Hello, summertime. Deep, meandering thoughts from an artist who is managing kids and trying to make new art during the longest/shortest season of the year… I know I’ve written about this before, but summer is so strange for me. It has always felt heavy and bittersweet, even as a child. My birthday is in the … More Impermanence
Celebrating the “little victories” in life is something I hear others talk about but have never really done myself. Acknowledging even the tiniest of accomplishments can raise your serotonin levels (and as we well know, I need that in my life). So, I’m going to recognize some of my small wins in what is a … More Little Wins
So, as it seems, 2020 is not finished being bizarre. Here in South Louisiana, we have just come through a strange, strong October hurricane. Another chapter in this weird tale of the year that has changed the landscape of our lives. Hurricane Delta fell to the west of us, battering the already battered areas around … More Weathering the Storms
Being under a government-mandated stay-home order has not been easy by any means. I understand why, and I will comply as long as is necessary. During this “challenging/unique” time (those are the words that the advertising copywriters are using interchangeably to describe the current state of the world), I have learned several things about myself. … More Things I’ve Learned During Quarantine
I had a panic attack this weekend. Full-blown, couldn’t breathe, heart pounding, couldn’t stand, on the floor, fetal position PANIC. If you have never experienced that, I hope you never have to. The first time I ever had one, I thought I was dying. Literally. Fortunately, I was alone. No one saw it, especially my … More Days of Disquiet
The 8000-lb gorilla in the room. COVID-19. It has affected our lives in a major way. Most cities are in a stay-home holding pattern. “Essentials only.” And when you’re an artist, you’re a luxury. Definitely not toward the bottom of the Hierarchy of Needs. At least for other people. I’m still making art, because for … More Tired
I haven’t been working much lately. January is usually a quiet month for senior portraits around here (at least, in my experience it is), so I spend a lot of time reflecting and planning. I get to play with different camera and/or lighting techniques. And sometimes I spend too much time obsessing about my own … More There’s Beauty in the Breakdown
As a person who lives with high functioning anxiety and depression, sometimes I have to find things that make me remember my WHY. I’m here, for a purpose, as part of a greater plan. My life will touch the lives of others, and I want to have a positive ripple. How can you create a … More 20 Things That Make Me Smile
(I’m writing this blog because yesterday was a DAZE DAY.) Which one is really happening? I’ve always been a fairly open book about my struggles with mental health issues. Depression and anxiety hang out at the top of my diagnosis list, and they switch places as the dominant diagnosis in a terrible cycle. It’s this … More Mental Health Days v. Mental Health Daze
I recently came across several short stories I wrote in high school and college. I’d forgotten about most of them. My fiction writing professor at UT Austin told me the last time I saw him that I should not stop writing because as he said, “you’ve got something. That thing that can’t be named.” I … More Write On, Right On
Somebody's Daydream 