By Susan Strong
The Metaphor Project
has developed several tools for creating
positive, compact new slogans or catch phrases to carry
sustainability ideas into the mainstream. To date, the
following forms have been fruitful: simple dialogues over
a meal or at a party, small salon style discussions, and
brainstorming or visioning workshops. If you try any of
these, please contact The Project
with a record of your best
results. We build momentum for exciting new language by
sharing it with key contacts who have the power to
publicize it or use it in their work. If you would like us to
help you do a workshop, please contact us at the addresses
given below. In addition to this set of directions, the latest
versions of the Metaphor
Project Description, and Some
Results To Date
are available on this site and by
e-mail; paper copies by
regular mail are $l.00 each.
If you come up with new ideas for methods or suggestions
about the activities already invented, let us know that, too.
In case someone asks you to define the terms, an example
of an image is "green balloon"; of metaphor, "an
inflated
economy," of metaphor expanded to story or allegory, "
the inflated economy bursts because of too much demand"
(what Greenspan fears most). Another way to define
metaphor is to say that it describes one thing by linking it
to a new and unexpected other, as in "frankenfood,"
or "
terminator seed," or "traitor technology."
1. Dialogue in Response to Project Description: This
is the
simplest of the exercises. Merely describe the Project or
give your audience the Project description to read and then
ask for their feedback and comments. A lively conversation
usually ensues.
2. Dialogue in Response to Project Description and the
question: What is the name of the place on the other side
of the bridge to the twenty-first century? Directions for
this exercise are
the same as above, with the addition of this question. Note
that if people object to the idea of a place, you can give
them the examples of John F. Kennedy's "New Frontier"
or
Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society." Feedback already
received has identified a split between those who say we
need an era name and those who think it should be a life
style name. The words "renaissance" or "revolution"
have
also recurred and also been rejected frequently, too, even
without the modifiers they obviously need, such as "eco"
or
"bio-renaissance," or revolution, among other possibilities.
3. Brainstorming Slogan Workshop (2
hours): The
purpose of this session is to create slogans that reflect
familiar American themes, and at the same time urge action
in the direction of sustainability.
a. After telling people about the Project, invite them to
brainstorm a list of common American expressions and
stereotypes. Some examples from recent workshops
include "manifest destiny," "the bull market," or "a chicken
in every pot." Show them the list of "Sources for Metaphor"
to help stimulate their thinking.b. Review the short list of "sustainability rules" below,
and ask your group to suggest a few others they'd like to add
about specific actions people need to take in order to shift
to a sustainable economy and society.c. Go back to the original list of stereotypes and tweak
these so that they become slogans, which take us in the
direction of sustainability, while retaining their original
American feel. For example, the clichés were turned into:
"green destiny, "the green bull," or "organic in every pot."
Show the group the "American Story Elements" and also
the "Current and Emerging Metaphors" sets to help them
get going on this part.d. Check and circle your results for the best ones -- those
that have "legs", as the saying goes. Brainstorm about how to
get the best results into popular culture. Ask for suggestions
about how to improve this workshop, or design other versions.
Distribute the "tweaks" and dissemination lists to all participants
afterward. Contact The Metaphor Project with these results
as well as any suggestions about how to improve the workshop,
or develop other versions.
4. Issue Based Brainstorming Slogan Workshop (2.5 hours):
The purpose of this workshop is to create slogans
that stimulate thought about or urge action in the
direction of a particular environmental or
sustainability issue by means of tweaking or playing
off familiar American sayings, ideas, images,
clichés, or combining them in new ways, as in the
famous "frankenfood," or "terminator seed."
Step One: After telling people about the Project,
invite them to brainstorm
a list of categories associated with the issue.
For example, if climate change were the issue,
categories such as "weather," "storms," "climate,"
"science,""politics," "disease," "food," "water,"
"refugees," "war," would be appropriate.Step Two: Invite the group to come up with common clichés
used about these categories, for example: "Everyone talks
about the weather but no does anything about it."
"Killer storms," "Water, water everywhere but not a drop
to drink," and so on.Step Three: Ask the group to come up with a short list
of the most important messages the public or their target
audience needs to hear about what actions or policies are
needed in relation to the chosen issue.Step Four: Show the group the American Metaphor Sources
list, the American Story Elements list, and the Emerging
Core Sustainability Metaphors List.Step Five: Invite the group to brainstorm new slogans
and word combinations, which can also be paired with images,
based on tweaking the stock phrases generated in Step Two,
the American Metaphor Sources list, the American Story Elements
list, and the Emerging Core Sustainability Metaphors
List.Step Six: Review the results of Step Five and as a group
vote for the best of the selections, the ones with "legs,"
as the saying goes.Step Seven: Brainstorm methods of dissemination for these
results.Step Eight: Brainstorm ways to improve the workshop.
Step Nine: Workshop leader makes record of "best of
tweaks" and distributes to all participants.Step Ten: So that we can share these new tools you
have created with others, please send the list of
your group's "best of tweaks," plus the dissemination
and workshop improvement suggestions to:The Metaphor Project, Susan C. Strong, Ph.D., Founder
Post Office Box 892, Orinda, CA, 94563
fax 925-254-3304
e-mail:metaphorproject@earthlink.net
The McDonough Principles: The New Industrial Ecology (William McDonough)
l. Waste equals food.
2. Rely on current solar income.
3. Respect diversity.You can add "Foster equity" to this list to make it more
complete.
The Most Well Known Slogan
To the familiar "reduce, recycle, reuse," you can add
"redesign" and "redistribute."
Other short, vividly worded lists or statements like the
Earth Day set (clean air, power, cars, investments)
can
also work. A new short list of sound choices consumers
can make right now can be found at
<www.ucsusa.org/less/guide.top.html>.
The Metaphor Project, Susan C. Strong, Ph.D., Founder
www.co-intelligence.org/metaphorproject.html
tel. 925-254-7198
Post Office Box 892, Orinda, CA, 94563
fax 925-254-3304
e-mail:metaphorproject@earthlink.net
CRITERIA CHECKLIST FOR
TWEAKS AND METAPHORS
Thanks to many workshop participants for additions to
this list, especially Steve Goldfinger.
IT HAS METAPHORICAL TENSION:
This is the most important criterion, and it requires some
explanation. Metaphors come in two basic classes: dead
and alive. Most metaphors used in daily speech are dead,
ie, we don't notice them as metaphors: time flies is an
example. There is no feeling of a leap between the linked
words or concepts, which suggests a third, totally new thing.
Among live metaphors, there are two big classes: daily
speech and literary speech. Examples from daily speech
include frankenfood and the buffalo commons. Here the
newly linked words or components create a little surprise
and sense of strangeness in the face of a new thing.
But this level of metaphor is relatively easy to understand, almost
immediately accessible, unlike literary metaphor, which may
require considerable effort to grasp fully.
The Metaphor Project focuses on stimulating new
metaphors for daily speech that have just enough
metaphorical tension to attract notice.
IT ORGANIZES A NEW CATEGORY FOR PEOPLE'S
IDEAS
Both frankenfood and buffalo commons have proven to do
just that. All GM food is now frankenfood. The future of
the depopulating Great Plains is now seen as a buffalo
commons by many, even those opposed to the idea.
OTHER USEFUL CRITERIA
implies or hints at a story
uses active verbs
refers to well known elements of our culture
uses concrete, simple words as components
matches your intention, the intended audience, and the
task
explains concepts
explains versus commands
raises a question, instead of giving an answer
helps people ask a question of themselves
is cool, will be socially accepted, has social permission
has the age group target right
has mainstream appeal
can't be easily coopted
is congruent
feels easy
distinguishes between what is urgent and what is
important
has deep resonance, authenticity and integrity
A FURTHER HINT: CREATE PAIRS
When you create negative tweaks or metaphors, try to
come up with their positive opposites as well; for example,
frankenfood vs. eco-food or ecosafe-food (eco-food may not be
great, but it
is at least more snappy than organic food. Organic is a well-known
term by
now, but it doesn't imply as much of a story as eco-food or ecosafe-food
would.