Alice smiled broadly, and they each had a thickly spread slice of deliciously warm bread while discussing the Berlin Team’s central role in connecting the project to Europe, both with respect to the project businesses and regarding the future town.
‘Or towns,’ Mika said. ‘I admit I was a bit sceptical about building a single town. It sounded like one of these prestige projects that are just for a select few and have no connection to the real world—’ Mika chuckled, seeing Alice’s raised eyebrows. ‘I know. The real world doesn’t exist. Everything around us is invented. Except the ingenious natural world. Which reminds me: Could it be that humanity simply went through puberty over the last millennia, and that’s why it rejected nature’s perfections and had to do everything better than its parents?’
Alice laughed. ‘That’s a thought!’
Mika grinned. ‘What I wanted to say is, a single town felt cheesy, but a whole network of towns, towns in different countries, each with their own focus and purpose, each a piece of unique art, each perfect for their kinds of people, each a breathing, living organism which keeps evolving — now, that’s something I could talk about for weeks.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3/2, shaping, entanglements & silence
welcome
Welcome to my overview website.
My main work are the easy town books. These are also the origin of a number of project ideas, inventions, visions and most importantly questions, the kind that are ideal for exploring the urgent topics of our time.
The easy town books tell the story of a team who plan, build and run a town experiment to find out what kind of environment (both societal and natural) provides the best conditions for humans to heal, grow and thrive.
There are fourteen project websites which offer insights into the easy town books, into ideas for thriving towns & cities, into the new business models I developed, into business ideas and rethinking business practices, and more.
There are still gaps on most websites, and I’ll add more content towards the end of February and in March 2025.
Charlie Alice Raya, 25 January 2025
Bluesky
Until the 21st January, I posted quite a bit on Bluesky: @charliealiceraya.bsky.social.
Topics include: I am non-binary, my wish list for Bluesky, spoil Trump’s inauguration, What do we do now?
There are also quotes and extracts from the easy town books and from The end of all wars. And some of my photographic work.
In the run-up to the inauguration day in the US, I began to compile a playbook for change and gave it its own account on Bluesky: @playbookforchange.bsky.social
So far the playbook introduces 18 tools which can be used to shape our future.
Find me on Bluesky
The playbook for change on Bluesky
@playbookforchange.bsky.social
Views from around the universe on Bluesky
@universe-views.bsky.social & views-from-around-the-universe.net
upcoming books
For the rest of January and much of February, I will focus on completing book 3/2 & 3/3, shaping, and book 4/1, building, and I will rarely be online.
For more on the books, click the images, and visit the following links:
- Dailies, frequently scenes I’m working on get a brief airing on this page
- book launch, find background titbits about book 3/2, shaping
- explore, new extracts from book 3/2 & 3/3, shaping
new
NEW videos on Vimeo
- In the dark, prelude
- In the dark
- My offers for our future
- Views from around the universe, keep 30% of the planet safe?
The easy town books website got some updates and additions.
Highlights are
more plans
Much of March is likely to be dedicated to fill the gaps on the websites, including vision statements, potential roadmaps for change, an update for the playbook for change, a critical review of why so many movements fail to bring substantial change, suggestions on how we can come together and more.
March is also likely to see my first story challenges such as a crude oil story challenge in support of all initiatives who work to end oil and gas extractions. For input and/or collaboration send an email to: contact@charlie-alice-raya.org. All outlined stories will be available to further development on a few conditions.
You can support the me and the easy town projects with donations, with the purchase of limited edition Fine Art Prints and by buying the Charlie Alice Raya books.
offers
This spring and summer, I will be available for a number of offers such as book readings, talks, discussions, inspiration sessions, exploration sessions, imagination workshops, story & narrative sessions, rethinking events, challenges, and if necessary stand-up. Click here for some details >
I recorded some thoughts on my offers. The video is now available on Vimeo: My offers for our future
Available dates
1 April – 15 April 2025
15 May to 15 July 2025
For dates in late February and March, please, enquire: contact@charlie-alice-raya.org
Generally speaking, I am happy to contribute to various topics regarding the future of our planet such as reshaping stories and narratives, rethinking towns & cities, ending all wars, assessing the narrative of fighting against, stories as a tool and any topic you can find in my books.
More information will follow.
If you’re already curious, please, get in touch: contact@charlie-alice-raya.org.
Charlie Alice Raya, 25 January 2025
Find inspiration
book 3/1, shaping
The first day alone is packed with encounters of all colours and vibes, allowing the reader to dive straight into the heart of the town project and also into the hearts of some of the main characters.
book 3, shaping
Buy the complete book 3, shaping. Receive book 3/1, shaping, now, and pre-order book 3/2 and book 3/3 in one go. You will receive your copy of the books on the days of publication, in Jan & Feb 2025.
Go all in books 1-3
Buy all published easy town books: book 1, beginning, book 2, travelling and book 3/1, shaping, and pre-order the other two parts of book 3, which will be published in Jan & Feb 2025.
About the author
If we tell people what is what, then What will always remain What and never evolve.
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3/1, shaping
I am an explorer who loves to pick up any What and give it a good spin in my playground: the easy town story.
I am a creator who loves to dig deeper and who creates visions of ideas we can test, ideas with the potential of giving us the kind of boosts that allow us to evolve and thrive.
I am Charlie Alice Raya, born in 1972, in the then divided city of Berlin.
Find out more here: About Charlie Alice Raya
get in touch
If you’d like to join a project, if you’d like to make a contribution, if you have a suggestion, if you’d like to support the projects, if you have any questions or concerns, please, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Presently, I read all emails personally. Write to: contact@charlie-alice-raya.org
