At first, we only visited the New York Times “Lessons in Stillness from One of the Quiestest Places on Earth” because we wanted to see Mitch Epstein’s remarkable photographs of trees. But then, the story called us…
Read MoreHenry Miller and Others on the “Finest Medicine a Person Can Give Himself”
When we came across this quote from novelist Henry Miller, we thought, yes that IS some of the most powerful medicine we know.
Read MoreReading W.S. Merwin’s ‘Rain Light’ in Dappled Sunlight, We Were Amazed to Learn What ‘Dappled’ Is
When we stumbled on this lovely way to read Rain Light by W.S. Merwin, it took our breath away for a moment as we rode on the New York City subway…Then we read Edward Tufte’s explanation of what “dappled” is…
Read MoreYoko Ono’s Instruction for Mending (Cup, Self, Family, Earth…)
Yoko Ono’s 1966 lovely “Mend Piece” is a participatory installation that, like many Ono works, comes with instructions designed to resonate personally, meaningfully, expansively…
Read MoreOliver Sack’s On Meeting an Orangutan at the Toronto Zoo
One of the most remarkable stories in the late Oliver Sacks’ posthumously published book is about Sacks’ unexpected meeting with an orangutan while visiting the zoo. It describes Sacks “”a brilliant singularity”: his ability for showing us the big fat gifts to be found in the everyday. Perfection in 274 words.
Read MoreAlex Soth and Richard Long on What Can Be Made From the Process of Moving Through the World
At his instagram, photographer Alex Soth posted a beautiful little video of a rock rolling down a path, an homage to artist Richard Long’s work, who mightily inspired an interesting view…
Read MoreThe Secret Language of Trees via Animated Drawings And Richard Power’s Wondrous Novel
Through charming animated drawings, forestry experts Camille Defrenne and Suzanne Simard explain how trees communicate with one another. Novelist Richard Powers tells it another way in The Overstory.
Read MoreA Transformative Word from the Ottoman Empire on How to Have the Abundance of Life…
Recently, I revisited the remarkable sign that waits at the threshold of Omega Institute’s serene meditation space in the woods, to ponder a single word…
Read MoreVarieties of YES: A Zen View, John Cage, Mary Oliver, James Joyce and the Katz’s Deli Orgasm
Thirty + years ago, the world witnessed Meg Ryan’s perfection of a faked orgasm in Katz’s Deli, we’ve been thinking about great, transformative yeses we’ve written about or experienced.
Read MoreYayoi Kusama Transforms Obsession and Accumulation into Art and Medicine
For decades nintey-year-old artist Yayoi Kusama has embraced the culturally taboo practices of obsession and accumulation, using them as a means of transformation and healing. Her remarkable “art medicine” has been her balm for mental illness.
Read MoreBeatrice Wood’s Mistakes “Like Pebbles That Make a Good Road”, with Sculptor Richard Long
When we heard centenarian ceramic artist Beatrice Wood’s extraordinary view of the mistakes she made in life, we thought of the work of artist Richard Long…
Read MoreMind-Breath-Nature Mashup Helps Navigate Chaos or Difficulty
Employing wisdom from Pema Chodrun, Dr. Weil and Oliver Sacks, we devised an amazingly effective strategy for navigating upheaval and difficulty
Read MorePamela Adlon on Aging as Content and Allen Ginsberg Just Being Content
Pamela Adlon’s riff on aging and the sudden changes of her body got us thinking about the need to turn ourselves into content to accept ourselves. Then we came upon Allen Ginsberg’s view.
Read MoreOliver 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.
Read MoreTaking a Break to Do Nothing Is Necessary for Doing Something
When ideas and energy feel mired and writing becomes daunting and bogged down, I take the kind of time Jennifer Odell wrote about so incisively in her amazing piece,’how to do nothing’.
Read MoreRunning With Wild Horses Redux (Commentary by Virginia Wolfe)
This video of horses galloping in the Camargue gains even great meaning with these words from Virginia Wolfe.
Read MoreWant to Be a Digital Story Teller or Launch an App or Product? Join Me at Omega Institute’s Digital Age Conference
This coming June, I will be leading a workshop at Omega Institute’s Build Your Audience in the Digital Age Conference which will cover the how-to’s of creating digital products, from blogs to apps to online courses to newsletters, at Omega’s extraordinary, always transformative campus.
Read MoreJean Cocteau’s Catalyzing 2-line Psychotherapy Lesson
An insightful quote from legendary poet, film-maker, artist, Jean Cocteau has had a number of people we know thinking hard about it and how much it resonates: a tiny therapeutic bomb that catalyzes change.
Read MoreClouds 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…
Read MoreListening to the Spirit of the Tools We Use (Tim McCreight)
In Tim McCreight’s The Complete Metalsmith, I was surprised to find poetic wisdom in his section about hand tools that apply to many kinds of tools we use in creative endeavors, sometimes even smart phones.
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