Improvised Life

Our heads are round so thought can change direction.

Allen Ginsberg

This Artist of Gardens Will Change How You See

Piet Oudolf is an artist who uses plants as his medium. He changed how we see landscapes and the possibilities of our own gardens.

A Closet Nook for Sleeping or Writing

While we’re home social distancing, finding usable home ideas for when things blow over fortifies us to practice possibility thinking.

Pat Steir: How to Occupy This Time on Earth

Pat Steir is one of our favorite artists for the dazzling beauty and surprise of her work. She speaks eloquently about the dark time we find ourselves in.

We live in a time when just being home and well is a success.

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Kevin Kelly’s 68 Bits of Seriously Good Advice

To celebrate his 68th birthday, Kevin Kelly compiled some of the gold he’s learned over his seven decades. The brilliant list provides a roadmap to wholeness and positivity.

Recipe for Desperate Times: Pasta with a Fried Egg + Parmigiano (Reprise)

These tumultuous days, my hunger is for starchy things with deep savor that don’t take much work. And by necessity, simple ingredients. I turn frequently to a transformative formula.

When crisis and disaster strike, don’t waste them. No problems, no progress.

Kevin Kelly

W.S. Merwin On Hope and What to Do On the Last Day of the World

In this short video, the renown poet and activist speaks eloquently about hope and our interconnectedness, two themes so many are working to encompass.

An Incredibly Relaxing Walk through the Cherry Blossoms at The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Garden Bathing)

Watching this perfectly shot video felt so much like we actually were ambling slowly through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden that we felt palpably relaxed and dreamy. It is a balm for anyone craving nature.

Jenny Holzer’s Very Important Messages

Fifty years after the first Earth Day, Jenny Holzer’s timely messages resonate more deeply than ever as we face unprecedented global health and environmental crises. As does her succinct commentary.

It Feels SO Great to Laugh at Our Dark Fear

We found ourselves laughing out loud at this perfect 1-minute clip from a 1983 segment of Cheers. That would be US.

Radio Garden, Planting Seeds Around the World and in Hearts

When Radio Garden starts to load, the words “planting seeds” appears on the screen. Then a virtual globe appears around which you travel to tune into thousands of live radio stations around the world. It is magic.

Slow Down at a Traditional Japanese Spa with a John O’Donohue Blessing

This steamy virtual Japanese “sento” bath somehow helps us to calm and slow to the pace we need to be. As does this John O’Donohue Blessing.

Easy-to-Make DIY Clear Face Shield

Tokujin Yoshioka created a simple, easy-to-make face shield held in place with ordinary eyewear. It gives an added measure of protection against Covid-19.

Yayoi Kusama’s Defiant Message To Covid-19

Today the very uplifting MESSAGE FROM YAYOI KUSAMA TO THE WHOLE WORLD flew over our transom: a poem that acts as a call to arms, waking us from the shock of quarantine…A healing dose of Kusama’s own Art Medicine.

The Discomfort You Feel May Be Grief in Disguise

A therapist friend emailed a surprising article from the Harvard Business Review. Several weeks into the pandemic, it is one of the most helpful things I’ve read.

Escape to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Casa Azul

Transported via the virtual tour of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Casa Azul in Mexico City, we found ourselves wandering through gardens, studios and living spaces: much-needed escape and delight.

A Designer’s DIY No-Sew Origami Mask + The Best Materials to Use UPDATE

Frustrated by conflicting information, we distilled info about face masks for Coronavirus prevention. And found a clever no-sew design you can make.

New Yorker’s Coronavirus Cartoons are Funny, Wise and Curiously Comforting

These New Yorker cartoons describe the peculiar brand of anxiety that has become our weird shared experience. They give a much-needed sense of connectedness, AND levity…

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