oslo sognsvann lake

Embrace the last season of the year with my Winter Gems, tailored for quiet and thoughtful any professionals seeking quiet, depth, beauty and inspiration.

Suggested finest albums to listen to while reading this article:

Banshee by Kendra Morris

Rêverie by Les Imprimés.

Stepping Back 

2024 was quiet hectic for my teaching and hosting activities. Fortunately I reflected on my professional and personal experiences one post at a time when time permits:

In Defrag I reflect on the value of defragmenting and unifying our artefacts, our writings and ourselves in a fragmented world.

In Futures Thinking [oldie] I spotted other perspectives and principles of foresight to develop the fundamentals of this discipline.

In Knowledge and Machines Docks I share deep thoughts, curations, observations, experiences and two cents on how we are in the docks of knowledge and machines.

In Spring gems, Summer gems, August gems, Fall gems, I share my observations, musings and curations. One season at a time.

Before the smooth transition between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 I revisit the crumbles of likes, notes, content amplification, stuff I let go of on the media tools I use and in my archives. Best wishes for the upcoming new year.

Seeking Quiet

I read Susan Cain’s Substack/LinkedIn posts.

I discovered her work through her book Quiet.

About a month ago I ordered the Quiet Life Journal for later reflection.

“Hello, everyone,

I’m very excited to announce that I’ve created a Quiet Life Journal, for all of you seekers of quiet, depth, and beauty.

In this year-long journal, you’ll find 52 “prompts” — one for each week of the year — to help you add more poetry, ideas, and inspiration to your Quiet Life. (You can start at any time – it doesn’t have to be on Jan 1.)” — Susan Cain

It reminds me of Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights Journal, which I bought a while ago. I also need to go back to it to reflect on my recent professional and life experiences.

I can’t wait to get my Quiet Journal from the post office.

“Of all the ways you could be spending your precious time and attention, it is very unlikely that you are currently spending it in the optimal way. The only path I know for figuring out a better way to spend your life is to sit and think. 

You simply have to carve out some time to think carefully about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what you’re really trying to achieve. Nobody stumbles into a well lived life. It has to be cultivated. Reflection and review are critical.” — James Clear

Perusing Books

In my spare time, here are the two books I have read in the last twelve months.

Tous Pédagogues ! 

A l’aube de nouveaux horizons

Mesmerizing Exhibits

During the Winter festive season I enjoyed two exhibitions very much:

The Flowers of Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent shared this admiration for nature with many artists and writers, in particular with one of his favorite authors, Marcel Proust, as he revealed in the magazine L’Egoïste in 1987*. A Proustian universe appears in the designer’s interiors as well as during his runway shows. The writer would describe women as flowers, whereas the couturier would pay homage to them by covering them with blossoms.

Over thirty garments and drawings seen in the exhibition highlight this symbiosis between nature, literature and the work of Yves Saint Laurent.”

Gold Ming

“The choice of motif was also of decisive importance. In addition to being insignia, they were believed to bring wealth, happiness, health and longevity to the wearer. Flowers and birds were traditionally associated with the seasons and brought good fortune. The prunus evoked the beauty of winter, the peony abundance and spring, the lotus purity and summer, and the chrysanthemum integrity and autumn.”

Acknowledging People

I am grateful for…

My apprentices, past and present, for their kind words and feedback on how I teach, host and support them collectively and individually.

“All learning is interdependent.

I personally feel that all learning is interdependent and it is the reality of the world we live in. Since knowledge is limitless, we cannot depend on one thing or one person to get access to knowledge. We create knowledge within and outside, individually and collectively. Interdependence enables this co-creation. I constantly depend on myself, others and the environment (conditions) for my learning. Since learning involves developing new meanings or new relations with knowledge, process or people, it cannot be an independent activity. Interdependence is key for me and it is not just about people. Yes, interdependence is about engaging with each other, but it is also about engaging with the self through reflection and by interacting with the environment and the conditions of learning.

Interdependence is about equality.

I believe that each learner is a teacher. As we mature as learners and as teachers, we become more open to this idea of give and take and are willing to be more interdependent. Also, content complexity and interdependence are directly proportional. To learn complex content, I crave and need engagement with others. I believe others have something that I can learn from. Interdependence brings everyone to the same table.

Self-directed learning is more about autonomy and less about independence.” — Taruna Goël

Resonating louder as I keep learning and teaching over the years.

I am grateful for…

Clients.

“How can we inspire ourselves and others to keep edging towards personal evolution, collective progress, and the salvation of souls?” — Meredith Lewis

I am grateful for…

Partner: Supro. For the terrific and so responsive continuous support over the years. Uplifting and classy.

I am grateful for…

Fellow teachers and workshop hosts who I get to know and work with one lunch, coffee, meeting and community quarterly gathering at a time.

“You are not alone.

The world is falling apart in so many ways.

But this is making more people realize that networks of care are possible, local, and essential now.

Find them. Help them learn, and learn with them.” — @[email protected]

I am grateful for…

Learning partners and pen pals with whom I interact, reflect and continue to learn on social media: LinkedIn, Mastodon, Substack.

“Networking takes time, energy and resources even if, like me, you barely interact with those you choose to asynchronously connect with. You still need to sift the wheat from the chaff to get to the connections that work for you. The moment you do, however, you will have unlocked one more of your hidden superpowers.” — David Amerland

Riding Life & Flows

“Life has so many destinations.
They are not ends.
The journey continues.
We have yet to learn to love the journey.” — @ShaunCoffee

a comic strip of a man riding a bicycle grant snider

Source: Grant Snider https://substack.com/@incidentalcomics/note/c-77300051?

Weaving

Did you enjoy this post? Check out the Tapestry Book.

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