How I got to “recycle” my life.

The trash you throw away does not disappear; the same applies to your past traumatic experiences. They are shapeshifters – hidden and subversively toxic.

SEBASTIAN JAROSZYNSKI

Upon reflecting on many aspects of life, I began to see how the concept of recycling is a coherent strategy found in nature. It is fascinating how it reflects our human psyche, where past experiences feed our present behaviors. Pushed away and left unconscious, they translate into various coping mechanisms that drive our lives on autopilot. But equally, they can feed our journey of healing and discovering our authentic SELF.  

My story started in Poland. I grew up in Silesia, the most industrial region of Poland, and during an era of significant changes – the end of socialism and rebirth of democracy with tremendous shifts in social and economic trends.

My neighborhood location was a patchwork of small but beautiful nature sites mixed with coal mines, steel plants, and a military testing site. It sparked a lot of curiosity about the impact of the growing human population and its industries on nature. And as a mirror, how does what we do impact us?

Years later, after immigrating to the USA as a Forestry School graduate and holistic healing enthusiast, I came about a movie, “Garbage Warrior.” It profoundly impacted me – the fusion of covering individual needs, community empowerment, and echoing environmental improvement.

I lived in Chicago, which I call home, for the past 23 years. I have seen what garbage means – both physically and metaphorically as a traumatic experience of living in poverty.

In a “Garbage Warrior” movie, I learned about visionary ‘Earthships,’ one of the most versatile, economical, and eco-friendly designs for off-grid dwellings.

I fell in love with the design and its adaptive capabilities regarding various environments and purposes. So, in 2016, I decided to apply to the Earthship Academy and got accepted. Later that year, I attended a field study on a project on Indonesian Kenawa Island.

Within a month, we were attempting to build eco-friendly housing for visitors – an example of how to support tourism with minimal impact on natural resources.

Alongside the fantastic Earthship Academy crew, with Michael Reynolds navigating the project, we had 60 volunteers from around the globe, plus a group of locals – different cultures, walks of life, and personal attitudes and experiences.

Freshly after personal development workshops, I felt like being a kid in a toy store.  

I had a lot of intimate conversations with attendees, and within four weeks of the build, an idea emerged from the dust – firstly, how this kind of design could inspire underserved communities, and secondly, how the project could serve as a canvas for personal healing and development.

Eight years later, the possibility for this kind of project emerges from the dust and bust of life.

While the details are still in their infancy, I would like to share the memories from the Kenawa Island project to inspire your curiosity and animate your imagination.