Blog Archives

High Resolution

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I’ve been journaling about my New Year’s resolutions for the past few years. I’ve managed to keep them and carry them forward. They’ve focused mostly around running, meditation and making art.

This year I’ve run over 800 miles and just finished my first marathon with a respectable time — for a 40 year old dude who just started running a few years ago.

A few years ago, finishing a marathon popped into my head as a goal and soon after that it started to feel like an inevitibility. And just like that, I did it. And now it’s over. Doesn’t seem as difficult in the rearview.

Looking forward to what 2018 has in store. Drinking more water, more often, is a pretty radical practice I’ll take on.

Burning Light

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Kimio Eto Interpretation for Guitar

I’m happy with this drawing.

I saw an image of the artwork from Kimio Eto’s “Koto Music” album and it really landed for me. Instant impact. I feel that art “on art’s terms” is largely overlooked due to the quiet value it offers amid competing bids for attention from an accelerating and unprecedented variety of commercial media. But sometimes a piece of art just connects and makes you stop and say “Oh.”

I saw this album and had to know what the music sounded like. I gave it a spin via YouTube [+] and began studying the cover with paper and ink.

My goal was not to copy the cover but see where I ended up by studying it’s character and line and energy. Receive it and express it and change it in the process.

I’m tempted to explain the associations that ran through my mind as I steered the image toward my own thoughts and interpretations but instead I’ll just leave it here.

Listen Silent

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Stillness will lead you to a new awareness. Though it never really happens. Even the roots of a tree are on the move, finding water and soil while being still. Sitting motionless is a nice aspiration, but don’t forget to breathe. Breathe totally but listen closely and invite silence to access stillness. Stillness exists only behind the things. It’s the space that is not subject to motion.

Listen Stillness is Silent [+]

2015, Well, Good.

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Going into the colder months on the back end of 2014, I’m starting to feel a little sluggish. Shorter days, a colder bite. Instincts are kicking in to hunker down.

Almost a year ago I made a new year’s resolution:
“Work out at least once a week. Every week. Without fail. All year.”

Since those first few weeks of 2014, I’ve logged over a thousand bike miles and dropped fifty pounds.

And consistency outdoes intensity, every time.

I had no intention to (and no idea that I might) lose that amount of weight. Real results happen in increments. Every goal was an easy and approachable one that built on the one before it.

Once a week. Then 20 miles a week on the bike. Then twice a week. Then added 5 running miles a week. etc. I threw in some nutrition input from a specialist and I still feel great.

In 2013 I ran 0 miles. In 2014 I ran over 300 miles and did a half marathon in pretty decent time.

I hope to carry this experience forward as well as the learning and refined intuition that came with it.

In 2015 I will choose new areas of progress around sleep and meditation as well as 500 miles running.

Distance running and meditation are very similar in terms of developing focus and patience, zoning out and zoning in to go just a bit further, and then just a bit further; enjoying a flow as you go. I expect to unlock even more potential in 2015.