Hobbyist Academia #33
I took a quick trip to New York City last week to be part of The Polyopportunity, a gathering of interdisciplinary, creative, multi-hyphenate humans with the goal of reimagining the layers of interconnected global crises into layers of interconnected opportunity for a more hopeful collective future. The program was offered by the House of Beautiful Business and the Acosta Institute. I’ve written a bit about it already on LinkedIn here and here.
I’ve been part of the House of Beautiful Business community virtually since 2020, attending online events and collaborating digitally with other Residents across two continents and 10 cities to research the ingredients of a beautiful work life. But until last week, I had never experienced an in-person event with the House.
In contrast to other conferences I’ve been to, and in even starker contrast to the frenetic energy of Manhattan and a jam-packed 24 hour trip, inside the four walls of the space where we gathered felt like another world. The structure of the programming allowed space for real-time processing, connection, and tactile co-creation. We drew and wrote on a physical map of The Polyopportunity. There were spontaneous musical performances. We did breathing exercises. We heard from speakers about personal and collective wellbeing, flourishing through transcendence, uplifting AI, and a more conscious approach to business.
I left the event energized, inspired, a little bit softer, and more hopeful. An idea we talked about that I really loved: small islands of coherence can shift a system that is drastically out of equilibrium.
Engage and Interact
The TomorrowTools deck features cards that help leaders think about the future of work and team dynamics. I met the creators of the deck, Aleigha Knight and Shannon Robertson, at The Polyopportunity. I approached Aleigha the first night when I didn’t really know anyone yet. She was standing at a high top table that had a few cards on it from a House of Beautiful Business conversation starter deck, and she told me how it inspired her own deck of cards with Shannon, who I met later that night.
The Wisdom Tree is an app that allows you to chat with AI-generated monks- or spiritual guides of any other religion, tradition, or philosophical persuasion you prefer. I met the creator of the app, Jennifer Johnson, at The Polyopportunity as well.
Susan Cain’s newsletter from the Friday before last was more of something to engage and interact with than to read. Take as much time as you’d like to “read” this curated collection of art paired with reflective quotes.
The Breakfast is a Lisbon-based app for interdisciplinary creatives to connect. A connection on the app is a “chance”, and you take the chance in person over breakfast. If it’s not live in your city yet, you can still sign up and your city will launch once it reaches 151 members.
Read
In a recent Generalist World newsletter, Lindsey Lerner draws inspiration from her small child on the playground to rethink how to approach networking as an adult.
I read Laura Francois’s introduction of awe-based changemaking before hearing her speak at The Polyopportunity, and I’ve returned to her writing again since. Awe is most often associated with the positive- awesome- but it is just as much present in the awful. The essence of awe is the feeling of being small in the grand scheme of something vast, like the universe. What if we channel awe as our motivation for changing behavior instead of guilt or shame?
Watch
Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin of the Center for Humane Technology have released a special with Oprah. AI and The Future of Us is available to watch on Hulu. If there is anyone’s perspective I trust and want to hear about AI and humanity, it’s Tristan and Aza.
Listen
I listened to Brandon Vaidyanathan’s podcast Beauty at Work on the train ride to NYC and then got to hear Brandon speak at The Polyopportunity. He recently released a two part episode with musician and technology executive Andy Youniss about how to integrate work and passion. Here’s Part 1 and Part 2.
Save This for Later
The new books on the list are heavily sourced from my experience of The Polyopportunity- from speakers to organic conversations and quick connections.
Rays of Truth, essays by the Corporate Unplugged Forum (a House of Beautiful Business recommendation)
It’s Not Easy to Be Human by Manijeh Motaghy (a Polyopportunity acquaintance)
The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It by Lorraine Besser
Good Work: Reclaiming Your Inner Ambition by Paul Millerd
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler (a recommendation from a Polyopportunity conversation)
Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy
How to Find True Love: Transcend the Fairytale Industrial Complex, Date Better, and Make Lasting Love Inevitable by Francesca Hogi (a Polyopportunity speaker)
Mind in Motion: How Action Shapes Thought by Barbara Tversky (a Polyopportunity attendee, shouted out from the speaking “stage”)
For a peek inside my brain, check out The Collection on my website for mini curriculums at the intersection of digital sociology, design, business, and personal development.
[I will receive a small commission should you purchase a book using the Bookshop links included in the newsletter. Bookshop is an Amazon-alternative online bookseller that supports independent bookstores in your local community.]