Bears do it, sort of. Bats, hedgehogs and snakes, certainly. Groundhogs, of course.
They all hibernate. These creatures evolved to slow down each winter and retire for a time, to rest and conserve energy.
It’s not a bad idea, and Choose to Be Curious is following their lead.
I’m taking a little break in December. Call it some curiosity R&R — curiosity respite & re-airs. I’ll get a production break, and my radio audiences will continue to enjoy uninterrupted listening, thanks to Pacifica Radio Network, with four great C2BC Classic re-airs. We’ll be back with a great lineup starting January 1st.
Of course, I don’t want you to miss out, so here’s a peek at what my radio audiences will be getting in case you’d like to listen along. Maybe you’ve heard these episodes before, maybe not. They’re a wonderful sample of curiosity in action. I hope you enjoy them.
And for those of you nice enough to subscribe and actually read this post, here are some vaguely-related pictures to repay your loyalty. 🙂
Listen to Might Curiosity Hibernate? (5 mins)
DECEMBER 4 – Curiosity, Tiny Experiments & Liminal Space, with Anne-Laure LeCunff
Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a Choose to Be Curious trifecta: researcher, theoretician — and practitioner. A neuroscientist and deep thinker about the personal and social implications of our curiosity, she conducts tiny experiments to focus closely on how we use our time and energy to best effect. She is the founder of Ness Labs, a collective platform for curious people, where “ambitious knowledge workers come together to achieve their goals without sacrificing their mental health.”
DECEMBER 11 – The Art of Noticing, with Rob Walker
Rob Walker says, “There is this nice jump from ‘I didn’t even notice it’ to ‘At least I noticed it’ to ‘Not only did I notice it, I took it to the next level.” Rob is the delightfully agile mind behind The Art of Noticing, the book and Substack of the same name. He’s a generous font of intriguing ideas, practical prompts, and unexpected inspiration that help us pay attention to what we care about — and care about what we pay attention to.
DECEMBER 18 – Curiosity & the Gift of Uncertainty, with Maggie Jackson
Award-winning journalist and author Maggie Jackson thinks we should be leaning into uncertainty. Not the “uncertainty” of the world today–which feels very heavy right now–but the “uncertainty” of allowing room for new thoughts. “We should rethink our outdated notions of not-knowing as weakness,” she says, “and instead discover this mindset as a strength.”
So, of course, my mind goes to choosing to be curious.
DECEMBER 25 – Curiosity & the World Peace Game, with John Hunter
The World Peace Game is the brainchild of educator John Hunter. He describes it as “learning to live and work comfortably in the unknown.” A three-dimensional simulation game with high stakes — that’s played by 4th graders.
It’s hard to imagine a more curiosity-centric undertaking — or a better way to pause and wish us all Peace on Earth.
Thanks, as always, to Sean Balick for our theme music. “The Little Powder” and “Night Light” by Nursery, via Blue Dot Sessions.
I hope your holidays are joyful and restorative. See you in the new year!
You can subscribe to Choose to Be Curious on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.