Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.Fred Rogers
How to Give Thanks Anyway (Melanie Beatty, Bob Dylan, Gary Snyder, Pablo Neruda…)
Many months after coronavirus radically changed our world, we don’t know anybody that is not having a difficult time. We turn to the greatest balancing mechanism we’ve found to find out way back to fullness, “enough”, clarity, joy.
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Remembering A Brave New World (Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Zack Bush, Richie Havens, )
The other day, three random discoveries converged to knock me out of my zeitgeist-powered malaise and into a big wave of joy. They remain a breath of air…
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House Paint by Artists + Why (Katharina Grosse, Andrea Zittel)
After months being seriously home-bound, I’ve found myself looking around my space for ways to shift my head. The work of several artists provided both inspiration and illumination as to why…
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Yayoi Kusama’s Reflections on the Year 2020
Early on in the pandemic, Yayoi Kusama sent out a defiant message “to the whole world”. We found it deeply heartening in the face of the very dark time. Recently, she shared this affirming message with her reflections on the year 2020…
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Improvising on a Rainy Day in Paris in 1924
This image with the caption, “Parisians navigate flood waters by walking across rows of chairs, 1924”, reminded us of the essential nature of improvisation.
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S.B. Dworski on Escape, Noodles, Ecstasy
Fueled by a quarantine fantasy of hiking the Appalachian Trail, S.B. Dworski’s path took her into unexpected territory…
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Hope and Direction in RBG’s Enduring Wisdom
Reflecting on the passing of legendary Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I found her life and words full of hope, wisdom, and direction.
Read MoreIf we opened people up, we’d find landscapes.Agnes Varda
I had a flashback of something that never existedLouise Bourgeois
Isamu Noguchi on Reality as a Sculptural Experience
At the Noguchi Museum’s instagram, we saw a quote from Isamu Noguchi that changed our view of sculpture AND reality. It accompanied photographs of blind art students who toured the Museum with the sculptor in 1987. Their transformative effect surprised us.
Read MoreOur actions entrench the power of the light on this planet. Every positive thought we pass between us makes room for more light. And if we do more than think, then our actions clear the path for even more light. That is why forgiveness and compassion must become more important principles in public life.John Lewis
The Ancient Formula for Gratitude
Opening at random Richard Powers’ remarkable novel The Overstory, we found the ancient formula for gratitude.
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‘The Pandemic is a Portal’ Arundhati Roy
In this short, potent video, Arundhati Roy reads from her essay “The Pandemic is a Portal” It is at once a question to hold in mind, an invitation, and a call to arms.
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Life Got Wild, Be Back in a Week (with Haiku)
Life got so wild of late, I’ve got to take a little break from publishing Improvised Life. I’ll be back in a week with new articles and the spirit of this haiku by Buson.
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Ai Weiwei: On Home, Living in Isolation, Hope
Ai Weiwei’s thinking on purpose, home, isolation, hope are an insightful lens through which to consider our current circumstance. And especially, how the impossible becomes possible.
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Uplifting Finds, Visual Poetry, Tender Blessing
Like the I.C.U. nurse in the breathtaking image, above, we are looking for refreshment, air, and sky. Here’s what we found…
Read MoreOur heads are round so thought can change direction.Allen Ginsberg
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.
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