#refigurations

It’s been a while since I’ve found the time and peace of mind to post here. Not that there hasn’t been a lot of refiguring going on, it’s just been too busy a time to write in this space. In the meantime I’ve moved another couple of times, explored different lines of flight, finished my thesis, hit the road, been to various conferences, had my viva and experienced a major life change. It’s all settling on me and I’m enjoying having more time without any constraints on my thoughts and imagination. When I was hiking in Wales and Ireland after I handed in my thesis it struck me how strong a pull on my attention the PhD had been.

While my world has been shifting, both new presences and absences have appeared on the horizon. Most immediately the absence of an income and a clear path to new work have come into view. A big thing for me has been to become good at receiving without feeling an immediate urge to reciprocate in kind, simply knowing that the gift is much more than just a material circumstance. Being thankful and returning helpful gestures with grace. The gifts I have received help me through the year and, I hope, into a new path in life. I’ve been ruminating and articulating what I do well and what I would like to do more. Some of these thoughts have gone into the reworking of this site: I’ve updated the What I do page to reflect different aspects of what I’ve been doing over the last years and put into words how someone who might be needing my skills can Work with me. Please have a look and share where you see fit. And do let me know what you think of the extended site.

I’m also beginning to turn some of my work and ideas into frameworks for new conversations and projects. All that needs a little bit more time to mature but I hope to share some of that here in due time. For now, take a look at how I’m thinking about journeying and, if you feel inclined, step closer into the circles of dialogue.

Another thing I’d like to share which is appropriate to refiguring is the time mandala, which is a sort of calendar that keeps time in a spiral rather than in a linear format. It is a practice which grew out of years of doodling and I gradually realised that this way of looking at time brings completely new perspectives and connections and into view.

The first refiguration blog post is up:

Welcome to Refigurations. This blog began when I first discovered the power of metaphors in making sense of where my life was going and became interested in the way certain metaphors allowed me to change perspective and shape-shift so that my whole lifeworld seemed to change. ‘Refiguring’ is my personal attempt to understand how this process works by writing it out and thinking aloud. In these posts I share some of the metaphors, aphorisms and speculations that are helping me making sense of living in an age characterised by crisis in meaning.

Some time ago it occurred to me that every relationship, interaction and thought I have fit into their own circles with their own unique evolutions from beginning to end. At any point in time I’m engaged in many circles at the same time, sometimes so many that I lose sight of where I am. This can be problematic because if I forget that this circle has its own life and dynamic, and that circle is completely different, I can easily mix up or misapply insights across these circles. On the other hand, sometimes the overlap and connections between different circles provide a strong positive feedback in both directions and create those serendipitous moments where things ‘seem to come together’ as if by magic.