“Imik simik” (ih-MEEK-see-MEEK) is a phrase in Moroccan Berber that means “little by little.” It’s also a way of life in southern Morocco, where glasses of tea are a better measure of time than the hands on a watch and where in any given moment, the person you’re having a conversation with or the task at hand takes precedence over all else. It’s about cooking slowly, speaking deliberately, and living life as it happens: moment by moment and day by day.

Morocco is famous for its carpets and textiles, which are among the most beautiful works of artistry I’ve ever seen. But equally stunning is the skill with which Moroccans can weave the simplest or the hardest or the roughest elements into the fabric of their lives – transforming the here & now into the art of the everyday.