The Danger of Italian Fantasies and Stereotypes
Not once have I regretted my decision to make Italy my home. Was I motivated to move here by Italian fantasies? Somewhat. Did I have [...]
A Year of Surrender and Taking a New Path.
2020 challenged even the best of coping mechanisms. Funny how we can delude ourselves into thinking we have it all together when life is [...]
Living in the here and now.
I don’t often go through the archives of my past paintings… Recently I did and came across this one, entitled [...]
Seeking Light in a Period of Darkness
The world seems like it has gone mad. For me, despair comes when I enter circular thinking in an attempt to figure out two [...]
Children Will Listen…and Learn
These lyrics, part of "Children Will Listen," rendered by the extraordinary Stephen Sondheim, are more on my mind than ever. Why? Because, in the [...]
Has My Love Affair with Social Media Gone Too Far?
Time to reclaim my peace and sanity. The Covid-19 crisis has provided far too fertile ground for reigniting my love affair with social media. [...]
Untangling Our Knotted Up Places
Crisis has a knack for dynamiting the status quo. And when two come along, double-barreled, with the pandemic and the massive protests and outcry [...]
Can You Make Peace with Yourself During Crisis?
In this crisis do you wake up stuck in your head, ruminating non-stop? It has become far too easy (myself included) with such extended [...]
“Normal” Goes Bye-Bye in the Wake of Covid 19
Our lives have been irrevocably altered. The Covid 19 crisis isn't just a major speed bump in our lives. No, it's more like [...]
When the Unexpected Arrives
And the unexpected is happening right now. I'm feeling it and seeing it more acutely being here in Veneto, one of the "hot spot" regions [...]
The Mountain is My Teacher
It happens every time, this invitation to wake up. So, why do I jump back into the swirling river of busyness and the world of [...]
The Sure Fire Creativity Killer
Being motivated by what people might think can kill the creative muse. I've known I've been a people pleaser most of my life. I've often [...]
Personal Epiphanies from an Overdue Hiatus
Sometimes we just need to step out of our grooves. Yes, step away from the well-worn rut of what we normally do. Step outside of [...]
Put It on Ice.
Time for a short break to refuel... I've been going, going, going and doing, doing, doing. While I pat myself on the back for being [...]
Go Ahead, Steer into the Storm.
I’ve been resisting the foul weather. By doing so, I've put myself squarely in the middle of the wrestling match with “what is.” I dig [...]
Feeling Overwhelmed? Finding a path to sanity…
Venice’s Acqua Alta is a great visual metaphor for me when I’m starting to drown in worry. Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. I have [...]
Sweeping Out What Weighs You Down.
361 © Jed Smith, Watercolor The problem is, most of what weighs us down is hidden from our conscious minds. That’s what I’ve realized recently, with [...]
A Silver Teaspoon Says “Live Now!”
Funny how a simple thing can expose a lifetime of conditioning. And, in this case, it was a silver teaspoon that somehow had escaped from [...]