Ellis in Residence

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For several years now, I've been dreaming about the potential of inviting songwriters who align with what we're doing into some kind of residency with Fabric. Like most of what I seem to do, it was bold, optimistic, held loosely, and without a clear path on how to start moving toward it. This summer I've gotten the gift of time to spend bonding with and caring for my new daughter, Fia. With that came a bit of an obvious question of who might share some music on Sundays when I'm not around; enter opportunity.

Ellis is so Fabric-y

Ellis Delaney is an amazing songwriter and performer who happens to live in the same neighborhood the Fabric staff have officed out of for years. I can't think of another artist that more beautifully aligns with who Fabric is today than Ellis.  I don't mean that in a sort of picture of likeminded homogeneity, but rather when I consider what Ellis' music inspires in me (and who I've started to discover Ellis to be as a human and friend), it feels like it's those community values we as Fabric had been noticing and finally articulated clearly a couple years ago; Brave Uncertainty, Share Warmth, Think Big, Choose Connection, and Whimsify!

Upon gazing at the multi-faceted realities of the world, Ellis seems to skillfully hold the wide-eyed tension of what most truly is... and helps me see it; all of the different soils (rocky, packed, weedy, rich, etc.) around and within us as well as the subterranean loving force that seems to offer nourishment for our truest selves to grow and our better angels to blossom.

I think there's all kinds of potential to come as we imagine what we might be able to do with artists intentionally spending more time with Fabric, but for now it just feels like a gift to have Ellis present with us to close out the summer. This idea of super|natural we've been exploring feels rich with synergy. As Ellis wrote in their song Start Where You Are, "There is a chance to wake up to what is going on." In any given moment, that might mean anything from grief to relief, protest to rest. All of it worthy, curious, and beautiful. The main dates you’ll see Ellis around are Sundays 8/18-9/1. May the time we get to spend with them help us all see a little more of what already is… an amazingly complex tapestry bursting with life at every turn.

Playlist

If you haven't had a chance to explore the music of Ellis yet, they put together this playlist of original songs specifically for Fabric as a bit of a "Get-To-Know Ellis" or a shortcut for us to notice some of the common threads connecting us. I hope and trust that you'll be surprised and delighted as you dig in!

With wonder and gratitude,

Chris Tripolino

"There is a chance to wake up to what is going on"

Ellis Delaney from Start Where You Are

Ellis and Chris after getting rained out as emcees for the Minnehaha Falls Art Festival

Building Trust Game

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Turns out that TRUST is important for relationships! It’s time to learn how to build it.

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Here’s the scenario. You are going to be together with someone with whom you have major differences in attitude and opinion. You can employ Tactics, Speaking, and Listening to deal with the situation. Some of them are more helpful than others. Which of the following will you do and why? And what ones do you find yourself doing even though you probably shouldn’t?

TACTICS 

  1. Avoid the person

  2. Avoid the conversation

  3. If THE subject comes up, Say nothing

  4. Say nothing to them and complain to everyone else

  5. Change the subject

  6. Hang out around them

  7. Express interest in them

  8. Learn something about them ahead of time and do some research so you can talk about it

  9. Calm yourself beforehand

  10. Let someone else know what you are doing so they can support you

SPEAKING

  1. Tell them they are wrong

  2. Explain why they are wrong

  3. Explain why they are wrong nicely

  4. Call them names

  5. Ask them, Do you REALLY believe that?

  6. Ask them, Why do you believe THAT?!?

  7. Ask them, HOW can you believe that?

  8. Explain to them the ramifications on the world of what they believe

  9. Ask them if they want to know what you think.

  10. Explain how you are trying to be open to them, and that they aren’t doing that for you

  11. Ask what brought them to believe what they do?

  12. Ask clarifying questions

  13. Reflect what you hear to confirm understanding

  14. If asked what you think, use “I” statements instead of “You” statements.

LISTENING 

  1. Listen for the weakness in their argument

  2. Roll your eyes often

  3. Interrupt

  4. Listen for a pause… so you can get your point in

  5. Listen to understand

  6. Listen for the person behind the words

Practicing When It's Easier

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practice

Maybe you were around for the final week in our series Care IQ where Melissa Lock, Verlyn Hemmen, and Chris Lillehei helped us move from our Care IQ learnings into practicing and reflecting. Melissa and I also recently recorded a Scraps podcast where we intentionally crafted 3 care situations, acted them out, and got reflections on them from Kristin Williams as well as Verlyn and Chris Lillehei.

Groups have started this same process of role-playing, so we wanted to share this graphic tool as an easy way to dive into your own practice with others. Whether it’s with a real situation or one you’re making up to get practice (or a mixture of the two), we’d encourage you to put yourself into it and consider doing it with a couple others…maybe even regularly.

Thanks for caring!

Futurescapes: Digital Photography with Layne Kennedy

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On Sunday, April 28, we had the privilege of welcoming acclaimed photographer Layne Kennedy to help us see the futurescape through the lens of digital photography.  Maybe that doesn't sound particularly spiritual,  but it's less a out the craft of digital photography than what it represents. Catching a shot or video on your phone has snuck up on us as film and cameras have faded away so quickly, yet almost silently, and we miss the revolution within it. What it reminds us of is less about pictures than a futurescape that could be and maybe already is. Now that is reason to have hope!

Check out Layne’s photos that were shared here: