Between January 1998 (when I just got back from New Year’s Eve in Spain) and August 1998, aged 25, I spent a lot of time in the bath. Long hot baths, often reading books by Hemingway. I can clearly see myself (you probably don’t want to) on a grey February morning up to my earsContinue reading “Long Hot Baths”
Author Archives: Ben
A Kind of Paradise
We resisted buying an iPad until about a month ago – I needed to see how our website Notes in Spanish looked on one after a big redesign. And we have listeners who download our Spanish products onto iPads, and it was a bit embarrassing to admit that as a podcasting multimedia company we couldn’tContinue reading “A Kind of Paradise”
The Snow and the Fish
My sister said, I’ll send you an exercise to write something short, just three minutes, about nature. But she never did. So I wrote something short about nature for three minutes anyway, and I’m glad I did. Writing is great, short it good. Here it is: – “This snow, amazing how peaceful it makes us.”Continue reading “The Snow and the Fish”
What I Read in 2020
This post is for bibliophiles and book-list lovers. One of my desires for 2020 was to read more, and to my delight I certainly did. I read around 45 books (25 fiction, the rest non-fiction), and abandoned about 5 – I think it’s very important to abandon books you can’t get into. I’m sure IContinue reading “What I Read in 2020”
Did I draw more?
In January I proposed a series of changes for myself this year, which I would like to revisit this week, to see if any progress has been made. The first was to draw more. Well, I think I succeeded. I didn’t draw a lot, but I definitely drew more. I got very into doing portraitContinue reading “Did I draw more?”
Fun in Times of Pandemic
A cool day in the Casa de Campo wild parkland west of Madrid. A huge pool from recent rains, the reflection of a dead tree. The kids throw in some sticks – ripples! Click! … Rotate 180 degrees, the tree is upright again! Take it home, have fun with photoshop. Over the top colours, overContinue reading “Fun in Times of Pandemic”
Depth of Place
There’s something special about going to a certain landscape again, and again. In all seasons, in all weathers. Finding all its paths, all its secrets. This landscape, above and below, is up in Madrid’s Sierra, a spot I return to over and over. There’s a wildness to it that connects with something deep inside me.Continue reading “Depth of Place”
A Deeper Life
As mentioned in a recent newsletter, I’ve been listening to Cal Newport’s Deep Questions podcast. When I want to make changes in my life, I find appropriate allies, and he is a good one right now. His focus is on living and working more deeply, and he’s very good at articulating the value and methodologyContinue reading “A Deeper Life”
Being Happiness Here
I have moved several hundred posts from my previous blog, Being Happiness, here to Notes from Ben, and deactivated Beinghappiness.com. Most of the writing from Being Happiness focuses on the themes that I’m developing here – depth in life, creativity, and present moment happiness. These imported posts all predate the writing I’ve done here, soContinue reading “Being Happiness Here”
10 Rules for A Quiet Life
I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and overloaded since the end of the summer. A lot of it is unavoidable – getting several appliances fixed in the house, work, the start of the kid’s school after six months – normal life is busy. I’ve really noticed how I’m feeling overwhelmed by the endless choice of media toContinue reading “10 Rules for A Quiet Life”
