Living & working in a regenerative way
My Permaculture Design journey
At the end of October 2024 I registered on the Permaculture Diploma. I spent 2025 orienteering myself on the Why, the How and the What… so while it’s been a slow start, I am thrilled to be continuing to grow personally and professionally with the support of Liz Postlethwaite. She runs Small Things Creative, and I have been learning and been introduced to Permaculture and Permaculture Design under her guidance since 2022.
In April 2024 I completed my Permaculture Design Course (PDC) where something really clicked. Not only the learning and deepening of Permaculture thinking applied to my creative and socially driven practice felt really regenerative, but also doing so amongst a fantastic group of fellow creatives. When I learnt that Liz is also a tutor on the Diploma and that some of my fellow peers on the PDC were taking the step towards the Diploma it felt like I was in the right place, at the right time.
I think, or at least for me, that we need to pivot or take time to reflect on who we are and what we are doing in this life, on this planet at least once a decade. I couldn’t help reflect that in 2010/2011 I decided to pivot and make some big changes by leaving the work I had then and embarking on an MSc at the Centre for Alternative Technology – which turned out to be probably one of the best decisions of my life.
The PDC opened my mind to a further exploration of my creative practice guided through the Permaculture ethics especially and by applying clear frameworks and tools, to encourage curiosity and investigation of my work, my purpose and opportunity to continue to grow with renewed joy.
Back in 2010, I pivoted my work and life towards seeking solutions to climate change – over the last 15 years while we’ve made progress, the climate crisis has also deepened. The awareness of lack of equity and the part I play both positively and negatively has been one of the biggest questions poking in and out of my head regularly.
It is very easy to feel overwhelmed by what we are facing, by the pain that this world and its people (us all) is suffering – it can feel so very gloomy, with little hope for change.
I realised that after over a decade since completing my MSc, I was clearly asking myself “what next?”, “what am I meant to do / who am I meant to be-come?” – that restlessness we are all so familiar with.
I am so glad that in that search, I took note of a suggestion by a friend to do Liz’s course “Introduction to Permaculture for Artists and Creatives“. As after that, I decided to enrol in Liz’s first PDC for for Artists and Creatives. Those 12 months between 2023 and 2024 gifted me time to stop and reflect. To think out-loud, asking questions amongst a really supportive and inspiring group of fellow artists and creatives. I felt so aligned with the three ethics of Permaculture: People Care, Earth Care and Future Care. They have been my renewed compass since I was introduced to them. It was through them that I also decided to take that step to enrol on my Diploma.
Why have I decided to enrol on the Diploma? In preparing for my Induction I explored a number of questions, prompted by the Design Web devised by Looby Macnamara. And even before exploring my vision through her Design Web, I had gathered some of my thoughts and reflections in my journal:
I am really excited about this journey, to have three / four (possibly!) years to explore many questions as well as hopes for more curiosity in my practice, through the lens of Permaculture.
Lorenza Casini 