by Erik Peterson

“Like all art, poems are only hints and guesses that draw our attention to something larger.” - Luci Shaw

Art is a window through which we glimpse the rays of eternity. In this way, all true and good art, whether poetry or pottery, music or mixed media, allow us to see out of our narrowness into an expansive...

(Consider reading the post first before watching the video...context matters.)

In many years working with artists, one common theme emerges when I speak with an artist who feels stuck, stagnant or circling round and round in creative dead ends.

And that is the theme of purpose.

If you feel flat, unmotivated, frustrated, or discouraged in your...

Persistence. Perseverance. Tenacity. Endurance. Resilience.

These are the character traits of a creative person who simply does not give up.

You may stumble. You may fall. You may win no artistic awards or personal accolades.

But you do not give up.

You are comfortable with being uncomfortable until your creative work finally bears fruit. You...

As I sat down to write this morning, I was flummoxed.

(Flummoxed: adjective, bewildered or perplexed, as in "he became flummoxed and speechless)

It's highly unusual for an Irishman to become flummoxed. 

Having received the gift of the gab from Ireland's Blarney Stone, an Irishman always has something to say, as in "I'm Irish,...

Thomas Merton was a Trappist Monk. He was one of the greatest poets, writers, mystics and intellectual minds of the 20th Century.  

Merton offers you perfect words for these perilous times...how you and I might live as children of light . . . as the sons and daughters of God. 

If we have the Spirit of God in our hearts, we...

By Joey O'Connor

The twin evil stepsisters of making progress with your art are Procrastination and Perfectionism.

What is the purpose of these two nefarious Sirens?

Nothing.

Listening to the Siren Songs of Procrastination and Perfectionism reveals the lack of a clearly defined purpose and the specific results you want in your creative...

By Joey O'Connor

I'm not a procrastinator or perfectionist.

And I'm not defensive.

Did you heart me? I am not a procrastinator.

I am a "deadline" performer with swaths of last-minute brilliance.

No ego here...really.

I am also not a perfectionist.

I am one with an eye for detail and thoroughness.

I live in the Zen of kaizen...continuous...

By Joey O'Connor

And as if a pandemic wasn't enough?

Washington State was recently hit with an invasion of murder hornets.

Way off course from their Southeast Asian homes, these two-inch F-15's of the insect world are attacking Washington's honeybee population. With vice-like pincers, the venomous hornets excel at decimating honeybee hives...

Almost Flying
By Drew Tilton

“I began a love affair with words before I left the crib!” Linda, only half-joking, recalled. “As a baby my mom put books in with me. I loved to flip through them even then.” And it wasn’t long before her love of flipping through books evolved into a passion for reading and writing.

Linda...

Around the Table of Creativity
By Drew Tilton

Mouth-watering aromas fill the air as Mandy navigates her kitchen with freedom and lightness. The culinary creativity exhibited is accompanied by an intentional comfort usually reserved for the deep understanding and connectedness of close friends. She flows between masterful skill and authentic joy...