nature

Jean Shin Transforms Dying Trees into a Place of Rememberance and Gathering

Artist Jean Shin transformed Storm King Art Center’s dying Maple trees into a sculpture that embodies the trees inner life and energy…

Oliver Sacks: Nature is a Therapy More Powerful Than Medication

An essay in a posthumously published book by the very wise Oliver Sacks gives a scientist’s view of the healing power of Nature and gardens.

Dept of Astonishment: Listen to The Sound of a ‘Waterfall’ Made By Millions of Butterflies

For the first 3 minutes of this video of a visit to a butterfly reserve in Mexico, naturalist Phill Torres treks and talks while he makes his way to the winter encampment of millions of overwintering monarch butterflies. Then at 3:39, a miracle happens:

Tacita Dean’s Trees: Ideas Fueled by Openness to Chance, Accident, Poetic Associations

This astonishing tree is one of a group of photographs of ancient trees in the South East of England made by artist Tacita Dean. It is the product of Dean’s unique approach, which is as wonderful as the work itself.

Annals of Anonymous Art: Heart Writ in Cherry Blossoms (with Haiku)

Over the days that the bright pink cherry blossoms fell like snow around Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, two hearts formed out negative space appeared. We found the perfect Basho haiku to accompaniment them:

Clouds in Art and Daily Life, ‘Their Contemplation Benefits the Soul’

At designer Pamela Hovland’s instagram, we were stunned by this image of “cloud studies” by J.C. Dahl, Norway’s greatest landscape painter. He reminded us of others who view clouds as Nature’s display of poetry…

Beth Moon’s Photographs of Ancient Trees Under Night Skies are Magic

Inspired by studies that view trees as receivers of stellar energies, photographer Beth Moon traveled to the world’s “last dark places” to photograph ancient trees at night, in color.

Bring a Little Piece of Nature Into the Home, Heart, Day (Yoko Ono, Max Lamb)

It usually takes just a shift of orientation, or your usual route to work or the store, to work some living trees into your day and heart. Here’s some inspiration from Yoko Ono and Max Lamb…

This Serene Water Opera Echoes Music Made by Whales

The serene made-underwater music in Breathe, an experimental “water opera”, echoes ancient songs made by whales.

A Lesson in ‘Right Now’ From A Tree, Stonehouse and The New Yorker

The convergence of a tree in blossom, a poem by a 13th century Buddhist poet and a New Yorker cartoon provided a stunning lesson in ‘right now’.

A Magic Pill to Cure Stress

When my closest friend was in the hospital with a serious illness, he, the patient, was a mess; I, the caregiver, was possibly even worse for worry and fear. It was then I discovered the magic pill.

Running With Wild Horses (W.S. Merwin)

View this video full screen to feel like you are galloping with one of the oldest breed of horses on earth. Then read this astonishing poem.

‘When Everything in the World Has Been Lost But Soon We Will Find It Again’ (W.S. Merwin)

In his poetry, W.S. Merwin expressed what lies largely beyond our conscious mind, yet there, waiting to be recognized like this about the inbetween time before spring is fully apparent,

In Memory of W.S Merwin: Life as Spontaneous Poetry

W.S. Merwin, one of the great American poets, passed away on Friday. We found some beauties of poems plus a practice of his that we’re going to try ourselves, in his honor.

Write Messages and Poems Instantly In Katie Holten’s Tree Alphabet

Katie Holten developed her Tree Alphabet to let us “translate our words into something beyond us”. Experience just that at when you type in words to her webportal and/or download her gift of a font.

Random Wisdom: Let’s Be Like Rivers

Occasionally, random wisdom comes unexpectedly from someone I know or strangers I’ve overheard…like this, synchronously accompanied by Milan Radisics’ remarkable photographs.

Trees Ordained as Monks, Forest Bathing and A New Lexicon Helps Heal our Connection to the Natural World

Disconnection from nature is being recognized as the cause of widespread psychological trauma in modern life. A new lexicon and age-old practices are being used to heal it.

Instructions from Mary Oliver

Recently, we received an email from Susan Dworski, artist, writer and frequent contributor to Improvised Life. It’s subject line read, simply “Instructions”

Annals of Found Art: “To See that Pebbles are Miraculous” (Josef Albers)

Several remarkable art installations appeared in the park across the way, including one gorgeous kinetic one made of ice and stone. They called to mind Josef Albers most famous quote.

‘One Breath Around the World’s Transcendent 3 Minutes with Whales

Shortly after we viewed these perfect 3 minutes in champion free diver Guillaume Nery’s transcendant, voyage through waterscapes around the world, we stumbled on the perfect accompaniment…

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