About Richard
I am a writer, photographer, and videographer based on Vancouver Island.
My published books are Wabi Sabi Simple and Wabi Sabi for Writers. Wabi Sabi is a type of beauty and remains an important part of my work. It represents my interest in an authentic connection to the poignant and important aspects of life. Beauty is one of the three transcendentals along with Truth and Goodness. It took me many years to realize that my exploration of the world tends to fall into these three areas.
My writing here explores these topics with a particular focus on the challenges to perusing and realizing these transcendentals. For me the most difficult challenges are the habits of my mind that create anxiety and depression. After years of research and living with both conditions I consider them to be ailments that afflict particularly thoughtful and sensitive individuals - in fact individuals attracted to truth, beauty, and goodness.
The quiet life is an ideal that allows me to imagine optimal conditions for following my bliss. My bliss includes exploration of what it means to have calm aliveness amid the challenges and gifts life. It also includes the various somatic, intellectual, and contemplative practices that support such a life.
I have great respect for the contemplative prayer movement that loosely formed around Father Keating and that includes Cynthia Bourgeault and others who have emulated Keating's evolution into post-modern Christian mysticism. I consider “The Welcoming Prayer” to be a masterpiece of psychological and spiritual synthesis that came out of Keating’s community.
The scientific method is, in my estimation, the most reliable way to gain reliable knowledge and construct a view of the world that reflects reality. For me, reality and truth are different, but truth can not contradict reality. I’m particularly aware of the human tendency to deceive ourselves with wishful thinking, the confirmation bias, and the negativity bias. For this reason I am skeptical and materialistic by discipline, and this includes being skeptical of reductionistic tendencies, especially as they related to chaotic systems, emergent qualities, and complexity in general.
I love the intersection of science and spirituality, especially as they relate to consciousness and conceptions of the self. I have a long history of trying to understand my Christian heritage and experiences in the light of psychology, evolution, science, and other religious traditions. In this regard I consider the dialogue between Jordan Peterson and John Vervaeke as a model of how to respect various traditions of spirituality, philosophy, and science that together increase understanding and meaning in our lives. I take great delight in rebels and free thinkers such as Rupert Sheldrake, Elizabeth Gilbert, Philip Goff, Arthur Brooks, Kevin Kelly, Tim Urban, and Donald Hoffman.
Literary influences on my writing style include Ernest Hemmingway, Carol Shields, Anne Michaels, Walter Wangerin, and Annie Proulx.
In the world of science fiction, a genera I hope to publish in some day, Vernor Vinge, David Brin, Kim Stanly Robinson, and L.E. Modesitt Jr. were my early favorites. Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth Universe is my favorite large scale space opera, and Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse my favorite exploration of advanced artificial intelligence. I also enjoy Lois McMaster Bulold’s Vorkosigan Saga, S.H. Jucha’s Silver Ships series, Martha Wells’ Murderbot series, and T.A. White’s Firebird series.
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