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habits

The Way We Live Matters More Than The Way We Think

It’s easy to forget that philosophy was never meant to be a spectator sport. Long before it became something we studied, it was something people did. Philosophy began as a way of arranging a day, training attention, shaping character, and orienting oneself toward what mattered in life. It didn’t live in texts, but in habits: how one…

Observations

How to Carry Inner Stillness into Outer Action

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the word ‘equinamity’: what it really means, why we use it so infrequently, and how we can translate the inner stillness of equinamity into outer action. It’s an old question, of course. The contemplative traditions are full of cautions against mistaking withdrawal for wisdom, or serenity for disengagement.…

Observations

What Bookbinding Taught Me About Patience and Care

There is something about the craft of bookbinding. It re-educates the hands, and through them, the nervous system. It returns time to its proper scale. I’ve been thinking about this more since settling into my new flat, which—by a small but meaningful stroke of grace—includes a dedicated studio space. For the first time in years,…

Observations

Four Dimensions of Stillness for Creatives

Living in a city like London trains the nervous system in a particular way. Even when we love urban life—its density, its cultural richness, its chance encounters—it asks us to metabolise a constant low-level stimulation: noise, movement, decision-making, comparison. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about this more deliberately. I’ve recently moved into…

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About Me

Hi, I’m Allan. I’m a professor, coach, and meditation teacher interested in how we can live and think more creatively in a complex world. My work bridges mindful living with the craft of scholarship, bringing together literature, philosophy, and contemplative practice.

Alongside my academic writing, I share reflections here on the art of academic practice, slow living in a fast city, and the small rituals that make daily life meaningful. This blog serves as a library and archive for my wider projects across Substack, YouTube, and beyond.

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