The quarantine is on and the Crate is here again to provide some much-needed mental respite. So let’s get right to it!

1. The shortest novel ever written is supposedly by Ernest Hemingway and consists only of 6 words – “For sale: baby shoes never worn.” Alternatively, there is a equivalent in Spanish by Augusto Monterroso called El Dinosaurio (‘The Dinosaur’) that says Cuando despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba allí. ((“When he awoke, the dinosaur was still there.”). Following this honourable tradition, Six Word Memoirs provides both reading and options to try one’s hand in squeezing a life into 6 words only.
   
2. Colors and different combinations of them have captured the imagination of people since they were painting on cave walls and Public Domain Review has gathered a fascinating collection of historical color charts.

3. Being an artist in the (formerly) socialist countries was often not an easy feat. However, on occasion, there seem to have been unexpected ways to accommodate them – such as building rooftop ateliers into standard residential housing.

4. The Japanese have a horticulture technique called daisugi and it looks absolutely fascinating.

5. To see some truly captivating animal photography, look no further than to the portfolio of Harman Singh Heer or his Instagram.