David Loughry

… to help yourself and others on some adventures in sustainable variety. Why? We can feel and be more alive, pursue possibilities, meet challenges and avoid problems.

Collaborate and get involved in small to big ways, with or without money, and you’ll get benefits on many levels. YOU CAN START NOW by ASKING THE QUESTION in the next paragraph. THEN KEEP GOING WITH related projects, groups, courses, events …

Hello, I’m David Loughry. Whether you’re the kind of person who tends to pursue possibilities, meet challenges, avoid problems, or all three, I invite you to get involved, in small to big ways, in some adventures in creating sustainable variety. You’ll feel more alive, excited, vital and engaged (more on this below). These adventures may be with others, on your own, with me, and any combo of those. YOU CAN START NOW by ASKING THIS QUESTION: When you’re faced with choices, ask which options will enhance sustainable variety for yourself and others? (As mentioned above, “sustainable variety” is variety that continues, refreshes, renews.) Then, KEEP GOING on your adventures with the three steps below, which tell you more about WHY SUSTAINABLE VARIETY MAKES SENSE AND FEELS RIGHT. Later, you’ll see how you can get more involved in related projects, groups, courses, events and more.

If You Tend to Pursue Possibilities or Enjoy Meeting Challenges …
Related to this, have you ever wondered what makes life great? What makes people feel alive, excited, vital and engaged? What makes life enjoyable? I’ve thought about this a lot, and a good answer is what I call sustainable variety. Sometimes I call it SustaVariety. It’s variety that continues, refreshes, renews. Examples include events, friends or activities that keep you engaged, but also keep changing enough so you don’t get bored, although not changing so much it’s crazy, unhealthy, dangerous, or something else unsustainable. Creating sustainable variety involves both pursuing possibilities and meeting challenges. To keep the variety coming, you need to be open to new possibilities. To maintain the flow of variety, you need to meet challenges by creating and/or improving things, and solving problems. So if you tend towards pursuing possibilities or meeting challenges, it makes sense to focus on creating more sustainable variety. Let’s start creating more sustainable variety. I think I’ve found some better ways of doing that, each of which relates in some way to the proximity thinking (ProxThink for short) framework I created. You’ll find more about this farther down the page. Of course, there are other possible ways to create sustainable variety as well.
If You Tend to Avoid Problems or Respond When You Must Meet Challenges …
Related to this, collaboration is often needed, and often makes a big difference, in avoiding problems and meeting challenges. And collaboration is often critical for avoiding preventable large-scale problems. Not only that, collaboration, when done well, can help people feel alive, excited, vital and engaged. Given our challenges, humanity probably needs some better ways to collaborate. But perhaps we haven’t had a conceptual framework well-matched to our networked, connected world, which we could use for better collaboration. I may have created one. It’s called the ProxThink growth model. ProxThink is short for proximity thinking, mentioned in point one above. Plus, when not collaborating, you can also use proximity thinking on your own to avoid problems, meet challenges, and create more sustainable variety. I’ve created some ongoing and prototype projects, and related groups, courses and events, to implement the ProxThink growth model, but more needs to be done to leverage it and improve it, and you can be part of that and benefit from it. You’ll find more about this farther down the page. Of course, other ways (other than the ProxThink growth model) of avoiding problems, meeting challenges and creating sustainable variety may help as well.
You Can Do All Three (Pursue Possibilities, Meet Challenges, Avoid Problems) by Focusing More on One Thing …
Based on points made above, creating sustainable variety with the ProxThink growth model and the rest of the proximity thinking framework can help you and us pursue possibilities, meet challenges and avoid problems. So we can do all three by focusing more on creating sustainable variety. Plus, doing so can help us feel and be more alive, excited, vital and engaged. Of course, other ways of creating sustainable variety may also help us pursue possibilities, meet challenges and avoid problems. And just having the general goal of sustainable variety may trigger different ideas and new approaches. So the thing is, it makes sense to focus on creating sustainable variety. And in just two words, sustainable variety implies a lot and provides guidance for how to proceed. So pursuing adventures in creating sustainable variety, whether through the proximity thinking framework and/or in other ways, makes sense and feels right. Later, you’ll see how you can get more involved, but next, see how you’ll benefit on many levels …

You’ll Benefit on Many Levels

Now that you’ve taken the first steps on some adventures in creating sustainable variety, let’s cover your benefits on many levels when you get involved (whether in small, medium or big ways). Farther down this page, you’ll see more specifically how you can get more involved in related projects, groups, courses, events and more in the section called Get More by Getting Involved.

You Could Feel More Alive
You could feel more alive and engaged, have more fun and enjoyment, and so could other people you know, and other people you don’t know!
You Can Improve Situations at the Same Time
We face many challenges, individually and together, here on the old planet, which proximity thinking and related projects can address while they create and spread sustainable variety. And, other ways of creating sustainable variety can also likely improve situations at the same time. So you can feel more alive and improve situations at the same time.
You’ll Learn New Approaches
You’ll learn new ways to look at things and get new approaches for dealing with many challenging situations.
You Could Also Get the Many Benefits of our Membership Community
If you join our SustaVariety membership community, you’ll get the many benefits described here.

Now, on to more about sustainable variety and how you can get involved (whether in small, medium or big ways) …

Options for sustainable variety, for people generally.

I don’t think sustainable variety just accidentally happens, at least on a consistent basis. I do think there are things we can do to increase our chances of having sustainable variety. I’ve developed some ongoing and prototype projects (farther down this page) that provide options for people, to help create and spread sustainable variety. Of course, there are other possible ways to create sustainable variety as well. Each of my projects relates in some way to the proximity thinking framework I created, although that may not be obvious at first. Proximity thinking (ProxThink) helps create sustainable proximities and sustainable variety. One thing that ties my projects together is our connected and networked world allows us to be more proximity-oriented. But I think we’ve been missing proximity-oriented approaches that let us really leverage and make use of that connectedness. Without a conceptual framework that makes sense of our connectedness, and makes use of our connectedness, we may not be able to get many of the benefits of our connectedness. It turns out that the idea of proximities, as developed in the proximity thinking framework, is a useful and general way of thinking about and relating to challenges in our connected world. So proximity thinking provides such a proximity-oriented conceptual framework for our connected world, that I think we’ve been missing. In particular, most of my projects leverage the ProxThink growth model, as mentioned near the beginning of this page, for collaborating in a connected world. I developed proximity thinking over decades, integrating a diverse array of knowledge and experiences in the arts, sciences, design and business. I also have a math degree and a masters in business (MBA). For more about me, there’s an overview here, a bit of a bio here, and a summary of my major accomplishments here.

Options for sustainable variety, for me.

What’s the point of creating sustainable variety for others if I don’t have it? I’m trying to create sustainable variety for myself by valuing, allowing, seeking and managing variety in my life. This includes creating videos, downloadable art and photos. It also includes pursuing my projects described below as well as the full list of projects here, and creating sustainable variety in my personal and everyday life.

Get More by Getting Involved

There are a variety of possibilities for you to get more of the benefits listed above, by getting involved. Here are some of your options for being part of the adventures:

Explore, try, participate in, and/or collaborate on one or more of my major projects, as well as take part in related groups, courses, events and more. The projects include ProxThink, Shared Situations, Variety People and Artsdown (see below for more). Or do the same with some of my other projects and creative works (full list here).
Since my projects (and related groups, events, etc.) are based on proximity thinking, a much faster way to start is by taking the online course Let’s Be More Alive — Intro to ProxThink. There is a Trials version if you want to check it out first.
Explore and/or create, by yourself or with a group, your own possible ways to create sustainable variety.
Share my projects, groups, courses, events and online posts.
Follow and connect on social media.
For updates and announcements, get on my email list here.
Proxri (reward with the proximity in mind) me once or in ongoing ways, with money or in non-financial ways, for my works and projects. Patreon is recommended, since you’ll get the benefits of the Patreon tier you choose, as well as all of the tiers below it. Getting involved in the ways mentioned in the bullets above are also kinds of proxri! For more on proxri, see the last major section of this page.

Major Projects (and Related Groups, Courses, Events, etc.)

Below are introductions and links to some of my more major projects and some related groups, courses, events, etc. (You’ll discover more events once you get more involved in projects, groups and courses.) The projects include ProxThink, the Shared Situation Guide, Variety People and Artsdown. As noted above, each relates in some way to proximity thinking.

Proximity Thinking, for Living in a Connected, Changing World

Do we humans feel vibrantly alive? Are we meeting our challenges as well as we might? Doing so enjoyably? Individually and in groups? Could be better? Watch this short video. You’ll see why things might not be going well, and how proximity thinking can help. I developed it. I hope it helps and think it can. It might be fun.
—David Loughry

Take the online course mentioned for a faster start. You’ll get proximity-oriented approaches for our increasingly proximity-oriented world. There’s no set price, but rather a minimum proxri, which may work better in a connected world. There is also a Trials version if you want to check it out first. Learn more and take the course at proxthink.thinkific.com.

Group — The proximity thinking framework underlies other approaches for sustainable variety you’ll find here. So you’ll get more out of them if you gain some understanding of proximity thinking. Join one of these Intro to ProxThink User Group online sessions to ask questions, share experiences and perhaps connect or collaborate with others. Many of the sessions will focus on one or another of the four stages of your transformation as you move through the online course Let’s Be More Alive — Intro to ProxThink. To join a session with this group, you’ll need to have taken the course, or at least signed up for the full course (not the Trials). These online sessions will be about an hour. If you just want to attend a couple times, I’ll also be posting dates for the online sessions on this Eventbrite page. To easily attend more often, and also to get other ongoing patron benefits as well as help create and spread sustainable variety, become a patron here.

Group — If you live in or near Los Angeles, you might be interested in joining the Proximity Thinkers LA meetup group.
meetup.com/ProxThinkersLA

Collaborate and Make Proximities More Lively with the Shared Situation Guide

Shared situations can improve and become more lively when people can relate to the proximity of their shared situation. The Shared Situation Guide helps groups do that in mobile, networked ways. This may assist any group with a shared situation, from friends and associates, to neighborhoods and communities and beyond. The guide grew out of the proximity thinking framework and helps create sustainable proximities and sustainable variety. The Shared Situations site introduces the guide, has links to begin using the guide, provides starter sets for some common situations, points to workshops for learning the guide, and helps people find and collaborate with others using the guide for shared situations.
sharedsituations.wordpress.com

Group — Are you trying and experimenting with the Shared Situation Guide? Join our online group sessions to ask questions and share experiences. The Shared Situation Guide uses a proximity-oriented approach in a mobile collaboration app. This helps shared situations come alive and feel like living things. It can help groups deal with shared situations more effectively, sustainably, enjoyably. Explore it at sharedsituations.wordpress.com. To join a session with this group, you’ll need to have taken the online course Let’s Be More Alive — Intro to ProxThink. These online sessions will be about an hour. If you just want to attend a couple times, I’ll also be posting dates for the online sessions on this Eventbrite page. To easily attend more often, and also to get other ongoing patron benefits as well as help create and spread sustainable variety, become a patron here.

Join and/or Create Communities and Networks for Variety People

The variety people site aims to encourage variety and help variety people manage the dance between variety and stability. It’s a largely user-generated place to connect and share experiences, resources, ideas, events, articles, questions and ways of managing variety. In the process, perhaps we can become happier, healthier and more sustainable. And we might get what you could call some sustainable variety.
varietypeople.org

Group — As we build pockets of sustainable variety in our lives, organizations, neighborhoods and communities, let’s share tips, resources and experiences, support each other, and work together. The term sustainable variety is pretty descriptive. So you don’t necessarily need to understand proximity thinking to start creating more sustainable variety. However, you’ll get more out of these sessions if you have taken the online course Let’s Be More Alive — Intro to ProxThink. These online group sessions will be about an hour. If you just want to attend a couple times, I’ll also be posting dates for the online sessions on this Eventbrite page. To easily attend more often, and also to get other ongoing patron benefits as well as help create and spread sustainable variety, become a patron here.

Group — If you live in or near Los Angeles, you might be interested in joining the Variety People LA meetup group.
meetup.com/Variety-People-Los-Angeles

Use the Artsdown Variety-Enhancing Ways to Distribute and Enjoy the Arts

Easy downloading and sharing on networks creates opportunities for more variety, exploration, richer lives and rewards that relate. If certain information is attached to artistic works, we can relate to and reward creators no matter how we access or get their works. And, networks let rewards for the works relate to the enjoyments, benefits, people and circumstances in the proximity. Such rewards are called proxri. Artsdown is a place to explore and post downloadable arts and things related to downloadable arts (such as links, reviews, events, products, services, ideas and experiences), as well as a place to comment on postings and reward (proxri) arts creators.
artsdown.org

Group — Artsdown is a place to explore and post downloadable arts and things related to downloadable arts (such as links, reviews, events, products, services, ideas and experiences), as well as a place to comment on postings and reward (proxri) arts creators. Join online sessions with other pioneers who are using the Artsdown approach to enjoying and sharing the arts! Share what you’re doing to use, enjoy and spread this approach, and hear what others are doing. Visit artsdown.org for more about the Artsdown approach. Since a big part of the Artsdown approach is the use of proxri, which are part of the ProxThink growth model, you’ll get more out of these sessions if you have taken the online course Let’s Be More Alive — Intro to ProxThink. These online sessions will be about an hour. If you just want to attend a couple times, I’ll also be posting dates for the online sessions on this Eventbrite page. To easily attend more often, and also to get other ongoing patron benefits as well as help create and spread sustainable variety, become a patron here.

Proxri for Your Benefits, and to Get More Benefits

Are you benefitting from some of my projects and creative works (full list here)? If so, you can proxri (ProxReward) in several different ways. What are proxri? Here’s the brief answer: Proxri (pronounced prox’ree) is short for one or more ProxRewards, which are rewards made with the proximity in mind. How do you proxri? Basically, you consider your enjoyment and benefits (from my projects, arts files, videos, art, photos, writing, websites, etc.), your circumstances, my circumstances, and some related people and circumstances, and then proxri as appropriate. Proxri may include money, things, services, relationships, actions, etc. Find more specific details about proxri here.

You can proxri one time or in non-financial ways here.
You can set up a monthly proxri of money via Patreon (recommended) and get updates and the benefits of your Patreon tier (and all the tiers below it) with this link, or just use the button below.

Thank you!

Thanks! I’d be interested to hear about your experiences with any of my works or projects. Or, you may have questions, feedback, etc. Contact me here.
—David Loughry