Almanac #4

It’s Almanac time again! This month there’s news of two forthcoming books, ideas for films, another card deck and a research-sharing initiative with the University of Liverpool. As I settle into a pattern of sharing ideas around projects that I am working on, people that I have come across (in the real world, online or through reading) and places that I have travelled through – here is the fourth edition of the almanac. I really hope that there is something useful in here for you. Please do see this as an opportunity to react, comment or drop me a message if there is something that you would like to explore further.

Projects

Here are some of the projects that are capturing my attention at the moment:

• alice reimagined – this collection of poetry (some of which appeared in the book “The Inner Fire“) is now nearly completed. It’s a collection of poems grouped into 13 sections, each drawing out elements of the inner anima. There is also a central section that brings fictional and historic characters called Alice into the mix. The completed book also includes a collection of black and white photos that I took which complement the poetry. Hopefully this book will materialise before the end of 2023.
• The Labyrinth of Labels – the book about identity and labels is now in outline form and I am researching a collection of literature that I have drawn together before I begin to write.
• Film-making – during lockdown I made a short series of films (ok, I think there were three!) to share with the team that I led at the time. It was called “Stuart’s Been Thinking Again…” (SBTA) and was fun to make. I’ve started to explore the idea of three film series – this may take some time to come to fruition. One of these will be a second series of SBTA, there will a series looking at the Essence of each of my books, and then possible a series called “Curiosity Keeps Me Alive”. Watch this space for more news on this.
• Card decks – as you will be aware from this post, I produced a deck of cards called “Bridges to the New” in early 2022 as a part of the Gratitude Project, a gift for the team and close associates when I stepped back from my job at the end of March 2022. It was really well received and I was asked to make it available for purchase. I’m considering adding some more cards to the original deck and perhaps a booklet with more ideas for their use. Is this worth doing – let me know? And that led me to thinking that it might be a useful idea to produce a deck of cards which can be used with the book “The Inner Fire” to draw out practical tools from the book and others that are related to the book, but weren’t included. Does this sound like something that would be useful?
• Provocations – I am continuing in my Chief Explorer role to work with NHS R&D North West and the University of Liverpool on this Seminar Series which I helped to create and developed the methodology for. We are currently designing the second series which will hopefully launch later in the year. Follow the links above to find out more.

People

People who have had an impact on me in recent weeks:

• Seth – no, not Seth Godin, although his work is a constant source of inspiration. This time it’s Seth the cartoonist, otherwise known as Gregory Gallant. I’ve talked about his work before. I am really excited that I got hold of his new book called Palookaville #24 and it includes a DVD with a short film featuring the writer and puppets he has made. Seth creates his own unique world and his own style too. I love his work – perhaps you will too.
• Kit Derrick – now, I know Kit Derrick by his real name out in the world of work. His writings under this pseudonym are worthy of exploring. I’ve just recently read “Has the Lady Been Yet?” which is a startlingly honest account of the author’s mother and the family’s experience of her dementia. It’s beautifully written and its experimental format matches the subject really well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would recommend it highly.
• Steve Chapman – Steve has worked with the NHS team that I led several times. I love the projects he creates for their surreal eccentricity. I also really like the way that he is prepared to dive into the experimental without a clear sense of the end point. It leads to really interesting projects. He recently published a book which captures a project he called “What the February?!” which I recommend.
• The Conspiracy – this community established by Michael Bungay Stanier back in April 2021 has been an amazing place to hang out, get support whilst working on a Worthy Goal, and generate deep learning. It’s run by the amazing Ainsley Brittain with Michael very much present in the community. I have met many people from around the world and developed some really great friendships as a result. They open the doors every so often to new members if you are interested (next open April 2024, but hey, that’s not too far away).

Places

We are about to embark on a month long journey through France. Last year we covered Northern France, so this year we are heading south! Look out for more on this as the month progresses. I will be micro-blogging at Instagram, and am figuring out how to capture the best of both last year’s month and this year’s month in a format that will be useful. Maybe short film clips, maybe some blog posts, booklets or who knows what. Ideas welcome.

Last week we spent a few days in Ulverston, Cumbria visiting friends. This was a great opportunity to re-connect with my understanding of the dharma and we also dodged the rain to do some great walks.

The August Challenge for “The Inner Fire” involved dropping books into Free Little Book Libraries – some of these are in boxes on posts, on walls, and some are in old telephone boxes. It has been great fun dropping them into the spaces to see what happens. The book is a vivid red and really stands out in each space. Gradually they are disappearing as they get taken by visitors. Some of the books have been dropped by our friend Kate into boxes that I’ve not seen. So the books are visiting places beyond our reach too! Recently a friend, Fiona, posted on LinkedIn as a copy of the book appeared in Chile. It’s exciting to see how far the book and its ideas are travelling!