Routledge Handbook for Creative Futures

Drs. Gabrielle Donnelly and Alfonso Montuori as editors of the new anthology of futures thinking, the Routledge Handbook for Creative Futures, state their intentions in the first sentence of the introduction by invoking the maxim: “They say you can’t predict the future, but you can take part in creating it” (Donnelly & Montuori, 2023, p.1). Thankfully, in the next 300+ pages, they provide a platform for a wide-ranging cross section of academics and activists to explore just what it might mean to begin to “create the future” during these very chaotic times. Basically, they aim to dislodge our thinking and actions from the narrow groove of perceived possibilities for emerging from the “wicked problem” of climate change that humanity seems to be entrapped in.

Importantly, they don’t minimize the unfolding changes in climate and the deterioration in planetary health. The precariousness of the current situation is acknowledged; this volume helps us to look for ways forward. They enter into the large research gap that has evolved due to the fact that the vast majority of the climate change research has focused on technologic strategies for transforming the energy sector while ignoring the human tendencies preventing us from making the changes needed for our survival.

Drs. Donnelly and Montuori, two professors at the California Institute of Integral Studies, bring their collective interests in creativity, social change, and transdisciplinarity to set the stage for this essential discussion. The title specifies “Creative Futures” in the plural, and while they are both White academics of European descent, they offer a platform for an interesting and diverse group of voices and effectively include recognition of the impact of gender, race, privilege, and colonialism.

Tellingly, a few of the potential contributors who were slated to engage in this dialogue had to withdraw because they” had reached a point where they simply did not feel able to envision creative, more desirable futures” (Donnelly & Montuori, 2023, p. 5). This speaks to the times we are in and the need for such a far-reaching volume. Envisioned prior to COVID, and released in late 2022, despair sparks the work but does not take the reader down the rabbit-hole toward overwhelm.

Now that the media has moved from denial of the climate problem to a more dystopian stance, despair and anxiety have become emblematic of the modern world. These paralyzing states then become a contributor to the exact outcome that is being lamented—as people feel more hopeless and helpless, they become less able to engage productively or to think creatively. Resilience, nimbleness, and creative visioning will become essential pieces of a future orientation if humans are going to survive the coming decades. I was excited to see the authors consistently demonstrate that human ingenuity has tremendous potential when un-yoked from the constraints of the modern scientific, progress-driven paradigm.

The contributors cover a wide range of experiences and interests. A few well-known authors like Fritjof Capra and Riane Eisler give good synopses of their work in interesting, yet predictable ways. More cutting edge writers also contribute, like adrienne marie brown of Emergent Strategies, and many others who I was not familiar with. The new voices bring a freshness to the thinking and were greatly appreciated. Intergenerational trauma, white privilege, capitalism, the role of narrative in understanding history and shaping the future, “Queer Convivial Futures,” and the use of Somatic Therapies to break down rigid paradigm structures are all examples of thought-provoking ideas being entertained within this framework of “Creative Futures.”

Drs. Donnelly and Montuori do a nice job of setting up the contemporary context in the Introduction and Chapter 1, with a quick review of modernity’s role in getting us into this situation, and the very limited sense of creative possibilities that have emerged from modern thinking. Dr. Montuori has written extensively on creativity, and much of his deep experience shines through. In an initial discussion with the editors, Zia Sardar who has developed the concept of “post-normal times,” captures the constraints of modern thought when he refers to the way Ursula LeGuin “discusses how the dominant system of continuous growth, capitalism, has actually trapped our imagination” (Donnelly & Montuori, 2023, p. 22).

Some ideas on ways out of this trap are explored in Part II, with reframings for the future. To start, Nigerian author Bayo Akomolafe’s conversation pushes the boundaries of modern thought by discussing “slushy” time that is non-linear, and contemplates in a very non-Western way, the need to look between the cracks in time to get some ideas on healing the past and finding the future. Ecopsychologist Jeanine Canty offers a great look at narcissism as a foundational aspect of our culture, and she speculates about the possibilities for transformation that may lie within these seemingly pathological drives. AnaLouise Keating formulates a “post-oppositionality” as evidenced in the way Gloria Anzaldúa’s stance of “embracing—rather than rejecting—contradictions enables us to recognize the limitations in our status-quo stories and to begin rewriting them” (Donnelly & Montuori, 2023, p. 82).

In Part III, the focus shifts to the inequities in the modern world and of the role of historical trauma in shaping a vision of the future. Acknowledging the inherent necessity of metabolizing the wrongs of the past while moving forward, and exploring specific ways to actually accomplish some of that healing, the authors bring in an important perspective often overlooked when envisioning a new culture.

The next step in this conceptual journey, Part IV, explores tangible frameworks and applications including separate sections on youth activism, capturing the perspectives of workers at Amazon, and specific policy possibilities such as Universal basic income. Also, in this section, Anthony Weston operationalizes some of the theoretical ideas by outlining specific ways to coordinate brainstorming for creative futures.

The editors frame the final Part V as “Personal, Relational and Collaborative Practices for Creative Futures,” and by adding conversations on joy, somatic practices, and collective mindfulness practices, they definitely bring in a more grounded sensibility. A particularly engaging piece looking at ‘anti-fragility’ by Dana Klisanin moves beyond “resilience, “or the ability to return to what the status quo was before the trauma, and opens the discussion to explore ways to evolve to new and interesting places because of a crisis. She postulates that this is a natural quality for humans, this ability to actually become stronger after confronting chaotic experiences, and she looks at some of the ways to develop this capacity. All of these notions serve to illustrate the limits of our current approaches to the world-dilemma, and stimulate the creative mind to look beyond.

Their organization of such a complex palette of writers and ideas overall seemed to work, which is actually quite an accomplishment. My sense when reading was of being on an unpredictable trajectory toward a new understanding. Some of the writing was repetitive, as will happen when collecting different writers working on a similar topic, but generally the text moved quickly. Fortunately, the structure of the book allows readers with specific interests to find the subject matter that speaks to them. Academics may find the more theoretical pieces useful, whereas activists or the climate-disenchanted may find some of the more engaged pieces helpful.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this journey through the different viewpoints toward a new way of thinking, I was surprised that it stopped so abruptly at the end (at least in the E-book that I read). Some closing thoughts, next steps, and future research ideas would have been helpful, although the editors do share an exciting vision for a Center for Creative Futures at the end of Chapter 1. Also, while the Routledge Handbook series carries prestige and will allow this work to get broad academic exposure, the list price of $290 prevents the general public from getting access, which is a shame, because I would suggest the impact could be widespread and profound.

What this volume does not do is to argue the importance of taking on the job of addressing human-driven climate change. The clear and pressing importance of the task at hand is a given. It also does not fall into the trap of bringing in a bunch of different hairsplitting, theoretical positions that can lead to extended irrelevant café debates. Instead, in this pioneering work they successfully walk us through a trajectory of unpacking old biases and recognizing previously unimagined possibilities, where the creative juices can be opened, and the ideas can be acted upon. A stirring of hope and a new commitment emerged for me that was not there prior to digging into this important anthology.

Gary Pace
California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA, USA
[email protected]

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).