Venturing through Complexity
By Joost van Wijchen & Paul Beenen
At the edge of a path that isn’t yet visible, we begin. The air shifts, the ground beneath our feet feels uneven, and yet we move forward—not because we know the way, but because the act of moving itself will shape it. This is the essence of wayfaring: to journey without a map, improvising and negotiating the terrain as it unfolds.
At ECOLAH, this concept of wayfaring speaks directly to how we approach learning and complexity. Through the Wayfarer, we invite you to join us on a venture—not toward fixed answers, but into a space where learning emerges from engagement with the unknown.
A Visual Provocation
Filmed across the vast plains and forests of the Netherlands and the rugged mountains of Norway, our video captures the wayfarer’s rhythm—an interplay of movement and stillness, reflection and action. It invites you to step into a landscape where knowledge is not delivered but gathered.
The first-person perspective allows you to see the world through our eyes: the textures of stone and grass, the sounds of footsteps on soil, the rustle of wind through trees. In this rhythm, meaning begins to take form—not as something given, but as something co-created through experience. A border collie moves through the scenes, a companion reminding us that even in solitary reflection, we are part of a greater dialogue.
Learning as Movement
Wayfaring, as described by Tim Ingold (2010), is not about following predetermined routes. It is an act of creating paths as you move forward. Each step reshapes the terrain and reveals new possibilities. Similarly, learning in complexity is not linear; it evolves through interaction and adaptation, mirroring the world’s dynamism.
In this way, the wayfarer becomes a metaphor for engaging with complexity. As educators, learners, and professionals, we are called to navigate uncertainty, not by seeking to control it, but by moving with it. Each terrain—whether smooth or rugged—offers an opportunity to deepen our understanding, if only we are willing to pay attention.
Navigating Complexity
As the video unfolds, the wayfarer’s journey transitions between slower reflective walking in the mountains and steadier movement across the plains and forests. These shifts echo the different rhythms of learning. At times, we must pause to reflect; at others, we continue in measured steps, propelled by the process itself.
Complexity resists simplification. It demands that we let go of fixed maps and embrace the ambiguity of wayfaring. This can feel unsettling, but it is in this tension that growth becomes possible. The wayfarer teaches us to trust the process of movement itself, to lean into the unknown with curiosity and resilience.
Caving a path forward
Engaging with the video, you might consider the parallels with your own work. Each profession, each context, each life carries its own complexity. The wayfarer reminds us that there is no single path to follow, no universal answer to uncover. Instead, there is only the act of moving forward—improvising, adapting, and finding meaning in the process.
This is what learning in complexity asks of us: to create, to connect, to become. The path emerges as we walk, shaped by the landscapes we encounter and the relationships we nurture along the way.
An ongoing Venture
The wayfarer’s venture does not end with the video, nor is it confined to the trails of mountains and forests. It continues in every step we take, every challenge we face, and every moment we choose to engage with complexity rather than retreat from it. At ECOLAH, this philosophy guides everything we do—from developing frameworks and courses to fostering spaces for dialogue and reflection.
Wayfaring is not merely a mode of movement but a way of being in the world. It calls us to listen to the terrain, to respond to its rhythms, and to create paths that connect rather than divide. As you watch the video, we invite you to carry this spirit forward in your own journey.
Watch The Wayfarer Video
References
Ingold, T. (2010). Footprints through the weather-world: Walking, breathing, knowing. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 16(S1), S121–S139. Retrieved from http://sed.ucsd.edu/files/2014/09/Ingold-Footprints-through-the-Weather-World.pdf
