'imi 'ola: Designing a spectacular life

Seems I'm not the only one interested in metaphors of other disciplines for the way we structure our lives. I'm a tangential fan of Talking Story , and the concept of 'imi 'ola has to do with looking at "patterns, routines, ebbs and flows," and noticing how they work together (or not):

" It is said that the concept of form and function has its origins in architectural design, and I like the thought that we are the architects and designers of our own lives. I like the imagery of it; that we can design the most spectacular building called our life, with rooms which naturally flow one into the other, just the way they are supposed to. Yet the walls are there to celebrate the uniqueness of character we have in each room too, for we are complex in our interests."

I think that you could substitute "choreograph" for "design" and "dance" for "building" and be right in line with how I've been feeling.
Side note: Yesterday I splurged and bought yet another Moleskine, a large reporter-style blank sketchbook. It will be my idea catch-all; still using the small pocket graphed book for scheduling and other minutiae, and a lined thin book for writing.
Three notebooks. No, I'm not obsessed. Why do you ask? I'd like to write it down...

Comments

[Rosa Say]

Aloha Gray, thank you so much for sending me a trackback and commenting on Talking Story.

I will share my response (there on my blog) here for you and your readers:

[What you had written there*] is precisely right - beautifully, interpretively, and creatively right!

I adore your concept of fluidity.

There definitely IS a strong connection with our hula tradition of dance in the Hawaiian islands, and you have the wheels turning in my head now with the suggestion. Let me think on it more.

For now, I’ll share another way the building metaphor has come up for me with client coaching: Windows.

We talk about which windows are open to the breezes, to let in fresh air, invigorating the entire inside, and which are shuttered closed, and why. We talk about how picture windows have disappeared from homes in our architecture today, and why they were a stable of new-home construction in the 1950’s.

Metaphors can be so useful and thought-provoking! I am definitely going to spend more time at your blog to learn more about your idea of dance as a metaphor for a "life like art."

Mahalo for reading my column on Lifehack.org: I look forward to hearing more of your insights!
Rosa

*You wrote: "I read the idea of 'imi 'ola as sort of a choreographic planning time, after you've tried out various moves and combinations, finally getting to the point where you're ready to put it all into practice for the performance. Is that about right?"

[paul merrill]

The one thing I object to in the quote is that we are NOT the masters of our own private universes. Spit happens. We get hit by a car. Someone gives us a large unexpected gift. Both things, bad and good, can make a huge difference.

When I grow up, I'll get a Moleskine.