Living Authentically in 2013

What does it mean to live authentically? If you don't know who you are then could you ever live your life authentically? But, does a person ever really know who they are? I'm not sure, and perhaps arguing over the whole premise will never get anyone anywhere. I read a great book in 2010 that I've been thinking about a lot. In fact, I just bought a new copy so I can reread it. I first heard about Brene Brown from a friend who referred me to her Ted Talk. She wrote a book about living a Wholehearted life. Her book is The Gifts of Imperfection. I will probably write more about her book and maybe her new book, when I've read it. It is Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. She talks a lot about living authentically, living a wholehearted life, and living in vulnerability. Great stuff. And, I feel like I'm often pulled from a life of authenticity because, well for a lot of reasons. But I know that for me, authenticity begins in deliberateness.

When I was 15, I discovered Henry David Thoreau, not a big revelation to many of you. But, I've stayed a Thoreau fan because of what he taught me and continues to teach me. 

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practise[sic] resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck the marrow out of life...to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it."  Walden, "Where I Lived and What I Lived For"

I'm not moving to a pond or getting rid of all my possessions; rather, I am going to live deliberately. I don't want to let all my indecision become my decision. I want to focus on the things that truly matter to me. And, perhaps find new things that matter greatly. 

The Great Tie Swap

I've heard of this event, but I've never seen it for myself...until this past weekend, that is.

I've always known my father and brothers were into ties. They pass them around, and I rarely see them wear the same one twice. It makes sense--there aren't a lot of options to change up a suit.

Well, Saturday, I walked in on what has become quite a production. Here are the ties all in a row. Yep, look at them all. If we equate ties to shoes, then this should silence a lot of men who can't understand why women need brown shoes and black shoes and colored shoes all in casual and formal varieties.

The next shot shows the anticipation of the trade. They were like women in a shoe store, for real. They even rotate who gets to choose first. They each get to take a certain number of ties, and then when the next family gathering comes around, they swap again. I guess this has been going on for a while.

This is great. Anyone who knows the men in my family will not be surprised by this at all.

I love this car...

I want one of these:

You can see more of them here.

Persuasion

Saturday, I went to the BYU production of Persuasion. It was a fairly traditional read of the play, although they did include a young Anne and Captain Wentworth throughout. The two would come on stage and provide memory moments for the older Anne and Captain Wentworth. It was a fun addition to the play. It seemed to really reflect how life is... we are living in the present but with constant views into our past. Even being down in Provo drew all kinds of memories fresh to my mind and heart. I was walking in the present and past simultaneously. That is the way of life.

The one thing I did not enjoy about the play was the shocking absence of my favorite line from the book.

It is Anne, who after seeing Captain Wentworth again, says, "There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they were strangers ... it was perpetual estrangement." These lines are the crux of the entire conflict. They are so beautiful, drenched with the hope of what could be and the loss of what is. It is the division that must be overcome...two people so complete when together and yet apart.

I've had many people ask why Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen. I guess it all started by chance really. I was 18 or 19 at Ricks College, and I used to scour the bookstore for good reads. Well, I had read Pride and Prejudice in high school and loved it. I picked up Persuasion on a whim and took it home. It cost me $3.95 (the sticker is still on the back). I read it quickly and with much adoration. Little could I know what foreshadowing that book would have in my own life. But, I think I liked it because Anne was older, and she had felt deep loss. It felt so real to me. And, then there is the letter from Captain Wentworth at the end. Can words be any more beautiful and love feel any more splendid?

Perhaps love can survive distance and time. Maybe waiting for love can help refine our senses. This was Jane's last completed novel. It seems to embody the maturity of her writing. And, I'd like to think that maybe she longed for love once close that was, by then, gone away.

25-year Anniversary of Pretty in Pink

For those of you who love Andrew McCarthy like I do... here is an article about where the cast of Pretty in Pink is now. Oh, and he was on White Collar this season.

Some of my recent wares...

I haven't posted any of my recent creations, so I thought I'd share a few things.

I've gotten back into painting lately. Here is the cover of an accordion book that I did.

I've been looking at some Art Nouveau prints and remaking them into my own designs.

And, as for the book making. A friend of mine asked me to make a book for his photography class. He wanted a book to hold and collect his design inspirations. I figured that a leather book would be flexible enough to expand to fit everything he could put in it. It was such fun to make. I even think I'm getting better at make man books. They aren't all that easy, but leather definitely is a good option. This book was a little bigger than an 8 1/2 x 11 with a medium weight paper inside. The top buttons keep it together.

Missing: One Green Heel

I'm not sure how it happened, and frankly, I'm baffled at where it could be. How do you lose one shoe in your closet? I remember wearing them and then taking them off and slinging them into the bottom of my closet. Now, poof. One is gone. The part that really irks me is that I have no idea how I just have one beautiful, green heel left. The only way out of my room would have been in the garbage? But, I think I would have noticed since I have a small garbage in my room.

But, I can't get rid of the other one because then I'll find the missing one and still be down one perfect shoe. Maybe it will show up again ... somewhere...somehow. If my dad were reading this, he'd simply say, "It looks like it got up and walked away!" Ha. Ha.