Strange Methods I: Notes on Deceleration

As part of my work directing The Strange Foundation, I produce a biannual publication to extend our mission through shared knowledge and ideas, contextualized around a theme. Strange Methods I: Notes on Deceleration is the first such publication, and features a collection of insights mined from each Spring '19 Decelerator participant at the culmination of their residency. This book was edited and designed by me, and I also took the portraits of each resident. You can view the PDF here, or order a softcover edition of the book here.

PUBLICATION DESCRIPTION

What does it mean to “decelerate?” As Jessica Lynne puts it so eloquently in Strange Methods I, “decelerating offers an opportunity for rest, clarity, and being in one’s own body in more significant ways.” Decelerating can happen anywhere—all it takes is the intention to step out of your daily life, into a more expansive space where you can be left alone to let go of expectations and, as we say in the book, “treat your own mind as an expansive retreat destination that you can visit anytime.”

In service of helping more people refuel and refocus, our first edition of Strange Methods—an experimental, occasional publication produced by The Strange—explores how this process of slowing down actually feels. In the book, each resident from The Strange's Spring ‘19 cohort shares insights on the weird, surprising, and fruitful parts of decelerating, plus advice for others looking to stage their own slow-down. The publication also offers a how-to guide for DIY deceleration, and includes a reading list filled with books that the spring cohort found meaningful as they stepped back from their daily grind.