No. 10 What Yayoi Kusama Taught Me About Regenerative Futures
I'm wrapping up a relaxing vacation in Central Canada; I went to Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto. One of my highlights was visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario to see the Infinity Mirrored Room – Let's Survive Forever by one of my favourite artists, Yayoi Kusama. As I waited in the long line for my 1-minute turn, I watched the artist process video. She said something that hit me like lightning: "As an artist, my job is to glimpse the vision."
When I envision a regenerative future, I picture myself walking down a road in a neighbourhood with colourful butterflies prancing in lush pollinator gardens, breathing in crisp, fresh air, and catching a glimpse of a warm interior with bio-based finishes.
Mulling on what she said, I realized glimpsing the vision is the start. Bringing it to life is a rollercoaster of emotions and things to think through, both inner and outer obstacles. I want to spend some time unpacking both.
INNER SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHT
Internal obstacles are defined as personal thoughts, emotions, beliefs, habits, skills, or psychological states that make taking action more difficult. [1]
Three common ones standing in the way of a regenerative future:
Limited knowledge or skills - "I have no idea where to start"
Impostor syndrome - it sounds like "who do you think you are?"
Perfectionism - either everything is regenerative or there's no point, so I won't even start
This is where proactive nervous system regulation comes in handy; with time, you can rewrite the stories you tell yourself. I know all three of these on a very deep, personal level, and I know it's possible to rewrite the stories because I've walked (and am still walking) the path myself. I'm not saying your life will be perfect, but it's a nice feeling when old stories stop running the show.
OUTER SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHT
External obstacles are environmental, social, organizational, or structural conditions that constrain or enable action. [2]
Three of the most common reasons I hear for why a regenerative future isn't possible:
Lack of time - you're too busy with projects and everyday life to learn about regenerative design
Financial constraints - we don't have the money to build a regenerative building
Workplace culture this isn't the firm's focus, or regenerative projects only come few and far between
This is where starting where you have agency is very important. That's challenging when you're early in your career, but not impossible. The decisions may not rest with you yet, but you can be the person who researches innovations your seniors don't have time to look into. You can put together an implementation plan that might be flawed, but that project managers will appreciate anyway because it makes their decision-making easier. Pitch one small idea. Even if it gets rejected, the win is that you used your voice.
ART I’M MAKING
Bringing a vision to life is a process. As architects and engineers, we're taught that only the end goal matters: the flashy render, the right answer. I want to challenge that by sharing an in-process artwork of Mont Royal Park. I'm experimenting with brighter colours than I normally reach for, and I want to share the awkward, messy "I don't know if this is going to work out" self-doubt moment. Because just like art, the road to building regenerative futures may be uncertain. Sharing the process counts too.
