Strange; Adjective

Unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling or hard to understand.
Not previously visited, seen, or encountered; unfamiliar or alien.

. . . . .

Human perception tricks us into believing that reality is rigid. Because of this, our assumptions about what's possible are often dictated by an inflexible understanding of how things should look or be. We base these assumptions on what we've seen, learned, or otherwise experienced in the past. In this way, what's ahead of us feels foreign; alien; unknowable — in a word, strange. So how do we push past the known, into a wide-open future? What happens if we embrace the unknowable, instead of holding it at arm’s length? Can we re-wire our brains to be calm in the face of uncertainty?

At The Strange, we seek opportunities to embrace the unknown. We believe art, writing, and other forms of creative expression should be employed as tools to push society forward, radically and ecstatically and peacefully. We question the need to be tethered to one reality and feel that in the 21st century, transcendent experiences should be the norm. It's a new age of enlightenment and we want to help pave the way into what's next.

We wonder: what strategies can expedite the process of exposing new modes of thinking and being? How can we re-wire ourselves to be calmer, more fulfilled, and less intellectually rigid? At The Strange, we encourage broad explorations of pixelated, hazy ideas. We seek to develop frameworks that allow strange projects, manifestations, and ideas to be shared openly. And perhaps most importantly, we want to give future-defining individuals the time and space needed to let the mind roam, relax, and focus.

In the inaugural year of The Strange, we are pushing into our own territory of strangeness, interrogating our own ideas of what a forward-thinking creative space (or foundation?) can be. Get in touch if you’d like to share your own ideas⇝ [email protected].