After a storm in Guadalupe, CA in 2003.

One popular topic of conversation these days begins with "How were your holidays?" and I always answer the same way – "Very fun, very busy and I’m glad they’re over."  I am extremely fortunate that I am able to take almost all of December off and become a crazed amalgam of Santa Claus, Martha Stewart and Julie McCoy, but I also find that by the time new year’s eve rolls around I am crawling out of my skin, desperately eager to go back to work.  These first few days back in my studio have been bliss.  I’ve barely left the house and each day has been an exercise in getting lost in my work, something I feel like I have to re-learn after long stretches of not being in my creative space.

There are two main projects I am working on right now, and I believe the outcome of each will very likely determine where my creative energies are focused this year.  One is my upcoming show – a group show I am organizing – and the other is a book proposal.  If 2006 was about testing the waters and creating a foundation for my resume, 2007 will be about breaking out and establishing a stronger presence in a few possible arenas.  Will it be the publishing world?  The LA art scene?  The fact that I am organizing my next show also adds an interesting twist to what I am doing as an artist – will part of my work become that of a curator/organizer?   The idea of opening up my own gallery has been lodged in the back of my brain for quite some time now, but I realize that is one of those ideas that might look appealing on the surface, but the day to day reality of it might not align very well with my other priorities.  At this point I haven’t considered it seriously enough to really figure out if this might be an attractive possibility for me, so for now I am just letting it sit idly in my consciousness.  Maybe it will fade away over time, or maybe it will sit stubbornly until I take the time to give it some serious attention.

In any case, right now I am not especially concerned with the outcome of these latest endeavors.  I am trusting that they will provide the answers I am looking for and show me where I need to go next.  Working on this book proposal is the first step in this kind of letting go.  At this point I do not know what this book will look like, so all I am doing is trying different things, knowing that a process of trial and error will enable me to figure this out.  I know that if I try to force anything, all I will do is constipate my creative process.  My only job at the moment is to create; the details will evolve from there.

"Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life. Don’t let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity."  -R. I. Fitzhenry