why I set this up
I set this up because I want to think more in a general style of thinking that’s allowed to be open-ended and which is serious in the sense of highly enthusiastic but not serious in the sorts of ‘I’m a big deal’ air that I associate with the phrase ‘intellectually serious.’ In my life I find it easy to get pressed and pulled away from thinking about stuff and also find it easy for the contexts I’m in to press me into styles of thinking that are less rewarding and have actively unpleasant qualities - wondering ‘will I finish this? is it good, does it make a contribution?’ and so on.’ I also want to be with or around people - I don’t want to feel like I’m thinking in isolation - but I also don’t want feel watched. My go-to reference point has always been the feeling of a private small group conversation conducted in a public setting: two to four of us around a table in a bar or coffeeshop talking together in the presence of other people but it’s our conversation. And it’s just conversation around a table, without the ‘is it good, does it contribute’ questions. So that’s my hope for this, a means to get myself into that kind of headspace for the sake of doing and thinking things. I might make some stupid jokes now and again too.