Cross Pollinate #3
April 22, 2026
We gathered for our third Cross Pollinate last week (on Earth Day, no less) with Emily Eisenhart, studio founder and artist, and Christopher Brown, nature writer and technology lawyer.
Beneath one of Emily’s murals at St. Elmo Springdale, we explored metaphor and motif: two of the ways artists translate the natural world for the rest of us. Chris does it through prose that finds the wild in overlooked urban places. Emily does it through abstract murals and sculpture that hold space for interpretation.
Three Powerful Insights
The conversation between Emily and Chris, and with those of us gathered there, was rich with insight; here are three that stuck with us.
I. Mind the edges.
Both Chris and Emily are drawn to liminal spaces — the seams where built environments meet the wild. Chris finds wonder in alleyways, empty lots, and the urban patches most of us walk past. Emily brings the natural world back into those same cityscapes through murals and sculpture that invite reflection without prescribing it. Their work is a standing invitation to look again at the places we think we already know.
II. Lose the map.
Emily founded her own studio after following a non-linear path from cultural anthropology through human-centered design. Chris arrived at nature writing by way of science fiction and technology law. Their journeys mirror the way ecosystems develop: through a constant state of growth, adaptation, and serendipity. Nature doesn't move in straight lines. What might you find if you followed your curiosity and intuition rather than a map?
III. Honor the fallow.
Emily reminded the room that nature doesn't only bloom; it rests. In a culture that prizes constant production, allowing yourself a quiet season may be the most generative thing you can do. What might your spring look like if you let yourself have a winter first?
Want to attend the next Cross Pollinate?
Cross Pollinate is a curated gathering designed to break down the silos that exist between vital industries, creating a space for peer-to-peer conversations for those that are stewarding, protecting, and promoting our natural world.
If you would like an invitation to our next event in Fall 2026, email us at crosspollinate@withbutler.com and briefly tell us about your work or sector, and we'll be in touch.
