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Introducing the Flamingo Estate Substack, for Estate Members only.

I believe pleasure is a human right. That to stand on the Earth and sing her praises is one of the most joyful and necessary privileges of being alive. Flamingo Estate was founded on this idea. That in a world that profits off our numbness, it is a radical act to wake up our senses. To champion the slow dive, the deep breath, the bee asleep in the Mallow, the drizzle of Olive oil on a soft-boiled egg. These are the moments that create joy and jump-start radical change. Because the best way to repair a fractured culture is to prioritize the beating of your own heart. Whatever happens out there, in the wider world, the best defense is the work you do in here — in your own body, and the garden where it can grow.

High atop the hills of Los Angeles, hidden by a lush orchard and dense gardens, Flamingo Estate is a hedonistic enclave of sun worship, folk mythologies, and psychedelic remedies. For a few years, this place was simply my home. After decades building a career — of endless airports and sleepless nights — my life changed when I started looking around me, when I began listening to the lessons in the garden. I learned from the stone fruit the importance of winter. From the Sagebrush, the sacred power of scent. The sunsets, color theory and aesthetic sustenance. The moth, the sweet sanctum of moonlight. The Garlic, generosity and variety. By watching the Paperwhites reaching up toward the sun, I learned that life was meant to be lived, not just endured.