I had a long career telling other people’s stories. From educational videos to feature films, parking lot names to theme park attractions, I was a narrative chameleon.

It was a good gig. All the perks of being a writer without taking responsibility for your ideas. Until one day I discovered my real passion was imagining the future. Not science fiction or fantasy, but stories of possible tomorrows. Stories that might inspire people to build a world where people and the planet could thrive.

To follow that passion, I needed new skills. I added the tools used by professional futurists to my storytelling practice. Built a new hybrid career. First as an internal futurist/storyteller for the Walt Disney Company and then as an independent consultant.

Along the way, I had more than my share of opportunities to work with amazing creative collaborators, travel to interesting places, and collect a lifetime of memorable experiences.

Then one day I reached a milestone of the modern age. I had somehow accumulated enough years and savings to retire.

Truth, the prospect of not having to chase the next gig, engage in painful acts of self-promotion or feign interest in topics that didn’t move me was liberating. I took down my shingle and joined the ranks of the intentionally unpurposed.

Careers are easy to give up, passion not so much. So, I’m using my newfound freedom to continue to imagine better tomorrows. I believe the first step toward creating better futures begins with learning how to change the stories we tell about what is possible.

I’m inspired by 20th-century futurists Heidi and Alvin Toffler’s concept of an Imaginarium. They proposed creating a network of places where people could come together and interact with futurists and creative artists to dream of the futures they desired.

This is my Imaginarium. An open space where storytellers, futurists, advocates, and dreamers might find inspiration for their efforts to reimagine our tomorrows. In begins with sharing my personal experiments in futures imagination. These projects are free to copy, remix, critique, or use in any way that helps build your version of practopia.*

Building better tomorrows requires collective action. I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to contribute my time freely to your efforts. If you need a brainstorming partner, collaborator, itinerant storyteller, or just want to chat with a relic from a lost future, drop me a line. Can’t wait to see what we can imagine together.

 *practopia- another Toffler term, describing the best possible futures we can imagine and create.