(Video link here.) We laughed out loud at Samuel L. Jackson’s new video, an exortation for apathetic Obama supportors to get off their asses and take some action in the election. (It’s a play on his last year’s wildly successful children’s story “Go the Fu*k to Sleep.) It worked; we donated some $$ for a start.
And we figure that whatever side your on, the deeper message is essential: take part in the politics of your nation; it’s your home.
(Video link here.) As an artist in residence at MIT, Trevor Paglen worked with materials scientists to develop an ultra-archival disc of images, capable of lasting in space for billions of years. He meant this disc to contain a “cultural mark”, that would portray our world long after it might have disappeared altogether. He interviewed scientists, artists, anthropologists, and philosophers to consider what such a cultural mark should be, and ultimately settled on 100 photos. The disc of photos will be sent into space this month.
(Video link here.) Today in our inbox we found an email from Elizabeth Aquino, a long-time reader and an acute, avid commenter. She wrote to tell us of a video project she collaborated in making:
I am the parent of a child with severe disabilities, a job that calls for near constant improvisation. I asked parents of children with disabilities — some that I knew and most that I don’t know! — what they might have told themselves on the day their child was diagnosed and to write that down on a poster and pose with it for a photo. They sent me their photos, and we put them together in what, I think is an example of an improvised life –
It blew us away: big honest words for an incredibly difficult thing. Aquino’s parents’ messages apply to the many rough diagnoses and challenges that invariably strike us all, while providing insight into the valiant lives that people live improvise daily. Witness this series of posters: read more…
We want one! It makes us wonder why we never see men sporting half a mustache…what a surprise that would be.
(Sofia was in Peru this summer with 100 clowns from all over the world. They were painting murals in poor villages and working/transforming the vibe in clinics. GO Sofia!)
Since it’s the last week of summer and most folks are off frolicking, and since we’re still not quite up-to-snuff, we’ll be posting once a day (or so) on ‘the improvised life’ through Labor Day.
We’re taking some unscheduled, unexpected time off due to a family matter. Although we hope to back by August 20th or SOONER, we’re not exactly sure how long we’ll be gone due to many unknowns. For sure we won’t have the where-with-all to write our regular extensive posts.
Instead, we’re going to try an experiment: we’ll Tweet and post clips and finds to ‘the improvised life’s Facebook page from Monday to through Friday morning (starting this afternoon Wednesday, August 8th). Since improvised marvels are EVERYWHERE, we figure we should come up with quite a few things daily to check out, albeit with minimal commentary and connectors.
We invite you to check in daily to our Facebook page: facebook.com/theimprovisedlife. While you’re there, please be sure to “like” us (numbers count).
Or follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/improvised_life
And don’t for get our Pinterest page. It allows you to navigate our archives through pictures: pinterest.com/improvisedlife/
And of course the years worth of posts in our Archive.
Recently, quite out-of-the-blue, we contrived a surprisingly chic garbage can. In the course of moving apartments, we had found 6-gallon bottle of “emergency” water stowed away in the back of a closet. It was housed in a rectangular black plastic crate . When we pulled the bottle out, the box suddenly looked wonderfully Bauhausian, a perfectly-designed garbage can for our needs. It fits under the new sink cabinet in the renovated apartment, has a low profile, and holds a good amount, and looks fine when sitting out on the kitchen floor during serious cooking sessions (visitors have actually admire it. Where did you get that cool garbage can?).
When we went to photograph it, we became conscious of a dilemma: we line our garbage can with a plastic bag (below). What else could we use? We’re wondering what a viable nonplastic way to deal with garbage is if you live in a city and are unable to compost and haul other stuff to the dump. New York City’s recycling bags are even made of plastic.
Readers often remark what a relief it is to read ‘the improvised life’s daily email each morning, and find positive stories rather than the dire straits constantly reported in the news. We’re very aware of the fact that we write what we need to read and remember: the huge reservoir of creativity and good that is flowing around all the time…even in the midst of the worst possible events.
(Video link here.) We continue to be AMAZED at our readers: at who they are, what they’re making and saying and thinking about. Today we got a note from filmmaker Helen Hood Scheer, who told us about Jump! her award-winning documentary about competitive jump rope. She wrote:
I love your site. I’ve delighted in your leaping photos for over a year now, and strangely, I didn’t think to send you a link to my… film about competitive jump rope until just now (as I was looking back thru your archive).
JUMP! follows 5 teams of kids as they pursue their dream of becoming world rope skipping champions. Ultimately, it’s more about collaboration than competition — the jumpers are truly inspiring not only for their athletic prowess, but also for their courage, humor, and kindness.
We love the connection of our ongoing Leap/Jump/Fly theme (see Related Posts, below, for a sampling) and these kids boldly pushing the limits jumping rope: read more…
A couple of weeks ago, after we posted our invitation/plea to become a ‘friend with benefits’ and support ‘the improvised life’, we received quite an outpouring of support, from subscription sign-ups to one-time donations to messages of how much our daily postings mean to our readers. Our favorite was this one:
Hi,
Love your work and look forward to each installment. I just donated to you and would like to remain anonymous if possible. If not, please just put ‘Gratitude’.
Thanks.
In lieu of a link that says Gratitude (where would it go?), we made this sign, which is really what WE feel: pure gratitude for what we get to do daily and the amazing exchange and community we find ourselves living in, that is ‘the improvised life’. Thank you deeply.
We’ve gotten quite a few email submissions from our readers lately, along with a stead uptick in traffic. Yaye. Or should we say YUM, the beautiful fragment of type Maria Robledo’s daughter Isabel created. At bottom, a shipping pallet that’s been transformed into an artwork by Mexican artist and reader Mary Carmen. You can see the process at her Flickr.
But what really knocks us out are letters from readers – some who have had to deal with serious life transitions’ – saying how much ‘the improvised life’ resonates with them…and how they are using its message to expand their own life and work. Instead of crumpling, they’re rising to the challenges, thinking in new ways. Like this one from Tina Juvonen in Seattle:read more…
Our friend Jody Lotito Levine sent us an email filled with images, some of them really wondrous. With them came this message:
…from my former boss and dear friend recovering from pancreatic cancer: he says his ipad has been so healing and connective -
We mention it on the heels of our post about disconnecting from electronic devices – and taking downtime from them – to give our selves a rest. As much as we feel the need for that, we also are heartened daily by what we tap into on the internet, through the extraordinary explorations, exchanges and connections that occur through ‘the improvised life’. For us the gist is, read more…
We got SO many good ideas from reader’s entering our giveaway of Salads: Beyond the Bowl: Extraordinary Recipes for Everyday Eating that we could put together our own potent little pamphlet of salad ideas. The randomly chosen winner’s idea proved to be an especially charming one:
There is not much I won’t put in a salad, I love to add nasturtiums if I’m having company or the need to eat flowers.
And here are a few more favorites, including an idea we never thought of:
recently discovered the incredible delicousness of grilling heads of Romaine, including melting a little grated parmesan on one side. I would never have thought of grilling salad, but it’s now my favorite!!!!
One of the things we love the most here at The Improvised Life is the sense of community we feel with our readers. We get some amazing feedback, and what we hear more often than not is that you love to wake up to the little tidbits of inspiration we post here bright and early each morning. We also frequently hear that you love the lack of eyesores–err, ads–on the site. The site itself requires upkeep, the creation of fresh new content requires time and effort, and all of that is a full-time (and wholly rewarding) job. In short, we still need to eat.
One of the things we’re doing to circumvent advertising on the site is our Friends With Benefits program. In short, for as little as $5 a month via PayPal, you can support The Improvised Life and get a link on our site to your own website or that of your favorite charity. So, what do you say? Wanna be a pal?
Side note: Using the fun iPhone app Hipstamatic (loaded with and using variations on the Dali Museum GoodPak), we took a pair of tenner$ and riffed on the one and only Alexander Hamilton. read more…
. One of our favorites: 
that we could put together our own potent little pamphlet of salad ideas. The randomly chosen winner’s idea proved to be an especially charming one:
