The Climate Movement Needs Your Creativity, Not Your Guilt

We know "the system" needs to change in response to climate change, whether we're referring to the economy, policy, culture, or technology. Changing the system requires creativity. The first act of creativity is to imagine the possible paths to transformation. The second act of creativity is to imagine where you can fit into that picture. Old ideas need to be replaced by new ones — about everything from technology to our day-to-day lives. The new ideas spread through you. We're facing unprecedented challenges, so our imaginations need to be nimble — zipping like a hummingbird — from the big picture, to our immediate surroundings. From where we're starting from — to where we want to get to. We can't be nimble like this if we're stuck in guilt and perfectionism, and gazing endlessly within our own homes and wallets at all the things we're doing wrong. No movement in history has been made up of perfect people, so stop worrying about the ways you're not perfect. Perfect people are not required. Instead, think of all the ways your creativity could accelerate us in the right direction. An essay collection based on the author's TEDx talk of the same name.