Summer UNPLUG inspiration and some thoughts on SLIME and FIDGETS

I’m writing in my head all the time. Well, actually not in my head. In my body. Since I’m constantly urging people to turn off their minds in their creative practice when I teach art, painting, creativity, vision board workshops, I can’t say I’m writing in my head. More of the torso, actually. I feel the words in my shoulders and chest, roughly. Not the wrists. Not the root chakra. Not my heart, really. But in my chest. They collect like Luna’s fur does on our concrete floor. At first it doesn’t seem like much–she’s a German Shorthaired Pointer, after all, so it doesn’t seem like there’d be a lot of fur. But after a few days it’s like a game of miniature pick-up sticks–white dashes covering the tobacco colored concrete. When I sweep it up–there’s enough fur that it looks like a medium-sized gerbil. And that’s just after two or three days. read more

More connection in 2016…less iPhone

If you read this blog, I just want to thank you and wish you happy holidays.

I honestly don’t know how to interpret backend blog analytics or to understand if my numbers of readers are good or bad, high or low. I’m kinda low-tech.

But still, if there are ten of you (other than my mom) who read this blog and support my work then that feels good to me. And if there are a hundred then that’s pretty awesome. And if there are 1,000 then that is amazing. But for some people, 1,000 would seem insignificant. read more

Annual Social Media Fast

There is a never-doneness to my work. That is why I am so happy to take the summer off and be with my family. I mean, of course, I will still work. I will reply to emails and I’m excited to paint. But, the unendingness of it all–the constant feeling that I am behind–that the virtual stack of papers is growing instead of shrinking–that is already behind me. read more

Summer update

Hello!

Happy summer! Maybe because I was an August baby, I just love, love, love summertime. I love swimming and playing and the way time slows to a crawl in the summer–slow, nectar–dripping time.

Summer usually means I get the sheer privilege of fewer deadlines and emails so I can just surrender to my children and family–to just BE with them. Just be. To feel the exotic bliss of boredom…for my kids and me. Real-live, honest-to-goodness boredom. To just make dinner and organize the house and live really simply–eating watermelon, doing puzzles and seeing movies. After reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up this winter, I plan to get very Marie Kondo with my house and my life this summer. (And I’m already very Marie Kondo.) read more

more unplug

Elephant Journal just posted my writing about my #UNPLUG from social media here. Go read it and share! You wouldn’t believe how many of my friends have called/messaged/texted me saying that they really want to unplug, too. Scroll down to the bottom and you’ll see my list of healthy habits for social media. They are totally working for me and might help you, too. I look forward to unplugging each Friday (and coming back on Sunday). read more