Some urgent notemaking questions find answers: https://writingslowly.com/2026/03/09/some-urgent-notemaking-questions-find.html

The Digital Humanities Now website has come out of hibernation and kicked back into gear. OK, so it took me a whole year to notice this, but better late than never to spot a very interesting resource. #DigitalHumanities #AcademicWriting #AcademicResources #ResearchTools

Big Zettelkasten: a shady cabal of note-making scholars, most of whom are only pretending to be deceased. They undermine civilisation, one carefully-considered note at a time. #LowQualityFacts

AI isn’t making us obsolete: we already were, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Promethean shame in an age of technological change. #Philosophy #PrometheanShame #AI #FutureOfWork #ethics #GüntherAnders

Fear of AI is nothing new: Promethean shame in a time of technological change: https://writingslowly.com/2026/03/02/fear-of-ai-is-nothing.html

Guy Kawasaki says ‘move fast and break things’ is a myth. True! But since he can’t quite escape its toxic allure, I’ll say it for him, loudly and proudly: Move slow and fix things. [guykawasaki.substack.com] Shu Ha Ri: The Japanese Way of Learning, for Artists and Fighters is available now.

What's the true path of excellence?: https://writingslowly.com/2026/02/21/whats-the-true-path-of.html

Beginners and intermediate learners fear ‘making mistakes’; experts seldom do. Not because experts don’t make mistakes: they do. It’s just that experts know what to do next. Here’s Herbie Hancock telling what he learned from his mentor Miles Davis: Every mistake is an opportunity [openculture.com].

💬 I want to be just like him. Imitation is one of the most powerful and underrated stages of learning. Billy Strings' story of learning guitar by watching his dad is the clearest example I’ve ever seen. writingslowly.com/2026/02/2… #Learning #Education #Music #ShuHaRi

"I want to be just like him": https://writingslowly.com/2026/02/20/i-want-to-be-just.html

Im Jüdischen Museum in Wien kann man momentan Niklas Luhmanns Zettelkasten ansehen. Er ist Teil einer Ausstellung übers Vergessen: www.jmw.at/ausstellung/...

💬 “If it takes three years, find the right teacher.” One way to find the right teacher is to start doing the work. Begin your learning journey visibly, and mentors may find you - writingslowly.com/2026/02/0… How did you find your mentor?#Learningn#Mentorshipi#Writingn#Creativityt#shuhariri

"💬 “If it takes three years, find the right teacher.”" Sometimes the best way to find the right teacher is to start doing the work. Begin your learning journey visibly, and mentors may find you - like the barn builder who attracte... https://writingslowly.com/2026/02/09/if-it-takes-three-years.html

Discovery, aesthetics, and the art of self-publishing: my latest post explores Leonard Koren’s influence on my new book, Shu Ha Ri. writingslowly.com/2026/02/0… #WabiSabi #ShuHaRi #Japan #Aesthetics #WritingCommunity

Dick Fosbury looked odd jumping backwards at the '68 Olympics. But he was willing to be a beginner again, and the 'Fosbury Flop' changed high jumping forever. True experts are willing to start over writingslowly.com/2026/01/18/t... #LifelongLearning #learning #BeginnersMind #GrowthMindset #ShuHaRi

My tennis serve was rough after a long time off. But drilling the basics reminded me mastery is a loop. To move forward you have to be ready to go back to the start. writingslowly.com/2026/01/18/t... #shuhari #Shoshin #ZenMind #Philosophy #Mindfulness #Wisdom

Really helpful thoughts on creating a Zettelkasten

💬 "When they email or text me about a post it feels like applause from a dark corner of a large, empty theater where I rehearse." https://daniel.industries/2025/11/22/why-write-online/ /cc @writingslowlydealingwith https://indieweb.social/users/dealingwith/statuses/115596160677512931

Daniel kindly replied to my meandering questions about writing online, which circled the theme of ‘what’s the point?’ His blog is a commonplace book, written first for himself. He says blogs got hit hard by social media. I cal... https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/24/daniel-kindly-replied-to-my.html

"💬 “You cannot transcend a craft you have not yet learned.”" hachyderm.io/@macf00ba… #shuhari #LifelongLearning

🎬 Paper Films! In the 1930s, Japanese films were made on fragile paper rolls. Nearly lost forever, researchers have digitized and preserved this unique history! Learn more: Japanese Paper Films. #PaperFilm #FilmHistory #JapaneseFilm #LostMedia #JapaneseFilmFestival #JapaneseHistory

Japanese paper films: https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/23/japanese-paper-films.html

“Each person possesses a mind with powers that are… always unique. — César Aira. In an age of ‘thinking’ machines, what is the feat that only you could have carried out? #WritingCommunity #UniqueVoice #AIandWriting #Blogging

"💬 “The way we organise our online lives bleeds into the way we organise the rest of our social interactions. If it’s just assumed without question that the online space is a fiefdom, then democracy everywhere is undermined.”" Why... https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/20/the-way-we-organise-our.html

"💬 “When I was a kid I used to practice my music in public by busking. And I always busked where the crowds were, not down an empty back alley where no one was listening. My parents disapproved, until I told them how much I was earning. I... https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/19/when-i-was-a-kid.html

What is the feat that only you could have carried out?: https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/18/what-is-the-feat-that.html

Remembering Tea Master Sen Genshitsu (1923-2025), who spread peace through sipping. His philosophy is quoted on page 53 of my book, Shu Ha Ri: The Japanese Way of Learning: writingslowly.com/shuhari-b… #SenGenshitsu #Chado #Peace #ShuHaRi #UNESCO

Why niche blogs and Small Rooms still win - even in the age of technofeudalism: https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/16/why-niche-blogs-and-small.html

Hey @manton now that micro.blog is getting very serious about video, perhaps there should be a video emoji on the discovery list. I’d love to be able to find more easily the videos micro.blog users will be making!

There's a fundamental flaw in how we learn about expertise: https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/07/theres-a-fundamental-flaw-in.html

📷 From the top of the castle the town seemed to have been poured into its valley, where it flowed gently. My book, Shu Ha Ri: The Japanese Way of Learning, for Artists and Fighters, is out now. Please check it out. #Matsumoto #Photography #JapanCulture #ShuHaRi #Learning #Nonfiction #JapanTravel

"💬 “How convincing does the illusion of understanding have to be before you stop calling it an illusion?”" That’s the question James Somers asks in The New Yorker. My answer: Fail to see the illusion and you’ll fail to ... https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/05/how-convincing-does-the-illusion.html

To truly learn a language, you don’t need computers, you need human interaction. Time to get serious! Where to Go to Get Serious About Learning a Language | WIRED —I’m the author of Shu Ha Ri: The Japanese Way of Learning, for Artists and Fighters. #LanguageLearning #ShuHaRi #WIRED #Polyglot

A clear and accessible introduction to Japanese philosophy, in a podcast with Takeshi Morisato. Philosophy Bites episode 388 I’m the author of Shu Ha Ri: The Japanese Way of Learning, for Artists and Fighters, available now. #JapanesePhilosophy #Podcast #ShuHaRi#Japan#Japan #Learning #TakeshiMorisato

AI is not helping the learning process "“When teachers rely on commonly used artificial intelligence chatbots to devise lesson plans, it does not result in more engaging, immersive or effective learning experiences compared with exi... https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/03/ai-is-not-helping-the.html

What’s your most valuable note? @[email protected] asked: "“Any examples where a tiny note became unexpectedly valuable?”" Here’s my reply. "In 2018 I wrote a note describing how I’d like to visit Japan and learn mo... https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/03/whats-your-most-valuable-note.html

To truly understand, you must take things apart and build them back up. My cousin did it with cars, I do it with ideas in my #Zettelkasten and I did it with the concept of #ShuHaRi in my book. Create your own mental models: i... https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/02/to-truly-understand-you-must.html

Create your own mental models: https://writingslowly.com/2025/11/02/create-your-own-mental-models.html

"Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." — Terry Pratchett Nick https://thisness.one/2025/10/30/coming-back-to-where-you.html

📷 Outside Matsumoto Castle it was raining gently. My book, Shu Ha Ri: The Japanese Way of Learning, for Artists and Fighters, is out now. Please check it out. #MatsumotoCastle #Photography #JapanCulture #ShuHaRi #Learning #MartialArts #Nonfiction #JapanTravel

🎵 You’ve got to have a dream. #RetroTech #VinylVibes

Provocative words about learning, teaching, AI, and the timely value of history: https://writingslowly.com/2025/10/11/provocative-words-about-learning-teaching.html

Publishing means no more hiding: https://writingslowly.com/2025/10/09/publishing-means-no-more-hiding.html

I fell down a rabbit hole writing about Hypercuriosity! 🤯 Inspired by Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s work. Read how being curious about everything defines my process: https://writingslowly.com/2025/09/30/curious-about-hypercuriosity.html #Hypercuriosity #Curiosity #ADHD #Writingslowly

Having written about the need to create your own writing environment, I found this post showing the writing spaces of 12 Booker Prize nominees quite illuminating. Each one seems like a small but mighty theatre stage (HT: kottke.org). #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WritersLife #WritingTips

COVER REVEAL AND PREORDER: The Public Scholar - A Practical Handbook. "Perry focuses on the practical details of how to approach public scholarship. How do you pitch a piece to an editor? When should you follow or ignore the rules of the genre? And what happens once your piece is out in the world?"

Curious about Hypercuriosity: https://writingslowly.com/2025/09/30/curious-about-hypercuriosity.html

Author Craig Mod seems to be following me. I saw his picture in Kyoto Station. Now he’s doing a 200km walk in the Kiso valley, where I walked just a few days ago. Follow his latest pop-up newsletter Between Two Mountains for a unique view of Japan. #KisoValley #Japan #Walking #Travel #SlowTravel

Western learning aims for ‘completion,’ ‘graduation’ - an end-point. But Shu Ha Ri is cyclical. True mastery means returning to the basics (Shu) with new depth. It’s a lifelong process of refining and understanding anew. Never stop being a beginner. #LifelongLearning #ShuHaRi #SkillAcquisition

📚Tsundoku emergency temporarily averted.