Category Archives: my studio notes

spiral swirl twirl smudge

abstract thoughts

spiraling

swirling

twirling

but sometimes leaving meaning

a bit smudged
 
 
 
 

tangerine vibes

on january 6, the epiphany
under the first full moon of 2023 (the wolf moon)
i chose my word of the year . . .
 
 

 
 
several of my friends had been choosing a color, along with a word, to accompany and guide them through the next 12 months.

fresh avenues

well, it’s that season again
when i think about creating
my vision board for the new year

though i am still a bit unsure
about all i’d like to focus on
and accomplish in 2023

and i haven’t yet picked
my word of the year or even
narrowed down my choices

i’m letting january be my muse
seeing what fresh avenues this first
month of the year will walk me down

i’ve created several vision boards
through the years and have written about
them on seven different occasions

if you’re interested in making your own
vision board and would like a look
at my personal process, here you go:

  1. imagine.

blurriness corrected

it was a wonder-filled holiday in many ways
the beautiful winter snowscape
and christmas-in-the-city scenes
our two brightest lights home again
for our first pink house noel

and now only three days to go
as i say my goodbyes to the current year
and turn my attention to 2023’s newness

a fresh calendar calls for
crisp candor and raw reflection
quieting my mind
noticing my rhythms

bidding farewell to anything that
no longer moves me forward
though certain words seem to
keep popping up that do

wellness
and peace
resolve
and relevance
alignment

sky-high expectations
occasionally lead one astray
hiding unspoken truths
that bear closer examination

sometimes caught in intricate
webs of our own making
difficult to see beyond
so we adapt to the blurriness

but it is tiring and unproductive
to stay trapped in the fog
eventually we must feel our way
out through the hazy daze

open our eyes wide and
embrace what’s in front of us
who we are and what we are
meant to bring to this world


 
 
 
 

the shortest day, the longest night

winter solstice
 
 
the shortest day, the longest night
a time of deep stillness

to celebrate, i engaged in
some focused self-reflection

the question i found most helpful:
“what did you let go of this year?”

•twenty-five pounds
that seemed to come out of nowhere
that were affecting my physical health

•emotional burdens
that i could never control and no longer carry
that were affecting my mental health

i feel more in alignment now
with the season
and with myself
 
 
what did you let go of in 2022?

no words, but love

sometimes words are not necessary

but love is still obvious 💔❤️
 
 
 
 

sunny with gathering clouds

my mood?

happy, alternating with sad.

i’ve been gauging my emotional level for the past week on a chart in one of my journals. i am always aware of, in tune with, my feelings. it’s just something i do. but i’ve never rated them with weather symbols before!

a good start

this time of year, in my little mountain home, feels so full of hope and clarity. the peaceful scene outside my window (fresh silent white snow falling steadily all day) and the cozy scene inside (a home that’s well-prepped to keep out the cold) combine to make me feel thankful, buoyant, enlivened.

family


 
 
our sons will be here today
one from los angeles, one from seattle

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they’ll join us in north idaho
for the thanksgiving holiday

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all four of us together again
after almost eleven months

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it will be wonderful
that is all ❤️
 
 

 
 
 
 

your power

you already have the power
you’re holding it

perhaps not in your hand
not yet
but it’s there

maybe it’s stuffed way down inside
the years of doubt and insecurity
wrapped firmly around it, so now
the tightly wound ball
is hard to unravel

but it’s there
i promise you

the courage to take that first step
the strength to do what you need or want to do
the confidence to be who you are

think about how it would feel

with no one pushing you down
again and again
nothing burying you
in its heaviness

a chance to breathe
d-e-e-p-l-y
without fear keeping
your breaths shallow

you can start small

by simply listening to your feelings
beginning to understand them and
to understand their message

journaling your wildly chaotic thoughts
talking to someone you trust
creating a detailed self-rescue plan

it’s not easy i know
it feels frightening
perhaps even dangerous

and it won’t happen quickly
it will take starts and stops
triumphs but mistakes too

yet it’s vitally important

because reclaiming your power
your ESSENCE
is crucial to living your life

a life that can only get
better and better
once you’ve realigned with
your power
 
 

 
 
“in the midst of winter, i found there was, within me, an invincible summer.