It always wasn't clear what the different life-types meant to us...
Conversation between Gijs and Elliott begins
Life Project is the carrier bag to the Project Life spear. At least that's what Gijs thinks, Elliott thinks they're interchangable:
Elliott: Gijs and I have been tossing around this concept of Project Life or Life Project. It's funny how this name can go both ways, just like File Life or Life File. Life Projecting is a term that came from climbing, where climbers project a climb, sometimes working on the same climb for years. In certain cases, failure could mean death. I think Project Life is a little lighter. Maybe a Life Project is something that's worth falling for, maybe not dying for. So far from what we've gathered, Life Projecting is about planning life through check-ins with one another, and checking that current projects align larger life goals. The other day, it dawned on me that Life Projecting should be more about the projecting than accomplishing the actual project. I guess this is just another way of saying, "it's about the process, not the end result."
Gijs: So I think that for Elliott, Life Projecting is the practice of doing Project Life well. But for me they are actually opposites. Project Life I associate with the Life that is filled with short-term projects, stones thrown, but not sure what for or where to. Life Project instead is this almost archaic idea of a plannable life, a career, a dream. A bit of a myth maybe but quite useful when floating/drowning in Project Life. Life Project is an imaginary zoom out, an attempt to project a Project so good it's, well, worth falling for. A Life Project. (Not to confuse with The Life Project, it's just a stepping stone.) In any case, I could use one now. Just for now, this period of time. Think deep down I know I won't ever escape Project Life anyway neither do I want to.
Elliott: I like Project Life and Life Project as becoming these distinct perspectives on life. Maybe a sort of reframing of life? I was also thinking about how Project Life could just be a way of thinking about life, as one big project. So being lazy is actually an accomplishment because it's just part of the life project lol? But yeah I like this idea of projecting a project that is worth falling for. Maybe we should define that more. It feels like the one thing that Life Project lacks, is a sense of risk and fear. In climbing, the risk is real, so the commitment and the feeling of accomplishment is greater. Maybe we need to create factors that replicate risk in Project Life or is that a bit like gamifiying life? I patiently await your reply.
Gijs: Think Project Life is a bit safe indeed. Like bouldering in a hall. Seems like you're making progress and its fun and almost meaningful and then you go home into the real world. Life Project is dangerous, that's why its harder to choose. You have to go for one thing, commit to it. Project it, seriously. (not like in a hall where I try one a few times and move on. Ok maybe there is a specturm, of course there is, Project Life projects that are more like Life Projects, but for now lets keep this binary for navigational purposes). Purpose, what it's all about right?! When Life is meaningless so we make Projects. When Projects feel meaningless we make Life Projects. So where is the danger? Maybe in publishing. Committing to it. Maybe we can learn from serious climbing projecting and make a Life Project template where you have these different intermediate goals: 1. know all moves. 2. be able to do all moves. 3. do all moves in a sequence. Thoughts?"
Elliott: A template sounds nice. Like the castle and the land. I forget the actual metaphor. Was the castle something to reach?"
Gijs: I think a Life Project is big enough that it actually makes the aim itself not the primary focus. But rather the activity, the state, the flow. So it's not a five year plan, there's maybe not even a time schedule, you don't know how long it's going to take. There may be stages, phases. But it's about commiting to this bigger aim as an excuse to dive into a life of doing something you like. "An artstic PhD in the humanities", not sure. It's maybe still too much of an aim-focused goal than a journey-focused goal. Making a book would be more journey-focused: writing. A film: writing and shooting. A painting: drawing and painting.I do want an aim that implies an activity a bit more. Just like the original inspiration of the climbing project that is a life project. It's clear what to do: climb. So that's what I need. What do you need to define a Life Project aim?