I’m so excited to share this interview with all of you, not only because I had such a good time speaking with Loxley and Rhapsody from the “Story Connective” but because they impart such incredible insights into story-telling, connecting to community, and a topic which I’m increasingly interested in, which is listening; not only listening as a passive way of absorbing information, but active listening by asking good questions and demonstrating that you’ve heard and understood the other person. Now some of you might ask, “How does this fit into regenerative living and permaculture?” To which I would say, listening and communication are essential to the design process of everything from ecosystem regeneration to social permaculture in communities and observing systems at a deeper level. Throughout this season in general, I’m going to be getting back to basics and strengthening the fundamentals of good design and I think all of you out there would agree with me when I say that honing the skills of observation, listening and then communicating what you’ve learned through story-telling are essential to understanding the context and nuances of any design project.

Especially as we wrap up this month’s focus on regenerative community and its many forms, the most common challenge I’ve heard and even experienced myself that gets in the way of healthy community dynamics, is communication and conflict resolution.

I first met Loxley and Rhapsody at a new years party at our friends place across the valley from us. They were traveling on their honeymoon and visiting our mutual friend Manola, and we hit it off immediately when I learned that they also produce podcasts and are passionate about social permaculture. The two of them are based on the island of Maui in Hawaii and publish stories that strengthen community wherever they go. During this conversation we talk about their journey, how to tell better stories, the power those narratives can have in connecting people, and much much more

Resources:

The Story Connective website