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Lychee Veil | Markup on photo Sept 18
read the story of this piece on Instagram
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Gratitude
I checked my email just now and saw a $51 deposit from Stripe for writing to you all, and this helps me keep going. This cashflow tidbit tells me I'm providing value by sharing my practice, creativity, and my craft. Thank you from the circumference of my heart ⭕️ ;)
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Your donations helped me travel to get to 'The Pitt' (as my bro and I call it), and I'm happy to be here right now.
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Theme Weaving
It's the autumn equinox, so circles, taking steps over time, balance, and math are all up for me. I'll try to make something sweet and beautiful here. If you don't see and feel the way I do, there's some art above, and words below. Here's a 1975 ballad to get you in a certain mood. You're welcome, and sorry for the low D.
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Family & Flights
I'm in Pittsburgh this morning, staying at a converted YMCA-turned-boutique hotel. The industrial windows are covered in translucent textured frost, painted black, and don't open. So, I'm writing to you in a cocoon of sorts, mostly dark save the light from this screen and some glow from what I have to assume is an alley.
Usually I get a room with a view of a Pitt Presbyterian Cathedral, but not today. I'm drinking Copper Cow pour-over coffee in a Maverick Kasa,* and slept pretty good.
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I'm here to see my Dad, who lives in a Veteran's facility with no family for hundreds of miles around, most days anyway. The reason for this trip is to organize his closet (30 minutes), bring in a decent cup of coffee (15 minutes), and troubleshoot his phone so we can reach him from Rhode Island (15 minutes), and he can reach us.
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I'm happy to do all of this, yet also want something in return: his stories, mundane conversation, and his understanding about how life works. I feel I need these things, and am paying attention. I'm surprised he didn't call me last night to make sure my flight made it, but he's been having trouble with the phone.
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I'll finish this and get to him.
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Executive Function
I feel like I don't know his wisdom-things because I didn't grow up with him around. He was a man I witnessed from afar with occasional executive updates about his (and my) achievements and plans, with little spoken guidance, or daily mundane conversation.
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Like him, I tend to think actions require reasons, should fall neatly into schedules, and be justifiable to reasonable humans. That's how he and often interacted: with visuals so his secretary (or he) could get the thing done. No visual cue = no guarantee of communication. No clear ask = no action. Oh so cold, but kind of effective.
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The Fall Equinox & Time
And today, is supposedly is the day where light and dark get equal time in the fullness of this thing we call a "day." One full rotation of the sun equals this magical increment.
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Of 365 of these, there are only two with such magical balance. And even they aren't equal for real: The Weather Channel* just informed me that because of the earth's atmosphere bending light, we actually see a touch more light than dark.
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SymbolWork
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I've also been thinking about the age-old yin-yang** symbol. You know the one with like two fish in a circle, one light, one dark, each with an "eye" of the opposite color?
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I've been imagining what it would be like to stand inside that symbol, like it was a round room. If you stood inside the light area and turned 360 degrees, you'd be bathed in light, and see only a touch of darkness (the dark eye), which you might mistake for nothing. Since darkness is understood as the absence of light perhaps it could be understood as a "blind spot."
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Conversely, if you turned around inside the dark fish, you'd see an area of light in your field of vision: the light eye. I'd bet it would be really appealing to focus on that, like a "light at the end of the tunnel," while literally, just across the way, is a whole field of more light too, and under it a light background too.
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Yoga Poses & Motion
I guess it all just depends on where you stand, and how you look around. Wishing you a day of regular steps, where you see lots of light, because light's what it takes to see anyway.
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I'm on my way now, thank you for following whichever threads you followed here and please keep the tips and subscriptions coming. I'm raising funds for a studio space, where I can turn my digital art into things... I'd also love to see the Bayeux Tapestry with my family, but that's a big a$$ stretch to view an embroidery.
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*Unpaid brand endorsements. I feel about 7 out of 10 on both of these.
**Graphic below, red dot is where you'd stand, like a red beret atop your head from bird's eye view.
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“sometimes experience is idiocy hardened into habit."
- a teenage rebuttal
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More Text & Images
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One-Third School, Two-Thirds Sky
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I've had so many things on my mind lately, and much of it related to the sky: blues, clouds, galaxies, light and dark matter, and accelerating expanses1. And the truth for me is I regularly feel absorbed into the beauty of what I see in nature, and what I imagine artists like David Bowie and master painters would be doing …
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Categories: Creativity, Mommess, Spiritual Mechanics, Uncategorized, Visual Art
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Here's my story (and I'm not sticking to it)
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I've been in between things for some time now. Like in my career. And it is glorious. I mean, literally glorious. Each day feels like an adventure, my curiosity is alive, and the loving life lessons just keep coming in. I've been exploring interests I've had since childhood. You know, regressing in all the right ways. And there's been plenty …
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Categories: Creativity, Mommess, Spirtuality, Uncategorized, Work
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You received this email because you signed up here, or I thought you might find this interesting and added you to my weekly roundup of text & images. You may unsubscribe at any time at bottom. |
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Red dots reflect standing position inside "fish"
I used Claude to make this image.
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In the days of AI and excessive optimization, mess is leading edge.
Some content on my site is political, some personal, much of it philosophical, and all of it meant to shine some light into the lives of my readers, because it was written to shine light into mine.
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I hope my work stirs your soul, ignites your creativity, and helps you feel connected to all the good things this life can offer. If it doesn't, please promptly forget it! This work is my soul's calling. If you find value here, please tip or consider a paid subscription.
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POLITICAL ACTION AREA: It's best to connect with your local civic groups, and show up in the ways you can. Peaceful crowd sizes matter, as does your positive energy, community spirit, and adherence to non-violence. OCTOBER 17 is the next National No Kings Day designed to encourage early voter turn out.
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