|
Glass Walled Studio became the descriptor for the second year of Conversations For Transformation when my work environment morphed into a glass walled studio. Until the second year I worked almost totally incognito, releasing new essays only when they were complete and (for want of a better word) perfect. Then, suddenly inspired by the idea of working in a glass walled studio, I published everything I saved ongoingly to the internet: rough drafts, dummy runs, notes, outlines, maquettes, anything, everything, warts and all.
As each piece was crafted and improved, it was immediately uploaded and republished, whatever its current state. Everything became visible and accessible right now including the process itself. This added a dimension of raw authenticity in which I started noticing how much I've invested in looking good, a habit I came to grips with and gradually gave up while working in the unprotected glare and public scrutiny of a glass walled studio.
Sometime during the third year of Conversations For Transformation titled Internet Presence, a new commitment spontaneously manifested in my work. Actually it was present all along - from the get go, in fact - except until then I hadn't ever overtly declared it. It was there (for want of a better word) by default. Conversations For Transformation are and have never been anything other than the expression of my acknowledgement of Werner Erhard who introduced me to transformation, and our resulting friendship.
In the third year I realized they'd become more than my own personal expression. I realized they would, by default and by association, expand Werner's internet presence as well. From then on my writing escalated accordingly, stoked (if you will) by taking on this new accountability.
I've designated the fourth year of Conversations For Transformation Side By Side. Here's why. I've visited with many of the latter day masters, both religious and pragmatic, close up, in person, face to face. I've watched many of them on late night cable, dish, and satellite television. I've even listened to some of them on the radio driving in my car. In every case I've come away with a sense of companionship with a powerful man or woman, of being in the presence of genuine greatness, and of having listened to a truly remarkable person speaking. From each and every single one of them I've gotten something valuable.
And yet, right from day one, there's always been a profoundly unique distinction I've gotten from Werner and from no one else. It's this. From every other master I get how amazing they are. From Werner I get how amazing we are. This is the context in which I've taken on I'm source of transformation. That's interimly. Ultimately we, You and Werner and I side by side, are source of transformation.
It's often observed those people who make Werner Erhard's work available in the world needn't say anything persuasive, profound, deep, intelligent, brilliant, or reasonable or even something that makes sense to bring forth transformation like a possibility. If persuasive etc is what you want, be in politics, not in the business of transformation. Instead, if you're coming from transformation, you could simply read the dictionary or recite the telephone book to your audience, and they'll get it even louder, even clearer.
These Conversations For Transformation aren't written to describe anything, to explain, to make points, or even to be about anything in particular. I don't intend them to be recipes for success or to make life better, although unavoidably in their particular genre you may hear elements of all the above. Rather, they're the dictionaries, the telephone books I'm reciting to my audience. I'm only marginally interested in you listening to these Conversations For Transformation for what they say. I am, however, committed to you listening to where they come from.
"When's the book coming, Laurence?". I've interacted with this possibility on many occasions. Here's what I've gotten so far. There's something very, very powerful which becomes available when this work is made available free of charge, in other words purely as a gift. To be sure, you'll get a taste of transformation from these essays. You'll get a good sense of Werner's work from these essays. But you won't get transformed reading these essays. The way you get transformed is by participating in Werner's programs and by speaking and listening transformed in face to face conversations with people.
This is why, for the most part, Werner's work work has never been widely distributed in books, films, video and audio tape, or other media. Transformation isn't gotten that way. Transformation is being in Conversations For Transformation. If there's going to be a book from me (and the jury's still out in that particular case), it won't simply package and sell the Conversations For Transformation website.
This website and its component essays is my gift to you. No charge. No expectation. Free. Joyfully free. Yes there could be a charge. But there's none. By coming here and listening, you - not I - create any transformation you may find here. Without you, all I'd be doing is flapping my fingers at a keyboard and making wiggly marks on your computer screen. So please continue to come here any time you like. Take whatever's valuable for you. Leave nothing in the collection plate.
It's all yours now.
Thank You for the space your listening grants me to write who we really are. I want you to know I'm using it well.
