Mid-April 2026. When the world is too much, art is a lifeline. We are lucky to have the Hood Art Museum nearby, with a large permanent collection and brilliantly curated changing exhibits. And it’s free! Yesterday a friend and I spent two hours there and once again I was overcome by the combination of deep skill and powerful imagination that goes into a piece of art. This is what we are capable of as human beings–this dedication to a practice, be it painting or sculpture, beadwork, quilting, basketry, ceramics, photography or some other form. To become good at whichever art, years of learning and practice, right? To have the imagination to foresee what you want or can make and then give yourself to it, let it take you into the making, trusting the process. Wow, right? And the patience–oh my god–the patience to put all that effort into one piece and trust yourself that it will add up to something.
Wherever you live, please do give yourself the pleasure of visual arts–at a gallery or museum. Even at Farmers’ Markets you find craftspeople displaying and selling their wares, and some of them are magnificently skillful.
Well, you say, no art can compare to nature. So don’t compare them! Nature’s wonders are multiple, magnificent, awesome, even overwhelming sometimes. Love it.