It's a Classical Life

 There are different ways to read and there are books that should be read differently. What I mean to say, is that there are some books that, as Bacon suggests, should be chewed and digested slowly because they require a deeper read, closer examination and ultimately will offer unlimited joy and inspiration. Then, there are those that are purely for enjoyment or instruction and once finished offer no great insight into our lives or how we are living them. Both types of reading are fine and should be encouraged. My son is very good at differentiating between these two and will alternate between simple, graphic novels that are purely for entertainment purposes, and deeper classics that he continues to mull over for months. A slow chewing and digestion. A couple of years ago I decided to focus my reading on the classics, because it was something I wasn't interested in doing in my younger years. I have gained so much wisdom and inspiration in choosing to read this w...

Welcome back to It's a Classical Life!   If you are new here, welcome! I hope that you will take the time to explore the diverse array of articles published here on how to live well, inspired by the classics. Reading classic literature, studying the arts, appreciating classical music, and sharing these things with all of you, are my passions. If you have come here before, you might be aware of my love of all things Italian. As part of my teaching degree I studied Italian language, literature and history and in 2004 I spent some time living and studying in the northern regions of the Veneto. It is such a rich culture, full of so many points of interest and inspiration.  This week I'm looking at Italian Nobel Prize winning poet, Eugenio Montale - one of the most important Italian poets of the twentieth century - and his moving poem,  The Lemon Trees. I've mentioned before that the best way to read poetry is aloud. I tried to find a recorded rendition of ...

  Does this week's Bitesize Inspiration resonate with you? When Agatha Christie, one of my favourite authors, made this quote in her autobiography, it was during a time when life was considered slower than it is today (she began the autobiography in 1950 and finished it in 1965). The technology boom that we are now living through was still in the future, and yet people still felt strapped for time. It amazes me how much time we lose to technology and the endless opportunities to be distracted and waste time online. This quote resonated with me, especially when I got my weekly screen time update on my phone. I was amazed to see how many hours had been wasted doing nothing and I'm making a conscious effort this week to get off the screens and to get productive, enjoy the day, spend time with my family and get outdoors. It is obvious that I have the time, I just haven't been making wise choices with how I choose to spend it. If this is something you are struggling with at th...

  It has been a while since we have done an artist spotlight here on It's a Classical Life , and as I was admiring the work of Grace Cossington Smith on several different occasions lately, I thought she would fit in perfectly here. Her biography and the quotes here come from the Australian Dictionary of Biography (ANU) and the photos are courtesy of the National Gallery of Australia .  Grace Smith was born in Sydney in 1892 into a large Anglican family, with ties to royalty (her uncle  was private chaplain to Queen Victoria at Osborne, Isle of Wight) and a love for art. She studied art in Sydney as a young woman, and when she was twenty she travelled to England for two years with her sister. Here she continued to sketch and study art, and even travelled to Germany where she was inspired by the paintings of Watteau. You can see how his use of colour has inspired Cossington's own paintings.   Smith returned to Sydney in 1915 and once more resumed her art classes....

  Yes! Our great friend, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, hits the nail on the head with this quote! And you might be saying to yourself, yes Kirsty, that's hardly new and exciting inspiration, but if you are anything like me you may need this as a reminder today. Truly the little things are the most important!  Having a family sit down with a meal at the end of a day. Sharing a laugh with your partner. Enjoying the big open sky, either brilliant in its blueness or endlessly fascinating with its infinite stars. Visiting friends or relatives. Having a cup of tea after a busy day. Meditating or praying in the quiet hours. Giving thanks. Feeling the soil between your fingers and the grass under your toes.  There are so many little things available for us to enjoy and be mindful of everyday. What little thing do you love the most that makes you stop and smile?

Simple living is one of my favourite topics to discuss here on the blog. There is so much inspiration to be found on this topic in the classics, and for me living well  is much easier when I'm living simply . This is in part due to the fact that when the classics that we discuss here were written, life was in many ways simpler. I don't necessarily mean easier, but certainly simpler, less hurried, less distractions, less of always chasing more. The proponents of simple living are different for everybody, so I've just chosen some of the easiest and most enjoyable ways I know to embrace simple living.  In this article I thought it would be fun (and helpful) to refer you to certain books for certain aspects of simple living. That way, you can use the book as a sort of guide to direct you to certain aspects of simple living, whilst offering a entertaining and in some cases, a rollicking good read (I love that old-time expression!) Where possible, I also add a link to other art...

It has been a while since we have had some Tolstoy inspiration, so I thought this quote from my copy of Tolstoy's Book of Wisdom seemed particularly pertinent. Peace is a fundamental component of a good life, any good life, and Tolstoy's formula for achieving peace is one worth contemplating. By including humility in this definition, we are going against the grain of common belief (again) which claims that we should be ready to defend our views and attack those who don't agree with us. This may work for you in standing up for your convictions, but does it bring you peace? The last few weeks have been rather hectic around here, but this morning I rose early, had my tea, and did some meditation. It has been a long time since I meditated and I can still feel the peace and calm that it has brought me on this cold, wintery morning. I hope that you are all well and that you find some peace in your lives today.