The Crafty-Girl™

The Art of Crafting Your Life

You've got to love the moment of discovery...no matter what it is or how you get to it. The process of unveiling a sparkling gem that speaks to you reminds us that life is a serendipitous adventure.

I find that this is especially true when I discover something that targets the core of everything I believe in; something that resonnates so deep, it lingers for days. A simple truth, in any form, affects the way in which we look at ourselves and those around us...which in turn affects how we craft our "art".

I had one of those moments when I discovered An Incomplete Manifesto, written by internationally-acclaimed designer Bruce Mau. This inspiring body of work illuminates the dark crevices of our hearts and minds where fear tends to hide, grow and steal our sense of wonder. Mau's concise collection of 43 belief statements speak to the art of designing one's life with passion and conviction. They are easy to read, but difficult to digest...which is what I love about them. Simple complexity; complex simplicity...an unfinished look at ourselves where beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Here's five of the 43 statements that speak loudest to me:
#1. Allow events to change you. You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.

#2. Forget about good. Good is a known quantity. Good is what we all agree on. Growth is not necessarily good. Growth is an exploration of unlit recesses that may or may not yield to our research. As long as you stick to good you'll never have real growth.

#5. Go deep. The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value.

#18. Stay up late. Strange things happen when you’ve gone too far, been up too long, worked too hard, and you're separated from the rest of the world.

#20. Be careful to take risks. Time is genetic. Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow. The work you produce today will create your future.

Do yourself a favor and take a minute to read all 43 statements...and if you're so inclined, let me know if any of them speak to the heart of you.

Labels: kelly angard, the crafty girl