There’s a story we’re often told about vision.
That’s something we must generate. That the future is a thing to be invented, hammered out of nothing, as though creativity comes from effort alone.
But when you look closely at artists, at nature, at life itself, you start to see something else.
You see that the most beautiful things are not forced… they’re found.
Michelangelo once said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
This is how we approach design. Not as something to impose, but as something to discover.
🌀 Part I: Begin with Soul, Not Strategy
The first step is not drawing lines on maps. It’s listening.
Listening to yourself — the deeper part. The one that remembers why you came.
The one that’s not chasing the next trend, or reacting to urgency, but rooted in a longing far older than any marketing strategy.
We ask our clients and students: Why are you doing this? Who are you becoming?
We encourage them to sit with their future selves — the 90-year-old version who has lived well, and who now has something to say back through time.
This work is not just good for your land.
It’s good for your soul.
Because when we live only from the fractured desires of our smaller selves, we chase noise. But when we connect with the Self — capital S — we remember that desire itself isn’t the enemy. It’s the first movement of creation.
And it’s that desire — your soul’s desire-that-that design must serve.
⚖️ Part II: The Dance of Yin and Yang
Of course, intuition alone is not enough. All inner vision must meet outer structure. The feminine must dance with the masculine. The formless must take form.
So after soul work, we get practical. We look at the land.
We begin a process of thorough site analysis using the Scale of Permanence — from the broadest patterns of climate, landform, and water to the details of soil, access, vegetation, and microclimates.
This is the yang to the yin of soul-searching.
And when we hold both vision and structure, intention and analysis, we begin to see something emerge.
The project starts to speak back.
We start to recognize the symbiosis between the human soul’s desire and the land’s unique potential.
It becomes a conversation.
A courtship.
A design discovered through a relationship.
✏️ Part III: From Vision to Implementation
Once we’ve honored both soul and soil, we move into what most people recognize as “design.”
We take a to-scale base map and begin playing.
We sketch out zones of use — identifying what needs to be close, what can be farther away, and how your life will move through this place.
We draft schematic maps for water, access, and vegetation.
We explore them loosely, co-creatively — with you, your family, your team.
We play, iterate, adjust.
And when it all starts to feel right — tight, integrated, aligned — we move into detailed design.
From there, we help you build: A work plan — a phased implementation strategy — and a framework for funding, partnerships, and execution
Because real design is not a dream in a drawer.
It’s a roadmap for regeneration.
💡 Final Words: It Will Be Hard — And Worth It
If this feels overwhelming, that’s okay. It is hard. It takes reflection. It takes courage. It takes work. But it’s nothing compared to the pain of leaving your dream unfulfilled. Of living a life where your deepest longing is ignored.
Because when you finally say yes — when you start — you’ll find that you’re not alone.
Unexpected allies will appear, opportunities will unfold, and support will gather because your dream is part of something larger — a divine design.
And when you step toward it, it steps toward you. So please, don’t force your design; instead, discover it.
And in the process, discover more of yourself.
Want to Learn More?
Click here to watch our latest video from the farm, where we dive into how vision and structure come together in the design process — and how you can apply these principles to your own projects.
If you're ready to take the next step in designing your own regenerative project, or if you're interested in learning how to guide others through this transformative process, reply to this email or book a free discovery call here: https://zcal.co/nealhegarty/30min
Let’s get growing,
Neal Hegarty
CreaSol Permaculture
