The Map is Mostly Water $6 / month

The Map is Mostly Water explores the intersections of personal growth, the subtle art of listening, the joys of gardening, and the impact of our environments. It delves into the practice of creating meaningful experiences, the philosophy of minimalism in art, and the intimate act of reading, all interwoven with personal anecdotes and reflections.

Personal Development Listening and Comprehension Gardening and Outdoor Spaces Environmental Influence Experience and Ritual Home Design Reading and Literature Childhood and Parenting Art and Poetry

The hottest Substack posts of The Map is Mostly Water

And their main takeaways

Love Grows

1643 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Relationships Art Media Philosophy Self-development
  1. Love isn't just something that happens to you; it's something you actively work on. Like tending a garden, you have to put in effort to help love grow.
  2. Many people have a casual attitude about love, thinking it will just appear by chance. This mindset can lead to a sense of helplessness in relationships.
  3. Introspection is important, but it needs to be paired with action. If you want love in your life, you have to take initiative and make choices to nurture it.

Resist Summary

2942 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🕹 Technology AI Learning Writing Cognition Philosophy
  1. We read too many summaries instead of diving deep into topics. This can make us miss the detailed understanding that comes from exploring original sources.
  2. Writing from your own experience and observations is important. It helps create richer and more interesting content than just summarizing others' ideas.
  3. Using AI for quick answers can simplify things, but it might prevent you from understanding complex ideas. Building a deeper understanding requires slow and careful thinking.

School is Not Enough

2214 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🚌 Education Learning Child development Parenting Teaching Methods Skill acquisition
  1. Learning happens best when you actually do things, not just sit in school. Kids should have chances to explore and work on real tasks to gain skills.
  2. School can trap kids in a routine that doesn’t prepare them for the real world. It’s important to let children explore opportunities that help them learn outside the classroom.
  3. Parents play a big role in helping kids find meaningful activities. Encouraging children to dive into projects they are passionate about can build confidence and lead to mastery.

Small Spaces

547 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture History Technology Cities Cultural Diversity Innovation
  1. Culture and new ideas can often originate and flourish in smaller spaces rather than just big cities or metropolises.
  2. Success in creating innovation and technology may not always come from larger cities; smaller, more remote locations can foster creativity and growth.
  3. Remote places can produce rare and valuable cultural specimens, and it's important to be mindful of the advantages of small spaces in fostering innovation and culture.
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Everything I know about gardening

626 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Gardening
  1. Grow what you want to harvest and use inside your home
  2. Let big sections of your garden grow wild for months to experiment and require less maintenance
  3. Invest your resources in one variety for a big impact rather than spreading thin

Sympathies (influences pt. 1)

289 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Lifestyle Personal Development Philosophy Creativity
  1. The author's goal is to become a head waiter at a refined cafe serving middle-aged women in a garden setting.
  2. The author is driven by the idea of executing tasks with precision and creating a transcendent experience through ritual and effort.
  3. The goal is not material wealth but the satisfaction of doing things well and creating a fairytale-like experience for others.

Designing a New Old Home: Light

9 HN points • 12 Apr 23
🪑 Design Lighting
  1. Consider color temperature when selecting lighting for different areas of your home.
  2. Pay attention to the color rendering index (CRI) when choosing light sources for accurate color representation.
  3. Balance natural light and artificial light to create the desired mood and functionality in each room.

Dispatches from childhood

2 HN points • 23 Feb 23
  1. Children see the world with wonder and curiosity, finding magic in everyday moments.
  2. Young children notice and learn from everything around them, making even routine tasks meaningful.
  3. Parenting a child brings a fresh perspective on life, allowing a view of existence through their eyes.