1 Minute Antidote to the Holiday Rush

Longtime reader and friend Sybille Palmer sent us this poem found in Writer’s Almanac, along with a photo of the newly fallen snow in Taos, New Mexico where she lives. It’s a fine example of Arthur C. Brooks principles for antidoting the holiday rush: embrace experience rather than things…stop for a minute and take in something…

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Looking for Holiday Gift Ideas? We’ve Got ‘Em

Lately, readers have been giving subscriptions to Improvised Life as gifts for friends and family. Just go to our subscribe page and select a year’s subscription to give 650 or so illuminating reads per year. We also recommend checking out Improvised Life’s Shop for a personally curated selection of compelling books, tools, housewares, and toys that…

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An Intro to ‘Bird by Bird”s Brilliant Instructions on Life

A while ago, Brain Pickings posted on Anne LaMott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, for our money one of all time BEST books about the creative process. Although we’ve written about the book ourselves — including our crazy-favorite quote about being “flanged” — Brain Pickings offers a trove of excerpts that make a fine introduction if you’re…

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