April, 2025
Once a year starting in mid-February, there is an Instagram challenge many artists participate in called the #100dayproject. I’ve done it myself more that once, and the habit of daily creativity and accountability has been really fun.
I was going to create and post something visual every day this year again, I really was.
But the truth is, right now that felt exhausting instead of exciting.
Then I thought, what if instead I promised myself jus tone extra hour of sleep for 100 days?
So, my #100dayproject is invisible this year – it’s a commitment to finally get in the habit of more than six hours of sleep a night. I’m lucky, I have the time now that I didn’t have before, I just don’t have the practice, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity.
I suppose I could have fed somekind of creative visual tracker into the algorithm every day, but for now you’ll have to take my word for it – it’s working!
March, 2025
Teachers of meditation have all kinds of suggestions for how to calm the monkey mind.
Some use a mantra
Some use the breath
Some suggest focusing on a sound
Recently, during a stay in Palm Springs, I was able to create my own little floating meditation practice. I would drop my rear end into a pool donut, close my eyes, and just listen to the sound of the running water for 30 minutes. Heaven.
Here’s a little ASMR for you to enjoy.
March, 2025
This is a book I’ve had for a long time. I bought it because I have met the author, Tejpal, several times when I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time at the Miraval Resort in Tucson.
You know how you buy a book because you like the author, but then you think you probably don’t really need to read it, because buying it way more about supporting them?
Then, the day comes when you think, let’s just take a look.
Each brief chapter describes a way to BE – Be Cool, Be Disciplined, Be Less – but the explanations aren’t what you might expect.
Each chapter also has a journal prompt, a meditation and breathing exercise, and a suggested action, so it works well as kind of a daily or weekly devotional.
March, 2025
Those of you who are artists on Instagram, or follow artists on Instagram may be familiar with the #100 day challenge. A big part of the challenge is to make a long-ish term commitment to an artistic project of your own design and to regularly share whatever it is. That makes sense when your project is somehow tangible – the written word, the painting, the piece of music.
For whatever reason, this year I felt inspired to a different kind of creative discipline, one that I sense might unlock new creative energy if I can just stick with it, and 100 days seemed like a good start.
The problem is, my project this year doesn’t produce anything visible.
My #100day project, you see, is to commit to at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
I know that’s still only the minimum recommendation by many sources, but it would be a good improvement over the 6 or so I’ve been getting for as many years as I remember.
I really only started in earnest last week, once I completed a cross country drive and adjusted to the time zone chaos caused by that change. The secret for me seems to be shutting it down by 11 p.m. because I seem to have to grab the extra hour in the evening instead of the morning.
It’s going pretty well so far, but I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it!
February, 2025
February has been another travel month, so another month that art has to be made in the cracks of available time and with whatever materials made it into the art supply cull or ephemera from daily life.
Collage is one of the “multi”s in my multi-passionate art practice. That means I can’t settle on one type of work to make or medium to use.
Starting February 1, a series of prompts were issued on Instagram under the #februllage. It seemed appropriate since I started late and haven’t caught up to share with you the February 5 prompt piece: Chaos. Honestly, it sort of feels like an appropriate prompt for the whole month, and then some.
