The Ancient Ritual That Gives Us the Permission We All Need to Reflect and Grow
Fifty years ago author John Gardner coined the term “repotting” in his book Self-Renewal. Repotting is the act of examining how you want to be in the world and changing your actions, your thinking, even the people you hang out with, accordingly. After all, you have to be willing to start growing again if you want to create a new bloom. This concept makes intuitive sense to gardeners. When houseplants mature, their roots continue to grow and double back over each other. There comes a time when new growth calls for a different pot. It may be a time where new growth requires picking up roots and replanting yourself in a new location for a while. Oftentimes, however, the repotting you need is accomplished by simply creating the time and space to refresh, rest, and recharge.
Happy Holidays
from Present and Correct
NYC Subway Station Gets Redesigned with Colorful Mosaics of Dogs
In the 1970s, artist William Wegman adopted his first Weimaraner. Fittingly named Man Ray, this dog played a pivotal role in the evolution of Wegman’s creative practice. Not only did the pup prompt the artist to turn his attention from painting to photography, but he also inspired Wegman’s most well-known works: portraits of Weimaraners wearing clothing. While most of these portraits have been rendered on film, a recent collaboration has reimagined these photographs as Stationary Figures, a series of subway mosaics. Stationary Figures was commissioned by the MTA Arts & Design, a program that brings public art to the New York City Subway. Designed to grace the walls of the recently re-opened 23rd Street station, the eye-catching installation comprises 11 panels starring Flo and Topper—two of Wegman’s Weimaraners—posing as humans. Specifically, Wegman dressed them as the very people who will see the art on a daily basis: commuters.
utwo:
Evolution Design on an island in the Zhoushan archipelago
© JianPing Yang, Yong Zhang
The Illuminating Tale of Sunlight's Impact on Health
SUNLIGHT — nature’s full-spectrum light — is the most overlooked wellness essential. Without the sun, there would be no life on this planet. Research shows that our genes are programmed to respond to exposure to full spectrum light now believed to be critical for the healthy development, growth and maintenance of your child’s body and mind.
Virtual Tour of Florence’s Famed Uffizi Gallery Lets You Explore the Museum Online
Today, an increasing number of cultural institutions across the globe are finding new ways to digitally attract and educate audiences. From 3D scans of sculptures to free art books, many arts organizations now provide free online resources to the public. In addition to research tools, however, some museums have taken this digitization trend to the next level by offering exclusive virtual tours of their premises and permanent collections through their websites, with Florence’s famed Uffizi Gallery as a recent recruit. Available on the Uffizi’s website, this virtual tour allows anyone to “visit” the museum from the comfort of his or her home. As it is presented by Google, the tour is rendered in the user-friendly, drag-and-drop style of Google Maps. Therefore, rather than simple still images, the tour offers a 360-degree look (complete with clickable descriptions of most works of art) at the site. This enables onlookers to observe their surroundings from more angles and, consequently, culminates in a more lifelike experience.
In Our Brutal Modern World, Science Shows Our Brains Need Craft More Than Ever
At a time when many of us feel overwhelmed by the 24/7 demands of the digital world, craft practices, alongside other activities such as colouring books for grown-ups and the up-surge of interest in cooking from scratch and productive home gardens, are being looked to as something of an antidote to the stresses and pressures of modern living. Crafts such as knitting, crochet, weaving, ceramics, needlework and woodwork focus on repetitive actions and a skill level that can always be improved upon. According to the famous psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi this allows us to enter a “flow” state, a perfect immersive state of balance between skill and challenge. With what is increasingly referred to today as “mindfulness” being a much-desired quality for many people, it’s not surprising crafts are being sought out for their mental and even physical benefits.
utwo:
Deep in the heart of Karelia
Finland
© carla gertz
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