Andrea Hylen

Week One: Flip the Script: An Introduction

November 1-7, 2023

Day One: Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Let’s begin!

“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!”

― C. JoyBell C.

Today begins a 100-day exploration and experiment around the topic Flip the Script: Consciously Co-creating the Future. The inspiration to explore this topic came from a book called The Flip: Turn Your World Around by David H. Rippe and Jared Rosen, published in June 2006.

When the book was released in 2006, I had already flipped the script on health care, education for my children, caring for the environment and living a shared resources lifestyle. As I re-read the book earlier this year, I was curious about what incremental changes could we make to better the world now?

I felt this topic was a good fit for The Incubator because the process of creating involves innovation, changing a story, shifting perspective, reframing a moment, and finding ways to express feelings, thoughts, and experiences. You are already flipping the script in your creative process. You have already been flipping the script with your view of the world. That doesn’t mean that we all agree on how we want to flip the script and change things in the world and that’s okay. Different views can still be focused on a desire to better yourself and the society which leads us to different paths.

From the book, The Flip: Turn Your World Around

“Becoming a flipster, participating in one of the greatest shifts in consciousness in humankind, does not require credentials. Political affiliations are meaningless. The flip doesn’t care if you graduated summa cum laude, got your GED, or dropped out of high school. Race and gender are immaterial. Nationality is moot. It matters little if you are an unemployed steelworker, a corporate executive, a sales rep, or a social worker. All are welcome to the flip. There is only one pre-requisite – the desire to better yourself and society.”

The 100-day topic is an invitation to ask questions, examine your beliefs, and notice where it may be time to flip the script in any area of your life. It is also an invitation to remember where you have already flipped the script and to notice the gifts and strengths that appeared out of shifting your perspective.

I want to emphasize that the Incubator is not a program with things you need to DO. If the 100 days is a resource that feels supportive, dive in, or dip your toes in occasionally. If it doesn’t feel supportive, then ignore the daily posts. Stay focused on your intentions and the art, writing and self-expression you want to explore.

There are no grades and no comparison with each other. Our creative expression is different so tuning in to what you need and processing that during our monthly coaching conversations will support your unique journey.

The 100 days is designed to stir the pot around a topic. To explore, uncover, deconstruct, and invite solutions. This may create discomfort or bring up feelings. Remember that breakdowns lead to breakthroughs. Solutions are born out of challenges and by listening to what is unknown.

In writing the 100 days, I am looking for patterns in the world around me and reflecting on possibilities. What I write today may lead me to a different idea tomorrow. I write with confidence, humility, and reverence regarding our differences. Ideas are fluid and evolving. The older I get, the more questions I ask, because life has shown me how often I limit myself by thinking there is only one way to do things.

Keep this in mind as you read the prompts and think: Both/And vs Either/Or. My idea does not negate your idea. I can add chocolate chips to my muffin recipe and you can add cranberries to yours. 

The “week” runs from Wednesday to Tuesday because November 1 is on a Wednesday. Week One is November 1 – 7. Week Two is November 8 – 14, and so on.

The weekly email, sent on Wednesdays, will summarize the week with all the daily writings attached to the email in a word doc. So, if you don’t want to use them now, you will have them for the future. The weekly email will also list resources and tools that are presented during the month.

If you decide not to use the daily prompts, the one suggestion I have is to read the focus of the week and notice how that topic shows up for you in dreams, conversations, and your creative process.

Day One Prompts:

*What do the words “Flip the Script” mean to you? This could be an idea, an experience, or different clusters of words.

*Write about a time when a belief or expectation changed. It may have been something you judged about another person and then you found yourself in a similar situation. Or you heard someone speak and their words influenced a change in your perspective.

*How did that change impact your life?