In the course of a week, a family member passed away and a dear friend needed help navigating a scary heart procedure. I learned a lot, including this bit of wisdom from Pema Chodrun.
Read MorePrimitive Modernist Body Art: Stars, Stripes, Zigzag, FAB
We WISH that we could see people who had adorned themselves like this — with stars, stripes, zigzags, more —as we wander the city. Such possibilities. We envision the top one as wondrous tattoos.
Read MoreNon-toxic DIY Tip #10,833: PAM Fly Eliminator
We have an infestation of flies in this Southern California heat. Particularly in the kitchen. Having no screens no doubt complicate the issue. But, hey, we haven’t really had to deal with this before. In a fit of rage I started shooting them down this afternoon with PAM oil spray wherever they landed. Overjoyed to…
Read MoreArt Retreats as Career-Shift Catalyst
“A vacation for my soul,” “summer camp for adults,” “paradise,” “the one time a year I get to make anything“—these are all common phrases heard at summer arts workshops around the country. For many without home studios or careers in the arts, these short-term art retreats (way up in the mountains or shrouded by woods and river) are…
Read MoreFriends With Benefits: Trading Jewels & Taking Leaps—Together
One of our readers, Carol E., wrote to us, In the morning it’s The Improvised Life with my coffee and then the morning paper. I have described you as a little jewel of a magazine that I read online every morning. Many thanks!’ We love the image of Improvised Life as a “jewel”—it rings true because for the…
Read MoreLeap on a Rainy Day (Elliott Erwitt)
Even a rainy day — and difficult times — are an opportunity to leap! Thanks to Chris Eldredge!
Read MoreNeil Young’s Anthem for Climate Change + A Question
To coincide with Sunday’s massive world-wide Climate Change March, Neil Young wrote an anthem and has made it free to stream. Whose gonna stand up? Another essential question. You can listen here or stream it at Soundcloud. Thanks Holton!
Read MoreUpdate on Vibrating Bed Solutions: Hanging Beds
In response to our contest asking for solutions to keep our bed from vibrating, a number of readers suggested suspending the bed, which we WISH we could do. But as with any creative problem, we have some serious constraints to deal with.
Read MoreArtful Pubic Wigs!
We check into Improvised Life part-time support staff and contributor Sinnae Choi’s website periodically to see what the multi-talented artist is up to. We were amazed at the LOL beauty of the human hair merkins she collaborated on… And learned that a merkin is by definition a pubic wig. Who knew? and… Why not?!! Writes Choi…
Read More‘Deconstructed Piano’: a Film About Transformation
(Video link HERE.) In this assault by two robots wielding heat guns, a piano’s wood is gradually burned on and on to the point of collapse. The film is said to “consider ‘Deconstructed Piano’ considers the gradual destruction of instrumental music through digital sound generators. To us it is a film about change, erosi0n, aging,…
Read MoreCargo Bikes to DIY or Buy
When we saw the image, above, of a hacked cargo bike Susan Dworski spotted on a Venice California beach, we thought of our old friend Peter Hoffman, chef of Back Forty and Back Forty West (formerly the great Savoy) in NYC. When his kids were young, he’d ride his odd-looking custom-made cargo bike to Union Square…
Read MoreEmbroidery Fix Redux: Disguise Rips with Images or Symbols
Recalling Virginia del Giudice‘s recent post on using needlework to cover holes in vintage garments, Susan Dworski alerted us to an inspiring iteration on the theme of embroidery fixes:
Read MoreNoticing Gratitude
A message came in from a reader today that knocked us out. It was forwarded from our friend and frequent contributor Susan Dworski:
Read MoreJames Baldwin on Making a Leap
From our friend Marella Consolini: I recently read an interview with James Baldwin in a 1984 Paris Review. To me, fascinating under any circumstance, but of course thought of you because of his mention of a deep and personal leap. Details: Was there an instant you knew you were going to write, to be a…
Read MoreStylish, Cheap Socket and Shade Lighting Formula
After Remodelista touted the virtues of the vin ordinaire hardware store porcelain light socket, we were reminded of the one that ended up on our wall during the Laboratory’s renovation. Overwhelmed by the all the details we needed to get together to make the space livable, we improvised, adorning it with lighting designer David Weeks’ clever,…
Read MorePoem for Monday: Ode to the Happy Day
Holton Rower sent us this image, and Neruda’s Ode to the Happy Day jumped into our lap right after it. Although we’ve had some difficult things to deal with lately — everyone we know has had difficult things to deal with — we love imagining “nothing has happened to anyone“, and then being happy “just because I breathe”, if…
Read MoreClimate Change’s Essential Questions: Why Not?
We LOVE these essential Improvised Life-esque questions inspired by the worldwide People’s Climate March.
Read MoreContest: Solve the Vibrating Bed Mystery
After a mysterious vibration in the floor started shaking our bed, and us, awake at night, we started improvising solutions. We’ve lost count of our attempts at damping the vibration. So we’re issuing a challenge to IL’s readers: help us devise a solution to keep the bed from vibrating.The winner will receive a lifetime subscription to Improvised Life. Here’s what we’ve tried already…
Read MoreWorried About Climate Change? March In NYC Sunday and/or…
Worried about climate change and want to know what you can do about it? The largest march in history that will take place in NYC this Sunday. Check out the People’s Climate March website for info, or this article from the New York Times. We will be there. Can’t make it? Watch — or listen to — Disruption this…
Read MoreExtra Long Ribbon Book Mark to Mark Many Pages
Last weekend we bought a big fat book of Pablo Neruda’s odes for a dear friend’s birthday gift. Loving to improvise the presentation of our gifts, we went to our collection of found ribbons and wrappings wondering what would strike us. A very long, thin green ribbon gave us the answer: it would become a 3-foot+ bookmark that…
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