Once Around the Sun: Observe & Interact

Once Around the Sun is a year-long collective experiment in reconnection – to ourselves, each other, and the signature of nature – regardless of land access… because embodied ecosystems live in all types of environments.

This monthly reflection, and prompt pulls the principles off the land and into daily life; where they become tools you can access any time, or mini quests that tap into your inner naturalist (no previous experience required). The intention is to test, and casually document how permaculture principles support positive personal growth, and mental/emotional well-being regardless of the type of environment one inhabits... be it metropolitan NYC or peri-urban NC. Throughout the year there will be opportunities to share your findings and digital artifacts via WildWay socials, and see how other community members interpret, express, and grow through the principles.

The objective is to capture one reflection each week, in the creative form of your choosing – but I encourage you to diversify and mix it up! – like poetry/writing, photos, doodles, mini-vlogs… even notes/voice notes in your phone count!

First and foremost, this is a personal activity designed to demystify, and “practical-ize” permaculture. But it also offers us a chance to walk with each other from our various points on the globe, create from a space of hope, and experience collective growth and healing in the midst of contrast.

Principle 1 : Observe & Interact

Interact with your environment from a perspective of “deep looking & listening”. Observation is a method of learning, and nurturing understanding through intentional attention. When working with land, the time spent observing is how a designer learns how terrain, elements, light, invisible boundaries, and the needs of all known in inhabitants, can be supported and responded to. It is a step taken before action, to see, process and consider more than we can in our peripheral while passing by.

This level of interaction also creates more neural pathways for curiosity, empathy and closeness; as it calls us into the details of other places, creatures, and wild things. And while these attributes are being cultivated in connection with nature, they integrate into other forms of connection - like relationships with others, and self-care.

Prompt(s):

When you notice a flower/flowering “weed” (in a field, lawn, office park planter, or crack in the sidewalk) consider the elements that feed it, the hands, paws or breeze that planted it, their impermanence and what they contribute in their time.  How does the color make you feel? Is there a memory attached to scent? Look it up, and see if it has an interesting symbolic meaning or surprising functional use.

Play with flipping perspective! Ponder the experience of the wildlife in your community – even the house spider in the corner is a wild thing in your environment. What’s their lifespan? How do we interfere with their space? Could they inspire a character or story? Do they have a voice? (You know you give critters voices. Quit playin’.)

Quiet your space, and open a window, or step outside and listen to “nothing” for at least 5 minutes. What do you hear? Your own heartbeat? Electric humming, birds, people, wind blowing, traffic? How does your environmental soundscape make you feel? How many different sounds can you notice? Is there something you would add or subtract to shift the audible energy– creating more calm, or a vibrant cacophony?

How does practicing this type of observation affect your perception of what it means to be present (in your environment, with yourself, with others)? How does practicing this type of interaction, retrain your attention, and deepen gratitude?

There is no right or wrong way to capture. Just respond to inspiration when it greets you. 

Principles in Person: Joël Sand

Principles in Person began with more curiosity than planning. “How do the principles live beyond the land and within us? What does it really look like?” The answer that bubbled up in response… just talk to people. Connect with folks who are healing and willing to share their stories regardless of their proximity to nature. Then, listen to the patterns in their journeys to see how they reflect or align with the principles, and let the story teach.

My first collaborator is someone who’s guided by sharing light, liberation, and encouraging the creative spark in others – Artist & Producer, Joël Sand - Los Angeles, CA [Yaangar, Tovaangar].

Our conversation begins with discussing a healing rebrand, and recently released EP–Note to God. But the story begins at the threshold of transforming a 13 year career, growing through change, learning to love oneself, and embodying the rhythm of it all. When we zoom out, there’s a clear pattern of Embracing Self-Regulation and Accepting Feedback in the mix.

The design principle of Self-Regulation and Feedback speaks to an ecosystem’s capacity for regulating its functions and relationships, in order to persist and thrive even in seasons of environmental change and disturbance. In nature this is achieved through a series of interconnected feedback loops – a network of cause and effect relationships that influence the overall health of an ecosystem – and is evaluated by noting fertility, biodiversity, and biological harmony. 

But how does this translate into our human relationships, and the ways we understand our capacity for resilience? During our talk, Joël and I focus on how tending to his relationship with himself influences his creative process, new projects, and the cultural contribution he envisions. Let’s get into it.

Joël: I could say I’m kind of a late bloomer. Because I’ve made a lot of music, and experienced success. But I had to step away at a point because it got to be overwhelming. Almost like I didn’t feel quite ready for it, because I wasn’t fully in alignment with myself yet. So I shut it down, took 3-4 years away from all social media, and just really focused on living and getting back to myself. So I’m coming back to it older than I thought I’d be, but better! And with the rebrand, I knew I had to use my own name. It just needed to be me. Even the production was kept simple, not trying to do too much… Like, this time let’s just sing. That’s the energy that went into this latest project, Note to God.

When I was getting started, I loved researching all of the greats. I watched so many biographies, and documentaries–just to learn. And sometimes I’d study their pathways to see if I could find a model for my path. I went through so many phases [in music] when I was younger, wanting to be different  – set apart – and not knowing that just me being is enough. So I used to make art with other people in mind. Like it was still me and my style, but I’d try things that I thought would be popular vs. just trusting my instincts. But even that time of wanting to be “other” and experimenting with a lot of different styles helped me become more well-rounded; because while I was researching other artists I’d learn about their influences, and how someone else inspired their sound. It always circles back to the beginning, and just making it your own. So this was the first project where I released a lot of outside influence while I was creating, and it made the process so much better. It was almost like being a kid again.

With Note to God, I performed most of the songs on TikTok first – just to try them out – and the response and support that I would get, to songs that I wrote or produced was so energizing. After being off of socials for so long, it was great to come back and just be able to sing what I wrote, see how it works, then decide if I’m going to finish writing or go ahead and record a song based on how it connects. I never got to do that before, and it just felt good. Ultimately, I still have to feel good about it; but the balance is that I also have to detach from how it’s received. It’s a dance. Ha!

Which is what I observed in this first part of our chat – a dance between wiser perspective and youthful curiosity, pursuing dreams and releasing expectations; of receiving feedback from the physical, emotional and cognitive signals in his system, then responding with bold, compassionate action. And no one is suggesting that it consistently flows this way. Just like progressive growth in a landscape each season, our healing often revolves through similar lessons from different perspectives until we reach a pace or point of balanced progress.

Releasing thirteen years of growth, pausing for three or four more to regulate his system, and then slowly reemerge through a more authentic creative process is what it’s like to restore a depleted piece of earth. The process often begins with removing debris that can’t be repurposed. Then there’s the heaping up and breaking down of existing organic material that can be useful, and covering the ground, allowing what was to decompose into the foundation of a fertile new beginning.

But there’s an even more lovely discovery! The pattern of coming into alignment with himself, listening to and receiving feedback from his own system, then proceeding with aligned action… is mirrored in his creative process, [online] community interactions, and aligned response to audience feedback. His outward expression reflects the internal growth achieved through practicing an intuitive pattern of Self-Regulation and Feedback. 

Joël: So many of us are scared of starting over because you just have to ride a wave and see where it goes…and that’s uncomfortable! Starting over – starting again – it doesn’t necessarily feel good. It’s a transitional period. But what’s crazy is that the most challenging seasons to live through are my favorite seasons in terms of weather. I’m a Spring baby– an Aries– and I love new beginnings. I love the real new year, the blossoming, the in-between weather… I love balance. Although, Spring can be a little crazy too. There’s calm and chaos; which is like natural human nature, too. I’ve had to accept that about myself, and I love my duality.

In the past, success was more about validation and feeling good… like “Look! This is what I did!” It wasn’t coming from a place of enough self-love and self-worth. But once I started really understanding what that is, and actually allowing that to be, I didn’t need external validation anymore. I didn’t need all of that stuff. So even now, I’m okay if fame comes; but I’m not chasing that– it’s actually always made me a little wary. I think “celebrity” or the limelight just enhances what’s already there anyway. So I’m happy to be able to say that now, peace of mind will be amplified… love, family – the real things I care about. Because now my work is just coming from a place of real genuine Love and God – which is one and the same to me – and it just trickles out into everything else.

Precisely. A phrase that Joël often delivers as general advice for peaceful living is “Remember, to take your time, and take your time.” As in: Don’t rush. Allow yourself to enjoy the time you need to create what you envision (whether it’s a renewed self, or a new brand). Time is a subject that features often in his songwriting, and is a linchpin of the creative process, self-regulation, and growing through feedback loops. Rather, patience is a necessary ingredient in all of the above. And admittedly, patience is not a native disposition for Mr. Sand; which makes the following offerings, encouragement and advice even more meaningful. Instead of beginning with trying to be patient…just have fun.

• Our creativity is like a child – like your inner child – that always wants to create, that always wants to express, and do things. So I just listen to myself, and I think that’s all any of our inner children really want. We want to be listened to. 

• Look at our feelings, and when or how they change like a map. It’s telling us what to do…like when we experience a block and we really just need to put [what we’re working on] down for a while, and do something else. Our bodies, feelings, emotions – it all matters. It’s all communicating and letting us know what we need.

• Creation is as simple as living. It’s a process of creating and living, not just making something to be consumed. It all matters. So I really want people to realize their power and move towards living so greatly that we get through the hard things easier, and with more flow and acceptance. Because it’s like starting from the soil up. That’s where the life is…where you get the art from – the part that’s just tending the land. And it just adds to the beauty when things start to blossom and grow, because you know it’s on a really good foundation. Which again, goes back to the feeling that I am now creating on a solid, amazing foundation. That is the difference.

• Keep going! I think people – sometimes – give up on themselves because they think it’s too late for them to go after a dream, or switch things up. Like, it feels ‘stupid’ to try at a certain age (I’m 39). And society kinda trains us into that mentality so we just work. But there’s too many people who’ve done it at so many different ages! You have to keep going.

• The ultimate yield is having peace of mind, and self-love. Because if I can maintain that, I can maintain everything else. The big picture is just as important as the details, and it’s about finding balance between the two as many times as it takes.

When I consider these final thoughts in the context of permaculture and land-based work, it’s kind of a ‘duh’ moment. We don’t plant a seed, and expect fruit in a week – even if we start looking for a little green in the dirt after two days. We understand that there will be a period of maturation, that requires care, inputs of energy and living in the meantime. But we don’t easily afford ourselves the same understanding or acceptance when it comes to our growth or what we create in the world. So, if we return to the metrics for evaluating healthy self-regulation and balanced feedback loops within an ecosystem, we consider its fertility, biodiversity and biological harmony. In a person this may look like vitality, variety, and flow – a pace that supports living vs. living to keep pace.

Through Joël’s story, we learn and observe that: progress is about perspective, and taking the time we require to be in flow, and at peace with ourselves is an essential part of the creative process. It’s Self-regulation and Feedback within a human ecosystem… cultivating a pace of peace.

Thank you for sharing your story, Joël!

The Future of Care: Urban Community Agronomics

Sharing starters for native fruit trees during a community herbalism workshop. (Fun fact: Pawpaw’s are the largest native fruit tree in North America, and they have a surprisingly tropical flavor… like mango and banana!)

I met the sisters who founded Urban Community Agronomics (Durham, NC) – Delphine Sellers & Lucille Patterson – during a meeting at a local food hub, and immediately felt community. They reminded me of all the women who had a hand in raising or guiding me over the years. Ya know? The kind of women we automatically call, Ms. (first name) because they carry the energy of neighborhood aunties, teachers, and fierce, gentle leaders – all of which shines through in the mission and culture on Catawba Trail Farm, where they’re…Growing communities one seed at a time!

It may seem obvious to feature a farm when discussing permaculture; but Catawba Trail Farm is not a demonstration site for earth works and rich interplanted systems. (Although, the garden beds are lusciously diverse, and earthworks are certainly in play!). What the team and volunteers of Urban Community Agrinomics have established, is a haven of multigenerational skill building, fresh food access & sovereignty, hands-on learning, connection to the land, reparative intersectional justice, and a healthier Durham county.

The site itself is an idyllic 176 acres of wooded land, with conscious clearing for community garden plots, a teaching and children’s garden, chicken coop, bee hives, gathering spaces, and trails being carefully carved for deeper exploration and learning. Like many historic agricultural sites the land was once lived on, and stewarded by free spirits within enslaved bodies; and while some of the structures remain, the spirit of this place now resonates with joyful liberation. And in January of 2024 the Triangle Land Conservancy officially transferred ownership of the farm to Urban Community Agronomics, in one of the largest regional transfers of property from a land trust to a African American-led nonprofit.

Between monthly donation events, and local harvesting and gleaning opportunities, UCAN has donated over 100,000 lbs of fresh fruits and vegetables to community members through partnerships with local churches and community organizations. Learn more about Catawba Trail Farm and Urban Community Agronomics, here!