To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
In a world of giant corporations and the pervasive influence of technology on our lives, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to escape the gravity of mainstream macro culture. According to the zeitgeist of 21st century capitalism, progress is synonymous with expansion; always more, always bigger. The signs of this cultural imperative are all around us. On the roads for example, the current SUV craze leaves those of us still driving normal-sized vehicles with a kind of shrinking feeling, a Honey I Shrunk the Car style inferiority complex that’s hard to shake. The same trend is also reflected in the use of English, inasmuch as the word ‘big’ has become the standard prefix for everything related to the world of contemporary commerce: big business, big data, big pharma, big agriculture, big tech etc. So what’s the alternative?
As lovers of language and literature we look to great art for guidance. The lines quoted above are taken from the poetry of William Blake, a visionary artist who lived during the period of the Industrial Revolution in England. Blake was an unorthodox thinker who focused his mental and creative energies on exploring the spaces in between the dominant trends of his day, and who recognised the wonder inherent in small things, together with the instructive power of the natural world at our fingertips and under our very feet (wild flowers and grains of sand). The legacy of this emphasis on the value of minutiae still persists today. Even in our own time, the time of big-everything, dedication to detail is still the prerogative of certain distinct groups of people- quantum physicists, Buddhist monks, botanists, embroidery artists & nano-surgeons- who in their own separate ways adhere to the Blakean principle of the wonder inherent in small things.
At Skool we subscribe to the idea that the most valuable experiences occur outside of mainstream macro culture. Like Blake, we believe in the power of detail and intimate reflection. That’s why our founder Toby set up the business to provide a unique, personalised language-learning experience that goes against the grain of other, big education style institutions. We are proud to be small and our language school is predicated on the idea that in the context of adult education, small is better. That’s why we put a limit on the number of students in our tutorial care. We want to develop rich educational and personal relationships, and to curate an experience that attends to the particularities and needs of each one of our students.
Skool is also dedicated to providing a holistic experience, combining language learning with immersion in the wonders of the natural world, as well as an exploration of local art and culture. Wild flowers and grains of sand are part of our immediate surroundings. With the arrival of Springtime and as our courses continue to fill up for the Summer months, we want to stress that for anyone thinking of coming to join us this year, Cornwall in the late summer and early autumn months (August –October) is the perfect time and place (my personal favourite in fact) to come and experience heavenly nature in isolation, from the wild beauty of the Atlantic Ocean to the unique species of flora and fauna that are abundant here at that time.
So why not take a leaf out of William Blake’s book and get away from the society of big everything for a while, come and experience the wonder of small things at Skool Cornwall this autumn.