Hi, crip time
For the past two years or so, I have found myself moving through what I call my “hi, crip time”. Completion of tasks are taking much longer than usual, and my own understanding of the complexity of the world around me feels heavier and harder to contend with. It is not just about finishing projects on time; it is about the way complexity wraps itself around my heart and mind, making comfort and clarity feel far away.
Care you can hold in one hand
This experience has shifted how I approach systems and design. Rather than stopping work altogether, I have resorted to slowing down and distilling complex ideas into bite-sized pieces I can hold in one hand; both literally and figuratively. That means five ideas at a time, no more. One for each finger.
When the ideas do not feel very settled or tangible, I will try assigning them to my toes so I can work out kinks and knead them while I walk or sit working at the desk. I have mobility challenges with both my feet, so assigning thought work to my toes is good exercise to keep them nimble throughout the day. If the ideas are very new, I will try to find ways to embody them in a more intuitve dream space by assigning them to different combinations of my head, heart, lungs, gut, skin; or my eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth.
Complexity, change, and care
We have come to refer to the practices that have come out of this personal process as our Wells. On their own, they are simple structures of no more than five elements that help guide our thinking about complexity, change, and care. They become much more engaging and powerful when they are connected to each other like Lego building blocks, or interlocked together like one of my original inspirations, a beehive.
The idea of condensing ideas into five elements came from designing Hatch Open, an open-source software platform we are developing. Our guiding principle for this platform is: “Care you can hold in one hand.” For the software, this means no more than five options on a menu at one time, five fields in a form, five steps in a process, and so on. This simplicity strengthens accessibility, helping users to engage with complex tasks without overwhelm.
The same principle applies to the Wells. Each one holds a framework for thinking and acting in specific areas of life. A dozen were instrumental in the early days preparing Wellsprings, our Care Plan 2033. A visual summary is shown below. At the bottom, I also provide more detailed written descriptions for a dozen Wells that are meaningful to us in the present moment.
Are there ways to distill your own thinking into something you can hold in one hand?
Visual sample
An illustration from Spring 2024 that summarizes early-stage ideation of a dozen interconnected Wells for Wellsprings Care Plan 2033.
Written samples
More detailed written descriptions of a dozen Wells that are meaningful to us in Winter 2025.
Good Well is a practice for acting upon needs and opportunities for strengthening positive social good and care in diverse communities. It includes:
- Stories (sharing courage)
Use storytelling in arts and culture as a way to spark honest conversations and build understanding. Sharing stories can cultivate empathy and healing while amplifying the voices of justice-deserving groups. Let storytelling be a tool for connection and meaningful social change in your community. - Wisdoms (guiding justice)
Draw on the lived experiences and creative wisdom of diverse communities to drive social change. Recognize the transformative potential of artistic perspectives to challenge barriers and inspire action. Work together to embrace creativity as a way to build a more just and equitable world. - Ecosystems (caring spaces)
Build and strengthen creative networks that provide real, everyday care with artists and communities. Focus on creating systems that ensure people have the resources and support they need to thrive. Encourage collaboration and mutual care to close gaps in survival and strengthen resilience. - Platforms (thriving connections)
Build opportunities where creativity and ideas can flow freely, helping communities to grow and innovate together. Develop creative platforms and technologies that cultivate collaboration, share opportunities, and strengthen connections that help individuals and groups flourish. - Crises (creative remedies)
Use the arts to respond to crises with compassion and innovation. Develop creative remedies to address challenges ranging from personal emergencies to global disasters. Act swiftly and collaboratively to deliver meaningful care and practical remedies to those who need them most.
Wisdom Well is a practice for deepening wisdom and knowledge. As an alternative to traditional research, it features five streams that help ensure that the legacies of wisdom are valued, protected, and shared in meaningful ways. While they will each ideally happen all at once, beginners can go through them one at a time to better understand how they work together.
Path Well is a practice designed to identify and prioritize the stories and dreams of various groups across different levels of connection and experience. It includes the following:
- People (individuals)
Focuses on the needs and stories of individuals in their personal, family, and professional lives. - Populations (groups)
Includes diverse groups of people, organizations, and other informal or formal collectives. - Places (spaces)
Examines real, virtual, natural, and other spaces, including those that are seen, hidden, contested, imaginary, or forgotten. - Publics (communities)
Considers larger shared environments like cities, municipalities, and public spaces where people gather and interact. - Planet (systems)
Looks at environmental and systemic connections that shape the wellbeing of all living things on a global scale.
Revolution Well is a practice to help identify the barriers that make it hard to thrive and those that are working toward positive change and fairness. The five aspects include:
- Roots (systemic causes)
Roots are the deep problems in systems like arts and culture, caused by things like unfair policies, discrimination, and lack of support. Understanding these hidden causes helps us figure out why harm and inequality happen. - Ripples (gobal impacts)
Ripples are the effects of these problems spreading out, like waves in water. They show how issues like poverty or cultural loss affect communities locally and globally. - Responses (ecosystem reactions)
Responses are how people and communities react to these problems. Some responses are positive, like coming together to help, while others can be negative, like stress or division. Looking at these reactions helps us learn how people deal with challenges. - Remedies (community solutions)
Remedies are the solutions communities create to fix problems. These could be new ideas, helping others, or changing policies to make things fairer and better for everyone. - Resources (individual leaders)
Resources are the people who lead the way with creativity and care. These leaders, like artists or activists, inspire others and show what is possible when we work for positive change.
Demand Well is a practice for exploring both immediate and long-term needs for care. It focuses on five key areas:
- Disasters
Urgent crises or emergencies that disrupt systems and require immediate care and action. - Deserts
Situations where resources are scarce, communities face shortfalls, or essential supports are unavailable. - Dailies
Everyday needs and experiences, whether positive or challenging, that shape daily life and learning. - Doulas
Examples of care and support currently making a positive impact in the present. - Desires
Aspirations and dreams for improved care and support in the future.
Activate Well is a practice focuses on cultivating meaningful action to build fairer, more inclusive, and connected communities. It includes five elements:
- Belonging
Creating spaces where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and part of the community. - Inclusion
Actively involving diverse voices and perspectives in all activities and decisions. - Diversity
Celebrating and respecting differences in identities, experiences, and ideas. - Equity
Ensuring fair opportunities and resources for all, especially for those facing barriers. - Access
Removing obstacles to participation and making spaces, resources, and opportunities available to everyone.
Life Well explores the interconnected realms that shape our experiences and understanding of the world. It inclues five viewpoints:
- Real life (IRL)
The tangible, everyday environments where we live, work, and connect. - Virtual life (IVL)
Digital and online spaces that expand how we communicate and create. - Natural life (INL)
The ecosystems and landscapes that sustain life and inspire care for the planet. - Dream life (IDL)
Imagined or aspirational spaces that foster creativity, hope, and future possibilities. - Ancestral life (IAL)
The wisdom, traditions, and legacies passed down through generations that guide and ground us.
Care Well (Action) focuses on building a foundation of fairness, connection, and wellnesss through five guiding principles:
- Rights
Upholding the inherent rights of all individuals to dignity, equity, and justice. - Respect
Valuing the experiences, identities, and contributions of others with care and understanding. - Reconciliation
Addressing past harms and working to rebuild trust and relationships. - Reparation
Taking responsibility and making amends for injustices to promote healing and equity. - Reciprocity
Creating relationships rooted in mutual care, shared benefit, and balanced exchange.
- Careseeker (the receiver)
You are someone who receives care from others. You may feel that the world is uncertain, and you focus on your immediate needs to feel safe and secure. Your experiences with self-care and seeking support can provide valuable insights to others who are working to create positive changes. - Caretaker (the protector)
You are someone who protects access to care for yourself and others. You focus on addressing present challenges while preparing for future needs. You bring people together to safeguard care, though you may face difficulties due to limited resources or knowledge. With the right support, you can help guide essential changes for a better future. - Caregiver (the nurturer)
You are someone who gives care to others. You see the world as hopeful and focus on helping individuals and small groups thrive in the short term. While you may feel overburdened at times, your patience and empathy inspire others and ensure that critical care continues. - Caremaker (the builder)
You are someone who creates and builds systems of care. You focus on long-term goals, working to create conditions where individuals and communities can thrive. You push for meaningful change and inspire others with your creativity and dedication, even when facing resistance. - Careshaper (the visionary)
You are someone who envisions and inspires new ways of providing care. You see both the challenges and possibilities in the world and focus on creating solutions that address long-term needs across generations. You guide and motivate others to imagine a better future, helping to shape systems of care that sustain everyone.
Justice Well explores pathways to fairness and equity by addressing five interconnected areas of justice:
- Spatial
Ensuring fair use and access to physical spaces, including land, housing, and public areas. - Socioeconomic
Tackling economic inequalities and creating opportunities for financial stability and prosperity. - Environmental
Protecting the planet and promoting sustainable practices for current and future generations. - Disability / Accessibility
Removing barriers and creating inclusive environments where everyone can participate fully. - Digital
Advocating for equitable access to technology, online spaces, and digital tools.
