Recovery comes in many forms-psychiatrists, retail therapy (as my teacher donned it), hibernation, binge drinking; But, tonight, I found myself at rest with a choir of candles, a glass of chardonnay, mint chocolate, fancy cheese and fancy crackers, a completely girl-friendly film and a few good friends. The scenery reminded me of my passionate affair with the country side of Tuscany...The fresh air, the tall thin trees, the vineyards, songbirds, and the little old men with their canes and wild flowers...A dream of a place, really. Upon the departure of the last guest, I made my way around the corner and let a river of hot water gush over my head and face. It was the more literal of tonight's cleansings from a stressful week. As the ribbon of liquid heat made its way around my tired skin, I was reminded that life is beautiful and far too full of moments to neglect documenting-so I write.
Really write. Tonight I have time for myself, time to enjoy the simple pleasures of doing nothing. The work can wait and this floor can stay cluttered for a few more hours, for there are many letters waiting to be appointed to their spot on this page and I shall not make them wait any longer.

The recollection of nature's impact forces me to think once again of the volumes of books that are, patiently, longing to be written. So many blank pages of potential-they need to be filled (and illustrated). Inspiration is a marvelous thing and is a cup that overflows, available to sip or gulp. I am half full and am dehydrated, but tonight I drink deeply and find myself renewed and full of ideas. The trick, now, is to figure out how to get them out-what mediums will be used? Which colors will breath life into the skeleton of design? Take a moment if you will and push aside your curtains. Open the windows and inhale the fall breeze. Look deeply into the eyes of the autumn leaves and let go of the thoughts that chain your mind. Find solace in the watercolor sky; and then close your eyes and let the winds of life sweep you away to a place you have never been-a place of peace and quiet, resolution and opportunity. You will find that all things are possible there, on the invisible plateaus of la la land. It is one of my favorite places. To daydream is to find the rhythm of your beating heart-to go to a place without distraction, to focus on the abstract and to be for a moment the person you want to be. Try it and when you open your eyes, remember.