This truly astonishing tiny video is a perfect morning mediation with a inbuilt lesson: The ease of this miraculous single stroke-that-became-a-dragon is the result of intense practice and many failures.
Read MorePractical Optical Illusions: Doors Hidden in Plain Sight
It isn’t necessary to be an artist to disguise a door; there are all sorts of ways to achieve the affect.
Read MoreMartino Gamper’s Chairs are in Our Head
When we stopped to ponder the legless back and seat of a ubiquitous faux Eames polycarbomate chair we found on the street, we suddenly realized the influence designer Martino Gamper had on our thinking, whose clever 100 Chairs in 100 Days inspire completely novel iterations.
Read MoreMartin Luther King Jr via Sharase DeBouse and John Lewis
Martin Luther King Jr’s words spoken decades ago resonant more strongly today than ever.
Read MoreBrian Eno’s Oblique Strategies via David Bowie
Judging from his worn and taped together set of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies, David Bowie really made use of the cards designed to SHIFT your head when you’ve hit a creative block or impasse. Now long out of print, we found a digital version…
Read MoreTrompe l’Oeil and Conceptual Art Necklaces DIY
This trompe l’oeil, conceptual art necklace takes the classic, waspy pearl necklace to a whole new level. It inspired us to search out doable, actually wearable trompe l’oeil jewelry.
Read MoreSize Matters: Jumbo Paperclip as Liberating, Minimalist “Purse”
My collection of under- and over-sized things often yields surprising improvisations and pleasures.
Read MoreAntidote to the Fearful Zeitgeist: Somersaulting Tibetans
While the world spins off its axis, playing and LAUGHING are powerful antidotes; they keep us right smack IN the moment….
This fab little video provides an instant dose of joy in the midst of the shit hitting the fan.
Gifts from Opening Books at Random: Bibliosophia? Bibliotherapy? Bibliomancy?
Daily we find ourselves opening a random book to find a kernel of something just right: an image, a bit of writing, a poem, an unexpected gift that resonates with the moment. We wondered what to call this mysterious occurance.
Read MoreDivine Roasted Sesame Oil + Down n Dirty Ginger Scallion Sauce
I’d been disillusioned by sesame oils for some time, finding most that I tried with a harsh, over-toasted flavor. La Tourganelle’s delicious Roasted Sesame Oil was a joy to discover, and has inspired all sorts of culinary improvisations.
Read MoreRole Model: Artist Carmen Herrera, 101 ‘I do it because I have to’
Cuban Painter Carmen Herrera sold her first painting at age 89. Now at age 101, she is widely exhibited and written about. Of the many pictures taken of her, those of her hands tell the essential story.
Read MoreMatthew Sporzynski’s Improvised Tech Screwdriver + Lesson in Knolling
Brilliant paper artist and Couturier de Cardboard, Matthew Sporzynski sent a truly wonderful insta-hack he devised recently when trying to fix a vintage toy parakeet…A valuable lesson in improvisation and knolling.
Read MoreWarhol’s Essential Reminder, $1.49
In my local market in Harlem, a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup JUMPED into my field of vision. Warhol, I thought, right here.
Read MoreA New Year’s Wish from Improvised Life
This print by Marc Johns says it all. For purchase here.
Read MoreWe Leap into The New Year (With Yoko Ono, Mary Oliver, Muybridge, More)
As always we are taking the week between Christmas and New Year’s off. It’s a time to slow way down and reflect on the year that’s passed so quickly, and on the new one we are about to begin. Here’s a few of the things we look at, and think about.
Read MoreMindful Eating’s Role Model, via Al Hirschfeld
When I was a kid, the legendary carciaturist Al Hirschfeld gave my father this drawing of a French gastronome savoring escargots in a Paris bistro. Nobody had to tell this guy about Mindful Eating. He’s a model for for it.
Read MoreLast-Minute, Inexpensive, Artisan-Made Gift (They Won’t Throw Out)
actress Hari Neff said hers was a pineapple a schoolmate gave her many years ago. There’s nothing worse than a bad gift you don’t know what to do with that and you just throw out. You can’t throw out a pineapple. We heartily recommend this inexpensive gift for friends and family (or even yourself), that is way better than Neff’s luscious pineapple…
Read MoreItalian Pot Roast (Fast, Freezable, Perfect for Dinner Parties)
The Italian pot roast I had many years at a dinner party has haunted me ever since, lurking in my memory as pure deliciousness. It is perfect for entertaining: it can be made ahead only has to be reheated to be wonderful. It you call it by its Italian name, it tastes even better.
Read MoreGift: Spring Bulbs for Effortless Blooms + Magic
I rely on spring bulbs for their ability to bring a breath of spring into our wintery lives slowly, miraculously, over several weeks.
Read MoreSaying NO to Holiday Gift-Giving Guilt (Mira Keras)
Despite all pressures and temptations, this year I will not be buying any Christmas gifts this year; I’ll use other strategies to show my love.
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