I'm opening a corner shop
The Creative Buddhist Sunday Supplement
Hello you,
Thanks to all of you that wrote, or sent pics, of your uniforms. There are a lot of blue overalls out there that I’m now envious of! I’ve been wearing my ‘thinking uniform’ and I have to say I’ve had more than the usual number of productive thoughts (it’s a kind of Mr Benn magic). As I go between my studio and the kitchen, making dinner or perhaps bread, I’ve put on my brown leather apron. It reminds me of an old-fashioned shopkeeper’s apron, and being a shopkeeper is a little fantasy of mine.
I recently replied to someone who’s newsletter I receive and who was thinking of moving from Squarespace to Substack. Here’s part of what I said:
I’m wishing I’d kept my email-list on my own website, for something more individual and intimate. Yes, I might not have so many subscribers, but I possibly would have as many customers, people who want to buy from me. I guess it’s like the difference between taking your wares and selling them in the corner of a big department store. You get to benefit from all the passing trade. Or opening your own little shop, where you know your customers’ names. I’m a corner shop person.
The thinking uniform has helped me decide to move back to my own little corner shop, Red Ladder Studio, where you are welcome to pop in anytime.
Enough of the metaphors, Vajradarshini. What are you actually talking about?!
Okay, nuts and bolts. I’m moving away from Substack. It’s too frenetic for me. I want to base myself somewhere calm and away from the crowds, my own website, Red Ladder Studio. From the beginning of March, I’ll be sending out this newsletter from there. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything at all. You’ll still be on my list. If you are a paid subscriber, there’ll be options for you too. I’ll say more about that in a dedicated email.
Meanwhile, now is the perfect time to ask what you would like to find in the little wabi-sabi dharma corner-shop?
Red Ladder Studio Happenings:
Shall we work together? At the end of November, I asked, Shall we work together? I’ve just been re-reading your comments. This idea continued to percolate over the winter and is now coming to fruition. I’m planning to launch ‘The Wabi-sabi Workplace’ at the beginning of March. It’s a membership which includes co-working sessions on Zoom and weekly workshops on running an ethical and profitable business as an integral part of your dharma practice. Follow link to read more.
How to make notes you’ll use forever. Learning how to take ‘smart notes’ feels like an absolute game changer. If you work in the knowledge sector, teach, or engage in any kind of serious study, I think you should check it out. I’ve run one workshop and there are two places left on the next. But I’ve also put a link with all the resources on my website so you can explore it yourself.
Save the date - The Two Truths, Online Day Retreat: ‘That which conceals the truth, reveals the truth’. Someone once asked the Dalai Lama, ‘when someone is new to Buddhism, where should you start?’ What would you say to that question? The four noble truths, perhaps? Or ethics? The Dalai Lama’s answer was that for many in the West, the best place to start is with the Two Truths, conventional truth and ultimate truth. 23rd March
On my radar this week
Photography - Miksang Workshops: I had two invites to Miksang photography courses in the space of one week, and I can’t make either of them, but maybe you can? Miksang is meditation in action, using the camera to tune in to pure perception. The first invite was from my friend Hiltrud who’s leading a 9 day workshop in Greece (I’m first in the queue for 2025!) The second was from a friend asking me to join her on an online course in April and May. If you go on either, I’d love to know how you get on.
Music - Hudson River Meditations: I’m writing this while listening to Lou Reed’s ‘Hudson River Wind Meditations‘. I rarely listen to anything when I am thinking or writing, but this is so spacious. It is like listening to the wind.
Book - Lou Reed, The King of New York: I’ve finally ordered this biography of Lou Reed, The King of New York from the library after starting it on my kindle. The reviews are great but most warn that he doesn’t come across as at all likeable. That’s why I’ve been putting off reading it. I don’t want my illusions shattered!
Films: We were gifted tickets to the Gothenburg film festival online. Two films stood out:
First, Freemont, the Guardian review bills it as ‘fortune cookie writer looking for love in deadpan migrant drama’. You get the idea. The main character is a former translator from Afghanistan who’s had to leave her whole family behind and is adjusting to life in the US. It’s like an upbeat Kaurismäki film.
Then the Icelandic film, Solitude. This one was painful to watch, beautiful too. Without giving too much away, I thought it dealt well with a difficult subject. We misunderstand one another all the time, but here you get to feel how unbearably hard it is to be misunderstood.
Book - Andrew Oldendzki’s Unlimiting Mind: Old but gold. I’ve been dipping back into this and making a few notes on my favourite essays. Top of the list is, ‘Unreal Imagination Exists‘. Then there’s ‘No Essence‘, ‘Appearance and Reality‘, and ‘Disgusted with the Dharma‘.
Newsletter - Kathrine May, How I start a new book: A few weeks back Katherine May published a newsletter in which she shared How I start a New Book. I found it so encouraging and somehow generous. It’s a very down to earth list of all the things she does in the process of writing a book, and she’s written a few. Maybe it’s time for you to start on yours?
Software - Obsidian: Finally, in nerd corner, I’m loving using Obsidian. It’s essentially a note taking app, but it’s what they call ‘markdown text’, which means your notes are ‘future proofed’ and not dependent on the software you are using. The software is open source, which means it’s free to use and made through a process of collaboration. Come along to one of the note-taking workshops to learn more.
A quote I’ve been thinking about while sorting out my wardrobe:
"Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing. To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it. To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art... Boxing can be art. Loving can be art.
Opening a can of sardines can be an art... Not many have style. Not many can keep style... Style is the difference, a way of doing, of being done."
Charles Bukowski
If you enjoy your Sunday Supplement do forward it to your pals, and if someone forwarded it to you then do sign up!
Sending some love your way,
Vajradarshini
This month’s top tip:
Surrender to your notebook being gloriously messy!
Take a browse through Janice Lowry’s journals at the Smithsonian Archive, where you can zoom in to the high quality images.
I’m not sure what the connection is but it reminds me … I’ve recently enjoyed reading a couple of Japanese novels - Before the Coffee gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop - where magical things happen and connections between people really deepen in a cafe and a bookshop. Maybe I imagine your shop would be like that too.
I always particularly appreciate the things that are ‘on your radar’. I enjoy the little nuggets where you find the Dharma and share them with us. It reminds me of a sort of environmental scan (but useful!) of what’s going on in our field of interest - practicing awareness, awakening in the context of Wabi Sabi. I value that you find ways to practice or celebrate the Dharma in all sorts of places that are current and relevant. It’s like finding a beautiful trinket in a wee independent shop, and it keeps drawing me in to see what’s new in stock!