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Our hands are one of the most important tools we have to connect with the world – we use them to touch, explore, grasp, work. In this Drawing Meditation we use them as a conduit for connecting with our inner world. We let the drawing distract our conscious mind so that our inner thoughts and…
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It seems like every few years, I sign up for NaNoWriMo. Write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days? Sure! I “won” in 2010 with my YA novel, 9 Point Plan, and failed in 2004 and 2018. So maybe 2023 will be a winner. UNLABELLED is a hero(ine)’s journey – a coming of age book…
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I enjoy an art challenge, and Inktober always draws me in. I can usually find time for at least a quick sketch for the daily prompt and sometimes a little longer playing on the page. I won’t say these are quality drawings, but I had a good time with them and I feel that I’ve…
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I started this drawing a few weeks back when I was feeling stressed and at odds with the whole project. I finished today with a few last details and a title. It really does show my route through the project or moving from this mess to the lovely fresh house up the hill. I shared…
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Doodling is good medicine. When you need a mental break from whatever you’re currently stressed about or trying to work through, art is a valuable refuge. And you don’t need to be an artist to get there. A Drawing Meditation like this one, gives your logical, conscious brain some rules to follow. While your logical…
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The other day while we were sitting around 555 on a break, Sasaki-san asked if I had started packing for the move yet. “A little bit,” I replied. But mostly I am thinking about what I want (and don’t want) to take with me. Right now, I am decluttering my “fantasy selves”. For example, I…
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Every morning as part of the Satoyama Yoga warm-up sequence, we twist our spine in a movement I call Washing Machine. It’s a direct descendent of a Kundalini kriya. Last weekend, we practiced art meditation and I unexpectedly drew the pose and I like it. I thought I’d share Washing Machine and also how to…
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I’ve become interested in the fiber plants that grow wild at 555. Over the late summer, I learned that the nettles which grow like weeds all around the property are useful. They are food in spring, but as they grow they become excellent fiber plants. With enough processing, they can be used to make baskets,…
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I felt nostalgic when I came across a stack of old Family Circle magazines at Soro Soro Bread Studio. Family Circle was a staple of my childhood reading, full of home economics articles and recipes. It’s been years since I’ve seen one, but it went on without me and finally stopped publishing in 2019 after…
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Do you use an appointment book, journal or diary for your daily planning? From the time I started working in an office (last century!) to my current life as a freelance designer, I have used an assortment of calendar books, diaries, and executive planners to keep track of tasks and appointments. Though I have updated…










