Survival & Communication
A Manifesto by Bonnie Gibbons.
8 November 2024
Introduction
Human culture on the planet
is swinging, not just spinning.
This impacts everything we know, and presumably a lot of what we don’t. For plants, animals and all life on earth, we are designed and hardwired to pursue survival and communication. This is what mycelium does under our feet. It is what gives the human race life, and how all life forms are recycled at the end of their lifespan. This is done for the continuation of all life forms that follow on this planet. To my mind, survival and communication are at the centre of that.
Two additional things I notice that the human race pursues with meaning, are clothing and headrush. This is also for survival and communication. As well as joy. Through these meanings, the human race survives inside volcanos today, and survived through an ice age before. My friend/curator and sister/author taught me those two immense nuggets of hope.
For us all, in the present moment, the focus must be on our nervous system. How to regulate, soothe and empower ourselves in these incredibly anxious global times, in order to keep going forward in the face of the fight, flight, freeze and fawn responses our bodies are screaming at us.
I have spent decades learning how to do this, so I wanted to communicate that learning with words. I do this for myself to keep hold of my clarity, and in the hope that it might help any other survivor or individual struggling with the present, memories of the past or idea of the future.
Chapter 1 Grounding and presence
Chapter 2 Responsibility and limits
Chapter 3 Connection and allyship
Chapter 4 Safety and planning
Chapter 5 Art
Chapter 6 Keep going, be strong
Chapter 7 Hands and eyes
Chapter 8 Conclusion
Full manifesto coming soon.
