Our Story

Hi, I’m Joanna Harcourt-Smith and I started Future Primitive because I wanted to contribute to a future that would hold a different kind of story. One that includes the ancestors and the indigenous wisdom they carry; as well as our evolving understanding of our place in the cosmos. I wanted to uncover our belonging to the earth and its mystery, and wondered if there were others who would join me in this exploration.

Future Primitive is a podcasting website and weekly podcast that offers listeners insight into some of the greatest hearts and minds of our time. Since our inception our community has grown and responded with a resounding YES. Instead of creating a subscription model for the podcast, I want the community to reach out and participate in the movement that is Future Primitive.

Future Primitive is a holographic crossroads where we listen to the beautiful stories our hearts desire.

I have interviewed over 400 innovators, authors, and visionaries from around the world including Eben Alexander, Pancho Ramos, Joan Halifax, Stan Grof, Jodie Evans, John Seed, Nina Simmons, Sobonfu Somé, Charles Eisenstein, Tim Freke, Barbara Max Hubbard,  Richard Doyle, Robert Waggoner, Bradford Keeney, Ken Cohen, and Martin Prechtel. There is an embrace between the people interviewed on the show and all of you, my friends.

Our New Project

"Exploring the Soul of Nature" is an online video show created by Future Primitive in partnership with webinar production company, SynchCast (http://www.synchcast.net/). The monthly show is a "digital campfire" in which the hosts and their guests explore the phenomenon of consciousness in a post-modern world. It’s an opportunity to gather together online and re-think/re-feel/re-imagine our place in nature. Plan to watch this month’s show with Charles Eisenstein and other guests.

Words From Our Community

"... You have a unique ability as an interviewer to elicit the heart of your subjects. And it is this ability that makes your work not only unique, but incredibly impactful."
-  Sir Peter Anderson, Key West, FL

". Thank you for introducing me to all these inspirational people who help to bring light in the darkness."
~ Naomi, UK

" Your podcasts have changed my mind and my life so dramatically, in such a REAL way. I have become more real, more alive, more LoveIncarnate, thanks to your sharing your love and your passion with the world." ~ Sara, USA

“Anyone who has visited Joanna Harcourt-Smith's Future Primitive website can clearly see the breadth and depth of her intelligence and her commitment to highlighting and honoring visionary perspectives.”  ~ Geoffrey Oelsner,  Future Primitive show guest and poet, songwriter, performer, USA

A Bit About Me

I was born in the Swiss mountains and grew up in Paris. In 1968, moved by the music and spirit of revolution sweeping through my generation I emigrated to the United States. I met and fell in love with Dr. Timothy Leary while he was a fugitive living in Switzerland, and was with him when he (and I) were kidnapped by American authorities in Afghanistan, and he was returned to a California prison. My book Tripping the Bardo with Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story is a scathingly honest autobiographical memoir describing the years between 1972 and 1977, when I was Timothy’s lover and his voice to the outside world while in prison.
 
In 1984 I surrendered myself onto the path of life long sobriety, and then became a celebrated chef in Philadelphia and Santa Fe. Since then, I was initiated into Buddhism by Thich Nhat Hahn, have lived and worked all over the world, and find myself returning to my great question in life “What is true kindness?” Future Primitive is my soul work.

What We Need & What You Get

Show Me the Honey: How you can help the Future Primitive now!

Our 8 years of weekly interviews has been a great success with over 10,000 listeners a month. There are so many big-hearted ones we are discovering, all doing remarkable things that touch us deeply and give us hope that our future—the one we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren is still within reach. We’re excited to continue to be a conduit sharing these stories with you. AND we need your help to do so. We hold enormous gratitude to the Marion Institute, who helped us plant the seed and begin. Without their support we would not be where we are today. This also means your donations are tax deductible!

Now it is up to you— our dear listeners, friends, and community to help us as we take our next steps as a sustaining and essential resource.

We humbly ask you to join us and be a part of SHOW ME THE HONEY

Our campaign goal is $20.000, which will allow us to continue to offer the spontaneous, the inspired, and the outrageous. In truth the full cost of our work exceeds this amount and in truth we know that there is a huge range in what you, friends of Future Primitive are able to give. We appreciate all of you and trust we will surpass our goal because there are so many of you that believe in what we are doing.

We’re asking for money in the spirit of honey — the sweetness of us all coming together to support the voices of a future story we can get behind.

And speaking of sweetness there are some fantastic perks we are offering: Signed books by yours truly, Charles Eisenstein, Richard Doyle and Philip Shepherd, chocolate goodies, the opportunity to co-host/co-produce a show with me, and more! Heartfelt gratitude to our Future Primitive authors who are donating signed copies of their books as perks. If we reach our goal we invite all of you to join us on a group love phone call.

The beauty of your support of our work through a campaign like this is that you are our sponsor and we are your honey! Every penny we raise will fund our interviews, which serve as a mirror of a collective vision we hold together.

We are asking for your help in several ways. Please spread the word. Send this link to 10 people and ask them to send it to another 10. Contribute to the campaign. Any amount will make a huge difference! And don’t forget to check out the perks!

All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!