Dear Readers, 

Welcome to Berkana. I am back from the 3-week long vacation, and to be honest, it was tiring not to write for so long. I am delighted to get back into the crazy routine of weeklong research, analysis, structuring, writing, editing, and releasing a unique perspective hidden in the obscure corners of cultures. When I started Berkana, the idea was to write about things that move my soul and then let the curiosity take over. This curiosity led me across oceans to revel in the stories of Māori culture, it helped me identify the problematic portrayal of the MPDG archetype in pop-culture, it also pulled into the spiritual depths of the dervish whirls. My curiosity has been my friend and my teacher all along. Now, as curiosity will have it, my creative forces are demanding more from me in terms of style and experimentation. That means that I have to divide my writing hours to master other types of long-form writing. This in no way means that I will stop writing full-length cultural commentaries on Berkana, but it might slightly impact the frequency of the Newsletters. In return, I promise more diversified content to keep you intrigued and inspired. To my new readers, this might feel like a rant. In which case, pardon my blabber. Allow me to show you around the archive to help you follow Berkana's journey so far. 

Read In Archive

Christmas Giveaway: 

A genuine gift is something we give in return for nothing. However, my motives can seem a little more than selfish here (although I promise it is not). This year before starting my journey with Berkana, I finished my first manuscript. Now, it might not come across as a surprise to you that we writers are a breed who struggle with immense amounts of self-doubt. So I deliberately procrastinate to start the publishing process. In Steven Pressfield's words, it was sheer resistance holding me back. Recently, my partner encouraged me to see beyond my fears and put my work out there for the world to see it. And what can be a better time to beat the inner cynic and believe in some magic than Christmas! 

So here I am offering to you the first six chapters of my book with a complete preface, prologue, and introduction for free. I believe my greatest achievement as a creator is when you read, understand, relate to, and benefit from my work. I write because I want to leave the world a little better than I found it. And this is my only intention while giving away my work here. I am open and grateful to receive any form of constructive feedback given in good faith. My further plan with the book is to create a roadmap for publishing. Baby steps!

If you are interested to read my work, here is a form you can fill with your active email . It will enable me to send the manuscript individually to the correct email addresses without landing in your spam folders. 

Become my Beta Reader

Coming Next Week : 

A Journey Inside the Realm of Magic and Wonder 

Suspended between the dreamland of where we were yesterday and where we will be tomorrow, we often overlook the simplicity of now. I thought a lot about this elusive simplicity and ordinary nuances of life during my break. Regular life in an ordinary world is full of beauty only visible to eyes washed off of skepticism. I have been thinking about how small things like comfort food, music, movies, and people help you come back to your center. It was necessary to remember this, now that the year is coming towards an end. 

This year was especially hard. The pandemic trauma and isolation ravaged my psyche to the brink of collapse. When times were difficult, I found comfort in the art of Studio Ghibli films. Those movies became a safe place that I retire to now and then, to seek the warmth often missing in the world around me. Isn’t that the innate purpose of art after all? To create a safe sanctuary for wandering souls to linger and rest as they pass through various avenues of life. To give solace and reassurance that life is merely an interplay of creativity and detachment. An artist’s work is to create their art as a reflection of their inner world, and then step away from it so that the art can now hold space for others who can relate to it, find a sense of belonging in it, and feel understood in the artistic expressions. The art needs to become an independent entity and hold a meaning created by those who perceive it. If the art is manifested with all right intentions, it always suffices as a masterpiece in the collective psyche. That is what Hayao Miyazaki accomplished with his art in Studio Ghibli. He has created films with so much inner beauty and virtue that even when he has stepped away from his creations for decades now, the movies are still masterpieces. Each one holds a special space and meaning for its viewers. 

Share Berkana

My wonder in the magic of Studio Ghibli reached its peak over this year. It won't be an exaggeration to say that those movies kept me alive in some ways. My need to analyze this magic and its myriad sources has brought me to the point where I feel like diving deep into explaining what makes one surrender to the mysterious dimension of Studio Ghibli. In my upcoming newsletter, we will learn about the methods, ideologies, and spiritual foundation that drives Miyazaki’s filmmaking process. We will dwell on the elements of some popular Ghibli movies, and sail through the workings of emotions and movements used effectively to evoke a sense of wonder and nostalgia in the viewer. For me, Studio Ghibli is a safe place, one that speaks of comfort, of reassurance that no matter how hard or broken the world seems, there will always be magic and hope in it. 

See you next week. Stay prepared to venture out on a magical journey at this magical time of the year. 

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