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From What Is To What If
Ideas

From What Is To What If

Rob Hopkins talks to Adam Penny and Brenna Spain about how we can dream the future into existence.

11 minute read

Illustrations by Dorien Brouwers
23rd Jun 2025

Rob Hopkins is a doer. He’s not content to just talk about the challenges the world faces – be they environmental, social, or economic (though he has unpacked his ideas in several books). He’s someone who takes action every day. He co-founded the Transition Movement, a grassroots initiative empowering communities to address big challenges through local, practical solutions. 

In his book From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want he powerfully offers readers a glimpse of the wonderful future that could lie ahead, if only we’re brave enough to dream it. It’s this kind of grounded optimism that has landed him on the Independent’s list of top 100 environmentalists and on Nesta and the Observer’s list of Britain’s 50 new radicals. Perhaps the homepage of his website sums him up best. It’s a photo of him in a space suit holding a sign that says: “I’ve been to the future. We won.”

This article was first published in Issue 05 of The Beautiful Truth. Get your copy here.

In 2019, you published your book From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want. What drew you to the world of imagination?

It was around 2018 when I kept noticing a phrase in the writings of people I admire, like George Monbiot, Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein. They were all talking about ‘a failure of the imagination’. I found that idea fascinating. They weren’t always focusing on it, but I thought: “Could that really be a core issue? And if so, why?”

I remember reading a simple yet powerful slide about the climate emergency: 1) It’s warming; 2) It’s us; 3) We’re sure; and 4) We can fix it. The moment we reach that fourth point, many people seem to say, “I can’t imagine doing anything differently.” It was clear to me that imagination was central to the problem.

That realisation led me on a journey, and I was lucky enough to get some funding to take a part-time sabbatical to research for a book. I interviewed more than a hundred people and explored imagination from every angle I could – neuroscience, psychology and the work of brilliant practitioners. That’s how the book From What Is to What If came about.

It’s a fantastic book. And something you’ve obviously been thinking about a long time: you co-founded the Transition Movement back in 2005. Can you explain what it is?

For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a bottom-up, community-led response to the climate and ecological emergency. The key idea is: “What can we do, where we are, with what we have, and with the people around us?” Our thinking has always been, if we wait for the government, it’ll be too late. If we act as individuals, it won’t be enough. But if we come together as communities, we just might have enough impact, in time. Over the years, my work within the movement has been about supporting it, helping it spread, and sharing the stories of what communities have achieved.

In your book, you argue that without imagination, we can’t create the changes we need. If that’s the case, why do you think imagination has been so marginalised?

It’s a bit of a paradox, isn’t it? At a time in history when we need to be at our most imaginative, it feels like imagination has been pushed to the sidelines. I often think of a beautiful quote from bell hooks: “What we cannot imagine cannot come into being.” And yet, our capacity to imagine seems to be eroding.

One major factor is the way our lives have changed. When I was younger, I had time for long, uninterrupted walks where I could dream and create. But now, with smartphones, social media and constant distractions, that space for imagination has all but disappeared.

Many of us are always trying to be more innovative or creative in what we do. How is this different from the concept of imagination?

I like to use the pizza analogy. We all love pizza, right? You can innovate with pizza – different toppings, different types of cheese – but the basic idea remains the same. You don’t need to reimagine pizza. But our economic system is not like pizza. It’s hurtling us towards disaster, and at that point, innovation alone won’t save us.

Creativity, as we know it, has been co-opted by capitalism. It’s about turning ideas into products that can be sold. But imagination is different. It’s cheeky, unpredictable and disruptive. It asks the big, uncomfortable questions. Creativity might help us rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic, but imagination is what we need to fundamentally rethink the whole ship.

If it’s more than just creativity, how do you inspire people to go beyond that?

The key is to help people remember what it feels like to dream and be imaginative. It’s about breaking away from the constraints of how things are ‘supposed’ to be done, and getting people excited about the possibility of real, meaningful change. Creating space for imagination to flourish is vital because, without that space, it simply won’t happen. I always tell organisations: unless you intentionally make space to reimagine what you’re doing, you’ll just continue doing the same thing.

I always tell the story of Van Gogh. Imagine: Van Gogh comes in with a bunch of sunflowers, and he arranges them on the table. He looks at them as the sunlight comes onto these beautiful sunflowers, and he thinks, “Ooh, I must just check my Instagram and my Twitter and my TikTok.” Two hours later, he’s watching videos of skateboarders falling downstairs. He would never have painted any of those paintings, right?

Since your book’s release, organisations have turned to you to inspire teams to unleash their sense of radical imagination. How do you go about intentionally making space for this?

When I run workshops, it’s not about offering creative ideas to make a company more efficient. It’s about creating a playful and open environment where people can reconnect with their sense of possibility. We do exercises like ‘Ten Ridiculous Ideas’ or ‘The Walk of What If’ to push people out of their usual way of thinking. The results can be transformative. After one session with the London Marathon Group, they told me they now use the ‘yes, and’ approach in all their meetings, and it’s made a huge difference. I work with community groups that have almost no resources but achieve incredible things. When I compare that to large companies with huge budgets who say, “We can’t do much,” I think – are you serious? If small community projects can plant forests and start energy companies with next to nothing, surely those with real resources can do far more.

It seems that many organisations, as well as individuals, face a lot of pressure today that inhibits them to shift into a ‘yes, and’ way of thinking. Rebecca Henderson describes it as the ‘fear–hurry mechanism’. How does this constant pressure impact our ability to envision a positive future?

I’m currently writing a book titled How to Fall in Love with the Future, and through my research, I’ve discovered some intriguing neuroscience insights. When we imagine the future or recall the past, the same neural networks in our brains are activated. Essentially, imagining the future relies on our memories. If someone says they’re going to Italy, their brain pulls up everything they remember about Italy to construct an image of that future experience.

This becomes problematic when our media consumption is overwhelmingly negative or limiting, as it restricts our capacity to envision a more positive or sustainable future. To counteract this, I focus on creating immersive experiences of the future. In my talks, I use images, sounds and even smells to create a vivid, sensory experience of what a thriving future could look like. The goal is to make the future feel tangible and emotionally engaging so people can hold onto these positive visions and use them as a foundation for their imagination.

There’s a need to redefine the future, particularly since popular narratives often lean towards dystopian ones. How can we shift away from these narratives and envision the hope?

Yes, a great example of this is Afrofuturism, which presents a vibrant, imaginative vision of the future from a Black perspective. It demonstrates how creating inclusive and positive future narratives can be powerful. Instead of focusing solely on worst-case scenarios, it’s crucial to consider best-case scenarios and how we might realistically reach those outcomes.

I’m working on a project called Field Recordings from the Future, where I visit places that embody the sounds of a positive future – like cycling rush hours in Utrecht or rewilding projects in Cornwall. These recordings are then transformed into music designed to evoke a sense of nostalgia for the future. By making these future scenarios more real and emotionally compelling, we can cultivate a longing for that future and inspire action towards it.

How does this sense of longing for the future play into people’s ability to envision and work towards a better future?

It’s essential to create that emotional connection to the future. Just as Jules Verne’s imaginative stories about space travel inspired a generation of scientists and dreamers, we need to foster a similar longing for a positive future. By engaging people in creative exercises and immersive experiences, we help them rehearse and internalise this future vision. For example, in a recent workshop in Bristol, we had participants physically build and inhabit a future world with cardboard and sticky tape. This kind of imaginative play allows people to experience and shape their future visions in a way that makes them more likely to pursue them.

Considering the advancements in artificial intelligence, do you believe that imaginative individuals will have an advantage in the future?

AI primarily rehashes existing data and patterns, rather than creating something entirely new. While it can handle functional tasks efficiently, it lacks the capacity for true innovation. As AI takes over more routine tasks, the value of human creativity and imagination may become even more pronounced. However, there is a risk that AI could lead to a commodification of creativity, where the uniqueness of human input might be undervalued. Additionally, the environmental impact of AI’s infrastructure is a concern. The debate around AI’s role in society is ongoing, and I remain sceptical about its long-term effects on creativity and the economy.

It seems like many people are increasingly overwhelmed by our constant connectivity. How does this impact the way we want to work and our mental health?

The impact is significant. We live in a culture where the expectation to be always ‘on’ leads to burnout and anxiety. It’s not just about personal wellbeing; it’s affecting productivity and job satisfaction. Companies are also contributing to this issue by fostering environments where employees feel compelled to respond to messages and emails outside of working hours, exacerbating stress and reducing overall effectiveness.

There’s always a to-do list, there’s always an email to respond to. How do you view the role of smartphones and their influence on our creativity?

It’s a profound concern. We’re grappling with technologies that were designed to be addictive, and unfortunately, we’re not evolutionarily equipped to resist them. I recently tried living with an old Nokia phone for a year while writing a book. It had its benefits: I felt more present and productive in some ways. However, the limitations became glaringly apparent, especially when I needed to rebook travel arrangements on the go. We live in an era where smartphones are almost indispensable, and their omnipresence creates constant pressure to stay connected and responsive.

As businesses weigh up their bottom line with sustainability, corporate responsibility and rapid technological advancement, what changes do you see as necessary to address this balance?

One crucial strategy is to adopt a visionary approach to leadership and organisational culture. Leaders need to embrace and advocate for transformative change, just as historical figures did during pivotal moments such as the abolition of slavery. It’s about setting ambitious goals and moving away from outdated practices, like reliance on fossil fuels or unsustainable business models. Companies like Patagonia demonstrate that it’s possible to align business goals with broader environmental and social values.

When you imagine a sustainable and equitable future, what’s your vision?

The vision I advocate is one of hope and proactive engagement. We need to move beyond the current era of fossil fuels and environmental degradation towards a future that embraces sustainability and community-driven solutions. It’s about harnessing existing knowledge and technologies to create a positive impact. This is not just about avoiding a dire future but actively creating a world that is vibrant and thriving. Individuals and organisations alike must step up, take bold actions and become part of the solution rather than remaining passive observers.