Mente ambiente : dialogues within, dialogues with us : utilizing design methods to respond to climate crisis-evoked affects

Summary: This research addresses the affects experienced by most people in response to the current climate crisis. Research in the fields of psychology and human behaviour have termed the negative-value emotion “climate-anxiety.” My research inquires into both the positive and negative-value affects of this experience. To explore the nuances of this condition, the research is grounded in a practice-based methodology, using methods of speculative and participatory design. The personal explorations of narrative and future-building scenarios that express this condition are evidenced mainly through printmaking, embroidery, and writing. The learnings from these activities validate responses to climate destruction and validate the use of a creative practice to transition from value-negative to value-positive affects, allowing the self to reconcile with, and mediate these emotional responses. This research reveals a better understanding of the components of this condition and offers ways to moderate its experience in everyday life. It culminates in the rationalization of a model, Mente Ambiente, to better understand and navigate this condition. This is evidenced through a final project that engages with the model to guide a creative practice and reveal points of entry for others to explore the elements of their own condition.