Every now and then, we stumble on a word with unusual powers. That is, it seems to resonate more than most, and we find ourselves changed just by thinking about it.
Read MoreRules for Improvising When the Stakes are High
The perfect synchronicity on the theme of ‘not knowing what you are doing’ , including Trump’s “improvisational approach to governing”, got us thinking about essential rules for improvising when the stakes are HIGH.
Read MoreDon’t Know What You are Doing? You are Not Alone (Rumi + Chuang Tzu)
We’ve lost count of the times we’ve thought “We don’t know what we are doing!” as we work, pursue ideas, navigate crises, move through our day, week, year. We are heartened to see that we are not alone, and that it can yield great rewards.
Read More‘a fearless proclamation of what’s possible for ordinary people’ (Pema Chodron)
We were stunned at how perfect these words from Pema Chodron are in this very unsettling time and how much they teach on a purely personal level.
Read MoreFour Ways to Withstand Chaos in 2017 and Beyond
Recently, we got a New Year’s card that provided a welcome strategies for this anxious time. As soon as we think about doing them, we calm down.
Read MorePDF to Print or Share: ‘I Am More Than______’
Here’s The Westport Arts Center and Pamela Hovland’s truly transformative ‘More Than Words’ postcard to print or share. See what happens when you or friends or family FILL IN THE BLANK.
Read More‘I Am More Than_______’ Illuminates the Richness of Our Identities
If someone asked you to finish the statement “I AM MORE THAN_______”, what would you write? What is the identity or cliche that you feel limits you? How are you MORE than that? That is the question that Pamela Hovland asks in a startling exhibition at the Westport Arts Center.
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 MoreA New Year’s Wish from Improvised Life
This print by Marc Johns says it all. For purchase here.
Read MoreHappy Holidays from Improvised Life
Years ago, Maria Robledo sent us these photographs of charming graffiti she spotted painted on plywood. They perfectly convey the magic of the season, and its hope…
Read MoreGogo’s ‘Focus/Fuck This’ Practice
My daughter is two years old and is learning so much right now. Mostly, we are practicing patience. It’s easy to get frustrated when chubby little hands fumble zippers or shoe Velcro or doll clothes…To bring her down to earth, I say to her “FOCUS”. Then she usually repeats it back to me, sounding a lot like “FUCK THIS”.
Read MoreMove Shit Forward Even If You Don’t Quite Know What You’re Doing
‘Move Shit Forward’ can be a great practice if you don’t know what you’re doing or where you need to be.
Read MoreHow to Have Patience (Mira Keras)
Last summer I fought long and hard for a new prosthetic leg after a surgery drastically changed the shape of my residual limb. Getting a new prosthetic required dozens of hours of phone calls and pleading with insurance company phone reps. I was waiting in doctor’s offices and waiting on hold with my insurance company…and all this came while I was really waiting to heal. This extended lesson in patience actually helped me to be more patient with others.
Read More‘When one window closes, another opens’ (Kay Ryan +Susan Dworski)
From an island farm in the Pacific Northwest, Susan Dworski relates her post election strategies and one small miracle, with poem.
Read MorePost Election Improvised Politics: Actions to Take, Things That Help
If this election has done anything, it has pointed up the grave flaws in our government and political system. We HEAR that many people in our country feel forgotten and uncared. We’ve witnessed extraordinary levels of fear and its companion, anger and hatred. And we see that we are not a one person/one vote nation. It is truly dispiriting. So we’ve compiled a few things to do to keep moving toward the positive.
Read MoreMessage from Cosmos: ‘Expect Miracles Every Day’
Yesterday, a sign written by a stranger stopped me in my tracks. Its message and a question he asked me has become a daily practice.
Read More‘Is it Additive?’ (Ginny Jordan)
We recently learned a powerful practice from artist/poet/humanitarian Ginny Jordan. Acutely aware of how precious time is, Ginny found a way to quickly discern what is truly meaningful amid the endless time-consuming activities of modern life. Here’s how she describes it:
Read MorePurposeful Messages from Strangers
Ellen Silverman spotted this sign in tiny street garden in Paris. The curiously personal, handwritten note of fierce protection and thanks got us thinking about the loose, personal-yet-targeted messages left in public that we sometimes see that are quite different from graffiti. And that we could make some ourselves.
Read MoreHand Signals for Challenging Times
When a friend was about to undergo a challenging surgery, she posted images of her “fingers crossed” on her Instagram. We realized that each of us has our own way of wishing/hoping/praying/sending energy during difficult times. Many of them involve hand signals.
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