A yarn. If you're from Turtle Island, or watch their content, you'd probably be thinking of a yarn as a story, or a tall tale. That's not what that means in our way. Stories are called yarns, sure, but yarning, as a verb, is a different process altogether. It's not conversing, its not telling a story, its more than that - its an exchange of stories, a structured cultural activity that has a valid and rigor methodology for knowledge production, inquiry, and transmission of information.
It's a ritual, an interaction deeply rooted in cultural traditions. Within the circle, participants engage in a dance of stories, laughter, gestures, and mimicry to build consensus, derive meaning, and inspire innovation. Don't get it confused it is not a debate. Far from it. Yarning isn't about one narrative prevailing over others. Instead, it is the harmony of all stories, even those that seem contradictory, that creates a rich understanding of knowledge, not a binary, but a dyad, two sides of the same coin, both with importance to understanding the whole.
This practice adheres to protocols of active listening, mutual respect, and acknowledging the contributions of others. It is a powerful and rigorous methodology for knowledge production, inquiry, and the transmission of information, one where all voices are heard, all ideas are acknowledged, and truth emerges from the collective sum of these stories. In yarning, conversations often wander, taking tangential paths, but these diversions are integral to the yarn, for they all loop back to the central idea. It's a way of understanding and engaging with the world, a modality that arises from the multitude of perspectives. Rather than one perspective dominating, yarning thrives on the idea that all viewpoints are valid, correct, and even incorrect, with the ultimate truth residing in the aggregate of these stories.
So, with that as context, here is where I am making a bit of a list of all the people I have invited to my fire, or that I have sat by their fire, for a bit of a yarn. Form of speaking engagements, panels, appearances and speeches, podcasts and all things like that. I am not one for a keynote, to stand up on a stage and monologue, I like to engage with the people I am with, to have those yarns and bring everyone into relation. I have spoken at many different places across the years, from schools to universities, businesses and startups, each with a different focus on the work I've done, am doing, and working towards.
