What is the Grokkist Press?
"It is a joy to be hidden, and a disaster not to be found."
– Donald Winnicott
Publishing has never been easier, but many of us hesitate to turn our most meaningful work into disposable content for fleeting likes and endless scrolls. At Grokkist Press, we create context, not just content—a place where thoughtful works find thoughtful people.
Here, your voice isn’t competing for attention in the void of algorithmic churn. It’s shared with intention, connecting with those who will truly appreciate it. Whether your audience is ten or ten thousand, what matters is not how many people see it, but that it reaches the ones who truly care.
Here, your voice isn’t competing for attention in the void of algorithmic churn. It’s shared with intention, connecting with those who will truly appreciate it.
The Grokkist Press is a home for diverse forms of expression—articles, podcasts, videos, art, or something entirely new. It’s a space for ideas that matter, shaped by the unique red threads of their creators.
Your red thread is the pattern of meaning that runs through your life—the questions, practices, and stories you’ve cared about most and returned to time and again. Sharing your red thread is an act of connection, intertwining your voice with others in a broader weave of curiosity and care.
As the Press grows, it aims to become a dynamic and evolving part of the Grokkist ecosystem:
- Publishing pieces that spark curiosity and connection.
- Supporting rich-media formats to bring ideas to life in engaging ways.
- Producing beautiful physical artefacts—books and collections—as enduring gifts of wisdom and creativity.
This is not just a publishing platform; it’s a co-creative space where contributors can experiment, grow, and bring their work to life in relationship with others. Together, we’re building something that resonates far beyond fleeting moments.
What’s in the Press?
The Grokkist Press publishes thoughtful explorations of themes and topics that resonate deeply with the Grokkist community. It’s a space for philosophical reflections, creative experiments, multimedia explorations, and personal insights—all grounded in curiosity, care, and connection.
Whether you’re reading, contributing, or both, the Press offers a space for ideas to grow in relationship, sparking resonance and fostering meaningful connections. To see the kinds of themes we explore, visit our Themes and Topics.
Danu Poyner
What Makes a Grokkist Press Piece?
A Grokkist Press piece isn’t just about the topic—it’s about how it’s approached. What makes a piece distinctly “Grokkist” is the combination of curiosity, care, and the unique perspective of the contributor. Here are some qualities we look for:
Personal Connection
A Grokkist Press piece often reflects the contributor’s red thread—the themes, practices, and questions they care about most. The person behind the work is present in it, whether through lived experience, reflective insight, or a sense of wonder.
Relational Perspectives
Grokkist pieces don’t just share ideas; they invite connection. They consider the relationship between the contributor and their work, between the work and its audience, and between all involved and the broader web of meaning.
Integrative Thinking
A Grokkist piece often weaves together different ways of knowing—intellectual, emotional, and embodied. It values depth without detachment, bringing rigorous inquiry together with creative, personal, or even playful elements.
Accessibility and Generosity
A piece for the Grokkist Press is written with the intellectually curious and caring reader in mind. It avoids jargon and exclusivity, aiming instead to spark resonance and invite readers into the conversation.
Curiosity and Care
At its heart, every Grokkist piece embodies curiosity and care:
- Curiosity to explore deeply and ask meaningful questions.
- Care to communicate thoughtfully and share in ways that foster understanding, connection, and growth.
Who are the contributors?
Contributors to the Grokkist Press write with a grokkist lens, exploring themes that matter deeply to them and the community. Their voices speak from the spool of their red threads—the practices, questions, and stories they care about most and that have shaped them over time.
Danu Poyner
You’ll find a rich variety of contributors here—explore their voices and contributions on our Contributors page:
Members Finding Their Voice
Some contributors are members of the Grokkist Network who are experimenting with publishing as part of their personal journey. Writing can be a way to make their wisdom legible—to others and to themselves. This often ties into Grokkist courses like Unlock Your Grok or Find Your Red Thread and the broader journey from generalist to grokkist.
Seasoned Writers and Creators
Some contributors to the Grokkist Press are seasoned communicators for whom articulating ideas and sharing messages is a natural extension of how they show up in the world.
They might be members of the Grokkist Network with their own platforms, such as Substack newsletters, YouTube channels, or personal blogs. For these contributors, the Press offers a way to connect their work with a grokkist audience, extending its reach and inviting deeper connections within the network.
Other contributors may not yet be part of the Grokkist Network but publish in ways that align with the ethos of curiosity, care, and integrative thinking. Through cross-posting, we bring their perspectives into conversation with grokkists, fostering connections both within and beyond the network.
Disgruntled Academics and Intellectual Reimaginers
Academics often begin their journeys with deep curiosity and care, driven by a desire to explore meaningful questions and contribute to the world’s understanding. Yet, the instrumental nature of academic publishing—the relentless push for outputs, metrics, and citation counts—can alienate them from these original sparks.
At Grokkist Press, we’re interested in what happens when scholars reconnect with their curiosity and care. We believe it’s possible to pursue deep and rigorous intellectual inquiry in ways that integrate emotion, embodied perspectives, and relational ways of knowing—without sacrificing depth or substance.
This approach isn’t just about ideas; it’s about relationships:
- The relationship between the scholar and their work.
- The relationship between the work and its audience.
- The relationship of all involved to the larger web of meaning we inhabit together.
Too often, scholarly writing is inaccessible to those outside academic circles—whether due to technical barriers, closed systems, or language that excludes ordinary readers. Grokkist Press offers an alternative: a platform for thoughtful works that welcome intellectually curious and caring readers into the conversation. We prioritise relatability and integration, creating space for the person behind the work to be present within it.
Artists and Creators of Beauty
At Grokkist Press, we believe artistry and scholarship belong in the same conversation. Artists bring a unique kind of inquiry to the table, exploring the world through creativity, imagination, and aesthetic expression. Their works aren’t just outputs—they’re invitations to see, feel, and think differently.
For artists, the Grokkist Press offers a platform to share not only finished pieces but also the ideas, processes, and stories behind them. It’s a space where creative work can connect with an intellectually curious audience, sparking conversations that transcend traditional boundaries between art, thought, and lived experience.
Much like academics, artists can find themselves alienated from their creative spark by the pressures of commercial or institutional demands. Here, we prioritise relational connection and personal presence, valuing the human behind the art as much as the art itself.
Whether you’re a visual artist, musician, storyteller, or interdisciplinary creator, the Grokkist Press invites you to share your gifts in ways that honour both your craft and your voice.
How the Grokkist Press Connects to the Ecosystem
The Grokkist Press isn’t just a publishing platform—it’s part of a dynamic ecosystem where ideas and connections grow in relationship. For many contributors, publishing in the Press is part of their journey to unlocking their grok—a meaningful stepping stone as they explore their voice and share it with the world.
Publishing as a Stretch
Publishing in the Press is often a way for contributors to take their next step. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about discovery. Contributors are supported with editing and guidance to help shape their work into what it wants to be, and they’re met with a generous audience eager to engage and support them on that journey.
Ideas in Relationship
One of the unique strengths of the Grokkist ecosystem is how ideas come to life through relationship:
- From Article to Cafe: After publishing, contributors often host a Themed Cafe or discussion event in the Network. These gatherings let the community explore what resonated, share perspectives, and vibe together over the subject matter. This real-world connection is transformative for contributors, helping refine their ideas, spark new directions, and build relationships.
- From Cafe to Article: Sometimes, the process flows the other way. A low-key cafe discussion or workshop in the Network can generate insights that later crystallise into a piece for the Press.
Longer Journeys
The Grokkist ecosystem also supports contributors with bigger, slower arcs:
- Running a course or workshop series through the Network or Academy can lead to a distilled version of those ideas being published in the Press.
- Over time, contributors often find that their published pieces become stepping stones for deeper projects—like writing a book, creating a physical artefact, or developing a larger body of work.
The Press supports this process by publishing works that are on the way to becoming something larger, as well as those in their final, enduring form.
Friendships and Growth
At its heart, the Press connects contributors with people who care. This is a place where ideas grow not in isolation, but through conversation, collaboration, and shared curiosity. Along the way, contributors often discover not just clearer ideas, but meaningful friendships and connections.
Your Invitation to the Grokkist Press
The Grokkist Press is always looking for new voices, ideas, and perspectives. Whether you have a fully formed piece or the seed of an idea, contributing to the Press is an opportunity to experiment, play with possibilities, and share work in a thoughtful and supportive environment.
As a contributor, you’ll begin by having a conversation with Danu and/or Nathan as Editors-at-Large to explore your ideas and how the Press can help bring them to life. Let’s start with a conversation about what you’d like to share and how the Press can support you.
How to Get Started
- Share an idea: Whether it’s a question, a half-formed concept, or a polished piece, contributors are invited to start the conversation.
- Shape the work: With editorial support, contributors can refine their ideas into something uniquely Grokkist.
- Bring it to life: Through the publishing process, contributors can connect their work to a wider audience and spark meaningful conversations.
For more practical details, a Contributor’s Technical Guide will be available soon. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’re here to help you take the first step.