Mira Keras

Work with Hands, not Brands

In conversation, I never call Improvised Life a blog. The Blogging world is an ubiquitous, saturated and aspirational one; most bloggers put their true opinions aside to survive. We are trying to do something different.

Tattoos As Self Reclamation

As a tattoo artist I witness the myriad reasons and kinds of people who get tattooed. I have tattooed a mourning 64-year-old-man transforming his grief, a Hasidic jew wanting to secretly express himself, a young cancer survivor during his post chemo celebration. Memorials, achievements, jokes and dares, even the most controversial of all — pure aesthetics —…

A Practice for Dire Straits

In January, after Improvised Life had been down for several days, I sent out a message to Friends with Benefits members. The message said, in essence: “The site is down, I hope it will be back and that years of writing and images have not been damaged; please send whatever personal magic you employ my way.” Then it seemed, my only option was to wait and practice Improvised Life’s principles…

Freedom Means Letting Go of Shame

From very early on in my life as an amputee, I’ve loathed using crutches or a wheelchair. I am a very autonomous person. I have blue hair and tattoos. I don’t think too much about the opinions or stares of others, but put me in a wheelchair and all that rebel-heartedness melted into shy shameful…

Love is Tiny Actions of Affection + Kindness

This lovely image and commentary Girl Knew York reminded us of the practice of applying “random kindness” not only to others but to ourselves, and Stephen Levine’s principle of “soft eyes”.

Spirals that Focus a Distracted Mind

Just about every creative person we know has something of a “monkey brain” that can run off in too many directions to get much done. So they figure out personal ways to corral and focus their minds to get their priority work done. Mira Keras’ recently came up with a compelling practice, that is also fun:…

How I Reburbished an Old Shearling Coat + Made it Reversible

Although initially pricey, shearling coats are a great clothing investment: they are incredibly warm and last years. But like anything, they begin to show wear. There IS a simple solution that will keep them going for years that I learned from Suzanne Shaker: turn your shearling inside out and have new zipper put in by…

Stressed? Throw an Easygoing Thanksgiving Picnic

Hosting during the holidays can mean a lot of pressure. My husband and I didn’t want to spoil the joy of actually being with the people we love by fussing over inconsequential details. Instead, we have opted for what we lovingly call, Thanksgiving Picnic.

How to Avoid Writing (+ Then Get Yourself to Do It or ANYTHING)

Improvised Life part-time assistant editor Mira Keras wrote this spot-on description of a writer procrastinating…as a way of procrastinating herself. But she discovered something essential in the process.

A One-Year-Old’s Brilliant Improvisation

MANY improvisations are inspired by mistakes that accidentally afford a new view of something we take for granted. After Mira Keras‘ one-year-old knocked a chair over, she immediately saw the possibilities in the situation.

An Idaho Mom Defiantly Strips Down in an Idaho Market

Amy Pence-Brown, a 40-year-old Idaho mother of four and founder of the Boise Rad Fat Collective Facebook, stood stripped down to a bikini in a busy Boise market, blindfolded herself and invited people to write on her body. Her mission statement was scrawled in chalk on the board beside her: “I’m standing for anyone who has struggled…

How to Fix Your Computer (Love Means Helping You Do-It-Yourself)

When my 5-year-old-laptop bailed on me, I reacted like any strong independent woman with a brain and an alarm clock; I handed it off to my husband and said “This is broken, please fix it”. Seriously. Being the feminist my husband is, he said NO…….

Guerilla Signage: Why Not?

It’s curious how bright red stickers with the words why not? and Do. have been appearing around town, in the subway and on lamp posts. They’re our new Improvised Life stickers. We wonder who the guerilla(s) is/are that are tagging things and spreading the word?

The Pleasures of Making + Receiving Handmade Letters

Every time I receive a hand-written letter in the mail, I feel like I am about to open a very special gift. Given their rarity, hand-written letters ARE a gift. Uniqueness is built-in and its effect is usually WAY more than the effort it took to make it, both personally and professionally. Here’s some inspiration that makes the making fun.

Google Keep (Keeps My Sanity in Check + Creativity Flowing)

Throughout my school age years I kept ratty composition notebooks with me at nearly all the time to record lists, illustrations, ideas, and poetry: a way to combine artistic enjoyment and organization. Google Keep app is my modern version of that, a canvas for lists and notes-to-be color-coded, archived, tagged, and illustrated. My categories vary from the very practical to very playful.

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