I don't think we should be policing the way people want to learn. There's no right or wrong way to learn, everyone is different and has different capabilities and there shouldn't be standards set. This just creates a sense of superiority for people who are doing it your way, which defeats the point of this 'trend', and quite frankly comes across as very judgemental. I think it's great that adults are taking their own time to learn something new, no matter what format it looks like.
I think this is a good point, which I think also emphasizes the beauty of the whole "curriculum" trend. At least, from the minimal videos I've seen about it, a lot of people point out that you can do everything at your own pace, pick your own topics, take notes as you wish, etc.
Regarding Meaghan's point in this article, though, does bring up a good point in questioning how much you're really "learning" something. I am in no way an expert in learning models or how an individual truly feels they "learned" something, but I feel like putting it into a perspective of creation helped me, at least.
I totally agree with you, though. A lot of people should be careful in how they talk about making their own learning programs and not coming across in a "this is the best/only way to do this!" type of tone. I am curious what works best for someone if creation and output is not necessarily the end goal. Do they reenforce their learning with irl conversations? Or do they just simply feel like reading or consuming media is enough?
I love this idea. I’m good at the reading part, but have always been terrible at the creating part. Maybe it’s just a matter of forcing a question on myself, but this seems like a great solution to just being a spectator for your own intellectual journey.
I've read this article twice and I'm definitely without a doubt coming back to it again. Recently, I've fallen in love with the idea of consciously learning but I easily get overwhelmed because I struggle with finding a starting point. I love how your article not only emphasises why it's so important to create, but with all the examples you've given us so we can start. Love this idea so much!!
i spent today making my september curriculum and while doing my before-bed substack reading, this came on my feed! and I'm so glad it did! my main goal for my curriculum was creating, more specifically doing it more consistently, and so far i have a small lists of things i want to write/create. writing mini research essays is a hobby of mine that's been stuck in the attic for a while and reading this felt like getting a green light to write and look into more "non-conventional" topics, which I've always wanted to do but feel intimidated by! hopefully by the end of the month, i will have at least 3 essays that i can post ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ
A great read… which I agree and disagree with! For 5 years we’ve been hosting month-long collective explorations of themes. Imagine 100 people all being curious about Sound, Colour, Rewilding together at once. It spawns all kinds of creative explorations. It’s a curriculum for an eclectic creative life.
A part of our framework is encouraging and supporting people to release an idea inspired by their Quest at the end of the month (no matter how small!). 100s of beautifulprojects have come to life!
It’s an important part of the creative process for some - but not for others.
Some of the most profound changes I’ve seen in people come from simply being totally immersed in the process and not worrying about the product. Their outlook on the world, daily habits and expanded interests are the outcome. If they had focused on their learnings becoming ‘a thing’ the exploration likely would have been inhibited.
That said - the more delightful creative artefacts out in the world the better!!
Great point that sometimes learning is about exploration, and that focusing too much on the end-goal can take you away from the journey. Also love the work you all are doing, thanks for sharing!
Love this article so much. Definitely going to save Bloom’s taxonomy for reference, thank you!
I’m new to the curriculum concept, and having so much fun already! But my main takeaway is that I want to retain information and the best way I know how to do so is to write about it- That’s why I started my Substack account!
Oh wow. I didn’t know a personal curriculum was a thing until I read this. I’m glad to see it. It’s just the way I’ve always lived. Agree that just reading and not engaging might lead to over saturation. Excellent points.
I wonder though “Now at twenty-nine, simply living no longer counts as an adventure”. Perhaps I’m odd but life seems like even more of an adventure to me now and I have 22 years on you. Perhaps it will come back around? Everyday I wake up I find another thing to greet with awe. I can only speak for myself but it seems like the older I get and the more significant losses I endure (never mind the losses of the greater world) the more I marvel that I get to keep existing at all.
Love this! I’ve longed to make this style of living into a personal brand but struggled because it’s all over the place. This weekend I realized, screw the personal brand and online content for others. This could all be just for me and my enrichment. This essay was great at putting into words what I so enjoy about life at a time where I’ve been struggling to remember. Thank you!
“Think about it this way: reading three books on the philosophy of mind will keep you at understanding. Writing your own position paper, building your case from those sources, allows for true engagement with the material. You've moved from being a spectator to being a participant in the intellectual conversation, and you have something to show for your efforts.”
Yes! This is what I’ve been saying about the whole curriculum thing. I LOVE that it’s a trend but most people are just giving reading lists which is just a monthly TBR, not a curriculum!
I love the idea of ‘studying’ for something while still having a physical example of what you’ve been learning, I think it’s so interesting to share all the random snippets of information we know about a niche topic with other people.
Mine started with wanting to dive more into different film topics every month and my plan is to research and produce a substack article every month covering what I’ve learnt. For the month of September I’m hoping to deep dive into how love triangles are explored in media - specifically films - and look at the common character types which make them up. I applaud anyone who can look into many different topics at once.
hmmm—i’m stuck on the idea that “setting your sights on an output creates a sense of urgency.” so much of how we’re taught to move through the world is already shaped by urgency—especially the urgency to produce. i wonder if it might be more generative, in times of self-study, to ask:
• what feels alive for me here?
• what do i want to carry forward?
• what do i want to feel—not just know—through this learning?
sometimes those questions might lead to an essay or project. other times they might invite sitting with the material a little longer—or even choosing no action at all. maybe the truest creation is what shifts inside us.
because while it’s true that everything can be packaged into a product these days, not everything needs to be—maybe the adventure of learning can be more expansive than that. maybe the “output” is how we allow the learning to move us, guiding us into greater alignment with our creative purpose.
Thank you for this take :) learning is such an individual thing, I agree that there has to be value for some people in more open-ended study without defined goals. I guess it just depends on what you’re trying to get out of it.
I love the way you’ve talked about this! I noticed the same thing too and was confused on why the topic had gotten viral. It’s just making a reading list. I’ve been making my way through a monster of an anthology that dives into environmental writing since Henry David Thoreau. Once I’m finished and read some more modern works (since the book only goes to 2007), I’m going to write my own short story set in the beach town I live.
This sounds so cool! Please let me know when you’re finished the short story, if it’s something you’re thinking about posting. Would love to read it :)
Reading this after publishing my first post ever hits different ^^ I feel like I am that one good student who listens to my lecturer's advices with "I'm glad I did that" kinda thought 🤣🙏🏻
I absolutely loved reading this! I’ve often wondered why I gravitated towards the structure of school and why I preferred classes where there was a clear output tied to our learning. I’ve always been strong at reading and creating, but since finishing school I’ve struggled to connect the two on my own. Excited to keep Bloom’s Taxonomy in mind and to apply your approaches!!
I don't think we should be policing the way people want to learn. There's no right or wrong way to learn, everyone is different and has different capabilities and there shouldn't be standards set. This just creates a sense of superiority for people who are doing it your way, which defeats the point of this 'trend', and quite frankly comes across as very judgemental. I think it's great that adults are taking their own time to learn something new, no matter what format it looks like.
I think this is a good point, which I think also emphasizes the beauty of the whole "curriculum" trend. At least, from the minimal videos I've seen about it, a lot of people point out that you can do everything at your own pace, pick your own topics, take notes as you wish, etc.
Regarding Meaghan's point in this article, though, does bring up a good point in questioning how much you're really "learning" something. I am in no way an expert in learning models or how an individual truly feels they "learned" something, but I feel like putting it into a perspective of creation helped me, at least.
I totally agree with you, though. A lot of people should be careful in how they talk about making their own learning programs and not coming across in a "this is the best/only way to do this!" type of tone. I am curious what works best for someone if creation and output is not necessarily the end goal. Do they reenforce their learning with irl conversations? Or do they just simply feel like reading or consuming media is enough?
I love this idea. I’m good at the reading part, but have always been terrible at the creating part. Maybe it’s just a matter of forcing a question on myself, but this seems like a great solution to just being a spectator for your own intellectual journey.
Exactly!! I love reading too but I feel extra satisfied if I commit to answering even one question.
I've read this article twice and I'm definitely without a doubt coming back to it again. Recently, I've fallen in love with the idea of consciously learning but I easily get overwhelmed because I struggle with finding a starting point. I love how your article not only emphasises why it's so important to create, but with all the examples you've given us so we can start. Love this idea so much!!
I'm so glad it was helpful, and definitely keep me posted with what you come up with <3
i spent today making my september curriculum and while doing my before-bed substack reading, this came on my feed! and I'm so glad it did! my main goal for my curriculum was creating, more specifically doing it more consistently, and so far i have a small lists of things i want to write/create. writing mini research essays is a hobby of mine that's been stuck in the attic for a while and reading this felt like getting a green light to write and look into more "non-conventional" topics, which I've always wanted to do but feel intimidated by! hopefully by the end of the month, i will have at least 3 essays that i can post ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ
Yaass 👏 can’t wait to read what you come up with!
A great read… which I agree and disagree with! For 5 years we’ve been hosting month-long collective explorations of themes. Imagine 100 people all being curious about Sound, Colour, Rewilding together at once. It spawns all kinds of creative explorations. It’s a curriculum for an eclectic creative life.
A part of our framework is encouraging and supporting people to release an idea inspired by their Quest at the end of the month (no matter how small!). 100s of beautifulprojects have come to life!
It’s an important part of the creative process for some - but not for others.
Some of the most profound changes I’ve seen in people come from simply being totally immersed in the process and not worrying about the product. Their outlook on the world, daily habits and expanded interests are the outcome. If they had focused on their learnings becoming ‘a thing’ the exploration likely would have been inhibited.
That said - the more delightful creative artefacts out in the world the better!!
Thanks for your great piece 🫶
Great point that sometimes learning is about exploration, and that focusing too much on the end-goal can take you away from the journey. Also love the work you all are doing, thanks for sharing!
Love this article so much. Definitely going to save Bloom’s taxonomy for reference, thank you!
I’m new to the curriculum concept, and having so much fun already! But my main takeaway is that I want to retain information and the best way I know how to do so is to write about it- That’s why I started my Substack account!
Oh wow. I didn’t know a personal curriculum was a thing until I read this. I’m glad to see it. It’s just the way I’ve always lived. Agree that just reading and not engaging might lead to over saturation. Excellent points.
I wonder though “Now at twenty-nine, simply living no longer counts as an adventure”. Perhaps I’m odd but life seems like even more of an adventure to me now and I have 22 years on you. Perhaps it will come back around? Everyday I wake up I find another thing to greet with awe. I can only speak for myself but it seems like the older I get and the more significant losses I endure (never mind the losses of the greater world) the more I marvel that I get to keep existing at all.
Love this! I’ve longed to make this style of living into a personal brand but struggled because it’s all over the place. This weekend I realized, screw the personal brand and online content for others. This could all be just for me and my enrichment. This essay was great at putting into words what I so enjoy about life at a time where I’ve been struggling to remember. Thank you!
Great article. Loved this quote below
“Think about it this way: reading three books on the philosophy of mind will keep you at understanding. Writing your own position paper, building your case from those sources, allows for true engagement with the material. You've moved from being a spectator to being a participant in the intellectual conversation, and you have something to show for your efforts.”
Yes! This is what I’ve been saying about the whole curriculum thing. I LOVE that it’s a trend but most people are just giving reading lists which is just a monthly TBR, not a curriculum!
this is so phenomenal!!!!! i hope i can slowly implement a similar system into my life! thank u so much 🩷
I love the idea of ‘studying’ for something while still having a physical example of what you’ve been learning, I think it’s so interesting to share all the random snippets of information we know about a niche topic with other people.
Mine started with wanting to dive more into different film topics every month and my plan is to research and produce a substack article every month covering what I’ve learnt. For the month of September I’m hoping to deep dive into how love triangles are explored in media - specifically films - and look at the common character types which make them up. I applaud anyone who can look into many different topics at once.
Excited to read those! I feel like love in film and literature can reflect a lot of how we view love more generally.
hmmm—i’m stuck on the idea that “setting your sights on an output creates a sense of urgency.” so much of how we’re taught to move through the world is already shaped by urgency—especially the urgency to produce. i wonder if it might be more generative, in times of self-study, to ask:
• what feels alive for me here?
• what do i want to carry forward?
• what do i want to feel—not just know—through this learning?
sometimes those questions might lead to an essay or project. other times they might invite sitting with the material a little longer—or even choosing no action at all. maybe the truest creation is what shifts inside us.
because while it’s true that everything can be packaged into a product these days, not everything needs to be—maybe the adventure of learning can be more expansive than that. maybe the “output” is how we allow the learning to move us, guiding us into greater alignment with our creative purpose.
Thank you for this take :) learning is such an individual thing, I agree that there has to be value for some people in more open-ended study without defined goals. I guess it just depends on what you’re trying to get out of it.
I love the way you’ve talked about this! I noticed the same thing too and was confused on why the topic had gotten viral. It’s just making a reading list. I’ve been making my way through a monster of an anthology that dives into environmental writing since Henry David Thoreau. Once I’m finished and read some more modern works (since the book only goes to 2007), I’m going to write my own short story set in the beach town I live.
This sounds so cool! Please let me know when you’re finished the short story, if it’s something you’re thinking about posting. Would love to read it :)
Reading this after publishing my first post ever hits different ^^ I feel like I am that one good student who listens to my lecturer's advices with "I'm glad I did that" kinda thought 🤣🙏🏻
I absolutely loved reading this! I’ve often wondered why I gravitated towards the structure of school and why I preferred classes where there was a clear output tied to our learning. I’ve always been strong at reading and creating, but since finishing school I’ve struggled to connect the two on my own. Excited to keep Bloom’s Taxonomy in mind and to apply your approaches!!