“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
-Charles Darwin
Happy Passover and Easter!
The longer, brighter days are a visceral sign that we’re truly turning a corner in this pandemic.
The arrival of April is the one-year mark of this little newsletter that was born out of a way to help distract and assist people to flex their creative muscles while in lockdown. At the time, I thought it would be a few-week endeavor (remember the signs up at this time last year-15 days to flatten the curve?). Since my first newsletter on April 10, 2020, we’ve toured the world together. We’ve visited museums, both famous and obscure, attended virtual concerts, drawing classes at the Whitney, St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Dublin, Christmas concerts, lectures at the V&A and spent time reimagining our day-to-day lives.
All of this was against the backdrop of unprecedented (the most used word of the last 12 months) political upheaval, racial unrest, and a complete disruption of life as we knew it.
At the beginning of the pandemic I bought a journal that was ‘one line a day’ and began recording just one line or thought from each day. I did so because I wanted to note what we didn’t know, what was happening and what we were facing day to day, because as we gain more knowledge from experience, it’s easy to forget the exact conditions as they were.
That journal now reads like a mini-series - all the drama of 2020 and early 2021! It details my own experience with COVID, the sheer difficulty of trying to work, homeschool, parent and exist within four walls for months on end. The political backdrop was anxiety inducing for me and while I did my best not to wring my hands, the undercurrent of worry was constant and unsettling. Last fall was spent trying to comfort the many friends who lost parents, aunts and uncles to COVID.
But then, as the tides began to turn, there was a sense of being able to exhale. So many friends have described to me the very same feeling of that first ‘exhale’. Whether it was getting their own vaccine, or someone they cared about getting theirs, they all describe a sense of a huge weight being lifted from their shoulders. It was a weight they didn’t even realize was there and a visceral lightness with that sense of relief.
It’s been a long twelve months. I think I’ll be processing all that has happened for a while but one thing I’ve noticed is that along with that relief, is a deep desire to rest.
Despite having a team who helps me pull this together each week and send it to you, I’m weary and need to give myself the chance to take a break. The multi roles I’ve played this past year as writer, designer, consultant, parent, CEO, COO, CFO, family psychologist and lifecoach, cheerleader, cruise director and P.E. teacher has left me with an empty tank. As a result this little newsletter will be going on hiatus for a while as I reimagine how it might serve you in the future and how it can evolve to do so.
This has been a wonderful focus and fun project so it will definitely be back in the coming weeks. For now, though, enjoy this week's content and I’ll be back in your inbox soon!
Suzanne
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“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
- F. Scott FitzgeraldCherry Blossoms, 2021, by Suzanne Miller
The promise of spring is tangible in my house, like a much anticipated dinner guest who finally arrives. Ever so slightly, our world seems to be moving towards an emergence from quarantine and isolation. Over the last week I’ve gotten numerous texts from friends and family announcing they’ve secured a vaccination appointment or their actual vaccination. Our beloved family friend - fully vaccinated - came to dinner and hugged my children repeatedly throughout her visit.
Having withdrawn completely from Facebook a year ago, a friend directed me to a FB group dedicated to crowdsourcing information on vaccines in my state because the roll-out was so disorganized. Within a day I had secured my appointment. Even though the utility of the group was satisfied for me, I found myself logging in daily to read the stories of how strangers were helping others secure appointments and sharing information that didn’t seem to be available anywhere else. One woman found appointments for more than 250 people, many of whom were in the vulnerable population. One man - I call him the ‘vaccine angel’- posted information daily that was accurate and useful, which thousands (including my husband and me) used to secure their appointments.
There were many sweet stories, like the one where five people waiting for leftover vaccines at a pharmacy played a round of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to decide who would get the three leftover doses. While it would have been easy to focus on the scarcity of available vaccine doses, I was bowled over by the abundance of humanity and love for strangers that emerged from this group of 35,000 people. I continue to log in and read these heartwarming stories almost daily and love that these people are in my community.
It feels like by this summer we could realize the promise of this spring and herd immunity and that is an energizing feeling for sure. I see it in my children, who are outside more and playing sports and generally more upbeat. I feel it as I manage the family calendar and find myself planning things several months out - something I felt I haven’t been able to do for more than a year.
We’re not quite there yet. To put it into exercise terms, we’re at the minute and a half mark of a two minute plank. (ugh-the pain!) Our muscles are quivering, we’re counting the seconds in our heads and fighting the impulse to collapse. But keeping our head in the game will lend itself to more ‘core strength’ that will serve us in the long run and anchor us for the future.
Stay focused on the goal: the satisfaction of being on the other side of a monumental feat. You can get there and you can get there gracefully by continuing to reimagine the future and the brighter, more verdant days of summer.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Suzanne
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I pen this today as a half-vaccinated person feeling very fortunate! The vaccine roll out in my state has been discombobulated at best, so the first day I became eligible for the vaccine my husband and I drove six hours roundtrip to spend 30 minutes at a mass vaccination site in Kennett, MO.
Although our day-to-day existence hasn’t changed radically, the ability to plan some things like family get-togethers in the future seems radical and exciting. Being fully vaccinated means my husband can likely visit his family in Ireland after not being able to see them for two years. TWO YEARS.
As we slowly emerge from our cocoon I’m trying to be much more intentional about how I spend my time. One area where I want to focus is how I can help my friends, many of whom happen to be Asian American. They have been nervous the last few years and now, a year into the pandemic after some leaders calling it the “China-Flu” or “King-Flu”, they are absolutely terrified. Tragically, this week’s shocking events in Atlanta validates their terror. Another friend forwarded me a link to a free training: Bystander Intervention to stop Asian/American and Xenophobic Harrassment. I feel like it will be a well-spent hour in learning how to protect my friends. If you’re interested you can register here.
Finally, the first day of spring arrives today with the vernal equinox! Without the cacophony of the ‘normal’ pace of life-pre pandemic, we’ve become much more attuned to the celebrations throughout the year. I’ve always loved the first day of spring but today we will really celebrate it. I don’t even remember the first day of spring in 2020-like so many things this time last year, the disruption of daily life and scrambling for hand sanitizer were valid preoccupations. This year feels like the first day of spring is the embodiment of optimism and hope. The days are longer, we’ll be able to spend more time in nature when the days become warmer and the vaccinations continue to be administered, which hopefully signals the beginning of the end of this pandemic.
Happy Spring and enjoy the weekend!
Suzanne
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When I lived in Ireland I had to learn to drive on the other side of the road. That alone might have been enough but driving a car with a manual transmission meant that the gear shifting was a mirror image of the ones I was used to in the US. And parallel parking? That was a completely different ball game in the city streets of Dublin. Everything had to be reversed in my mind to make sure I did it correctly in this new land I lived in. This was before there were You Tube videos like this one that would offer helpful hints
So you would think, then, when I would return to the US for a visit, that I would slip into my old driving habits with ease. After all, that was what I had initially learned. But I found the opposite to be true. I learned that, thanks to neuroplasticity, the active learning I did in mirroring how I drove actually made it easier to stay in this newly learned way of driving, which made it interesting for the US drivers who would see me barreling toward them on the wrong side of the road.
So as I hit day 365 (the day I’m writing this) of the pandemic and look towards life after my second Moderna shot on April 13, I try to imagine what things will be like. My mother, now fully vaccinated, dropped by for a surprise visit the other day. She rang the doorbell but no one in our house even looked up from their work. No one had been ringing our doorbell in more than a year save for the friendly Fedex guy. It only got our attention when my poor mother apparently leaned onto the bell for a full minute that I thought I must have ordered some large piece of furniture that I didn’t remember. And answered the door. :)
My children, out of habit, stayed a few feet away from her, then I remembered and asked if they could hug her and she said of course, and it felt like a new day dawned. But I realized after she left that I didn’t hug her. I was so used to consciously keeping my distance that my new reflex and my previous instinct to hug her was muted.
So what does all this mean for our world post pandemic?
Will handshakes return? Will the European greeting of two to three kisses go by the wayside? Will we continue to instinctively cross the street out of consideration when seeing our neighbors approaching on the sidewalk when merely 366 days ago that would have been considered the rudest of rude?
I believe leaning into neuroplasticity and spending these last months in quarantine imagining the world we want can have a collective impact that can be transformative.
I don’t think we’ll go back to exactly the way we were. I certainly hope we don’t. I took too many things for granted and didn’t spend enough time focused on the things most meaningful to me.
To paraphrase Peter McWilliams, we create our reality with our thoughts and dreams and where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go. This is exactly why I started this newsletter - to see us through the pandemic and to focus on creative problem solving and the power of getting into flow. But now I see that we need to do this even if we’re not in crisis. It just took a global pandemic for me to realize this.
Most of you are still in some form of lockdown and I’m sending you lots of creative energy on this last leg of the marathon. This can be the most difficult time to stay patient, but the finish line is in sight. Imagine yourself crossing a finish line and breaking the tape and what that will feel like. It’s just around the corner!
Have a lovely weekend,
Suzanne
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These articles explore what life will be like post-pandemic:When Life Will be Normal Again
You Are Not the Person You Were Before the Pandemic
Bill Gate Predicted The World Will Change After the Pandemic in These 7 Dramatic Ways
Futurists Discuss a Post Pandemic World
Things to Do Around the World:
March dawns with hope but also with exhaustion in my little cocoon. This week marks a year from the last time we entertained with a dinner party. It seems foriegn to be able to do so and that merry little get together seems like a lifetime ago.
Still, the warmth in the breezes where I live brings the promise of longer and warmer days, which translates to more time outdoors. The vaccine news brings more optimism and I find myself actually making plans, as tentative as they may be. Inviting my fully vaccinated mother to celebrate my son’s 10th birthday with the four of us seems like a bold and exciting step.
Seventeen years ago I ran the Paris marathon on an early April Saturday morning. I couldn’t keep up with my initial pace so learned what worked for me and kept plugging away. At mile 17 I had to stop and have a doctor look at a pulled muscle in my leg. At mile 20 I despaired because I messed up the miles translation to kilometres and realized I had much further to go. The last stretch was through the beautiful Bois de Boulogne, which is a lush parkland in the city, and instead of water stations there were Beaujolais stations (!) for a little civility in that last and difficult stretch.
It is my belief that we’re rounding the corner on this very long marathon. I feel and hope we’re in the proverbial Bois d Boulogne as we enter what is hopefully the final phase of the pandemic during spring time. Just as I did as I huffed, hobbled and jogged in the last stretch of the marathon almost two decades ago in the middle of that beautiful park, I’ll distract myself with the budding flowers, admiring the trees and soaking up the sun.
Speaking from experience a little beaujolais can help, too. :)
Lots of great content this week. No plans for St. Paddy’s day? We’ve got you covered!
Have a great weekend,
Suzanne
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The new book ‘How Design Makes Us Think’ looks at the sociological, psychological, and historical reasons that some visual cues resonate so powerfully.
I don’t know about you, but several people have texted me about feeling sluggish, bored, meh and downright exhausted. Since I’ve heard from so many with the same ennui and malaise, I’ve concluded that many (including myself) are hitting a (another) wall.
I myself felt such crushing exhaustion for no obvious reason that I got tested for COVID and the flu. One friend summed it up in a text - “I just don’t have any gas in the tank and can’t cheerlead my children on one more thing.” I could relate 100%. My husband and I went to great lengths to have an imaginative holiday season, to get the kids outside to skate and ski, and to celebrate anything celebratable. We had balloons and pizza for the inauguration, games for a road trip, a Valentine’s dinner and party with heart shaped pancakes and finally a socially distanced Mardi Gras parade in 9 inches of snow and sub-zero weather. This isn’t me trying to be a super parent-my pancakes were lopsided and the heart shaped balloons looked more like something that should accompany a hen party weekend. :) It definitely fell short of Pinterest standards.
What I didn’t expect was the giddiness and sheer joy from a family Valentine’s present I bought for the family. The excitement reached “I just got a pony of my own” levels. The object in question? A Sodastream! LOL. My children have been having tasting tests and root beer floats and I’m eternally grateful to the makers of said appliance for providing my offspring with a distraction.
As many are on half-term break in lockdown in Europe and many are in frigid temperatures unable to go outside here in the US, our thoughts are with all who are juggling so many different roles. We’re also thinking of so many without power and water in Texas. If you feel compelled to help in some way, here is a link to an article with some ways to donate to help heating centers and food pantries.
Hang in there, we’re in this together. Call a friend. Paint a picture. Meditate. Throw snowballs. Play. We will get through this because we must.
Have a great weekend,
Suzanne
PS-We would love some feedback! Are you finding this useful? What do you like in particular? Drop us a line and let us know!
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Things to Do Around the World
Maybe this is the year to write a long love letter to your beloved or treat a friend to a virtual ballet that you can watch together online. I hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with chocolate, maybe a bit of champagne and lots of love.
Enjoy the weekend!
Suzanne
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I read today that a survey in Ireland found people at their lonliest and most bored since the beginning of the pandemic. Strict lockdowns and uncertainty are taking their toll on everyone so if you know someone who would benefit from these regular e-mails please forward to them.
In the meantime we gathered extra activities and articles this week to provide a happy distraction. Whether it’s fashion, the Sundance Film Festival, Mondrian or microscopic images of snowflakes we’ve provided some interesting articles and activities all around creativity and the arts.
Have a good weekend and enjoy!
Suzanne
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P.S. : Know someone who would like this? Feel free to forward them and they can sign up HERE
A good friend of mine who works in international development texted me last week and said, “we won’t be able to heal without reconciliation, I’ve seen this so many times in other countries.” She’s right. When I honeymooned in South Africa, I marveled how, only ten years after the end of aparthied, the effects of Nelson Mandela’s truth and reconciliation efforts were so poignant. An ex-prisoner of Robben Island, where many political prisoners including Mandela were detained, gave us a tour of the prison and told us what it was like to be there day to day.
He then told us how during the reconciliation period, he invited his former prison guard to his house for dinner with his family. The strength of charachter and deep forgiveness that had to happen between those two men was inspired by a leader who embodied the same.
Listening to Amanda Gorman recite her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration was a reminder of how words matter, that beauty can heal and we can exist in a tension of shadow and light and make a choice:
I’ve been lucky enough to attend several inauguration ceremonies and early last week as I was planning this letter, I remembered how inspired I was by hearing Maya Angelou (a St. Louis native, by the way!) recite her poem “When the Caged Bird Sings” so had asked my team to research the role the arts had played in other inauguration ceremonies and administrations. Little did I know the power of another poem, completed after the insurrection January 6, that would usher in a new era for our country.
I’m late again with this letter, but hopefully you’ll find what we’ve curated for you juicy and interesting.
Have a great week and ‘talk’ to you Friday.
Suzanne
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While my city neighborhood has made heroic efforts to give people some distraction with beautiful and artistic window displays, the lines and hand sanitizer outside the stores is a quick reminder of the state the world is in at the moment.
There is so much out of our control that more and more I’ve focused on the few things I can control and it mostly revolves around my life at home. Facing a long winter with little to do seemed daunting to me and I began to think about ways to nurture wellbeing. Obviously, the reason for this weekly newsletter is how creativity can contribute to our wellbeing in a particular trying time with the global pandemic. So I’ve been very focused on that.
Still, the winter months add a layer of challenges that could be trying for many. I’ve been thinking about how many cultures have thrived for generations in cold climates and how they prioritize wellbeing. The Danes have their hygge, and the Swedes their lagom and fika. I was so intrigued about what we could glean from the Scandanavian cultures, I asked my good friend Ulrika Mattson, who grew up in Sweden to enlighten me.
Ulrika is now a thriving entrepreneur-she and her sister founded Anass House - a company focused on environmentally friendly products and Scandinavian designs. Anass House also offers a quarterly subscription box that includes smart, planet friendly kitchen products and other household gear with a Scandinavian design element.
Sit back and enjoy my conversation with Ulrika and perhaps you can come away with some nuggets to shore up your wellbeing during these winter months.
But first a small sampling of focused content:
As a little bonus, here are some beautiful images of wintry scenes from beautiful Sweden.
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Can you tell me about the Swedish version of wellbeing?
I think the answer to that question is very multifaceted. For starters, Swedes (and perhaps Europeans in general) tend to have a different approach to life. More of a "work to live" as opposed to "live to work" approach. It sounds simple but when you don't put all your focus on your work, day in and day out, you have more time and energy to put into the community and your family.
For example, I read somewhere that only 1% of Swedish employees work more than 50 hours per week. We have a maternity leave of I believe 480 paid days. For gender equality purposes, 90 of those days can only be used by the father. Sweden also has a long-rooted strong welfare system such as free healthcare, free schools (including medical school and law school) and backups for families in need. I believe all of these things contributed to wellbeing. There is a sense of "being taken cared off." One thing that the pandemic has taught me is how important it is to interact with other people. I think having the feeling that you are really part of a community is important for wellbeing.
What is the most common aspect of this sense of wellbeing for winter days?
The months leading up to Christmas are filled with preparations for the holiday. We celebrate advent each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. The celebrations include lots of candle lights and eating Swedish home-baked Christmas cookies such as lussekatter) gingerbreads and other cookies.
Above: Some of Ulrika’s winter baking
We also celebrate Lucia on December 13th. She is the "bearer of lights" and young children walk with lights in their hair and hands and white gowns singing Christmas songs. Again, because of the darkness that comes with winter in Sweden, especially the northern parts of Sweden, lights and candle lights are very important and part of almost every celebration during the winter months. More importantly, all of the celebrations include friends and families and many of them are celebrated with the community. For example, I would say that almost every daycare and elementary school has some kind of Lucia celebration.
January and February are difficult though. The days start getting longer but very slowly. We have a winter break in February and when I grew up, everyone I knew went skiing for a week. It's a great sport during winter because you are outside during the hours of the day with sunlight.
Are there foods that accompany this sense of well being?
Well, when I was a kid, we had a lot of homecooked meals. Swedes eat a lot of fish and shellfish all year around so . Salmon in all possible variations - oven-baked, raw, pickled or smoked. The months leading up to Christmas are filled with cookies and baked goods and on Christmas, which we celebrate on the 24th, we eat pickled fish, oven baked ham, meatballs, salmon of different kinds, cheeses and vortbread - a special dark Christmas bread that I have been trying to make for years here in the U.S. with little success. It's a big celebration and in the evening, everyone opens their gifts.
When did your family have to hunker down for the cold weather in Sweden? Did it begin typically in Nov? Dec? And when does spring reliably come to Sweden?
I come from Gothenburg, which is in the southern part of the country. It started getting really dark in November. December and January are the darkest months. When I was a kid, the snow would light up the darkness but these days we don't really get much snow anymore. Global warming? The northern part of Sweden is much darker. In some parts you get almost no sunlight during the darkest months which is hard.. Spring starts somewhere at the end of March, April.
What types of indoor activities did your family do when you were growing up that was part of this wellbeing? What were your favorites?
Actually, we played a lot outside during the days when it was light outside. There is this saying that "there is no bad weather, just bad clothes." So if it rains, you put on your rain gear and if it snows, you do your snow gear. A lot of snow fort building, sledding and skiing. When indoors, we did a lot of board games.
Did your family do anything special to brighten the dark, short days?
Candlelights and spend as much time as possible outside when the sun is up. But when I was a teenager and went to high school, I left for school in the dark and got back home in the dark. That was hard.
What are some of the Christmas/holiday activities + traditions your family did when you were a child?
As I said above, the holiday celebration starts early in Sweden. The advent celebrations and Lucia leading up to Christmas. As a kid, it was so much anticipation during November and December - darkness didn't matter. We also went on skiing trips which I loved. As a kid, there were also always a lot of house parties with the neighbors - I was fortunate because many of our very close neighbors had children around the same age as me and my sister so that was always fun.
Which of these have you incorporated into your family traditions with your children?
For Lucia on the 13th we usually watch the big Lucia celebration on Swedish TV - lights and singing. It's beautiful. We try to make most of the Christmas candy and bake a lot. On Christmas eve, we make all the Swedish foods and have a big celebration. We have been trying to keep up the skiing here in the U.S. and we have taught our three kids how to ski. We usually try to get one trip in per year here. To me, skiing is winter and it always makes me happy and gives me a deep sense of calmness.
As someone who has weathered many cold and dark winters, what would you advise those of us facing lots of indoor time in the next few months?
Candles, fireplace and board games. Everyone in my family read a lot of books, especially during the dark months. But I also think it's important to take advantage of the little light there is outside. If there is snow, we go sledding. If not, I try to take walks in the forest and around the neighborhood. It's easier now that we have a dog - we are forced to get outside.
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Wishing all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas this week! Enjoy!
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It's Here! The 2021 Soul Planner is ready to go and now available on Amazon! My beautiful designs cover the pages and you'll make easy progress on your personal and professional goals with the daily and weekly planning that's included.
*Bonus* Buy before Dec 29, DM me your receipt and you will be invited to a special live planning session with my co-Author Vanessa Loder and me!
Still, while there is quite a distance to travel to get to the end of the pandemic, there is a twinkling light of hope that we’re now at the beginning of the end of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The lead up to Christmas began in mid-November in our house. My 11 year old caught me on the wave of relief with the results of the election and asked if we could put up our Christmas tree. Because we usually have real trees, we purchased two artificial trees and have had them twinkling at us since November 12. My office is decked out and all the candles and bright bobbles on the tree helps mitigate the long winter nights.
As I wrap up my work and tidy up the office to end (finally) 2020 I can’t believe that this is nearly my 40th newsletter! When I began this endeavor, it felt like a way to help people delve into their creativity while in lockdown. I could have never imagined that it would be more than a few e-mails pushed out to an interested few. And yet, thanks to a quickly assembled team of helpers, we’ve been able to bring things activities from London, art displays from Dublin and Tokyo and live ballet classes from New York.
And on that note, do we have some eye candy for you this week! I’ve had the good fortune to be in cities like New York, San Francisco, London, Dublin and Paris during the holidays and the light and window displays make it impossible to not perk up, even in the depths of the December darkness.
My own neighborhood has gone to extraordinary lengths to have artistic and engaging window displays, which has drawn large, socially distanced crowds. Sit back this week and tour the world’s best holiday light and window displayed from your sofa. Drink in the festive spirit and hold on to the notion that the twinkling lights stand for better days yet to come.
Have a festive weekend,
Suzanne
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Know someone who would like this? Feel free to forward them and they can sign up HERE
It's Here! The 2021 Soul Planner is ready to go and now available on Amazon! My beautiful designs cover the pages and you'll make easy progress on your personal and professional goals with the daily and weekly planning that's included.
*Bonus* Buy before Dec 29, DM me your receipt and you will be invited to a special live planning session with my co-Author Vanessa Loder and me!
]]>My family took advantage of the warmish weather and visited the famous Missouri Botanical Garden to take in the “Garden Glow.” Fresh air, hot chocolate and holiday music almost made it feel normal. It was beautiful and festive and a lovely change of scenery.
We have lots of content this week-perhaps a reflection of how the holidays have changed this year, requiring more creativity and flexibility. Hopefully these articles will spur some activity and festivity as we see out the remainder of 2020.
Have a great weekend!
Suzanne
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Every headline I read trumpets the words “long, dark winter ahead,” which is demoralizing and mentally exhausting, if I’m honest. The impending months ahead reminded me of Diane Keaton’s character J.C. in the movie Baby Boom.
Unexpectedly finding herself the guardian of a distant relative’s child, J.C. quickly realizes the Park Avenue lifestyle and high-powered career won’t fit her new status as a mother, so she ups stakes and moves to Vermont. Her first winter in Vermont is so long and snowy, the J.C. begins canning applesauce to pass the long hours of isolation indoors. Her corporate prowess kicks in and she begins a highly successful natural baby food company.
Diane Keaton in Baby Boom
Instead of dreading the upcoming months, this week’s content focuses on how to make the most of the time ahead while we stay home to stay safe. We offer pearls of wisdom from scientists at the South Pole, astronauts and the philosophy behind Danish hygge.
Maybe you’ll be inspired to be like JC and start a business based on one of your creative endeavors. Maybe you’ll learn the art of hygge. I, myself have been tackling all kinds of house projects that have been long neglected and am feeling a sense of accomplishment. If 2020 has brought me anything, it is the disproportionate sense of satisfaction with new switch plates, door jambs, light fixtures and fresh coats of paint.
I hope you enjoy this week’s content. Have a creativity-filled weekend!
Suzanne
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With the upcoming holidays and COVID-19 cases surging nationwide, many are attempting to do all their holiday shopping online. The good news is that I have you covered!
My team has researched some gift ideas and places to shop that work for impact on the greater good. There are so many struggling small businesses out there, along with so many individuals who are in need, this is an opportunity for you to support them and move outside the Amazon realm. Just remember, small businesses do not have the infrastructure for delivery that Amazon does, so shop early as you’ll need to allow extra time.
Enjoy the weekend and happy gift hunting!
Stay well,
Suzanne
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With a radically different Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought I would curate some articles that show how a gratitude practice actually enhances our wellbeing and our creativity. The contrast is sharp this year - trying to be grateful during a holiday tainted by a pandemic may seem counterintuitive, but finding a way to give thanks will help brighten these very challenging days.
Be safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
Suzanne
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I decided not to send out a newsletter last week as it was saturated with noise. The lines to vote, the ballot counts, the percentages trickling in, the nail biting, invoking an alternate reality, record numbers of COVID cases….I would describe last week as the crescendo of 2020 (let’s hope!)
If the last few weeks were the crescendo, then let’s make this week and next the decrescendo. In the midst of The Great Pause, it’s time for a pause. Take a breath. Rest. Just sit for a while. Then, once you’ve done that, I challenge you to pause some more. I know, I know, it’s counter to our concept of productivity. BUT, I would argue both with science-backed evidence and my own experience, that taking a pause is vital to your well-being and creativity.
We’ve been on a never-ending marathon, friends, so take a moment (or a thousand!) for the proverbial rehydration, stretch and rest. There are so many different ways to do so, have a read below and see if any work for you.
Have a restful, quiet weekend,
Suzanne
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Even though I’m in a creative business, I still try to take breaks that allow me to wander into a different space creatively. Treating creativity as a wellness practice has benefits proven benefits. A randomized trial that involved people undergoing HIV treatment showed that expressive writing helped participants to boost their immune system. A benefit we could all use as we head into the winter months during a pandemic.
I began to wonder last week how creativity has played a role in elections. It led me on a fascinating trail of ballot design, creative problem solving for a human-centered voting experience and inspiring civic engagement.
I voted early this week and am happy to report the process was smooth. I can’t help but wonder what I will be writing this time next week! Stay tuned and please exercise your right to vote!
Have a good weekend,
Suzanne
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With the clocks turning back soon and the consistent chill settling in, I feel like I need to store up extra vitamin D and sunny memories for the winter. Given the dire predictions and COVID cases on the rise in most states in the U.S., there seems to be a collective sense of dread of shorter days and less time outside.
I’ve been thinking about ways to prepare for the colder months ahead. For the next few weeks, I’m going to provide creative outlets, ideas and resources to help you power through the next several months with resilience. Hopefully having a plan will temper the angst dread the cooler climes can induce.
Have a great week!
Suzanne
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On my daily walks, I make a point to stop and take in my favorite house, which is built in the classic Nags Head architectural style, with shingles and an expansive, wrap-around porch. Every time I pass it, the house captures my imagination.
The Buchanan Cottage, Nags Head, NC
photo: Suzanne Miller
I read up on its history this week and learned that Franklin Delano Roosevelt had dinner there in 1937 before taking in the famous “Lost Colony” play. In fact, the chair in which he sat is still in the house. At the time of his visit in August of that year, the economy had taken a sharp nose dive a few months earlier and unemployment was beginning to climb rapidly. Sound familiar?
Historians say FDR came to this remote part of North Carolina (apparently a logistical nightmare) to highlight the work of the New Deal programs; the dunes on the island had been shored up by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) and the play he came to view was a recipient of funds from the Works Progress Administration.
Given that the time in which we’re currently living is constantly being compared to the Great Depression (at least in economic terms), I’ve been reading up more on FDR and his public programs. My grandparents were ‘New Dealers,’ both of my parents were born during his historically lengthy tenure and I’ve been curious at how FDR’s New Deal programs helped the country get back on its feet economically.
When the WPA was established its director Harry L. Hopkins and his staff argued that writers, artists, musicians and theatre people were out of work as well as laborers and farmers and persuaded Congress to agree to allocate seven percent of WPA funding to employ those groups.
The agency established more than 100 community art centers throughout the country, researched and documented American design, commissioned a significant body of public art without restriction to content or subject matter, and sustained some 10,000 artists and craft workers during the Great Depression. What resulted was a sort of cultural revolution due to the proliferation of works produced in that era due to the demand for public art, theater and written work.
Talk about a silver lining!
This week, we’re again focusing on the visuals in this very noisy time. We’ve combed through the masses of artwork from the WPA era and think you’ll enjoy and appreciate how the posters were designed to encourage, educate and entertain American citizens during a very dark time. We’ve also curated some works from artists who thrived during that time due to the fact they could focus on their art without worrying of how they would put food on the table.
I hope this leaves you with a sense that, like my grandparents, we can draw on our resilience and use our creativity for a new cultural revolution.
Have a great weekend.
Suzanne
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It’s all a bit much.
It got me thinking about how to reach people and rise above the noise; the power of visuals and how art can provoke an emotion and catalyze action. It can attract, envelope you or reflect you. It can also reach across miles and time and drive home a message.
When I was young my parents had a coffee table book with all of the artist Norman Rockwell’s paintings illustrations he did throughout his career. While derided by some in the art world as too commercial and not serious enough, Rockwell gained such a following for capturing American life on his magazine covers (see his picture above), that when he did have something to say, his widespread admirers took him seriously.
I didn’t know this, of course, when I thumbed through the book over and over again. I loved examining all the details and facial expressions Rockwell captured so well. But the one painting that stuck in my mind, and provoked a deep discomfort and sadness was Rockwell’s “The Problem We All Live,” which depicts a young African American girl being escorted to school by US marshalls. Everything I needed to know as an 8 year old about the Civil Rights movement was in that painting. The horror I felt at the depiction of a little girl my age trying to go to school amid slurs and hatred was palpable. It taught me way more than I could have learned in a traditional history book because it immediately provoked an empathy and disturbance that I still feel when I see it as an adult. The painting served Rockwell’s intended purpose - it’s powerful.
I began thinking about the power of art and the ability of strong visuals to provoke feelings, grab attention and generate connection. Before the onslaught of countless memes that put the powers of visuals in the hands of regular Joes/Jennifers with the ability to go viral within seconds (the fly on Vice President Pence’s head, anyone?), campaign posters were one of the most concrete ways to capture the voter’s imagination and backing.
This week, to cut down on the verbal noise and clutter landing in your inbox, we’re offering you some of the most intriguing, inspiring, silly and cringeworthy (President Ford as The Fonz fits that bill) political campaign posters from the many years of American presidential campaigns.
Let us know which one is your favorite!
Enjoy!
Suzanne
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At the beginning of the pandemic, my children and I began watching some comedic movies with my children which helped add levity to the heavy days that were drenched in chilly spring rains. The Pink Panther became a favorite as did Steve Martin (who starred in the remakes) so we went through several of his movies including The Father of the Bride and The Father of the Bride 2. I hadn’t watched them in years and my kids begged to watch them again and again.
Last week, I read that Nancy Meyers had persuaded the entire cast to come together for The Father of the Bride 3 (ish), which she began writing a few months into lockdown. The cast filmed all virtually from their homes, which was a logistical feat unto itself. Writing the script became an antedtoe to the stress and worry and it “brought me back to being a writer,” she penned in a recent article in The New York Times.
What I found so striking is how the entire cast was up for the project and for the collective mission of donating all the proceeds to the World Central Kitchen. Meyers explains, “It all felt a bit like those old films where everyone in town helps put on a show, except these were movie stars, and I could not have been more grateful for their efforts.”
Reading about their camaraderie in the midst of the deep division in our country made me wonder. Yes there are chasms but why not seek out other great examples of camaraderie, especially in creativity? What kind of impact and power does this have? Since the very basis of this weekly e-mail (this week is #25!) is the notion that what you focus on expands, my team and I sought out creative endeavors that highlight camaraderie. Perhaps these examples will help ease the angst over divisions, if even slightly. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to launch a community-building project yourself. Perhaps you’ll begin to see more examples around you.
So let’s end this noisy, anxious week with an upbeat focus on how we can work together and how creative endeavors can add a little light to these dim and anxious days.
Have a creatively inspired weekend!
Suzanne
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Even though last week’s newsletter went out just after the news of Justice Ginsbug’s passing, I felt I needed the week to process the loss and reflect on her impact on our country, which was profound. RBG was a gracious warrior who lived her purpose until her last breath. My favorite story about her was when she went to argue her first case in front of the Supreme Court. There she stood, a diminutive figure in the grandiosity of the courtroom, encircled by nine stately (all male) justices. The nerves amped up with the “Oyez, Oyez” call to order. And then RBD reframed the situation to “this is my chance to educate them.” And educate them she did.
Her life embodied a type of activism and her passing has ignited a fire. We’re all called to use our voices and fight injustices and we all have our own lane and way to do this. One colleague of mine, on hearing the news, got out her watercolors and pens and began sketching RBG’s famous lace collars. She posted them to Instagram the evening of RBG’s passing. There was such an overwhelming response that she is now selling them to raise money for the RBG Legal Scholar Fund at Columbia University. I’ve seen tributes on sweatshirts, chalked on sidewalks, posters and memes. Her life and her passing has inspired a creativity unleashed so fervently that I began thinking about how artists are processing 2020 and all its events. With the cacophony of political posturing and sound bites buzzing constantly, the visual arts now stand out above all the noise.
Art for art’s sake is wonderful. Art for a greater purpose inspires for generations. As I was researching the history of activist art I read how FDR’s New Deal paid artists for their art. Yes, that’s right. The Federal government, in the first four months of 1934, hired 3,749 artists (including Mark Rothko) and produced 15,663 paintings, murals, prints, crafts and sculptures for government buildings around the country. It didn’t try to retrain them and ‘skill them up’ for a job that would crush their souls. The federal government paid them for their talents and honored their work by displaying them in government buildings.
We need art now more than ever and creativity will help us find our way forward, give us a way to process the current chaos in our world, document this moment in time and call for change. I can’t help but think about what creative genius this tumultuous year will produce.
However you use your creativity, now’s the time to unleash it and let it speak loudly.
Until next week,
Suzanne
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Still, the news continues to be a cold reality check. Melbourne remains in lockdown, Israel has issued its second nationwide one, Ireland is putting into place new restrictions and surges are beginning to appear in other parts of Europe. In the US fires rage in the Pacific Northwest, hurricanes batter our southern coasts and public school kids in NYC just found out they won’t be in physical classrooms come Monday. A friend of mine based in Portland and who is an infectious disease doctor admits she’s hit a wall and wryly posted this meme:
I know that I have been so busy with the day-to-day in this unpredictable time that I haven’t carved out enough time for some active creativity-whatever that may entail. It’s been tricky to feel inspired to do so and it's for this reason that this week’s theme is creative inspiration. Whether it's from a podcast, Ted Talk, live workshop or drawing with your children, let’s remind ourselves that the creative process can relieve that stress and make some space for hope and new ideas. As Mo Willems says, the act of drawing with your kids is the “physicalized form of empathy.”
Have a great, creatively inspired weekend!
Suzanne
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One thing that helped me shake things up was signing up for a few classes that I could do virtually. With two small children, it seemed the only feasible way to feed my love of learning. What I wasn’t prepared for was the breadth of topics on offer and I felt like a kid in a candyshop. I took classes ranging from mindfulness, design thinking and textile design (which was the seed for the Storied House) to a photography masterclass with the great Annie Liebowitz. My friends and I joked that I had embarked on the “PhD of Me.”
Over this past summer, my children participated in several virtual classes and camps that ranged from Black History in the U.S., Latin, immersion French to The history of civilization. I found that I would linger nearby to take in some of the fascinating information and I was reminded that there is a plethora of topics to explore. I challenged myself to find a class that felt REALLY exciting and fun. The logic behind that being that if I was super enthusiastic about it, it is more likely that I’ll follow through on enrolling and actually engaging with the course.
Below is some of my research combined with additional digging from my team. As one who has an appetite for information that is WAY more than her free time, I decided to focus on just one. (Not easy for me!) Come October, I will be studying art history.
Sharpen those pencils and crack those binders and enroll in something fun!
Suzanne
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Back in May, if you would have mentioned the term ‘pod school’ to me I would have thought you were suggesting an Apple educational app. Now, that phrase is firmly in our vernacular. As I helped my daughter design ‘Pod School 2020’ t-shirts for her cohort, it got me thinking about how we’ve all been required to cocoon in one way or another. If you’re like me, you may even want a single pod for some peace and quiet. A ‘she-shed’ could provide an escape from the most triggering three words: “What’s for dinner?” An innocent enough question, but when it's asked at 8:30 am..it gets to be a bit much.
This week we look at how we’re collectively forming our own pods...whether it’s college students living and studying together in a distinct group, re-imagining the office cube or finding your solace in a remote cabin. This concept may be with us for a while, so it’s useful to think about how we can best find our happy place and soak in serenity.
For those of you in the U.S., have a great holiday! For the rest of you, have a wonderful, restful weekend.
Suzanne
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In the summer months people have been sprucing up their outdoor spaces-I know we certainly have. Between our deck and back garden we’ve created two more living spaces that offer the sensory delight of chirping birds, glowing lightning bugs and the symphony of cicadas. It’s no wonder I find this soothing and recent research backs this up showing that spending time in one’s garden increases well-being.
My back yard garden has provided us with hours of soothing time.
This week’s theme explores the concept of physical spaces. The spaces we inhabit, the communities around them, and how it can impact our day to day life and well being. Learning how to adapt some of your space for at-home school and work, the importance of architecture, how spaces can be created sustainably, and how to creatively adapt our personal and public spaces is the crux of this week’s curation.
Enjoy your weekend,
Suzanne
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This year, I feel like a college advisor as I piece together a schedule for my two children. We’ve opted to for a mixed homeschool/pod school approach so we’ve put our regular school on pause while I line up a schedule of classes like “Biology Bootcamp” and “Multiplication Fun” and “Intro to Filmmaking.” Our local stores are out of desks and anything else that would enhance virtual learning because our region is mostly virtual school at the moment.
As we navigate through this highly unusual back to school my team has pulled together some helpful articles that will be helpful. And, don’t panic, but in this week’s activity section we’ve pulled together some Pop Quizzes for you. Hopefully you’ll find them fun!
Have a good weekend!
Suzanne
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Uncertainty still reigns through much of the US as schools weigh how and if to re-open, with sports and other events potentially postponed. I open my analog calendar to write things down knowing full well that has a 90% chance of being erased. This is a time that is calling on us to be flexible to a degree that can strain us. Just as I do when I stretch my muscles, I pause and take a deep breath and resume the stretch. Usually I find I can take it just a bit further.
We’re continuing our theme-based content and this week we’re exploring creativity in connection. As we have found in these socially distant times, meeting our basic human need for connection is something that feeds us. Sometimes a chat on the phone with a friend or family member is enough. Other times, a life void of hugs from loved-ones can seem overwhelmingly lonely.
Finding new ways to connect with all the digital tools can be helpful. But I’ve also found that there can be a loveliness to letter writing. As a stationery aficionado, I’m more than happy to bring back this antiquated method of communication. The intention of words scrawled on paper is hard to match.
However you do so, I hope you make connection a priority both for your wellbeing and for the person/community with whom you connect.
Have a wonderful, connected week.
Suzanne
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