a notions store on 39th Street

These last few summer days are kite-tailing into September with cool backhanded breezes and I am tangled in my lists of summer reading, new marinades to concoct, my next knitting project.  Letting me loose in the garment district with time on my hands can only mean more stuff, less closet space for Seth, and even more designs for artful living.  But as I headed home, I began feeling that there is so much more on my list that I haven’t done.

Did I have a full summer experience? When am I going to take surfing lessons? There’s still so much sunblock!

What about you? Are you angsting over your late summer goals? I hope it isn’t just me.

I wrote a post a while ago about doing less with more, something I believe in deeply. You can check out my video on the art of doing less, too. While this may seem at odds with me frantically waving a fistful of lists, it really isn’t. Doing less of what is not important and doing only what is always results in a short list. Now if you do things in a way that yields double results, you really win! Here are a few examples from my not so short list:

Lose weight, gain closet space.
Clean closets, gain space.
Write 2 posts instead of one.
Say no, hear yes.
Hear no, see opportunity.
Accept the invite, write the thank you.
Write when you’re up, rote when you’re down.

Adapt excellent design, become adept.

Speaking of getting things done, here is Gideon Shalwick in a video about productivity that I like very much for his way of simplifying priorities for multiple projects without freaking out about having the perfect shiny tools to do so.

I read a great opening line for a recipe remake by Amanda Hesser.  Can’t remember what the recipe was for but here’s what she wrote, more or less:

“Trends arise not from inspiration but from indignation.”

For me, the following adaption really nails it:

“Artful living arises not from inspiration but from indignation”

Is that great or what?  I find myself in a state of indignation most of the time, when it comes to well thought out life design.

Are you indignant, inspired?  If so, I am asking for your suggestions to add to my short list.  Do you have a creative way to live artfully?

Please let me know!

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Hoong Yee

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