Beyond “What if?”: Reflecting on taking my project to Adaptation Canada

At the end of September, I attended Adaptation Canada in Toronto, Ontario. I presented my project to a packed room as part of a session called Arts for Adaptation, during the very last session, on the very last day. Here are a few of my reflections on the full experience.

Kind of a big deal

Showing my work at Adaptation Canada felt like a pretty big deal. For one thing, conferences are expensive. Even as a session speaker, there is a significant cost to attending, so I was very fortunate to have the support of my employer and the financial means to make it happen. But from the moment I put my application together, I had a feeling this was something I needed to try.

I was nervous. I was excited. And, if I’m being honest, I was very aware that I was about to put my rather large pile of knitted climate data in front of a national audience.

Maybe I really am an artist?

One of the things that stuck with me was how many people told me, “I’m not an artist,” before proceeding to tell me about all the wonderful creative things they enjoy doing or used to do before adulting got in the way. I completely understood where they were coming from because I’ve been there myself.

I’m still relatively new to calling myself an artist. There is something surprisingly vulnerable about putting your work out into the world when you’re new to a craft, particularly when people may see what you do as “crafting” rather than art. There’s a definite element of imposter syndrome that comes with it.

Being part of the Arts for Adaptation session made it a little easier for me to accept that identity. I was there specifically to talk about my work as art, and the response from people in the room was incredibly encouraging.

Of course, I also recognize that this was a pretty biased audience. These were people who already cared about climate adaptation and were interested in the intersection of art and climate. I don’t know if I would have received exactly the same response from a room full of people with no connection to climate work. But that doesn’t make the experience any less meaningful.

Taking It All In

It wasn’t all about my own session and talking about the project. One thing I’d really been looking forward to was a mid-week field trip. We’d been asked to sign up months in advance, and I’d carefully chosen an afternoon in a ravine. Unfortunately, there had been an error in the registration process, and I didn’t get to go. That was disappointing, especially since I’d been looking forward to spending some time outdoors.

There was still plenty to take in. I attended a really interesting panel on climate grief, which explored, among other things, how younger people are experiencing the climate crisis and the impact it can have on their mental health. It was informative, but hard on the heart. I also learned that Canadians spend 94% of their time indoors, which made me sad. There’s a connection between these topics and my own work, but it was also nice to sit back, listen, and learn without constantly thinking about my project. Overall, it was a great couple of days of learning and connecting with people working in climate adaptation.

More than one path forward

I had a lot of conversations with people before and during my session, and those conversations made me think about all the ways this project could grow beyond social media, a handful of presentations and gallery exhibits, and this blog.

There are a few ideas and opportunities that came out of those conversations that I’m not ready to talk about yet. They’re still taking shape, and nothing is confirmed. But for the first time, some of the things I’ve been thinking about as “what if?” started to feel like things that could actually happen. That was probably my biggest takeaway from the conference. There isn’t one pathway for this project.

Getting the work in front of the right people can open doors I didn’t even know were there. And when some of the biggest players in Canadian climate adaptation are in the room, that suddenly feels like a very different scale of opportunity than I’ve been working with in Nova Scotia.

Taking the chance

I think I achieved what I originally wanted from Adaptation Canada. I got to talk about the project, show the work, meet people who understood what I was trying to do, and get some really thoughtful feedback and encouragement.

Looking back, I do wish I had pushed harder to find a place to hang the blankets throughout the conference. Having the work visible outside of my session could have created even more conversations and possibly opened a few more doors. But I’m also leaving with something I didn’t quite expect: renewed momentum.

I’m going to keep knitting. I’m going to keep looking for places to show the work. And I’m going to keep thinking beyond what I originally imagined this project could become.

For other newbie artists, I think you sometimes you just have to take the chance and put yourself out there. It may not give you exactly what you were looking for, but it will give you feedback. It will show you what gets people excited, what makes them curious, and where it might be worth putting your energy next.

For me, Adaptation Canada was a pretty important reminder that this project might be bigger than I’ve been letting myself imagine.