In this year of virtual meetings we've gotten lots of questions about what we have written on the chalkboard next to Tanya's desk, particularly this one - "Practice Not Knowing".
What does that mean?
This was a lesson from the illustrious and wise @joebart during our Dakota Rising Fellowship - a reminder to be humble, remain curious, ask good questions, and dig deeper with an unbiased mind.
From Insight Meditation Center - “Not-knowing” is emphasized in Zen practice, where it is sometimes called “beginner’s mind.” An expert may know a subject deeply, yet be blinded to new possibilities by his or her preconceived ideas. In contrast, a beginner may see with fresh, unbiased eyes. The practice of beginner’s mind is to cultivate an ability to meet life without preconceived ideas, interpretations, or judgments."
In our landscape architecture practice this is a reminder to keep our eyes and minds open to the possibilities; to make space for each client/partner be the expert in their own vision; to remind ourselves that our work is not about us, but about what tools we bring to the equation to help breathe life into dreams. We know we did it when a client says "it's like you took what was [swirling around and disorganized] in my brain and put it down on paper".
