Porto Santo, July 2022, Autobiographic Description of the Fabulation Process.

Description of the Fabulation: from inspiration (Figure 1) and choosing a point of view (Figure 2) to noticing, indexing (Figure 3), fabulation (Figure 3), and turning the fabulation into affirmative and positive worlding (Figures 3, 4).

As every summer, my partner and I, spend some weeks in Porto Santo Island during the summer. As we walked along the beach, we noticed the dramatic erosion of the cliff just next to the beach we usually stop for a swim- the erosion was leaving the natural elements ( the palm trees) and the man-made structure (the house) in very precarious positions.

Figure 1: Photo - Palm tree and Roots

Second, the researchers used this as a starting point for the visual sketching and noticing process. The beach's erosion is evident. The presence of stones and eroded earth seems related to climate change and rising sea levels… but it might also not be. We do not have enough scientific information to affirm this. The researcher explored the beach and noticed the phenomenon from various angles.

Figure 2: Sketch for Inspiration

The view of the house and palm toots from the other side is less dramatic. The researcher returns to the previous site and captures the scene from there. From that angle (Figures 1 and 3), the palm roots are closer to the sketching point and, as seen below, afford a more dramatic visualization. The house's position looks more precarious for this view. This added dramatic effect to inspire the fabulation. As any storyteller knows, drama is needed to inspire the fabulation.

Then, both researchers separately sketched and annotated the visual sketch, detailing it and describing personal considerations.

Figure 3: Noticing Roots

After capturing enough details, the researchers started the fabrication process. Each sketch generated different responses and plot twists, creating two different worlds. The fabulations took overnight to mature, and each researcher had their own inspiration and creation process.

Figure 4: Fabulation Roots 1

Then the fabulae were shared, iterated by the other authors, and refined to capture affirmative and positive versions of the worlds they had created. Both fabulations (i)the falling of the natural and human elements into the sea, and ii)the humans and plants helping each other to maintain the status quo above the waters. Give way to new ecosystems where humans and more than humans make kin and thrive.

Figure 5: Fabulation Roots 2