Dance on the abundant edge (Alt: Be the weird one)

Part 5: Ten things to take into 2025

Welcome to this 10-part series on 10 things to take into 2025.

Here are the previous parts:
Part 1: Digital tools over digital drugs (Alt: Go at human pace)
Part 2: Go deeper
Part 3: Build your bucket-line community (Alt: Mutual aid for life.)
Part 4: Slow travel

What are you taking into 2025? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to know.

Thing #5: Dance on the abundant edge

(Alternatively: Be the weird one ~or~ be an early adopter)

There’s a concept we yarn about in permaculture called the Edge Effect. Usually, we are talking about it in an ecological context, but sometimes things can turn metaphorical.

In the physical environment, the Edge Effect refers to a usually abundant linear space that runs along the boundary between two ecosystems or distinct spaces. Think: the edge between a field and a forest, or the edge of a river or a coastline where an enormous diversity of life thrives, reaping the benefits of both adjacent ecosystems.

It’s not always comfortable or safe on the edge, but it’s where all the action is happening.

We love the edge so much in Permaculture, that there’s a whole principle dedicated to it called: ‘Use edges & value the marginal’.

The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system.

— Permaculture Principles.

The edge is usually where you can find the best foraging and the most delicious weeds.

Looking to nature for clues is always a good way to figure out better ways to live, that’s where I’m heading with the idea of dancing on the abundant edge.

I use the word dance intentionally. You’ve got to be light-footed out here on the edge. You’ve got to stay on your toes and keep moving. Question everything and be ready to act. And have fun of course.

When I think about the edge effect in human society I imagine a big open field full of people hanging on tight to outdated systems and ways of being, wearing, and doing what big-advertising is telling them to wear and do. Keeping it safe and comfortable.

There’s not a lot of diversity or new ideas happening there in the middle of that metaphorical field.

It’s the edge where I want to be hanging out. I want to continue to question everything, trial new ideas, and be a change-maker.

It’s dangerous out on the edge though. We might be criticized for trying something new. Or we might fail. But then again, an idea might work, and positive change could begin to happen.

“If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives, but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgement at those of us trying to dare greatly.”

―Brené Brown

One concept that makes me feel like I’m in Brené Brown’s arena right now is the community-building idea I mentioned recently. It’s right out there on the edge of what our culture teaches us about community connection. We’re playing with the (sometimes uncomfortable) idea of interdependence. This image is of one of our group member’s gardens - gorgeous.

I reckon the edge is where the magic happens. The place where we’re on the edge of our comfort zone, the edge of feeling safe**, and the edge of our knowledge is where we are pushed into new ways of thinking, and being.

It’s where we can experiment with different ways of living even if we aren’t 100% confident that we have all the answers, or are sure it’ll work.

Being an ‘early adopter’ is also a way of dancing on the edge. Early adopters recognise the problem that a technology, innovation, or product, like eBikes for example, is trying to solve. They can see the potential in it, even though, inevitably the early versions will evolve into something better, and cheaper over time.

It’s risky to be the first to give something new a go before it’s perfected. It might turn out to be expensive, have low resale value, or be challenging to use or incorporate into your life.

With eBikes in mind, I’m pretty sure the early ones were heavy and had low range, but without early adopters giving them a go and proving them to be a great idea, they wouldn’t have evolved into the incredible transport solution they are now.

Yay for early adopters who live on the edge so that awesome things like eBikes can become mainstream. Woop!

**I don’t mean that we should be risking our safety, not at all. I mean that feeling safe can make us stay in our comfort zone - no positive change happens when we hang out there.

Plants (wanted or unwanted) often thrive in the edge spaces, making the most of water and nutrients seeping from other areas.

But why do we want to dance on the edge, playing in the abundance of new ideas? Because it’s important to thrash these things out, so in times of an emergency we have a well-tested box of tools to reach for.

…you need…new ideas or visionary ideas to replace the old system. …A crisis creates opportunities for change and the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around.’

— Upstream Podcast: How to Be a Good Ancestor w/ Roman Krznaric

Roman Krznaric goes on to talk about ideas like Doughnut Economics and degrowth that are now being trialed all around the world. Those ideas weren’t in the public consciousness during the 2008 financial crash when we sorely needed them. So with a lack of new ideas, the old system just got bailed out. It was a missed opportunity for positive change.

A recommendation

One couple in Paris are dancing on the abundant edge. They designed their apartment to push the boundaries of low-tech, ultra-efficient city living. It’s incredibly inspiring, check it out here.

We humans are attracted to edges. Last weekend some friends and I stayed on the East Coast. Before settling into our (adorable) accommodation, we HAD to experience the beach first.

To finish up, here are some things that make me feel like I’m dancing on the abundant edge, being the weird one and putting myself in the firing line for criticism and judgment:

• wearing mended clothes instead of rushing out to buy new things

• not watering my lawn, and digging parts of it up for vegetable gardens and fruit trees

• riding my eBike or pushy when it’s quicker to drive

• having ‘too many’ bins under my sink that confuse all the visitors

• having teenage kids who are pretty much screen-free. They can’t keep up with gaming or social media chat at school, but on the flip side, they have excellent attention spans and are amazing with their hands. They can make anything their imaginations can conjure up.

• only having one family car - that’s definitely something that makes people feel unsafe or uncomfortable - for where we are in life, it’s an intentional decision we’ve made with lots of creative plan B options to support it, and it’s working out really well.

Here’s to being the weird one, and trying new things that are right out on the uncomfortable edge. Dancing out here is what I’ll continue to do in 2025, how about you?

A quick note to say that the Radical Postcard Club postcard for March will be heading to letterboxes early next week. So head over there now and sign up if you’ve been thinking of joining us.

Thank you for reading this installment of Ten things to take into 2025.

Keep an eye out for the rest of this series coming to your inbox weekly.

This series is a homage to Catie Payne’s awesome Reskillience podcast's '10 Things’ series, in which her guests gather a list of 10 things to inspire a more resilient, skillful future.

Over 10 weeks, I’m jotting down 10 things (habits, ideas, mindset shifts, and gentle reminders) I’m taking into 2025, which is allowing me to sprinkle in all the juicy changes happening for me this year too.

PS. In a recent episode of Reskillience, Charlie McGee spoke about living on the edge too. It was a real goodie. Listen to it here.