One Simple Question Movie

For awhile now I have been following the adventures of Ben and Teresa aboard their beautiful Bristol Channel Cutter (a 28' sailboat) as they search for an Iceberg of the coast of Newfoundland.

Their quest was a simple one. See an iceberg. They would do so while exploring the simple living lifestyle. Onboard their small vessel would be the two of them, their cat Dory, and a cameraman catching all of the action on their 3 month long journey. The demands on their resources were strained during the journey and I'm sure they had to come up with many alternative methods to meet all of their needs.

But this month we got word that their quest had been successful. With Icebergs becoming harder and harder to find on our warming seas, Teresa and Ben finally found and sailed around a massive moving island of ice ... capturing it all on film.

I can't wait to see the end product!

Hop on over to their website at www.simplequestionmovie.com to read more about their adventure and stay updated on the film process.

~Simple Living Project

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Bike Love : December Is A Good Month To Start!

Although filming is scheduled to commence on Oct 23rd, Kara has decided that a bit more footage during the "prep" stage would be of great benefit to the Bike Love documentary. So ... even though the project is still starting within the next week, Kara won't commit to commuting by bike full-time until December 1st.

This give Kara the ability to really detail the switch from car to pedal power in a more impact full way. We'll see more of her daily routines as they are before making the switch so that the audience can better relate to her lifestyle change come December.

It will also give Kara a chance to highlight some of the most important decisions she has to make before starting this adventure - choosing the right kind of gear being one of them. The documentary will be able to go more in-depth into the myriad of choices out there as well as the thought process behind why Kara makes the decisions she does.

I, for one, think this is a wonderful change. The footage the project will be able to capture now will be much more relative to all of us out there who are contemplating making a similar change ... which will lead to a much more enjoyable experience.

Plus ... normally in November it is cold and rainy (which would make for a horrific and therefor wonderful start to a documentary). However, as I write this it is sunny, warm, and beautiful outside. Who wants to start an adventure like that?! I say wait for the nasty gray weather to show up ... THEN start filming (wink)!

Good luck Kara! We'll be cheering you on!

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An Adventure In Simplicity : In Search Of The Sea

In Search Of The Sea: Simple Living On A Small Sailboat

Here is an wonderful example of a Simple Living Project that is just trying to get off the ground. Adam has been living a simple life for the past few years on his small, 400 sq/ft floating home he calls his "paradise". In that time he has discovered that the less he has to "deal with" in his day to day life the happier his time becomes.

In Search Of The Sea is Adam's way of reaching out and letting people know about the joys of choosing a simple lifestyle. He makes a point to distinguish "simple" living from "frugal" living. Simple living, to him, means more about how you spend your money ... not how much money you make or have. Adam's take on Simple Living is that the more daily experiences you have which bring you a sense of personal achievement on a spiritual and more holistic level, the happier your life will become.

His project is aimed at showing how little money one has to spend on the "necessities" and still live a high quality, normal, life and be, in every-other-way, a
functioning part of society. Not only does this way of life benefit the person directly, but living a simple life also has the byproduct of being much more green and sustainable than the current status quo.

Right now Adam is raising funds for his project so that he can move aboard and begin documenting through his blog (www.insearchofthesea.com). Eventually he plans on having routine video episodes which highlight aspects of the simple living lifestyle over the next 2 years. He'll also be conducting interviews with knowledgeable people in sustainable living and holding regular focus groups and meetings to discuss how people can adopt more of the simple living philosophy into their own lives. Adam is even offering "Simple Living Experiences" as part of the project! Especially for those that help him get the project rolling (learn more here).

So hop on over and help support In Search Of The Sea!

And don't forget to share this page with your friends on Facebook and Twitter! Help spread the word :)

Simple Living Family : An Everyday Family Living The Simple Life

Like most people who find themselves pursuing a simple lifestyle for the first time, Karla and family had no idea there was a movement out there called Voluntary Simplicity or Simple Living. They were simply looking for a way to cut back, enjoy life more, and reduce the overall stress our modern world places on the average person.

Simple Living Family choronicals Karla, her husband, their two sons and one lovable dog as they filter their way through all the consumerism hype and find a way to enjoy the simpler things in life. After all ... it's the simple things that bring the biggest smiles!

Simplelivingfamily.com is a wonderful resource for stories, inspiration, novel ideas, and support when it comes to raising a normal family in a simple fashion. You'll find that Karla has a witty and concise way of portraying every aspect of the simple living lifestyle. From raising her two boys, to struggling with realistic issues surrounding running a household, Karla has captured the true essence of what it takes to laugh, live, and love in this complex world.

Visit her family. Simple Living Family.

~The SLP

7 Acts of Simple Living

I found a new site the other day, SimpleLiving.org and thought I would share a little bit. On this site I ran across the "7 Acts Of Simple Living" which I thought were very nicely thought out and provide insight into the many reasons why people choose Voluntary Simplicity and a simple lifestyle. Hope you enjoy!

Seven Reasons for Choosing a Simpler Lifestyle:

1. As an act of intentional living performed for the sake of personal integrity and as an expression of a commitment to a more equitable distribution of the world’s resources.

2. As an act of creation care for ourselves and especially for our children and grandchildren against the earth destroying results of over-consumption such as pollution, climate change, and resource wars.

3. As an act of solidarity with the majority of humankind, which has little choice about material affluence.

4. As an act of celebration of the riches found in God’s creation, and the riches of community with others, rather than in the "poverty" of mindless materialism.

5. As an act of spiritual discipline ordering our lives to reflect the values of simplicity and just living taught by Jesus and teachers in other world religions.

6. As an act of advocacy for changes in present patterns of production and consumption.

7. As an act of provocation (ostentatious under consumption) to arouse curiosity leading to dialog with others about affluence, and sustainable "green" living to redirect the production of consumer goods away from the satisfaction of artificially created wants toward the supplying of goods and services that meet genuine social needs.

(Based on an article by Jorgen Lissner)


Not everyone follows a simple lifestyle for all of these reasons. For example, when I started the In Search Of The Sea blog, I was not intending to do anything other than cut back, manage my stress, and experience a little more gratification on a day-to-day basis. However, through my involvement, my once personal blog has turned into a project that definitely opens up a dialog with others about the tenants of simple living. I have found a lot of self-satisfaction through exploring and helping others discover the amazing elements of life that our current society so adeptly hides from us ...

The more I simplify my life, the less stress I have. The less stress I have, the more joy I have. The more joy I have, the happier my life is.

And I like being happy.

~Adam
In Search Of The Sea

Introducing Bike Love!

Is it really that hard to commute full time by bike? What are the unforeseen hurdles that one must overcome to become a proficient biker? Does not having a car impact your quality of life or restrict what you are able to do in this modern day urban world?

These are the questions that one woman, Kara, is determined to answer this upcoming year. And, best of all, she is going to document her entire experience! Today was the first meet and greet / initial planning meeting for the project Bike Love! Over delicious appetizers (the fried zucchini was wonderful), a group of mostly strangers sat down to discuss topics ranging from bike setup to video logistics surround this intriguing topic.

Kara is not a biker. She hasn't been racing in events or own a closet full of riding gear. Her current bike is an "undersized mountain bike ... I think." Following her won't be a "How To" on biking ... it'll be a complete foray into the steep learning curve of pedal power. We'll watch as she discovers the joys of riding in the rain, finding routes and shortcuts, and dealing with self-entitled motorists.

We'll also get an insider look at the biking community. From Zoo Bombers, "hard-core" bikers (too much spandex), and the infamous Naked Bike ride, Kara will delve into a culture that many people are flocking too in an effort to escape the pump. We'll follow her adventure here on The Simple Living Project and hopefully hear some of her insights as her year progresses.

Although there is no blog for the Bike Love project yet, one is in the works and should be up shortly. You can currently show your support by following Bike Love on Facebook - so head on over and see what it's all about!

Don't forget to check out the other projects in Simple Living on the right!

The Simple Living Project Is Underway!

Welcome everyone! If you're reading this post, then chances are there aren't many other things on this blog yet. You see, I just created it a few seconds ago. However, soon you'll begin to see what a special place this blog will become. You see, I started this blog because I myself am striving to achieve a simpler lifestyle. I've documented my trials so far on my own personal blog, In Search Of The Sea. However, finding others who were doing similar things was a challenge. I've spent countless hours scouring the internet for other people who were tired of the status quo and wanted to live a more simple life.

In my internet blundering, I have stumbled across a few amazing stories and other bloggers out there who have their own unique ways of trying to achieve a higher quality of life through scaling back and focusing on things other than material gain. I decided that there should be a place out there where all of these individuals could meet, read each other stories and help inspire others to do the same. The Simple Living Project was born! I hope to accrue a collection of blogs, events, projects, and other endeavors in our communities which are documenting their journey into a more simple life. Through this site I hope to give other like minded people a tool in which to promote, share, and bring attention to their own personal simple living endeavor.

I hope what you find here in the future is both inspiring and enjoyable to read! Come back often!

Oh! And if you know of anyone or any projects that you think fit the above description, please let me know about them so we can start sharing them with others!

Thanks!
~Adam