Why beauty?
If you have a copy of my book, Weather Report: A 90-day journal for reflection and well-being, with the aid of the Beaufort Wind Scale, you will notice that as part of the daily practice you are invited to write or draw, 'one thing you found beautiful today'.
You can read the origin story of Weather Report in my post ‘Grief and Grace’, at this link.
This newsletter is where I want to go deeper into the subject of beauty and, together with you who join me here, to deepen my own understanding of why it is important. I know that I learn as I write, and I hope you can benefit from my explorations in this space too.
Buy (and use), Weather Report, it’s a day to a page and the reflections on the outer and inner weather are scaffolded by the Beaufort Wind Scale. As you complete the daily entries you will find you have written a ‘book of evidence’ that reveals, amidst everything, there is an abundance of beauty and good things in your world. It’s a simple but rewarding and transformative practice. The book itself is also a thing of beauty, with my thanks to the creative sensibilities of Corwin Levi of Gwarlingo Studio.
A brief user’s guide to Weather Report
Other things about me
I am an affiliate of Amherst Writers and Artists and was fortunate to train and write with AWA’s founder, the late and beloved Pat Schneider, who I consider one of my life’s mentors.
Any writing-related events I host or facilitate are under the umbrella title of ‘Writing Changes Lives’, because I believe it does.
I have a tendency to start things that I lack access to myself and then find that others need them too! Some examples: the open mic Poetry Plus, a monthly in-person event in my hometown, Carrick-on-Suir, that I’ve been running for many years; The Story House Ireland, (2014 - 2018), with Nollaig Brennan, a residential writing centre modelled on the Arvon Foundation in the UK, with the encouragement of Arvon’s wonderful and modest founder, the late John Moat, who I had the privilege of doing an Arvon course with in Totleigh Barton in Devon. He is one I view as another of my life’s mentors. Although TSH had a brief existence (short version, lack of funding support) I believe that the ripples of the experience continue to travel outward for those who were part of it. Read more about it here.
I practice and teach the physical programme, The Happy Body, which is based on Olympic weightlifting and is a comprehensive way of building strength, flexibility and speed. It’s a daily practice that is a rebalancing of mind and body. Because the truth is that if we don’t look after our bodies we have nowhere left to live! I am currently being coached by THB’s founder and developer Jerzy Gregorek to gain the capacity to do the Olympic Snatch. The secret is in the power of micro-progression and embracing everything as a patient practice. Believe me, it is never too late! Jerzy is another of my life’s mentors.
I am currently working on a novel, which is based on a true family story and also features the work of Louis Pasteur and the rabies vaccine. I am aware of the irony that fermentation was also a large part of Pasteur’s contribution to scientific knowledge, as I make and use kombucha, sauerkraut and milk kefir in my kitchen.
I have worked in the area of adult literacy in the past and have also been a member of the faculty at Waterford Institute of Technology (now SETU), where I latterly taught English Literature and Creative Writing.
I volunteer a couple of times a year with Sail Training Ireland as a mentor on sailing trips. This came about directly through my book Weather Report, which uses the Beaufort Wind Scale as a tool for reflection. Imagine the thrill of calculating the wind on board a tall ship, using the Beaufort Wind Scale, and entering it in the log! Sometimes I have to pinch myself.
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Welcome to ‘Weather Report: On Beauty’
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
