When I was writing People and Permaculture I had a mindmap, which had ‘any topic’ in the middle and all the tools of permaculture thinking branching off. When starting to write about a subject I would write it in the middle and see what connected with the permaculture thinking. I have now added other tools Read More
I don’t usually get too involved in politics, although having said that everything we do could be interpreted as a political act, from the language we use to what we buy. Even growing our own food can be seen as a deeply political act. I feel drawn to write this as I want to use Read More
Introduction This design began formally in January 2016. I have had RSI –Repetitive Strain Injury in my right arm on and off since 2011. Inspired by a design by one of my diploma apprentices, Nam Taylor, I decided to give it some permaculture design input. It felt like it was time to really address one Read More
The last month has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for us. A 57 acre site nearby went on the market, due for auction at the end of April. It was a beautiful site, with woods, pasture and stunning views. We resonated strongly with the land and really thought we had found an amazing Read More
This is probably the principle that I struggle with most, and therefore probably the one that has most learning for me. I’m the type of person that if decluttering a room would empty every drawer at once and then find a challenge to finish the job. I can see the sense in doing things in Read More
Around this time of year, and through the winter, there are generally many colds and bugs doing the rounds. Over the last few months I have had chronic RSI (repetitive strain injury) in my right arm. I have been managing symptoms, and dealing with causes, and it is improving – but slowly. The other day Read More
So I missed Thursday for my weekly blog post. What happened? I’m not sure to be honest, maybe I was creatively using and responding to changed too much. It’s so easy when lacking inspiration to find excuses, to think “the energy isn’t there right now – I’ll come back another time.” And this morning the Read More
While thinking about the principle of obtain a yield I stumbled across one of the challenges of people based designs. They are sometimes known as ‘invisible’ designs, because the problem and solution and not necessarily visible or tangible. When we start designing something like our emotional health or our relationships we can’t necessarily forecast the Read More
When I first made the commitment to write people and permaculture, I looked for a principle that would assist me in keeping this commitment. I realised that while I was having lots of ideas and interesting conversations about people care, I was not progressing with the book because I was not capturing this energy. The Read More
After the excesses of Christmas I had been cutting right back on my sugar intake. This has involved me self-regulating, and being aware of my eating patterns and associations. I’ve noticed that my craving for sugar is much greater when I’m tired, and so instead of just reaching for a sugary snack I have been Read More