The Language We Use

and the coffee we drink

*don’t feel you have to be a researcher to receive benefit from this newsletter, adapt to your own needs as necessary

Holding the thread…

I am in a state of continuous development, not ‘improvement’ but developing to be the best version of me that I can be. I was asked -

“Who are you building yourself to become?”

And one of the reminders was - your future self is a person, not a goal.

I’m pondering this.

A Pattern I’m Noticing

Recently, I’ve been noticing how, because I have thesis writing to do, I am hermiting a bit (ahem, a lot) because I need some peace and quiet. Because I feel I have to sit in silence to think.

But.

This week I have realised that taking time to be in the real-world, to connect with people, attend webinars or events, even watch a film, has definitely benefitted me. My mind was not only refreshed, but I had new ideas, thoughts swirled and connected in new formations.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is - it’s OK to go and explore different things, because acquiring diverse knowledge can lead to all sorts of revelations.

A Short Interlude

I watched the film Arrival (again). It’s an amazing film and it reinforced something I have been thinking about for a while … “how would you tell a story to someone who doesn’t know your language?” Where do you start?

And, as the film shows, your thinking is affected by the language you speak.

If you’re interested, I also suggest that you go watch Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Darmok” which is season 5, episode 2. Watch the Captain attempt to understand a completely different way an alien culture expresses itself.

A Mapping Prompt

How would you begin to communicate with someone from an alien culture?

This fortnight’s prompt:

Look at your cup of coffee, hold it in your hand, pretend to show it to an alien - say the word ‘cup’ as if you were telling them what it is.

• Would they understand what you meant?

• Or could they think you were describing the colour, the contents, the temperature?

• How would you convey your actual meaning?

Something I’m Sitting With

I’m reading the recently published book “The Field Guide to Design Futures” Reading the ‘Foreword to the Not-yet 5th edition’ I had the thought - is a story an artefact? I am exploring this as I continue reading the book.

An Invitation

If this connects with where you are, I’m currently holding space for connections and conversations - no pressure, no ‘sales’, simply getting to know each other over a coffee (and perhaps cake).

Remember…

The story doesn’t need finishing today; take a moment to notice the thread you’re holding, and let this be a small pause amidst the swirl.

With care, and coffee

Sharon

PS: This letter sits alongside Mapping Your Story, my framework for turning research into stories that connect, and Unpicking the Pattern, a reflective guide for working gently with resistance and self-doubt. They’re part of the wider work I hold through Fuelled by Coffee.