a prescription to see

when you're in the thick of something, it's difficult to put things in order. it's much easier a few paces back, in perspective.

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yesterday sienna and i watched the first few minutes of a movie where a man was walking down the street with his therapist. they were talking and sienna asked who the man was. i said, he's a doctor for problems. i literally could see the wheels turning in her head as this completely unknown concept was being processed.  just like you have a doctor for your body, if you have a problem and you need help figuring it out, you can talk to a someone called a therapist, who is like a doctor for problems. 

after asking about many mock problems that one might take to a therapist, including trouble with your little sister bothering you, she asked, does he write you a prescription? do you have to take medicine for your problems? yes, you do.

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my prescription to see clearly again 

• hang a sheet in your window or new curtain, gazing through, the outside world looks different.

• clear a wall and create a mood board. don't obsess, just throw things up that inspire and mean something, the rearranging will come naturally.

• take an exit you've never taken and keep driving around, through streets and neighborhoods you don't know.

• take a hike in nature. inhale.

• read poetry. pull neruda, octavio paz or ee cummings from the shelf. 

• work with your hands. garden, cook or create.

• purge. clean and reorganize a space.

• curate a vignette. a stack of books and a new clipping of a succulent does it every time. 

• go to the beach alone. feel the sand, walk and think. 

• look at pictures of fog or sunset light, it's visceral and let's the imagination wander.

• call a friend. talk to someone who knows you well and inspires.

• be in pursuit of something. the work towards a goal makes life sweet. 

What's your favorite prescription to write?

(photos: ye rin mok via clear north blog, eefje de coninck, me)