“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
Seneca
Reflecting On A Winter’s Day
Patty might tell you that at this point in my life, I’m most happy when I’m making beautiful photos for a client or myself. I need to get better at “embracing” the down time. So when life and business slows to a crawl (i.e. not much work) between Christmas and New Years I get “cabin fever” and end up cleaning out closets, clearing my desk and this morning I find myself reflecting on an overcast damp winter’s day.
I’ve spent a lot of time organizing my Art files. I have quite a bit of printed art, but the files were located willy-nilly throughout my hard drive. And if I died unexpectedly, my heirs probably wouldn’t have found them – that is if anyone cared to look. But now, they can all be found in the Master Art File. It helps me too when somebody wants to buy something. Brilliant I know.
Fortunately my health insurance provides a gym membership. They say exercise is a great antidote for Cabin Fever. That and vitamin D. I take 5000 units daily and get to the gym 3-4 times a week.
I do poorly at sitting “in” the sofa and watching a movie. I avoid network tv all together except for sports, Vanna White and CBS Sunday morning which incidentally featured a herd of wild horses that I had photographed about the same time in October 2022. Check it out here.
If I am “on” the sofa, I’d rather have a book in my hands and music playing.
A couple times a week, Patty and I visit our local dive bar around 4 or 5 in the afternoon. It’s free to play on their well used beer stained pool table and we enjoy the “Cheers” environment with our friends in low places. (I’m speaking a little bit tongue-in-cheek here.) And as a bonus, there is live music in the venue a couple times a month. By the way, Patty has gotten pretty good with a pool cue and will take your money if you are not careful.
Then the real vaccine for cabin fever is Amazon dot com. I’ve purchased several hundred books over the years, and my Audible title list is growing fast. I just bought 2 books – one about good writing and the other about philosophy. Let’s see what else. I bought a 14TB external hard drive, some new shoes, a new strobe light for my studio, a new cork board for my office, and just this morning I bought a floor standing reading lamp (guaranteed for 20 years) to improve my experience “on” the couch.
The only thing I haven’t done yet today is write the blog and here you go!
Black and White
Before Christmas I was commissioned to create a piece for a new client who intended it for a present. I was pleased to assist this young woman and here are a couple of shots that came out of the frosty winter morning on December 19th. And cabin fever drove me to enter these images in a juried show coming up in January at Framations Art Gallery in St. Charles. I’ll let you know if I get “juried in” or “juried out”. These images are framed 16×20 and listed at $295.00.
Final Thought
Maybe you have a favorite vaccine to cabin fever. I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Or is it possible you too have done some reflecting on a winter’s day and would care to share a thought or two below.
But my actual final thought is this. The most important things in life aren’t things. They are relationships. I’m talking about the good relationships and not the bad ones. Can I encourage you to pick up the phone, write a card or give a hug? And be good to yourself.
Thanks for dropping by today!
Happy New Year my friend!
Mike
Ps. If you are familiar with the Cottleville area and need a “refresh” on your headshot, I’ve got an opportunity for you below.
Mike, I love to read what you write.
You are a good man, John
Beautifully written.
From a beautiful woman.
Very inspiring!
Thank you David! You’re a good man!