I recently gave a tour of FrogSong, my cohousing community, to a group of local university students. During my talk I shared this story about the power of consensus decision-making. Even though this event happened fifteen years ago, I still choke up in the telling. Quick background: Consensus, as we practice it, draws heavily on […]
This weekend, in honor of Martin Luther King Day, I attended the incredibly moving film Selma. What most stood out for me, watching that line of people marching toward a line of angry, heavily armed policemen, was their courage. To march forward, knowing you are likely to be physically attacked. To do so with a […]
Sometimes we make resolutions…and sometimes they come to us. The universe gave me a big one this weekend. I went for a long run on a pretty vigorous mountain trail Saturday. I was having a ball! Gorgeous weather, lovely views, beautiful scenery, occasional glimpses of wildlife. When running on a rocky trail, it’s a good […]
January’s theme for Creative Every Day is “lost and found.” To me, collage is the ultimate lost and found art form, transforming old magazines and cards and such into new images. I spent some time this weekend thinking about my New Year’s resolutions, turning them into a collaged cover for my sketchbook journal.
During one of my weekend runs, I passed under a bridge where a homeless man was sleeping. I’d been out for an hour or so, and the tea I’d drunk earlier was calling for an exit. As I scouted for a suitable location, it occurred to me that I had a few things in common […]
The beginning of a new year is a traditional time for self-reflection, often resulting in a list of habits to initiate, change, or break. Many of them revolve around health behaviors: stop smoking; eat more salad and less junk food; workout every day. Seth Godin’s blog post Angry Is a Habit suggests that our emotional […]
I gotta walk my talk. I spend a lot of time working with clients on thinking and working more creatively. In order to do that well, I need to keep my own creative juices flowing! I’ve signed up for the Creative Every Day challenge created by the same gal responsible for Art Every Day Month. […]
Last night I made a chili dinner for 36 of my cohousing neighbors. I billed it as “Grandma Nellie’s Famous Chili” but the reality is that in most of my memories, it was my father making the chili. (My mom never did.) There seemed to be only two types of cooking available to the men […]
More iPad painting today. Several of my favorite art mentore point out the value of copying and tracing as learning tools. I find it terribly fun to download an image, trace the outline on another layer, delete the original and then just have my way with it! This Mona Lisa was done in about an […]
Assignment #40 from Carla Sonheim’s Drawing Lab. I love this book – fifty-two prompts for getting started with a drawing. Because isn’t that often the hardest part, looking at that blank page and wondering what to do?