Gibrán's Podcast

How do you make art for the temple?

How do you make art for a temple that is itself a work of art, in a city that is defined by the awe that is its art?

A temple that will hold hope and will hold grief.

A temple at the heart of a place where people seek to wake up and get free.

A place of pilgrimage. That you know is doomed to burn.

I met JWo about 5 years ago. We worked together during my long partnership with BALLE (the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies), now Common Future. Our relationship has only deepened over the years. And this year we saw each other at Burning Man.

But JWo was not just another participant in the impossible experiment that is life in Black Rock City. She was there as part of the Temple Crew. And the art that she had made was the very centerpiece of this year’s temple.

I jumped at the opportunity to interview her, and give you a chance to get to know her. Take a listen!

Find out more about J-Wo and our other podcasts on the website

www.gibranrivera.com

I am coming into contact with people who hold light, wisdom and hope. Powerful humans who embody the possibility of something new.

Jamila Reddy is one such human. She is a Brooklyn-based, North-Carolina raised, Black queer, Buddhist writer, healer, thinker, doer, and dreamer.

I am quite intentional about having conversations across generations. And I am learning so much from this millennial person who is obsessed with teaching others how to get out of their own way so they can see a path forward towards the life of their dreams.

In this wide ranging conversation we talk about being black and young when Michael Brown was murdered by police. We talk about the transformative medicine of grief. About what it takes to let go of your limiting beliefs. Getting out of your own way. Burning Man. And radical self expression.

I have no doubt that you will be moved by this podcast. Take the time and listen closely.

Lawrence and Austin high-jacked the podcast this month! They wanted you to hear more about my vision. And how I think about my work. We talked about my life-shaping moments. About what it means to be an Alchemist (and NOT a Guru). Along with everything that’s been on my mind these days, from Tony Robbins to the evolution of consciousness to burning man and movement fundamentalism.

Take a listen. Let me know what you think.

Sage Crump is the New Chief Architect of Emergent Strategy at the Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute. The adoption of the Emergent Strategy Framework articulated by adrienne maree brown, the rapid spread of Emergent Strategy Trainings and the birth of the Ideation Institute are among the most exciting things happening in movement space right now. It is the adoption of a whole new way of thinking about how we do the work of changing everything.

We are lucky to have her in this role. Sage is a wisdom holder, she is a facilitator, an artists with the Complex Movements Artist Collective and a brilliant theory head. Our conversation was as stimulating as it was healing. There is something for you here. Enjoy!

Meet Keya Chatterjee, executive director of US Climate Action Network. I met Keya when I facilitated the Young Climate Leaders Network. A beautiful fellowship program. Here we talk about the power of networks and the importance of taking time to cultivate relationship in our movement spaces. Keya knows that we must relinquish the idea of powerlessness. It is our only hope to end the climate crisis. This is no easy task, but her work with USCAN seeks to do just that.

I have been blessed to work with Deepa at Solidarity Summit for the past five years. She is a gifted facilitator, writer, activist and lawyer. In this podcast she speaks of the building blocks for real solidarity work. And how important it is to be grounded in your truth while understanding that there are many different perspectives. This is not an easy task. It takes a lot of self-reflection that we fail to build into our organizations or movements.

Everyone wants to feel like they belong. We can’t “other” people and then ask them to join us. We need spaces of belonging.

Meet my friend Anasa Troutman. CEO of Culture Shift Creative. A strategist and storyteller who is wise beyond her years. She radiates a deeply cultivated love. And she wields creativity as a path of transformation.

For more information, check out her website:

http://www.anasatroutman.com/

Meet Quanita Robertson, master facilitator, circle holder, author and all around wise woman. 

She brings a refreshing perspective on race, reconciliation and stages of human development. Quanita looks at the world with an eye to initiation. She concerns herself with the archetypal realms.

Quanita and Tenneson Woolf are about to launch the Fire & Water Leadership Rites of Passage Cohort.

Additional Links:

Coaching and Organizational Development (www.nzuzu.com)

Fire & Water Leadership/Rites of Passage Cohort(www.fireandwaterleadership.weebly.com)

Fire & Water Podcast(www.fireandwater.podbean.com)

Quanita’s Books:Soul Growing: Wisdom for 13 year old boys from men around the world

Soul Growing: Wisdom for 13 year old girls from men around the world

Meet Isoke Femi. Imaginal practitioner, master facilitator and founder of Soul Matters. An elder of the movement with more than 30 years of experience in the work of transformation. She is co-founder of the Todos Alliance Building Institute and co-author of No Boundaries: A Manual for Unlearning Oppression and Building Multicultural Alliances. Isoke is a fountain of wisdom. She has devoted her life to the work of unlearning oppression. Illuminating power at the intersection of spirit and culture.

https://www.soulmatters.center/intro

Meet Jay-Marie Hill. Evolutionary Leadership Cohort of 2018. Activist, musician, and educator who lives a life designed to help our world ascend beyond gendered and racialized norms. Tune in. Experience the way Jay-Marie brings us into the fullness of their heart while moving us with their piercing intellect. Listen, learn and feel. And please support the Black Trans & GNC Bike Ride. Let’s honor the truth held in these bodies.

Jay-Marie Hill is a musician and Founder of Music Freedom Dreams. They are currently organizing and fundraising for The Black Trans Bike Experience, which is a 5 day 160 mile bike ride for black trans and gender non-conforming riders. The ride will conclude in DC on September 28, just in time for the first Trans March on DC. This bike ride aims to deepen rider’s connection to body, mind, and spirit. Trans and GNC folks deserve more than just the ability to survive, they deserve joy and freedom. DONATE HERE: https://www.blacktrans.bike/support