It offers a steady rhythm of practical wisdom, community highlights, and hand-picked inspirations, creating a tending space for curiosity and care.
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Hey friends,
This week, in Find Your Red Thread, we talked about threshold moments—those charged instances where you know, deep down, that you’re about to step into something that might change you.
They don’t always feel grand or dramatic. Sometimes, they look like an offhand comment that lands differently, a conversation that lingers in your mind, or the quiet nudge of a choice you didn’t expect to be making.
Poet David Whyte calls this starting close in—not leaping ahead to the grand plan, but beginning exactly where you are, with the step you don’t want to take.
It’s easy to think of transformation as something distant, waiting somewhere just over the horizon. But the truth is, you’re already standing on the ground where it happens. Right here, right now.
That’s what we’re cultivating in Grokkist spaces—a place where people can step into their own unfolding.
That’s not always comfortable. In fact, it can be deeply unsettling. You can feel when a space holds that kind of charge—when something real might happen, when the usual scripts don’t work, when you might hear yourself say something you didn’t realise you believed. It’s thrilling, but it also carries the fear of being seen, of shifting in ways you can’t unshift.
And this is where the work of community-building really begins. If we’re going to create spaces where people can encounter themselves in real time, we also have to build the foundations that can hold those moments with care.
That isn’t just about having the right infrastructure, though that helps. It’s about living wisdom—something held in the culture, in the people who guard the space, and in the texture of the interactions themselves.
As Grokkist turns three, we’re moving into a new phase—not just bringing a vision to life, but making it stick. Ensuring that what we’re building isn’t just inspiring, but enduring. Making it safe to feel unsafe.
That work is already happening. Our Kaitiaki Group is leading the way, courageously exploring what it means to steward a community where real change happens—where transformation is not only possible but expected. Where we hold one another through the fits and starts and messiness of becoming.
A huge thank you to those involved—your willingness to sit with complexity and build the foundations for something new is what makes all of this possible.
So, if you’re here, I want to invite you to witness this journey as we step into it. To pay attention to how we are figuring this out in real-time.
And, when you feel the pull, to insert yourself—whether through a conversation, an offering, a question—wherever you sense the unfolding happening. Because this is institution-building of a different kind. And we get to decide, together, what that looks like.
With curiosity and care,
Danu
📖 A Giveaway for Pattern Seekers & Meaning Makers!
The Grokkiverse has a way of opening doors in the mind—helping us see the world (and ourselves) in ways we hadn’t before.
One person who knows this well is The Ungoogleable Michaelangelo—a Grokkist member, multidisciplinary artist, and self-described ‘oracular interface’ who explores the hidden patterns of reality through pareidolia, divination, and storytelling.
You might remember Michaelangelo from his Still Curious Podcast episode (listen here) or his Grok Talk on pareidolia as a daemonic interface (watch here). Now, his latest book invites readers to explore the mind’s tendency to find meaning in randomness.
His latest book, Lore Spores, Vol. 1, explores pareidolia—the mind’s tendency to find meaning in randomness—through a mix of art, storytelling, and participatory exercises. It’s an invitation to notice the strange, hidden connections all around us.
To celebrate its release, we’re running a Grokkist giveaway!
To be in the running, answer this question:
💭 What’s something you’ve noticed differently since hanging out in the grokkiverse?
Has being here helped you spot unexpected patterns, make new connections, or see meaning in ways you hadn’t before?
Prizes:
🏆 One lucky winner will receive a physical copy of Lore Spores, Vol. 1, delivered via good old-fashioned snail mail 🐌📫.
🎟 Plus, the winner and two runners-up will also get free access to Michaelangelo’s upcoming Divinatory Drawing workshop (date TBA, likely late March/early April).
📅 Enter by 17 March | 🎟 Winners announced in the next newsletter!
Reply with a short reflection (1–3 sentences) to enter!
Grokkist Press
A home for creations that matter, where grokkists publish gifts of wisdom and creativity that inspire, challenge, and invite deeper connection.
Visit the Press ↗Being brilliant once people are already paying attention, but struggling to get them to stop and listen in the first place.
Discover more luminous phrases in the Glossary of Grokkistry
Fresh from the Press
Viral or Vital?
By Nathan Dufour Oglesby (6 min watch / 27 min read)
An exploration of virality, vitality, and the metaphysics of digital identity—why our pursuit of being seen may be at odds with truly being.
On the Struggle of Finding Your Place in the World
By Jessica Böhme (9 min read)
What if the struggle to find our place isn’t about fitting in, but about learning to stand in right relation to the whole? A reflection on belonging, language, and the tension between parts and wholes.
More from the Press
- Teaching, Mozart and Salieri (Peter Gilderdale, 4 min read) – Teaching is its own kind of artistry—less about brilliance and more about guiding others toward their own voice.
- Against the Grain (Peter Gilderdale, 3 min read) – Struggling at something doesn’t mean you’re bad at it—sometimes it just means you’re starting from a different place.
You can also read our guide to learn how the Grokkist Press works and how to get involved.
Grokkist Network
Connect across disciplines, generations, and geographies in Grokkist’s global community—a true speakeasy for the soul.
Visit the Network ↗Upcoming Events
Events Access Key
🟢 Open Access: Free and open to all.
🟣 Member Access: Exclusive to Grokkist Members.
🟠 Ticketed Access: Open to all with a cover charge (members enjoy a 30% discount).
For more info, check the guide to our events and gatherings or this guide if you're interested in hosting an event of your own.
🟢 Grok Café [2nd in 2025]
🗓️ Thur 13 Mar | 3–4.30pm ET (view in your timezone)
Facilitated by Danu Poyner
The Grok Cafe is a place to share meaningful reflections, spark curiosity, and feel a sense of belonging with others who share a kindred ethos of care and curiosity.
What does rebellion mean to you? This time our Grok Cafe explores the acts of defiance, big and small, that shape who we are and how we move through the world. Whether it’s rebelling against expectations, systems, or even your own inner critic, rebellion often carries the seeds of transformation. At the heart of our gathering are two beautiful questions to guide our reflections:
- What have you rebelled against in the past, and what are you rebelling against now?
- What would it look like to rebel for something instead of against it?
Other Upcoming Events
- 18 Mar | 🟢 The Dialect of Respect: Building Bridges to Shared Understanding [RESCHEDULED]
- 20 Mar | 🟢 Stilling the Tempest: A Freewriting Circle
- 25 Mar | 🟢 Anti-Cult Blueprint: Reclaiming Belonging in a Disconnected Society
- 27 Mar | 🟣 Grokkist Members Meetup [Mar '25]
Grokkist Academy
Life-changing learning experiences designed to set your soul on fire and help you level up as a grokkist.
Visit the Academy ↗Featured Course
Meditation for ADHD
Reduce reactivity, detach from distraction, and find focus.
Instead of recycling the typical ADHD fires and all the ways to put them out, this course addresses the deeper problems that cause the fires in the first place.
Self-paced audio/video course
12 lessons over 5 sections | Total duration: 2 hr 17 min
🔖 Suggested Tuition: USD$33*
(*Can't afford it? Don't worry. Our Forget About the Price Tag policy ensures this course is open to everyone, regardless of budget.)
🍬 Snackables
A curated collection of hand-picked inspirations—thought-provoking reads, engaging ideas, and creative sparks to nurture your curiosity and expand your perspective.
#1 - Why do we mock people who care too much?
Sophie
In the aftermath of the recent Oscars, this essay explores our cultural discomfort with visible effort, using Succession actors Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin as a case study. Culkin, with his effortless charm, is celebrated. Strong, with his intense, method-acting approach, is often mocked. The unspoken rule: you’re never supposed to look like you’re trying. This isn’t a takedown of Culkin or Strong btw—real recognises real. Instead, the piece unpacks how our discomfort with ambition and sincerity reflects broader class dynamics and attitudes toward work. “The unspoken rule of elite spaces is that you’re never supposed to look like you’re trying to be there.”
#2 - The art of unhurried conversations
What happens when you slow down, resist the urge to interrupt, and truly listen? That’s the premise behind Unhurried, a conversational approach rooted in improv, where the best scenes emerge from space and patience. Founder Johnnie Moore describes Unhurried Conversations as an experiment in attention: one person speaks at a time, while others simply listen. The effect is subtle but profound—shifting the usual rhythm of conversation and unlocking unexpected insights.
“There’s a whole different quality of attention. It takes a lot of the urgency out of conversation… But most quickly realize that it’s actually very satisfying.” If that sounds familiar, it’s because this quality of unhurried, emergent dialogue is very much present in our Grok Cafes, where what happens depends on what emerges. This piece explores how a small shift in how we talk can change what we discover. (🙏 Ember P)
#3 - Folk on Foot: Julie Fowlis on the shores of Loch Ness
Speaking of unhurried conversations… Folk on Foot is a podcast that brings together music, landscape, and storytelling by following musicians as they walk through places that have shaped them. Hosted by former BBC journalist Matthew Bannister, it’s an invitation to slow down and listen—to both the land and the people who carry its songs. You can get a feel for it in this 90-second trailer.
In this episode, Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis takes Bannister on a snowy walk along the shores of Loch Ness near her home in the Scottish Highlands. Accompanied by her husband, musician Eamon Doorley, she shares traditional songs woven into the landscape, including one that first brought them together. As they walk to the dramatic Foyers Falls, she reflects on how understanding the Gaelic language offers a different way of seeing the world. It’s the kind of conversation that doesn’t rush to get anywhere—just two people moving through a place, letting stories and songs surface in their own time.
#4 - The biggest lie on the web: "I have read and agree to the Terms"
ToS;DR (Terms of Service; Didn’t Read) is a crowdsourced project that deciphers the fine print of online terms and conditions, grading services from A to E based on fairness, transparency, and respect for user rights. It shines a light on the hidden clauses that let companies track you, delete your account without warning, or claim ownership of your content—all buried in the agreements nobody reads.
Beyond the website, ToS;DR offers browser extensions and mobile apps that integrate these ratings directly into your browsing, giving you an instant heads-up on whether a service plays fair. A small but mighty tool in the fight for digital rights, built by volunteers who believe we should know what we’re agreeing to.
#5 - Sculpture Meets Furniture in Joyce Lin’s Work
Texas-based artist Joyce Lin’s Material Autopsy series dissects everyday objects—chairs, tables, lamps—revealing their inner workings as if mid-explosion. Part sculpture, part furniture, her work explores materiality, impermanence, and the invisible structures that hold things (and us) together. With a background in architecture and biology, Lin turns deconstruction into transformation, making objects feel both frozen in time and on the verge of collapse.
If this already feels like home, membership is just making yourself comfortable.
As a Grokkist Member, you’re part of a circle of active grokkists walking the grokkist path. Find out more here.
Membership benefits include:
- 🟣 Member-Only Gatherings
- 🚪 Unlock Your Grok - Self-Paced Course
- ❤️🔥 30% Discount on Courses & Ticketed Events
- 🎭 Featured Member Profile
- 📣 Post Calls & Invitations
- ✨ Early Access & Prototypes
- ▶️ Events Recording Library
- ⭐️ Digital Member Badge
A pair of parting thoughts...
“Where do you get good judgement? From experience, of course. And where do you get experience? From bad judgement.” – Lee Iacocca
“I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big successes. I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which, if given time, will rend the hardest monuments of human pride.” – William James
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