On Being at the Great Northern Festival

The Great Northern Festival in Minneapolis is a two week annual winter festival to celebrate the cold, dark times in the north with programming about art, creativity, food, culture and to spotlight climate concerns.  Yesterday as part of this festival, I had the chance to attend a live podcast recording of On Being with Krista Tippett. Tippett was interviewing biologist, writer and consultant Janine Benyus. I wasn’t familiar with Benyus before this event and I’m surprised that I’ve missed her work. Benyus popularized the term “biomimicry,” a discipline to use nature as a mentor to create designs and processes to create a more sustainable planet. You can watch her excellent TED talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_GFq12w5WU to learn more. I plan on reading her book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. 

The conversation took place in an intimate auditorium at the Minneapolis Art Institute. Folks braved our latest air blast to attend the hour and fifteen minute conversation. I took notes throughout and I’m still processing the conversation. It is one that I won’t soon forget. 

Sunset in the city through the window of the MIA.

Benyus spoke of a childhood spent observing her neighbors, the non-human neighbors, on the “wild edge of the suburbs.” I’ve heard similar statements from other biologists and artists. This is certainly true in my own life. She offered up the concept of nature as a mentor. This statement caused a murmuring in the group. It certainly resonated with me as well. Nature as a spiritual place, as mother, as mentor and as a home.

So much of the conversation reminded me of the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer who was also a guest on On Being. I’ve been following Tippett’s early radio show, Speaking of Faith, that evolved into On Being and is now a podcast for as long as I can remember. She has interviewed so many artists, scientists, writers, and thoughtful people. Some of them I knew and many of them I discovered through Tippett’s thoughtful questions. I’ve often wondered how she is able to draw people into rich conversations? Tippett is able to link a lifetime of work into a conversation that seems to at least touch on everything, but highlights the through line that connects it all. I think this simple complex answer is that she researches deeply into people she interviews. Benyus wasn’t the first person to express surprise at what Tippett had in her notes to ask about.

A few other On Being episodes that have impacted my thinking and my studio work - not a complete list: