Face it, we are all going through some interesting times right now. 2025 arrived with a crash of cymbals. Many of us have struggled through (and barely survived) wildfires, blizzards, floods, civil unrest and more – all during the past two months.

At the end of January, I had yet another eye surgery in my one functional eye, and this time, the vision loss was substantial. There have been weeks of painful, unexpected complications that are yet to be resolved. I only have a small amount of eyesight left to lose, and that makes life scary and difficult to navigate, especially because I live alone.

Nevertheless, we are still here.

Triage – for me, for now – is over. I need a plan. A good plan.

So I asked my Inner Magic 8 Ball, “How do I regain my footing?”

The result? R.W.Y.A.

Remember Who You Are.

Keep Calm. Remember who you are, regardless of all external circumstances. Who are you without context? Who is Desert Island You?

Keep Calm…and “March” on.

I am dedicating the next five Sunday essays—all during the month of March—to boldly recalling and embracing my deepest values, the core one being Beauty in all forms. Beautiful art, music, companionship, cooperation, peace. Beauty with or without great eyesight.

There is a wonderful quote, erroneously attributed to Winston Churchill, that is still a brilliant reminder.

During World War II, when a huge portion of British resources were earmarked for defense, someone suggested cutting funding to the arts to free up more money for the war effort. As the story goes, Prime Minister Winston Churchill responded, “Then what would we be fighting for?” 

Even if the story is more metaphor than verbatim, it nevertheless offers us a beautiful question:

If life as you know it were being threatened to the core, what would you want to survive as the highest values of your culture?

How would you want to be remembered? Can you start building your legacy now, with renewed clarity?

In the month of March, I will explore:

The Power and Purpose of Beauty

The Power and Purpose of Story

The Power and Purpose of Curiosity

The Power and Purpose of Listening

The Power and Purpose of Silence

This is a deeper dive than I usually share here on my website, but it feels like it is time.

Keep Calm and March On—for the entire month of March. Walk boldly yet humbly and may I say “teach-ably” into Spring 2025. Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses and attend accordingly. We will need access to our best selves from here on forward. Alone and together.

We will explore how to experience both the familiar and the unfamiliar with an open heart. A new viewpoint, even a temporary one, can lead to an unexpected insight.

Here are some watercolor images that may surprise you. Perspective, at times, is everything.

Perspective is everything.

This painting began years ago as a 22” by 30” watercolor. I soon realized the painting had serious design flaws, but it was too late to fix it without overworking it. Frustrated at having wasted a perfectly good sheet of expensive paper, I carefully removed it from the stretching board, then sadly ripped it in half.

“Whoa, NOW I like it. Huh!”

I ripped the remains of the painting very slowly a few more times, letting the grain of the paper decide where the tear would be. Then I kept the good bits.

The last image shows the free-form reality of a fresh perspective.

~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed this essay. Click on the “Word Cloud” at the right if you’d like to read more about a specific topic. Feel free to forward any of them to friends and family members who might enjoy them.

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The newest book, Look at That! – Second Edition, is also available as a beautiful hardcover.

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As always, thanks for spending some time with me “aloft.” Happy sketching!