I suppose I could write one of those end of year lists. But I'm not together enough to list top ten movies or top ten books. Do you keep track? Maybe list-making is something to try first thing in the morning when more energy zips through my brain. What can I even remember about this …
What are you looking forward to? I've had a hard time thinking of a topic that isn't gloomy, but I don't want to focus on gloom today. The Christmas lights are on. This year our tree is made of books, which are themselves made out of trees, so we're not far from tradition. Putting a …
I found myself sitting in the darkness of an abandoned church looking up at the moon alongside a best friend. The last month of the year has spilled out before us. We are tired but glad to be together in the magic quiet of a place we aren't supposed to be. When you look back …
I took this picture while out for a walk last March. This character sits in front of a house just a few blocks away. I like walking around our neighborhood and taking pictures of things people put in their yards (though I only take pictures that don't require pointing the camera directly at someone's home). …
I have mixed feelings about self-help books. I recently read a scathing piece on the self-industry which characterized self-gurus as con artists convincing you that you are inadequate so that you'll buy more products promising easy fixes. Well, some doctors sell you snake oil and some doctors make you better. So while I may have …
I finished my third story for Story-a-Day. I'm feeling that familiar mix of joy--I did it!--and dread--It's probably terrible. Being terrible isn't the end of the world though, is it? Why do we feel compelled to do something that we don't even have confidence in? It really makes no sense. It's actually a privilege to …
Bright spots do shine in the world. What is a bright spot for you these days? I read too much news and feel we're very much in darkness. But as Dumbledore reminds us, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” How does one …
Recently I watched Brene Brown's Netflix special. This article talks about it. Brene says that joy is the most vulnerable human emotion. We’re so afraid that if we let ourselves feel joy, something will come and take that away from us and we’ll be hit with pain, trauma, and loss. As a consequence, we try …
I'm adding my share of twee to the universe. I like dark and edgy as much as anyone, but give me good doses of sweet and quaint too. Please. I've been posting photos of Din and Bun with bits of conversation. It's fun and takes a bit of stress out of the day. These two …
I'm trying to stay calm in the storm of election season. In real life on a bad day, I tend to talk back to the radio, which is a silly thing to do. Right? Of course it is. Take a deep breath. Count to ten. But all that aside, I just had an art show …
Continue reading If you can’t stay calm, make good art or dance.
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 