Form not content

One of the questions Alex and I continually think about is: 'what is it that we, as designers and convenors, actually do?'.

A year and a half in, this question still keeps unfolding. It was only last week, in conversation with someone about Yellow, that I realised that one way to describe it is staring us in the face. What we do is create an atmosphere, a mood. A tone.

Since it's a colour, the name itself is also, quite literally, a tone. But I only just noticed (perhaps the story behind the name distracted me?). 

So Yellow is more about form than content. It is a counterspace* where people gather without specific goals or obligations, and allow themselves to see what emerges. This is why there are no ‘Subject Matter Experts’ in Yellow: the only subject that matters is the person themselves, and no-one can be an expert in that. In fact, when it comes to our own selves we are far from experts - most of us have plenty of blindspots. 

Our hope with Yellow is thus simultaneously modest and ambitious. We hope that people might catch a glimpse of themselves, from a different angle or perspective, and thus deepen their understanding of who they are and what they do. Which is both small and significant. 

This isn't for everyone. But if you are drawn to the idea of an open, exploratory space where you can try out new ideas or even identities, in the company of a small group of thoughtful others, then let us know. It is good timing - in the next few weeks we are putting together the groups for the adventure that will start in January.

Just click on the button below, and we will show you just how deep the conversation can go...

*Hat tip to Darine Najem (one of our participants) for this term, which I love.