"Dear Diary" (a.k.a. all of you)

It's been a helluva month. But the camera kept rolling, the animals kept moving and I got this note out just at the end of it. Nearly.

Truth be told, I finished writing this while waiting in the Superior Court Jury Assembly Room where, for a record eighth time, I watched forty other people get called up to the 6th floor court room while I landed in the reserve group (me and five guys), ready to join the judicial fray if called.

We were, of course, dismissed by noon.

After binging The Lincoln Lawyer, I was fully prepared to deliver a quietly riveting juror performance but hey, c'est la vie.

Dreams of attending "voir dire" aside, it was a fast March between fieldwork, a trip to document Safe in Austin and trying to keep painting on track. These last few months have tested time management skills and internal systems as I've developed The ARK, started building out new additions to the online storefront and kept my commitment to this new path.

While the cost of alignment has been spicy at times, the space where my attention was chronically compromised has given way to extended, quiet periods at the painting table, where realizations whisper:

"Oh right..I'm, an artist."

Over the last twenty plus years, that piece of myself has fluctuated in appearance but with my watercolor world remaining steady (read: the table of paints, various papers, crinkled studies and pens in the corner of my living room), the reunion has been sweet. And full of bears. I had hoped that Bruce (the bear) would be ready to make his first public appearance alongside other finished works but the best things take time, so he'll arrive next post.

For now, it's time to tip my ball cap.

Thank you to everyone who took time to watch, share and send a note about the first ARK trailer and project as a whole, especially those who became new paid subscribers or one-time donors. I tried hard to keep expectations low, but I'm human and this project means the world to me.

Reshaping my operating system and life is the hardest thing I've done - not just this year, but likely ever - and this film, this work, is a true lifeline.

Each month holds new cases, more learning and a lot of footage, all of which keeps my organizational discipline running on high and my creative flow shifting up and down as needed. The growing curiosity about the realities of this subject matter has been encouraging and reaffirms the responsibility I hold in telling this story as accurately as possible.

While more content waits in the wings, I’ll leave you with her - she’s the final face in the trailer. You may not recognize her yet, but her story is one I’m looking forward to sharing… and the greener pastures she’s found.

With that, we March on.
See you soon.

p.s. - That time-lapse bear? He's actually blue..and headed to the shop soon, too. ☺️

This site and writing are free for the world. If you'd like to support my work, you can subscribe (free or paid), share or comment and/or explore fine art prints, cards and upcoming watercolor paintings from the shop. Your support helps sustain the documentary project and creates more time to write, paint and share. Thank you for being here. ♥️