From Treehugger.comI went to an incredible panel yesterday about biomimicry and its implications for the design of technology projects. The talk was put together by several key personalities in this space. If you are curious about bioIogy or design or both, I highly recommend taking a look at Biomimicry.net and Beedance.com. Representatives of both organizations were represented on the panel.
At the end of the panel Holly Harlan of E4S and Michael Dungan of Beedance said two very profound points that have stuck with me since the panel and I think they hold very important pieces of advice for living, particularly for people passionate about technology. Holly said that if we’re really curious about design, really interested in learning from nature then we need to dig around in the dirt. It’s all well and good to read and research and ask questions of others. It’s necessary, though the greatest learning is found through our own personal exploration of the physical world. Michael encouraged us to put down our devices, unplug, and look around. Really see what’s happening in our natural environment. It sounds so simple and yet the world is whizzing by us at a dizzying pace while we remain glued to our glowing screens.
I found these two pieces of info particularly poignant last night at the Foursquare party. I was with some friends from work and we were having a great time dancing and enjoying a really beautiful and balmy Texas evening. As I took a look around, I was blown over by the number of people who were with other people but not present. Every 30 seconds they were on their mobiles, half listening to the people talking to them, lost in some digital experience of some kind. It made me wonder and start to worry about what all of these devices are really doing to our personal awareness. Despite constantly being in the know, constantly being “connected”, flooded with information on every conceivable subject, we seem to be in a fog of our own design. Existing, though not living. We really may be entirely disconnected from our own intuition and from others.
I’ll be the first to say I love technology and its potential for good. I love piles of information. I love design. I also love, in equal if not greater proportion, the trees, the grass, and the sky. I have yet to come across any piece of technology that wows me more than something that the natural world has created from its own immense intelligence and experience. To design as nature designs is the ideal, is the genius we’re all so desperately looking for. To take in its teachings requires dirty knees and a clear mind. I’m making a vow to unplug more often, get out into the world with more compassion than ever before, and live. I hope you’ll join me.
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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1 thought on “Beginning: A Lesson from Biomimicry – Looking Around and Get Your Knees Dirty”
Thanks for your post! Biomimicry is a fascinating subject — and surprisingly new. You would think we’d have figured this out a long time ago — mimicking nature — but it’s not a widespread concept. In fact, there are no degrees offered in biomimicry! Only recently have people begun to consider the extraordinary possibilities of natural design. It’s good to hear that people are spreading the word.
And one other quick (not quick) comment in regards to our devices and our collective love of technology and the mass distraction it seems to be perpetrating. I used to be concerned about this too, but I don’t think we have anything to worry about for a few reasons.
First, many of the people who share this concern have a real love for technology and are aware of how distracting our devices can be. This is good news. The people who are passionate about technology will ultimately address this. Our devices connect us in the most extraordinary ways. In fact, human beings have never been so connected to one another. Our technology brings us together in profound ways — it’s just the limitations of having to stare at a small screen that seems to remove us from the rest of the world. This is merely a design hurdle that will ultimately be overcome.
Also, I’ve discovered that the people who are most passionate about the natural world, the people who wish to embrace it, connect to it and protect it are the same people who are involved in the design and development of our technology.
Anyway, to make a long comment long, I think we’re going to be okay. Human beings are becoming more connected than ever before and our technology is helping us better understand the natural world.
Christa Avampato 
Thanks for your post! Biomimicry is a fascinating subject — and surprisingly new. You would think we’d have figured this out a long time ago — mimicking nature — but it’s not a widespread concept. In fact, there are no degrees offered in biomimicry! Only recently have people begun to consider the extraordinary possibilities of natural design. It’s good to hear that people are spreading the word.
And one other quick (not quick) comment in regards to our devices and our collective love of technology and the mass distraction it seems to be perpetrating. I used to be concerned about this too, but I don’t think we have anything to worry about for a few reasons.
First, many of the people who share this concern have a real love for technology and are aware of how distracting our devices can be. This is good news. The people who are passionate about technology will ultimately address this. Our devices connect us in the most extraordinary ways. In fact, human beings have never been so connected to one another. Our technology brings us together in profound ways — it’s just the limitations of having to stare at a small screen that seems to remove us from the rest of the world. This is merely a design hurdle that will ultimately be overcome.
Also, I’ve discovered that the people who are most passionate about the natural world, the people who wish to embrace it, connect to it and protect it are the same people who are involved in the design and development of our technology.
Anyway, to make a long comment long, I think we’re going to be okay. Human beings are becoming more connected than ever before and our technology is helping us better understand the natural world.
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