Project 1, 2, 3
1. I will challenge myself to come up with something new every day that can be expressed in a list of 3. (can be anything: prose, drawings, recipes)
2. I will post it daily at 1:23 pm.
3. I will begin this project on 12/3.
Signed,
Amy K.R.
That was the first post of one of my mother’s last creative projects. Even when her health was severely declining, Amy Krouse Rosenthal challenged herself to come up with something new every day, because creating is what drove her. She knew that the most fulfilling projects could also be the simplest, so she chose the everyday list—a form that’s practical, purposeful, and concise—as her method. During those final weeks I spentwith my mom, I watched as she turned ideas percolating in her brain into beautiful art on paper. On day 61 of 123, she had to inform her followers, “There are other things I need to be tending to, creating and focusing on with my limited time.”
I hope
Project 1, 2, 3 helps you look at your world through a different lens. You don’t need to be as stringent as my mom was in her 1:23 pm deadline. I think you’ll find, as Amy did, that there is magic in the number three. It’s a Goldilocks measure—neither too little nor too much, but just right. Think about it: The triangle is the strongest and most stable shape, able to redistribute loads of weight better than any other form. We have three primary colors that create an entire rainbow. And who could forget
The Three Musketeers and
The Three Little Pigs?
Taking time to appreciate three beautiful moments in your day instead of one can be extremely meaningful. In my mom’s famous words, let’s make the most of our time here.
Copyright © 2019 by Paris Rosenthal. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
