Gaia University

Career Review

Table of Contents

Biography

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life that he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind , will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense..... In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost, that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

 


                                -Henry David Thoreau
 
    When I began my  education in earnest, it was not in a classroom or a library. It began with observations, questions, comments and concerns. Sitting under a towering native oak in the William O Douglas outdoor classroom, I was curious to know how everything worked, not in terms of mechanics, but as whole human systems. I was also drawn to storytelling though different kinds of media and narratives. From an early age, I found that learning through experience was essential. My family and friends exposed me to the wide range of cultures and literature available, from Henry David Thoreau to Capoiera. My first introduction to the arts began with drawing, reading and writing, music, then film and video in High School. I was fortunate to have access to excellent new equipment and technology.  I attended a Charter high school for the media arts and worked on PHOTOGRAPHY, completing assignments for graduating seniors when I was a freshman.

    I had made short films with a family camcorder and action figures in the garden since I was in elementary school, and when one million dollars worth of new computer equipment came to my school from a federal grant, I was excited. Being familiar with the industry standards of Macintosh computers in the editing rooms made me comfortable with multiple platforms. My first script for a class was a adaption of a Stephen King novella, called rage, where a young man creates a violent disruption after persistent ridicule from students and teachers. Incidentally I finished it the morning of the Columbine high school murders, and while I thought this would make my first piece all the more appropriate, needless to say, the administrators did not agree. I decided to start a whole new project over night, and within days, DUCK was competed. At the media academy awards in UCLA, my first film was nominated for best picture, best screenplay and best editing. When the projector malfunctioned during the premiere of the film, it became the inspiration for my next project, GOOD NIGHT HONEY, aka ULTRA SONIC SOUND, a story about a family  disconnected by the very technology that was supposed to be uniting them. I accepted a job offer at Bluetorch.com while still in High School. I was responsible for documenting the Bluetorch Pro Surf, Skate and BMX contest on the Huntington beach Pier, for one of the first ever live multichannel video web casts.

    I created my own advanced video production independent study class after taking every other available course in film available. writing, casting, producing and directing and editing short films. I also worked at sleep away camp as a counselor every summer and on the weekends, organizing activities with girl scouts and boys like horseback riding, archery, swimming, hiking, cooking and animal husbandry, where I first developed a true bond to nature. To finish a requirement for high school I took a work experience class where I would receive school credit for working at Blockbuster Video, where I would have access to many of the great films that I had never seen, such as Akira Kirosawa's “Dreams” and “Ran”. Blockbuster Video was my introduction into the business of mass production, marketing, and retail sales. It  guided me away from consumerist impulses and predatory labor practices.


    I was accepted to 2 different art schools for film. I choose California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. Classes such as digital landscapes, diy punk fiction and cinematography went beyond conventional educational models and introduced me to new concepts in philosophy, science and art.  I began to notice that the projects I was drawn to work on had social and political messages, often quite negative. While feeling compelled to expose the injustice within our communities and societies, I also wanted to me more involved with positive change.  Around this time I began to work at Celestial Recordings, a small independent record label in Los Angeles, where DJ Hive and Daddy Kev created their music. I recorded live performances, updated website information, and took responsibility for sales and shipping.

    To experience another kind of college, I lived in Olympia, Washington, attending Evergreen State College where I saw an openness that was lacking at most other institutions. I feel that education is a basic human right, after reading Paulo Friere's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". Learning how to navigate the vast bodies of information available to scholars and professionals in Virtual and Real World Research has become a valuable asset.  Living in a more peaceful and natural environment than ever before, I saw what had been missing from my urban life, and also what I felt was missing from rural areas, which has helped me to better understand how to design environments that encompass the best of both urban and rural.

    In the summer of 2003 I took a position working as a camera operator in New York and began working more frequently in video there after. Projects as diverse as little league documentaries and real estate seminars, to margarita wrestling contests, musical performances and world series poker tournaments. I also tried my hand at other types of  freelance work, from dog - hiking  in the Santa Monica Mountains, to retail sale of functional glass art. I had always had strong opinions about politics, and this was also strongly shaped by the 2000 elections and 9-11. This led me to a opportunity to work with voters to approve new ballot measures for statewide and local elections. Although after a short while I realized that what this business called "The Voter Education Project" was in earnest, a promotion facility for pro-business legislation that often mislead voters to believe that they were signing a petition for something other than what was represented in the one sentence punch line that i was paid to repeat door to door and in-front of supermarkets.

“We must become the change we want to see.”
 
-Mahatma Gandhi

    I began to study History and Archeology more avidly, applying research skills for future film projects both at community colleges and on my own time. I labored as an archeological assistant on one of the largest Native American excavations in the United States and  became more in tune with the daily lives of other cultures past and present. I began to seek out more practical solutions like permaculture, taking my first certified design course in the spring of 2005. Our course group was a diverse mix of  local urban planners, architects, students and artists who built on an existing idea for an urban ecovillage that acts as a social, environmental, and economically sustainable and self sufficient community hub. After the class, people from our group bought an old commune property in the Santa Monica Mountains  and have created a communal family atmosphere. Since then I have taken many other related courses. I have enjoyed the simplicity and do it yourself attitude, while sharing with others. I have worked on soil all over the country and spoken with great teachers about problems and appropriate solutions that can be applied to housing, agriculture, waste and water systems. Creating  natural landscapes with edible food in neglected neighborhood easements, empty lots, backyard forests and public parks, working with many different low energy materials including straw bale, cob, urbanite (broken concrete), rocks, recycled materials,  bamboo, and salvaged wood to create indoor and outdoor environs  have proved to be effective and ecologically sound.


    In the summer of 2005 I visited many different areas Japan. I sensed a connection with the design of many aspects of the material culture and organization. I visited the Worlds Fair in Nagoya with the theme of “natures wisdom”. Virtually every country in the world was showcasing some kind of “green” or  “sustainable” technology. It was an impressive sight, an incredibly large area with numerous technological demonstrations, from permaculture spiral gardens to bullet trains and fuel cells.

    When I returned to Los Angeles I became involved in creating a co- op for artists, students and activists interested in lowering their ecological footprint and addressing social issues as a group. By allowing low rent through maximum occupancy, a synergistic effect was created in art, community, and food. Quickly organizing a group of strangers, we rented the property and built a garden and outdoor housing. Working with the South Central Farmers and Food Not Bombs we opened our space to the community for social, environmental and economic issues.


    In the spring of 2006 I began my program at Gaia University for a Regional Development Graduate Diploma, working on a plan to promote and unite ecological local businesses of southern California to move towards zero emissions and zero waste in the production and application of their goods and services, with an emphasis on bringing farming and community supported agriculture back into the urban core of Los Angeles for people who want a safer, local alternative to conventional  agricultural produce. Working with property owners and their existing gardeners, as well as some of the displaced south central farmers to manage what was once some of the best agricultural land in the world, and return it to a healthy, producing, ecological system. Sound business ethics and ecological principals are among the most effective ways to foster sustainable regional development today. The creation of a land and resource use consultation business that can advise the consumer and manufacturer on how to save money and energy for the long term, and make our environment more healthy for everyone, will be a founding principal of the firm.



    "What I was learning in college was chiefly, I think, to express myself, and I see now, as the old orator prescribed, 1st action; 2nd action; 3rd action, my teachers should have prescribed 1st, sincerity; 2nd sincerity; 3rd sincerity. The old mythology is incomplete, without a god or goddess of sincerity, on whose alters we might offer up all the products of our farms, our workshops and our studies".

                                -Henry David Thoreau
  

Gaia Sylabus

    "Learning is a human activity which least needs manipulation by others. Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting".

                            - Ivan Illich

INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW

    Searching for an educational concept that will compliment my ideas and interests has been a difficult task. I have attended 5 secondary schools, and  have found little satisfaction from the style and structure of large institutions. I strive to educate myself with the help of others I respect regardless of my status as a student or otherwise. Gaia University provides the opportunity to establish local connections with professionals and peers in my field to create quality concepts and designs with their input. Instead of having books, teachers, lessons and class schedules dictated to me, I retain the creative control of my education.  I feel this direct approach to learning is beneficial for not just the student, but also the educators and the community at large. Everyone involved can and will benefit from this model of educational cooperation. Imagine if public universities allowed the freedom for students to pick their own teachers, books and assignments. So much energy is spent by universities on the construction of fossil fuel intensive buildings and projects funded by corporate interests.

MENTORS AND WORKSHOPS

    To keep myself fresh with new ideas from most experienced  designers in the region, I will continue to take workshops that provide cutting edge techniques and holistic designs that inspire me. To compliment my diverse connections of experience, I extend that diversity to my mentor selection. Rather than having one or two mentors  who may not be able to devote substantial amounts of time, I chose to have several experts in their respective fields who I can contact as needed, and learn from in an casual, but professional setting. While all mentors will have some experience in regenerative design, self reliance, or related fields, many of these mentors have views and ideas that may be seen as “fringe”, “idealist” or “rogue” in mainstream academia. From workshops and conferences  and projects I am making excellent contacts for future projects and business.


OUTPUT PROJECTS

    I. Career Review
  
    Documenting my past experiences and learning can be a daunting task considering the disorganization and scattered nature of it. This can be looked at in both positive and negative ways. The positive being the diversity of learning experiences and the negative being the difficulty to document, organize and improve upon each skill. This is why my career review has been a great assignment, because  it challenged me to explore myself, and analyze where I can make improvements in my life. I came to understand how I have been approaching problems and what I can do differently to be more successful at bringing about solutions. Substantial time will be devoted to legal implications and actions to promote ecological economies

     II. Regional Social Fabrics

 We are all connected through complex webs of social interactions and what harms one person or group cannot be view in isolation from other groups or individuals. As we continue to marginalize people outside of our own groups and tribes, we lose connections to inclusive solutions that meet the needs all of the citizens, residents and transients of our region. This can have dire consequences for everyone, especially the most vulnerable communities, which are often the least represented in our legal system. To address this, a key element is to give a real voice to neglected groups and areas, giving them more power through the use of neighborhood councils, non profit organizations and the internet as an organizational tool for grassroots efforts to improve quality of life for everyone. 

III. Cookbook

    A cookbook featuring recipes from myself and other Los Angelinos. Most will be from locally grown foods, minimally processed without energy from fossil fuels. Healthy recipes for the whole ecosystem, that incorporate ancient technologies like dehydrating, wood fired stoves and newer inventions like solar ovens will be presented with recipes that compliment the appropriate technology for people of all ages. With this output I aim to learn more about nutrition, growing food, alternative cooking technology, and freeganism. This project can also serve as a field guide for obtaining your own food and preparing it in a delicious manner.

IV. Regional Biological and Appropriate Technology

    In this output I seek to gain a firm grasp of the biological and technical nature of the available local resources in my ecosystem. Learning to evaluate complex problems and suggest simple solutions that can greatly contribute to the regeneration of the planet and it's inhabitants. For example, using local compost transported to create garden farms in vacant lots, producing food for the immediate community. Or creating micro economies that facilitate biological growth and diverse connections in an urban ecosystems. Connecting non profits organizations with sources of safe, low cost materials to implement social engagement in the neighborhood area. Grassroots Organizations such as; City Repair, Food Not Bombs, South Central Farmers, Edible Estates and Path to freedom all share similar philosophies with  different approaches. After all biological solutions and resources have been maximized, there may be many low tech solutions to our high tech problems, which then becomes, determining the right application for the circumstance. Since there can be no cookie cutter approach, I will highlight different options for a wide range of urban environmental issues, and solutions that can improve quality of life at the home, workplace or public space. Simple gardens and ponds not only change the landscape, but the way you view it and interact with space and energy. To highlight some of the different techniques and technologies, I will be working on one of the first LEED     certified residential properties, incorporating recycled steel, rainwater harvesting, underground gray-water, natural ventilation and lighting.  For a project with a smaller budget I have begun retrofitting a guest-house,  using mud floors, clay based paint and organic cotton ceilings. Each project addresses needs of different clients and demographics interested in reducing their footprint.

     V. Business Plan

    To create a viable business in a cutthroat economy can be a risky and time intensive investment. It is best to chose a field or fields that compliment the interests of that individual. Incorporating the ecologically sound business ideas like those expressed in "The Natural Step", "Natural Capitalism" and "Cradle to Cradle" will give me the guidance to navigate the industries of green building, bio-remidiation and sustainable agriculture as they grow. My biomimicry course has proven to be very insightful for industrial applications. Building on past experience and outputs as models for this  plan illustrates what can be done in different bio-regions to stimulate growth in the green industries.

     VI. Bio-freegan-ecovillage Tour

    As I begin to make my way towards graduation from the Graduate Diploma Program, in Tennessee, I would like make my last project the most adventurous. After fine tuning my biofuel car, I will depart for the East Coast visiting several ecovillages along the way, sharing knowledge and experiences that I have encountered in my previous outputs for us all to build on. By documenting the experience on video I will be able to easily show large audiences where I have been, what I have learned and how others can do the same.



CONCLUSION

    To understand where I will be exactly a year from now is hard to tell, but breaking down the paradigm of the traditional work school relationship, to foster a enterprising sense of sustainable regional development is a dream that becomes a reality when community members engage in their environment. To take part in this kind of transformation is an honor.  After 14 months of self directed study I will have completed the Regional Development Graduate Diploma, moving on to break new ground on projects in the Los Angeles area and beyond.



 

"Education is one of the many social functions that the state has usurped and that, in an ecological society, must once again be fulfilled at the level of the family and community, so that young people should learn once again to fulfill their social, ecological and cosmic roles within the context of their specific culture"

                            - Edward Goldsmith