Book Review: Extraordinary Ordinary Moments

Published August 9, 2016 by Clarkson Potter

The author wrote, "Throughout the hustle and bustle every day, we must remember to slow down, unplug, and take in our surroundings." She then writes about a time in her life during the recession when she was without work and needed something to do. She then decided to do a daily blog. Every night, when her kids went to bed, she sat in the quiet and drew a picture of something she noticed that day. This was therapeutic for her and led to many other career opportunities. One of them, was an author. In this book is an opportunity for her readers to begin the same ritual. On each page is a picture and a prompt to give the reader a chance to stop and think by writing or drawing or whatever they find as a good way that works for them.

I absolutely love this idea! As a mother, I find that I go, go, go a lot and don't really stop to reflect on my day. As part of my process to review this book/journal, I decided I needed to institute this as one of my rituals as well so I could discuss the difference it has made in my life. It has been refreshing. I followed the advice of the writer and sat down after kids and hubby were in bed with a cup of tea. Just me and the four legged fur babies. It was quiet and just gave me a chance to reflect on my day. I loved it! While, this ritual could probably be done without the journal, the journal is a good starting point for someone who hasn't done it before. The pictures and prompts help get your creative juices flowing.

I give this book four stars. ****

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

My name is Jorey Hurley and I'm an author, illustrator, and artist. I find endless inspiration in the beauty of everyday life and I draw something (almost) every day. My latest book, EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY MOMENTS, is a diary for celebrating the surprising and often-overlooked beauty in daily life. It's published by Clarkson Potter and widely available at bookstores and gift shops. My critically-acclaimed books for kids, NEST, FETCH, HOP, and the forthcoming RIBBIT are published by Simon and Schuster and are available everywhere picture books are sold. They have been described as “certain to please aesthetically-minded children and adults” by The New York Times, “beautiful” by The Wall Street Journal, and “a delight” by Publishers Weekly. See more about my books (and where to buy) at http://joreyhurley.tumblr.com/books In addition to my books, I’ve worked with brands such as The Land of Nod, One Kings Lane, Minted, Papyrus, and Artfully Walls, and my prints have decorated the sets of The Mindy Project. I graduated from Princeton in Art History, earned a law degree from Stanford, and went on to study design at FIT. I worked as a textile designer at Hable Construction in New York City for five years, and now live in San Francisco with my husband and two kids. Ultimately the best preparation for my work has been a family chock full of artists: my mother is a sculptor, my brother is a photographer, my father is a filmmaker, my husband is an architect, my grandmother was a bronze sculptor and both grandfathers were painters. You can view my full image archive at http://joreyhurley.tumblr.com/archive

If you want more information on Jorey Hurley then check out her website here: http://joreyhurley.com/