© Jeff Krueger | Taunton Press
14 | CASA
appeared on the cover of National Geographic hanging on my wall, from about 1981. Her eyes are riveting; they make you feel like she’s seeing something you want to see too... To me she symbolizes alertness and the ability to see in dimensions beyond those we already know. In many ways, a lot of what I find fascinating are things that point to something I can’t quite touch yet.” Even if it is mysterious to you at the time, pay attention to what compels and inspires you—whether it’s a piece of paper from a magazine or photo of a country you’d like to visit one day—and give yourself permission to let it take center stage. Having these inspirations around, according to Susanka, is key to our continual spiritual growth. What you focus on, you draw toward you, so these symbols provide a subtle seeding of our future engagements.
Make continual changes.
“Select things for your home that symbolize your aspirations and draw you forward.” Sarah Susanka
her mantelpiece, which is a piece of solid cherry that a friend and furniture maker found, polished, and finished for her. “It’s at the very heart of my home, and reminds me of the care with which this man crafted every piece of wood he put his talents to. It is so smooth that just running my hand over it is a glorious experience. It is like touching that whole relationship, the whole friendship, as well as the beauty of his art.”
Sarah says: “I check in with myself from time to time to see if my space is reflecting my current state and current fascinations. I never know when it is going to happen, but every few months I’ll walk into my office and begin moving things around spontaneously, almost as though I were cleaning up the space. But this is more of a tuning up than a cleaning up.” At such times, Susanka rearranges her space—perhaps moving the location of her desk and chair to improve her view of the outdoors and get more natural light, or moving some of the objects on display from one spot to another—to get a new perspective on the available space and to ensure that it reflects her current interests. These little shifts, she insists, can completely change your orientation to what you are doing each day. It brings everything to life by reflecting you back to yourself. ●
RESOURCECENTER
Awaken your five senses. Sarah says: “The first time I got an indoor fountain back in the mid-1980s, people thought I was crazy. There is a famous Scandinavian furniture shop I used to visit that had a large fountain in the middle of their exhibit space. I would go to the store sometimes just because I liked listening to the water. The sound calmed me and put me in touch with the inner stillness that is the source of my true creativity.” Use what your body responds to, whether that be smell, sound, or touch, and notice how it brings you to an increased awareness. For example, one of Susanka’s clients is highly tactile and uses different fabrics throughout her house. She placed a tatami mat on the floor in one room and a very soft lamb’s wool rug in the bedroom to give her constant pleasure as she walked through her house barefoot.
Choose symbols that help you grow. Sarah says: “Select things that symbolize your aspirations and draw you forward. I have a picture of an Afghani girl who
For more from Sarah Susanka: Read her bestselling books: The Not So Big House Taunton Press
The Not So Big Life Taunton Press
Visit her website at susanka.com. Learn more about her foundation, Maitrhea, a nonprofit dedicated to the reestablishment of sufficiency, beauty, and balance in our communities through the making of sacred space. Go to maitrhea.com.