The “Big Bang of Collective Action” is a nonlinear list essay by me, Jason Wyman, Impact Producer for The Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. It is meant to be read in whatever manner moves you.
Each post is represented by a CODE. These codes are visual representations of an underlying metaphor / thread / concept within The Alliance’s Youth Media Collective Action Initiative. These core “concepts” include, The Question, The Origins of the Universe, Symbols of Our Desired Futures, The Value of Age, and a few more too.
Each CODE is composed using only 12 circles. And each circle represents a post in this nonlinear list essay. They were discovered using an iterative design process similar to the way in which The Alliance’s Youth Media Collective Action Initiative is being designed.
It starts with an idea, a question, a line of inquiry. This line of inquiry -- what are our desired futures -- is asked not just of others, but of self. Data from others and from self is collected and put into folders and forms that help one see and intuit patterns. From these patterns, a framing device emerges, and as the frame emerges a stronger, deeper language starts getting crafted that can better communicate the underlying psychology of the emergent frame. That language can unify disparate thoughts and can demonstrate the relationships between ideas / concepts / people / actions.
For me, these CODES represent my best thinking / intuition into the deeper psychology of The Alliance’s Youth Media Collective Action Initiative. The CODES, rooted in the circle, reflect the way in which the work itself is being done: continuously developing / improving / iterating, playing with both positive and negative space, and connecting to something larger than the self / the single.
These CODES also link to core concepts within The Alliance’s Youth Media Collective Action Initiative. These concepts / threads / metaphors contain more than just my words. They also contain the collective wisdom of many who have contributed to the work of The Alliance’s Youth Media Collective Action Initiative over the last year and two months (and even some work that predates it, too.)
They are simply circles within circles within circles.
So start with what moves you, what catches the eye, what makes you want to click. See where that takes you and what it inspires. Then, come back “HOME”. See all of the CODES and click another. Repeat until you no longer feel moved to click.
And please know, “The Big Bang of Collective Action” is also a tool. It is meant to be used. So I request that you interact with it. Please:
- click the links
- leave a comment
- share
- sketch an idea
- record a video response
- write your own posts in response.
Thank you for going on this journey. And I look forward to co-creating with you.
