Why are tribes so important?
Well, very simply, we are stronger together.
Thousands of years ago, our ancestors formed tribes. It was only through collaboration that they could defend themselves, eat, stay warm, share stories, procreate and ultimately, evolve into the civilisations that have shaped the world we are living in today. Granted, that's not an entirely happy story, but ultimately, we are still living in the best period on record.
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others."
- African Proverb
Modern Tribes
In this modern world we live in, #tribes are still very much prevalent. Perhaps less so to our way of life and more so to our thinking.
In essence, a #tribe is any group of people who are connected by an idea, a cause or a leader. This could be a gang, a troop, a clique, a cult, a movement...you get the idea.
In our case, it's and idea. An idea that we can effect change in the world by taking action with the way that we work. Thanks to the internet, we are no longer limited to barriers such as geography either, meaning that we can come together despite not actually being in the same place. This is a powerful notion.
Tribes in Action
A brilliant examples of this tribalism is Fashion Revolution. It demonstrates how an idea held by a few - that the fashion industry needs to become more transparent about its impact on people, the planet and animals - can flourish into a global movement that brings people - people like you and me - together, to enforce change from the ground up.
Another excellent example of a modern day tribe is the thousands of youth, who heard the call of Swedish teenager (and in my opinion, all round hero) Greta Thunberg and have begun boycotting school for climate action!
What do tribes have to do with collaboration?
The risk of this tribe-mind, is "group think". While, coming together to effect change is a powerful, natural (thanks to evolution, we naturally seek out like-minded people to ourselves) thing, the unspoken truth is the risk of a narrow-minded point of view.
This is where collaboration is key. We need to learn to collaborate with other tribes, or in the case of creative freelancers, other creatives from different fields, different races, different countries and with different points of view if we are to come up with innovative solutions to make change for the masses and not merely, the few.
Join the tribe!
You might have noticed that we use the term "tribe" a lot in our messaging. It is deliberate and considered. We are a tribe of freelance creatives who, as individuals, have begun making concerted changes in our working practices to address some of the most pressing climate and social issues facing us and the planet today. When we come together and collaborate, we are able to share ideas and tell stories about brands and businesses that are already taking action and implementing innovative solutions that make our lives easier.
If we sound like the kind of gang you want to belong to, sign up today. It's free.
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