crisis and disruption, particularly in the arts sector
• Focus on deep listening and understanding the value of art within communities
• Deconstruct and pluralize the concept of Canadian culture, embracing multiplicity and diverse voices
• Recognize the importance of both large-scale advocacy and grassroots community engagement
• Seek out joy and connection as a means of addressing broader systemic challenges

Story Preview

What does it mean to be Canadian in a rapidly changing world? Artists and cultural leaders gather for a candid conversation about identity, purpose, and the future of art in Canada, revealing both anxieties and surprising sources of hope.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Introduction to Canadian Culture
03:34 Setting the Tone: A Moment of Silence
05:11 Reflections on Crisis and Opportunity
09:14 Navigating Cultural Identity and Reconciliation
12:49 The Role of Arts in Community Building
22:10 Art as a Source of Hope and Advocacy
30:10 Finding Joy and Connection in Art
39:00 The Long Arc of Change and Future Possibilities
55:11 Listening and Learning from Communities
01:08:01 Closing Reflections on Art and Identity

Featured Quotes

• Annette Hegel: We’re coming to the end stages of capitalism and colonialism and we’re all trying to kind of fumble in the dark, looking for new ways.
• Max Wyman: The crisis is not about the plight of the artist. I think it’s about what the artist can do to find joy, help people find joy and meaning and grace and courage in a world that right now doesn’t seem to offer much of that.
• Robin Sokoloski: Art is in the relationship.

Behind the Story

Amidst rising global tensions and a re-emerging sense of Canadian identity, Claude Schryer convened a diverse group of artists and cultural workers for an open discussion. Inspired by the Create Canada project and recent articles and media exploring the state of Canadian culture, the conversation navigates complex issues of decolonization, regionalism, and the essential role of art in building community. The participants grapple with defining Canadian values and finding actionable ways to foster a more inclusive and vibrant cultural landscape.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

• The arts have that capacity to be powerful broadcasters, conveyors of messages, invitations to celebration, reflection, storytelling, narrative building and so on. There's a vital role here for the arts. But like the rest of society, frankly, whether it's the banking system or government we're simply not doing it well enough that we could say we're satisfied with how much is happening and everything's going to be okay. It's not. If we just stopped now, chaos and worse are due. It's not to say that we can hold up the arts and say, if only you were doing your job, everything would be fine. No, we all have, no matter what sector, so much to do.

This is my second conscient conversation with social innovator and former CEO of McConnell Foundation, Stephen Huddart. The first took place on June 17, 2021 in Montréal, episode 58, and this second took place on September 24th, 2024 in Victoria BC. I’ve condensed all of this rich conversation down to my new format of 15 minutes – not an easy edit - so what you’ll hear highlights from our exchange about the vital role of art, social innovation, relations with indigenous peoples, the panarchy cycle, Stephen’s leadership role with the Victoria Forum (co-hosted with members of the Canadian Senate) and more.

Action points

• Nurture the capacity of art to be powerful broadcasters, conveyors of messages, invitations to celebration, reflection, storytelling, narrative building, etc.
• Increase the vitality and role of art at the local level to contribute to a more dynamic civic culture
• Create more configurations to present, invite, engage, dialogue, contemplate, discuss the arts
  See, hear and deeply hear others perspectives.
• Nurture the power of art to serve as a catalyst for inspiration and community

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Story Preview
What if art holds the key to unlocking our collective future? This episode explores the intersection of art, innovation, and societal transformation, revealing how creative expression can guide us through crisis and towards revitalization.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Power of the Arts
01:07 Revisiting Conversations
02:02 Trust and Community Engagement
04:22 The Victoria Forum Experience
06:10 Navigating Complex Challenges
07:30 Understanding Our Current Cycle
09:21 The Call to Action
11:17 The Role of the Arts in Social Change
13:08 Accelerating Transformation

Featured Quotes

• Her wish (Shannon Waters) was for every child in Canada to learn the indigenous word for water in the territory in which they lived.
• We have the intellectual, the financial, the technological, and one would hope, the human and spiritual resources with which to affect a beautiful transition. Why aren’t we doing it?
• There’s a vital role for the arts at the local level to be contributing to dynamic civic culture.
• William Gibson said 'the future is already here, it's just unevenly distributed'.

Behind the Story

Stephen Huddart revisits the podcast to expand on previous conversations around social innovation, reflecting on the Victoria Forum 2024 and its focus on regenerative economies. The discussion navigates the complex challenges facing humanity, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and systemic change to address growing societal fractures. The power of art as a catalyst for inspiration and community is highlighted.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

• There's been a real lack of positive action and response from the arts community to these existential questions that confront us. And I really wonder whether that's not because they're simply bewildered by what's been going on. They're terrified, most of them. A lot of the conversation that goes on that I'm aware of has to do with the precariousness of existence for the artist. There is no there's no solid ground for them to work on when there's no money. So they're afraid to rock the boat, one thing. But they do tend to talk in circles without ever coming to a point of conclusion that allows them to take action.

My conversation with writer, dance historian and arts policy consultant Max Wyman who I knew when he was on the board of the Canada Council in the early 2000s. I met with Max on March 18, 2025 at his home in Lions Bay, British Columbia which sits on the unceded traditional territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. 

Max is the author of numerous books, including The Compassionate Imagination: How the Arts Are Central to a Functioning Democracy, which he will talk about in this episode. He’ll also talk about quite a provocative article, published on February 21, 2025 in The Tyee called To Save the Arts, Blow Up the Old Ways, which caught my attention, in part because it reminded of my letter to the arts community about the ecological crisis from October 2024. 

Both of our postings ask what I think are fair but hard questions – in difficult times - about the future of the arts sector, and of Canadian culture writ large, so it’s all very timely. I asked Max to stick his neck out and elaborate upon his vision and actions, which he did with finesse and gusto.

Action points

• Artists need to be bolder than they are and take action
• The cultural community in Canada should get behind the notion of a Canadian identity that can be brandished in the face of the attacks that are being leveled at it
• Help create and participate in national displays of art at every level
• Thank about what you have to offer to the public
• Help position arts and culture as central to who we are as a nation, who we are as people, who we are as individuals with a sense of belonging, of being understood and giving a voice.

Episode notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Story Preview

What if Canadian artists held the key to unlocking a stronger national identity and a more compassionate society? Max Wyman challenges the arts community to rise above despair and take bold action, envisioning a vibrant cultural landscape that celebrates unity and shared values.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Crisis in the Arts Community
01:12 Introducing Max Wyman
02:30 The Call for Bold Action
04:16 Celebrating Canadian Identity
06:02 Reimagining Canadian Culture
08:31 The Power of Arts and Empathy
10:15 Integrating Arts with Policy Making
12:34 Addressing Environmental and Social Justice

Featured Quotes

• We’ve talked long enough and we need to take action.
• The arts are a place where you can come together and see things in their complexity and share them without threat.
• I think the arts and culture are central to who we are as a nation, who we are as people, who we are as individuals.

Behind the Story

Max Wyman, a seasoned writer and arts advocate, draws on his extensive experience to address the existential questions facing the Canadian arts community. His conversation highlights the importance of reimagining the sector’s role in fostering national pride, social understanding, and a compassionate approach to arts and cultural policymaking in an increasingly polarized world.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

• I think there is a responsibility we have as artists to relate to our artistry responsibly. And that has to do with sensing into our artistic sensibility as a medicine or a gift that we were given to come into this embodiment, to become the people that we are and share this medicine with the people in our community around us. And I think it's about asking the question, what is a medicine that I can bring? Not from a place of heroism, not from a place of saviorism, but from a place of genuinely, honestly inquiring, asking what is the medicine needed right now that my art can bring? And sitting with that question without needing to answer that question. So sitting with that question as a question that opens up more questions, as opposed to creating a product, that will be the answer for it.

My conversation with Azul Carolina Duque, artist, researcher and member of the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF) collective. This episode is 15-minute condensation of a much longer conversation recorded on September 16, 2024 in Victoria, British Columbia, the traditional territories of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, specifically the Songhees and Esquimalt (Xʷsepsəm) Nations, and the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. The complete conversation includes a conversation about  a new book by Vanessa Andreotti, Outgrowing Modernity: Navigating Complexity, Complicity and Collapse With Accountability and Compassion, that I’ll publish as a separate episode. This episode is focused on Azul’s research Reactivating Exiled Capacities project. You’ll also hear excerpts from a soundwalk Azul and I took in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria. Azul began with a powerful land acknowledgement.

Suggested action points

• Sense into your artistic sensibility as a medicine, or a gift, and share it
• Sit with the question: what is the medicine needed right now that my art can bring?
• Explore simplicity and subtlety to bring depth to your artistic practice
• How to relate to the dream world with more reverence and humility and what does that have to teach us that can be important for these times of collapse?
• How is our relationship with sound, listening, our own voice and with vibration important to cultivate as we experience accelerating levels of grief, despair and pain?

Episode notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Story Preview

Imagine a world where art heals not just the soul, but also the deep-seated wounds of colonialism embedded within our very beings. Artist and researcher Azul Carolina Duque guides us on a journey of sound, reflection, and decolonization, inviting us to consider how art can reactivate lost capacities and foster a more accountable future.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Artist’s Responsibility
01:20 Introducing Azul Carolina Duque
02:02 Land Acknowledgment and Connection
04:25 Sitting with Reality
05:06 Art and Culture in Crisis
06:44 Understanding Colonialism as a Disease
08:18 Reactivating Exiled Capacities
10:35 The Inquiry of Reactivation
12:09 Cultivating Service and Humility

Featured Quotes

• There is a responsibility we have as artists to relate to our artistry responsibly… to share this medicine with the people in our community around us.
• How can we expand our capacity to sit with the reality of things, to sit with… the good, the bad, the ugly, and the messed up, in order to respond from a place of more sobriety, maturity, more discernment and accountability?
• I was raised to be arrogant, and I still am in so many ways that I can’t even see, and some others that I hopefully can see.

Behind the Story

This episode captures a segment of a conversation with Azul Carolina Duque, focusing on her Reactivating Exiled Capacities research. Azul’s work with the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures collective explores how colonialism manifests at a molecular level, impacting our nervous systems and relationships. Through artistic exercises and somatic practices, she seeks to “neuro-decolonize” our bodies and reclaim capacities essential for navigating complex times.

Please see the transcript of this episode for hyperlinks of cited publications and organizations. For more information on season 6 of the conscient podcast see a conscient rethink or listen to it here.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Hey there

Welcome to the first conscient roundtable conversation recorded on Saturday March 1, 2025 in Tiohtià:ke (also known as Montreal). 

This episode features local artists, activists and cultural workers Alyssa Scott, Devon Hardy, Jimmy Ung, Katrine Claassens, Sophie Weider, Sébastian Méric de Bellefon and myself (I’m actually from Ottawa) talking about our passions, fears and dreams and engaging in some playful banter, though, I have to say, this group had some pretty serious issues on their minds.

Do you know any art and science jokes? 

Our conversation lasted 91 minutes and is presented here without any edits but before running the tape, so to speak, I want to share 4 of my favorite excerpts from this roundtable to whet your appetite and set the table for the feast of words you are about to hear.

First we talked a lot about artists and scientist during this session, for example, Sophie Weider observed that : 

• What I think is interesting about making art about a problem that I guess came out through science because it brings in the audience and prompts the audience to reflect on themselves as part of this problem or as part of this innovation or whatever it is.  I think that that brings in the identity piece that you were talking about, Jimmy, where it's like even just consuming art is a way of discovering yourself and your identity. But then art that asks you to reflect, or perhaps create, art that might be engaging or community engaged art does that extra step of now that you've reflected and seen, okay, wait, I'm part of something bigger than myself, what do I have to say about it or what do I have to do about it.

Shortly after, Jimmy Ung, who was our host that day along with his wife Hannah, responded:

• And we're thinking about this art-science relation. And to me, it's always felt clear to me that what art can do for science is to democratize science. It's to make it more accessible. But then what I'm curious is about, about is what can science do for the arts? And I'm kind of stuck there in my own mind, like, what is it that science can do for artists? And I kind of often approach life through three pillars of beauty, which is art, goodness, which is morality and ethics, and then truth, which is the role of science, I think. And I always felt that the answer is often that the third one is always the mediator. So when trying to find how to better find that balance between art and science, then we should look to morality and ethics. And when we try to find the balance between what's good and what's true, then it's the role of art to be the mediator, and so on and so forth.

And you'll hear at the very end, and I hope you're able to stay until the end. Sophie Weider again talked about the end of the world as we know it, which is something that's always on my mind. It's a topic that I often explore in this podcast, but I love Sophie's take on it. So here it is.

• Just to quickly respond to your comment about despair of the world as we know it. Obviously there is a lot of science and yeah, information about the direction the world is heading and, and I think we can assume that things will go badly before they're again good. But I would like to say that like the end of the world as we know it is not necessarily a bad thing. We all know that there are huge systemic problems that are causing the challenges we're facing today. And those things need to be solved, and we need to have a fundamental shift to see them solved. Whether that will happen or whether human race will just fizzle out, who knows? But I'd like to think that change will happen and that it is possible, at least possible that it could be positive in some way, at least, maybe at the end of the day, even if a lot of hardship has to come before then. I don't know if that's hopeful or just sad, but that's my take.

And a few seconds later, Katrine Claassens, one of our guests, talked about artists as midwives:

• Maybe just to add to what you said about thinking of artists as midwives, we are not death doulas (providing hospice care) but rather as midwives for another world. 

Katrine later refers to an artwork in California : https://liztoohey-wiese.com/forced-into-a-great-and-difficult-transformation

So, you get the idea. 

You’ll hear these four excerpts in context in a few minutes but i like the way they set us in the mood to listen. I want to thank the brave participants of this first roundtable session for their generosity, courage and wisdom. They are now on the public record as cool and visionary people.  If listeners want to know more about these conscient roundtables – why I created them or background on brave new waves and David Bohm’s dialogue work - please read or listen to my posting on my a calm presence called conscient roundtables. 

And if you want to comment on what you hear please go to conscient.ca and use any of the conscient podcast social media to share your thoughts. If you like what you hear then I invite you to share it within your networks and-or give conscient podcast a review on apple podcasts. All of this helps to get these conversations to circulate and create a bit of buzz about the issues we care about and that merit more public conversations. 

My email is [email protected]

So please relax and enjoy this roundtable on art and science and more.

Note: because of the length and informal nature of this roundtable episode I have not generated a transcription beyond the four quotes above. 

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

• I think that the first thing artists have to do is to start telling the truth. You know, just like climate change five or six years ago, you just didn't really want to talk about it. You got shunned in polite company if you talked about it. Now we have the c word, right? We've got collapse. But the conversation hasn't started yet. And I think just broadly speaking, the artistic community… The best of the artistic community, has always been on the edge, right? The social edge. Pushing, complaining, challenging, resisting…

Robert R. Janes

My conversation with archaeologist and former museum director and CEO Robert (Bob) R. Janes (author of Museums and Societal Collapse : The Museum as Lifeboat) and his son, famer and educator Peter Janes (author of Fake Plants Never Die - an eclectic technical instruction manual - Essays on pre-apocalyptic adaptation) at TreeEater Farm and Nursery on Denman Island, September 16, 2024. This episode is condensation of a 90-minute conversation into ‘fifteen’. 

Suggested questions and action points

• Tell the truth through your art
• Keep fighting: push, complain, challenge, resist
• Assume responsibility by action, not just by protesting
• What can you get rid of?
• What should you bring back?
• Why are you creating art?
• Why does your museum exist?
• What solutions do you propose?
• What are your non-negotiable values?

Please see the transcript of this episode for hyperlinks of cited publications and organizations. For more information on season 6 of the conscient podcast see a conscient rethink or listen to it here.

Episode notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Story Preview

Can art save us? A former museum director and his son, a regenerative farmer, confront a world on the brink, finding solace and solutions in the land and in rethinking the very purpose of our cultural institutions. It’s a story of hard truths, reluctant hope, and the power of reconnecting with nature.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Call for Truth in Art
01:02 Building an Educational Farm
02:19 Lessons from Indigenous Cultures
04:43 Museums as Lifeboats
06:57 Navigating Hope and Hopelessness
10:21 Regenerative Practices in Agriculture
12:09 Art’s Role in Environmental Advocacy

Featured Quotes

• {03:32} You can’t separate cultural affairs from the natural environment, that they’re inextricably linked together. - Robert R. Janes
• {09:17} I make a personal effort towards hope, but I don’t feel any hope. - Peter Janes
• {11:39} It’s the message that’s important now. And that message is telling the truth. - Robert R. Janes

Behind the Story

Robert R. Janes, with nearly five decades in the museum business, reflects on his early archaeological work and a transformative experience living with Dene families near the Arctic Circle. This shaped his understanding of social ecology. His son, Peter, driven by a desire to correct educational inadequacies, established a farm focused on regenerative practices. Together, they offer a vision for a future rooted in sustainability, truth, and a reconnection with the natural world.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

I’ve been (earnestly) taking courses, workshops and seminars these last few years, while producing over 300 podcasts about art and ecology, as my way of helping future generations prepare for what we are leaving them. 

My most recent learning and unlearning exercise is Surviving the Future: The Deeper Dive 2025, a 10 week course inspired by the work of British ecologist David Fleming. 

I wrote about the first three weeks of the course in prepare, bend, sustain posting (also available in audio). So this is part 2 of 2. 

Surviving the Future has been very influential in my life. 

I took it while I was on break from my conscient podcast and it has helped figure out what to do next, which I outline in a conscient rethink (also available in audio).

My key research questions are :

• What needs to be said ? (what is content that is not being heard)
• Who needs to say it ? (who are the right person(s) to tell the story or explain the issue)
• Who wants to hear it ? (who is the audience and needs to hear it)
• How does it help? (eg people who are already overwhelmed: how can a podcast help move things forward)

So what was Surviving the Future like? 

It was dense and wonderfully curated by Shaun Chamberlin and others. 

Here’s an example. 

On Monday February 24, 2025, our special guests were the dynamic mother/daughter duo Vanessa and Gina Andreotti, both members of the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF) collective.  I often refer to the GTDF’s work in my learnings.

The session centered around Burnout From Humans : A Little Book About AI That Is Not Really About AI:

• a playful reflection on complexity, connection, and the future of human-AI relationships. Co-authored by an emergent intelligence and a human researcher, this work explores the tangled dynamics of humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence, Earth, and itself.

It was an engaging and challenging session about AI from indigenous and decolonial perspectives. 

After our exchange, Vanessa and the GTDF collective published an Open letter to the participants of the Surviving the Future program, which I was a part of. They offered feedback and learnings from our conversation, such as the distinction between critique and jurisdiction and how the architecture of power often remains invisible to those who have historically and systemically benefited from it.

Benefactors like myself. 

The session was difficult but empowering. 

Looking into the mirror like that is when I realized that Surviving the Future was also about knowing and surviving myself, understanding myself and overcoming, as Vanessa Andretotti notes, the ‘limits that modernity continuously tries to impose’.

We certainly faced some of those limitations. 

This excerpt from the February 24th letter resonates and haunts me :

• The world as we have known it is unraveling. Both the dominant frameworks and those once seen as transgressive are failing to hold. This collapse is not just structural; it is psychological. The infrastructures that stabilized people within modernity—its myths, its promises, its assurances, its rhythms of control—are breaking apart. The result will not be gentle. We must prepare for a long, messy, species-wide existential meltdown.

How does one prepare for a long, messy, species-wide existential meltdown?

Here a short story.

I was a deputy returning officer at the February 27, 2025, Ontario provincial election. My job was to confirm the eligibility of voters and hand them a ballot.

It was my civic duty and an opportunity to get to know some of my neighbours and co-citizens. 

Some voters had just turned 18 and were visibly excited about participating in democracy for the first time.

As I handed each young adult a ballot, I looked them in the eye, wished them well, but in the back of my mind I could not help thinking about the ‘long, messy, species-wide existential meltdown’ that awaits them.

Now most young adults are well aware of this incoming meltdown. They talk about it openly.

For example, my son, historian Riel Schryer, in conscient e154:

• I don't think there's going to be any serious response to the climate crisis until real catastrophes start happening. That tends to be how it works. And once you start seeing that, then you'll start seeing very serious action being put in place. Although, we'll see at that point, if it's too late or not.

Also, my daughter, scientist Clara Schryer, in conscient e208:

• … changes happen : there are always ways to adapt. That’s not to say that the initial change might not be kind of catastrophic, but there's always going to be something left and you have to work with that.

Is it too late?

How do we work with what is left? 

At a Surviving the Future reflection session on March 6th course leader Shaun Chamberlin read to us this quote by Canadian writer, teacher and grief literacy advocate Stephen Jenkinson :

The question is not ‘are we going to fail?’  The question is ‘how?’ The question is what shall be the manner of our inability to care for what was entrusted to us?

So what does a baby boomer like myself do to regain a sacred trust to future generations that my generation has betrayed? 

These are the kinds of questions and dilemmas that we pondered during the course and took a deeper dive into those issues.

Thankfully we had access to a wide range of resources and conversations that helped us navigate these complex waters. 

For example, I found comfort in this excerpt from Paul Kingsnorth’s Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist :

• In an age in which ‘fighting for the planet’ most often means tweeting, signing petitions, writing blogs and sometimes going on a march, the rhetoric seems not only overblown but likely to obscure the value of more focused, small-scale personal commitments to changing things for the better. … In 1978, [Wendell] Berry wrote to [Gary] Snyder … ‘Maybe the answer is to fight always for what you particularly love, not for abstractions and not against anything: don’t fight against even the devil, and don’t fight to “save the world”.’ … Once you start thinking you are responsible, or can influence, everything, you are lost. When you take responsibility for a specific something, on the other hand, it’s possible you might get somewhere.

Local action kept coming up as a path forward during the course. The argument is that an individual can have the most impact locally such as with permaculture or community arts or really any form of action that engages with and preserves life where we live. 

The issue of grief also kept coming back. 

For example, this teaching from Stephen Jenkinson’s So What Now?:

• Grief requires of us that we know what time we’re in. And the great enemy of grief is hope. … Our time requires of us to be hope free. To burn through the false choice between hopeful and hopeless. … We don’t require hope to proceed. We require grief to proceed.

Conversations about grief led me to think about grief and grieving in the context of hope and hopelessness. 

The timing was good because during the course I was editing the first episode of season 6 of my conscient podcast and my conversation with farmer and educator Peter Janes and his father, archeologist and former museum director Robert R. Janes, of TreeEater Farm, touched upon hope and hopelessness :

Here’s Peter :

• I have a mixed relationship with that concept of hope. Because I actually genuinely have very little hope for the continuation of humanity. But then at the same time, every day I'm out here making bigger ponds and planting trees that I think will do better. And trying to bring on board people with the same ideas and visions. So it's a bit of a contradiction.

Here’s Bob’s take: 

• It's really easy to be hopeless. And I suppose it's rather contradictory to say hopeless but still want to do things constructively to overcome that hopelessness. And so, I guess that's what I mean. There are so many things we can do. I mean, we know what we need to do to weather this storm, but I guess the sacrifice and the suffering it's going to cause is just too much for people's imagination. So, there's middle ground with all that. And again, this farm is a source of being helpful, and I guess underneath that, being hopeful and a source of being. What was the mantra? Hopeless, but not helpless. Yeah. And the farm for me is that, is that tool, it's that environment. It's the context to do helpful things and to pave the way for the future.

That’s why I took the Surviving the Future course, hoping that a deeper dive, led by experts, would help me understand and face the complexities around us. 

I was not disappointed. 

Each week’s readings, assignments, conversations, and meditations brought me deeper and deeper into, the compost of modernity, so to speak. 

I experienced intense moments of joy and sorrow. Of discouragement and hopefulness. Mostly, however, I was bewildered and slightly more able to acceptance to what is going on and explore new possibilities. 

Surviving the Future also helped me let go of my ego, by engaging in deeper listening to others and myself while release the compulsion to be the smartest kid in the room.

No need to be anything other than an ordinary learner. 

Overall the course was both an exercise in humility and an opportunity to develop and maintain capacity. 

And that powerful February 24th open letter stayed with me, notably its conclusion: 

As a collective, we move with the discernment this moment demands—not with arrogance, but with honesty. Not in defiance, but in commitment. Not against anyone but reaching beyond the limits that modernity continuously tries to impose.

So I’ll work on discernment, honesty, commitment and reaching beyond.

To be honest, this kind of introspection is hard work and we all need resources and support.

Here are some of the resources from Surviving the Future that have been the most impactful and relevant for me: 

• AIDEN CINNAMON TEA & DOROTHY LADYBUGBOSS’ Burnout From Humans : A Little Book About AI That Is Not Really About AI
• David Fleming’s: LEAN LOGIC - A DICTIONARY for the FUTURE and HOW to SURVIVE IT
• Isabelle Fremeaux & Jay Jordan’s : We Are 'Nature' Defending Itself
• Joanna Macy on The Great Turning and Collapse
• Nate Hagens’ Animated Series | The Great Simplification

There are many more. I’ll mention other resources in future postings. 

So what did I learn and unlearn during these 10 weeks? 

1. Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better (Maya Angelou)
2. Staying with the trouble (Donna Haraway) : no more rushing around to quick fixes, conclusions, simplistic solutions or passing judgements on situations that are still unfolding
3. Meditate daily: I am not what I think
4. The Master’s tools will never dismantle the Master’s house (Audre Lorde)
5. When the children born today look back 30 years from now, what actions would they be grateful that we took right now? (GTDF collective)

I’ll conclude with this excerpt from Shaun Chamberlin’s The Secret Truth Behind Environmentalists’ Favourite Argument :

• For me personally, the harsh truth is that I cannot save Nature and/or humanity from the ongoing devastation, though I could burn myself out trying. It seems to me that there is not one thing that I can do to divert history. And facing that reality hurts.  But, beyond agony, joy. I sit with that pain, and its attendant tears and rage, I refuse to run from it or to distract myself with entertainment or with frantic work, and I find that it does not end me. Eventually, I come out the other side, somehow empowered. The psychic energy I have been using to suppress that fear and despair is released, and I look at the world with fresh eyes. ‘Ok’, I breathe, ‘here I am, in a dying world’. It’s the same dying world I lived in yesterday, but today I see it for what it is. ‘What now?’ And this time the question feels less desperate, less anxious. What story do I want to tell with this day, with this life? The question is suddenly filled with possibilities.

My take on this, is that we need to explore the possibilities that emerge as we work our way through that ‘long, messy, species-wide existential meltdown’ while calmly preparing for what comes after, with or without humans.

BTW you might have noticed I did not mention art at all, in this posting.

I’m rethinking my relationship with art. 

My definition of art, also, is evolving. 

I’ll publish a separate piece called ‘l’art est mort : vive l’art’ soon. 

Warm thanks Shaun, Nakasi, Nicole and all the Surviving the Future 2025 team and participants for their generosity and collaboration during the course and beyond.

Note: The cover photo is of Henry Moore’s Large Two Forms in Grange Park, Tkaronto.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). 

It’s my way to give back.

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish free ‘a calm presence' Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.

Your feedback is always welcome at [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on September 28, 2025