I just returned from an amazing experience at the edge of the world, well at least the edge of this continent. I had the great pleasure to spend four days participating in a brainstorm/workshop/festival called Liminus. The event brought a diverse group of artists, performers, thinkers, and community makers to the tiny town of Woody Point, Newfoundland. Along with the distinction of being situated on the edge of one of Canada’s most beautiful national parks, the town hosts a writers’ festival and music series each summer. Impressive feats for a community of under 300 people.
But the people involved in these stellar events have dreams far beyond their current accomplishments, The stated purpose of this first Liminus festival was to help the organizers brainstorm ways to leverage their artistic festivals to help address some of the larger problems we face globally. While the primary focus was on sustainability, health, art and nature, it was clear from the very first conversations that there was something deeper being considered here. Simply put, this group was interested in playing their role in creating better tomorrows. They desired to make their community a place for others to connect, learn, and be inspired.
As a container for creative brainstorming and idea generation, the organizers created a true tour de force. They wisely limited our time for “conferencing” to the first half of each day. Afternoons were spent sharing ideas in a public forum. The highlight of each day came each evening, when we joined the local audiences to enjoy world-class performers in two intimate and unique venues. It made me wish every conference could be so well designed.
Place was a central component of our discussions: Place as inspiration, place as community, place as culture. The place where we were meeting served as a powerful metaphor for these discussions. Look at a map today and Newfoundland/Labrador seems remote and isolated. But 300 million, or so, years ago, this was the center of the world. It was here that what is today Europe and North America were once joined and later separated. As a result of those natural upheavals you can walk across one of the most unique landscapes on the planet. Being in this place, where nature had such a transformative impact on the earth it seemed only natural to think about ways we could transform our world on such a similar scale.
For all of the specific topics and tactics discussed, the real power of the time we spent together was in discovering the common threads that united us all. It was best summed up by one of the organizers as being the importance of joyful living: of sharing the authentic joy created by communing with nature, with art, and with one another.
When the time came to depart, I was sad to leave this beautiful place, but not reluctant. I had been so energized by the experience that I was excited to return and share it with others. I went to the edge and discovered the core of why we do what we do. It is the deep authentic desire to build a world where everyone can “walk in joy” that keeps us committed to the task of building better tomorrows. So thank you Liminus for letting in the light that inspires and energizes.