Claude Larson 6/10/26 Claude Larson 6/10/26

You’re Going to Need a Sedan

You get one precious life to do with as you please. (Mostly) For the sake of this post, I’m going to call it a journey. What do you want that journey to look like? No matter what you decide to do or where you decide to go, you get to be the driver. I recommend you get a sedan because it’s important to bring people along with you.

I’m going to recommend you take three friends with you.

The first friend is Peace. If you go places, do things and spend time with people who bring you real, inside job, peace you will have a much more fulfilling journey. If you accidentally invite someone along who adds stress or makes you think about leaving them on the side of the road, they aren’t your person. Try again. Peace can look like a lot of things but you’ll know it when you feel it. And you’ll know it when you don’t. Definitely invite Peace to go with you. But don’t let Peace drive. They’ll be so blissed out and relaxed they may just fall asleep at the wheel.

I also recommend you invite Gratitude to accompany you on your journey. It will remind you to see everything and be appreciative for all the little and big things you see and do on the way. However, if you let Gratitude drive it will be a very slow ride. No flower, bird, art supply or ice cream stop will go unnoticed. And you will certainly have to stop and appreciate those things. (Salted caramel with chocolate swirl - just sayin’)

Your last passenger should be Joy. What is the point in going on this life journey if you don’t have Joy? Joy will remind you to savor the good stuff, and will find the best part of the not so good stuff. Letting Joy drive is like handing the wheel over to a drunk driver. Joy will be impulsive, look at every shiny thing that goes by and so distracted that you could drive off the side of the road. All while enjoying the view with the naivete of never predicting the crash.

I ask you again, what do you want from this journey that is your life? Take hold of the wheel, drive it in the direction you want to go. Keep Peace with you to get you through the stressful moments. Keep Gratitude with you to appreciate how far you’ve come. Keep Joy with you help you be present in the moments that light you up. All of this only happens when you take the wheel. The alternative is to be the passenger and let whoever has a clue about where they want to go drag you with them. It might be a nice place but it probably won’t be where you were hoping to end up.

Like I said, on this journey (that you get only one of), be the one behind the wheel. Bring your friends but be in charge of the map.

Claude Larson 6/3/26 Claude Larson 6/3/26

The Expanse of Summer

There is something about being able to walk barefoot on grass, wear light clothing, take to the outdoors with ease and watch the shaky steps of baby animals that just warms my heart. The daylight hours are so long that after dinner walks don’t end in darkness. In America we start summer as soon as possible and unofficially with the arrival of Memorial Day Weekend. While this year brought abundant rain, I still know people who had barbeques and went camping. School kids feel the tug of summer and want to get free of a schedule and as a former teacher, I felt that too. Wondering what I was doing indoors when it was beautiful outside.

Summer seems to give us more space. More time. The sun rises earlier and so do we. The yearning to stay under the covers makes way for the desire to get up and get going. The energy we need to get going is easier to access, perhaps because we aren’t expending it trying to keep warm or wearing restrictive clothing. The day’s light is longer but, the time also seems to expand to fill the space. In winter, I notice that my energy begins to fade as the sun sinks - sometimes that’s 4:30 in the afternoon! In summer I am happy to be outside until the sun sets and that’s often after 8:00 at night. Coming inside is a disappointment wrapped in the gift that you had a long and full day.

Creativity can arrive in many forms during these warmer months. It’s a great time to lay in a hammock or lounge chair and read or sketch or just wonder about things. It’s perfect for those outside creative tasks that are too messy to do indoors. I often dye a lot of fabric in the summer in order to have it when I am spending the colder months indoors. Painting or sketching plein air is a wonderful way to spend part of a day. Add a hike or a picnic and that’s a day well spent.

Summer feels bigger to me. More sunlight, less obligations, more travel and adventures, less responsibilities. It feels so big that starting before it actually arrives feels like the season is longer. I’m not thinking that once Labor Day arrives it will unofficially come to an end. We will resume our schedules and go back to our routines. So, while summer is here, I recommend that you spend some time truly relaxing. Do nothing. Wonder. Rest. Walk barefoot. Make sandwiches for supper. Do what feels good.

When you move slowly through your day, the hours move slowly too. If you’ve ever had a day when you were rushing around and checking off your to do list, it’s likely you looked at the time and thought where did the day go? Somehow when you are relaxing that doesn’t happen -especially in summer. You have enough daylight hours to wonder and still get stuff done. Don’t let summer’s magic go unappreciated. You’ll be waiting the rest of the year for it’s return.

Claude Larson 5/20/26 Claude Larson 5/20/26

The Gift of Disappointment

*One of the Art Quilts that will be in the Magazine*

I have a lot of creative ambitions. To create art quilts, paintings, collage, sketchbooks and write in various forms. I am pursuing places and platforms where I can teach as well. In this economy, it’s not always easy to feel successful when everyone seems most interested in how many pieces of art you’ve sold lately. No matter how many times I remind myself that gas prices are climbing and impacting the cost of everything from food to clothes, it can be discouraging when work isn’t flying off the website. It also fills me with gratitude when I do get an order and I get to package up some of my work. I think it’s because I know that right now art is a luxury and I need to remember that.

Recently I have reached out to several people and platforms to teach what I have spent almost three decades learning. One local place basically said there’s no time in their schedule. I looked at their website and drew a different conclusion. But it was polite of her not to say no thanks, not interested. I was disappointed for a bit and then realized that I had put myself out there and this just wasn’t a good fit. She knew her clientele best. The disappointment of being turned down spared me the disappointment of possibly having no one sign up.

Another platform is keeping my proposal on file and will possibly reach out to me for a future opportunity. Getting news like this is sort of like wondering how big the black hole is. Will I ever hear back? No timeline was mentioned. I’m on a permanent hold there. I remind myself that earlier in my life I never would have dreamed of filling out that proposal or entertaining the idea that I could teach at a venue of this size. I live with optimism that I might just get that opportunity.

Finally, I took some quick pictures of some recent art quilts and submitted to a magazine that I have appeared in before. They were happy to hear from me and said they were making decisions at the end of the month. And then it arrived. The email that started with Congratulations! My work was once again selected for their publication. I have to send it out to California for photography and write up an article. It’s exciting to have your work in print and this company does an excellent job.

All of this brings me to the realization that even though creative endeavors can be full of disappointments. Bad paintings, failed art quilts, mediocre collage pieces, typos in my writing, are all a part of the endeavor. The word endeavor is defined as to seriously or continually try (to do something). That’s what I am doing. What happens when you try is that sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fall short of what you wanted to accomplish. The power is in the trying. Putting yourself out there. Showing your work. Continuing to get better. Solving the problem. Fixing the composition. Choosing the colors. Writing the crappy first draft. Editing the text. Doing the work.

In the process you will meet with disappointment. Along the road one thing I have never met is regret. Regret lives where I stopped myself of applying, submitting, painting, sewing or writing. Regret is the missed opportunity. Not the opportunity you didn’t even try for.

Before you tell yourself that you will never be the creator you hoped you’d be, ask yourself if you have been committed to the endeavor. The challenge is to get past the disappointments. If you can do that, there will be no regrets.

Claude Larson 5/6/26 Claude Larson 5/6/26

Unsubstantiated Truth

I’m very fortunate to be in good health. I take supplements and no prescriptions. I exercise to my satisfaction. I eat what I feel is mostly healthy food. Everything choice that I make that is within my control is designed to keep me healthy. Here’s the funny thing though.

Every time I get a marketing email for any food, supplement, powder, potion or beverage they all make the same claim. THIS, yes THIS product supports weight loss. If this were true I would weigh nothing. Perhaps I would be weightless or in negative numbers.

So this little post is designed to be a healthy supplement for you. My goal is to support your weight loss. I mean if everyone else can say it, then I’m on board.

Going in your studio and making things supports weight loss. This is how it does it for me. First, I am on a different level than my kitchen so I am not checking the fridge or cabinets as if something has magically appeared since I last looked in there. Second, I am so occupied with my thoughts and creativity that I am not thinking about, desiring or ingesting any food (healthy or otherwise). Third, the joy of visual art seems to feed my spirit in a way that I don’t think about food or even realize that I am hungry. (Although sometimes I leave the studio famished and thirsty.) Being in the studio helps me lose track of time. All time. Lunch time, snack time, tea time. While in my studio I am in constant motion. From the sewing machine to the ironing station to the design wall. From the collage table to the paper stash to the paint supplies. My hands and body are moving, standing, walking, stretching and adjusting every moment. Finally, the fuel that I get from creating, making decisions and solving problems is calorie free nourishment.

The marketing claims that every pill will melt away unwanted pounds might be true. Or it may be nonsense. But, if you want to nourish yourself body and spirit, I recommend that you go in your studio and make things. The weight you lose will be in the form of the weight of worry, rumination, obligation and mindless scrolling. If you go make things often enough you will become weightless, buoyant and able to float through your day. I recommend every day or twice a day.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This practice is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease (except boredom).

Claude Larson 4/29/26 Claude Larson 4/29/26

The Vortex

I seem to be able to find inspiration everywhere. This week I was at my regular water fitness class with a group of about sixteen other women. We were doing our best to keep up with the instructor as she directed us with each exercise. As the cool down, she told us to walk in a circle in approximately rib high water. There we were, our large circle struggling to make forward progress for the first several steps of this exercise. Then suddenly, it became remarkable easier. After a little bit longer I was being pulled forward.

I thought to myself, do not mess with the force of seventeen women when they gather and have a single purpose. Furthermore, I realized that if I ever wanted to get something difficult accomplished, the cumulative power of a like minded group would be remarkably helpful. In fact, they might even propel me forward.

What happened next was also eye opening. We were directed to turn around and walk in the opposite direction. The force we had created in the initial circle was frustratingly difficult to overcome as we reversed our direction. In that moment, I thought how challenging it is to make any progress when you are working against a group of people who are trying to stop you. And how many times we are our own opposing force with inner critical voices and the habit of listening to unsolicited opinions from people who do not believe in our abilities or do not understand our intentions. As we continued in the reverse direction, we slowly began to get some momentum and although, in my experience, we never reached the initial forward progress of the first direction, it did become easier after we overcame the opposing current.

Here’s what I took away from that simple exercise. If you want to start something challenging, it will feel difficult at first. If you stay with it, your slow progress will begin to feel easier. If you want to accomplish something really challenging, find a group of people who are interested in helping you achieve your goal. They might just propel you forward.

However, if you want to work toward a big goal and everyone seems to be working against you, you are surrounded by the wrong people. They are the nay sayers and they are not going to help you get where you’re going. Do not push against them. Just step to the side and get out of their current. Let them spiral.

It’s great to find the group that will help you get where you want to go. It’s just as easy to get into a vortex that propels you where you don’t want to go. The trick here is to stop and think about which vortex you are entering. Are you making progress on your goal or being dragged into theirs? The right people will create buoyancy and the wrong people will feel difficult to overcome.

Creative endeavors, like most things in life, can have a slow and challenging start. Sticking with it creates momentum. The longer you continue the easier it gets. If you have the advantage of a group, great. If you can be the buoyant force for someone else, do it. You can start a vortex. You are a powerful force.

Claude Larson 4/22/26 Claude Larson 4/22/26

Less is Exactly the Same as More

There have been many books, articles and podcasts on the topic of the minimalist lifestyle. ‘Less is more’ is often their mantra. I have a different perspective on this idea after letting go of some it items in my wardrobe. Stay with me because at first you might think I’ve lost my ability to reason. And if you follow this to the end, I think you will find something you can truly relate to.

Here in the northwestern part of the US, the bone chilling temperatures of winter are a stark contrast to the heat and humidity that marks the summer season. For this reason, I have two different sets of clothing. My cozy turtlenecks and sweaters take up residence in my dresser and closet for half the year and my tanks, shorts and sundresses take up the same space in warmer weather. I have curated these seasonal clothes into three bins and have a streamlined process for the exchange process.

This year it became apparent that several items in the swap just didn’t fit the way I wanted them to. With the training for backpacking and strength training that I have in my exercise regiment my muscles have grown. This is not a problem except that some of the clothes I used to wear are uncomfortable now. So, I tried on everything. If it didn’t fit. look good or feel good it went into a bag for donation to local non-profits. There were a lot of things I really liked in that bag. And there were several things I liked that still fit as well.

The task was complete and I came to this realization. Every item that remained was something that I liked already. These were all the things I was wearing most of the time because they were the most comfortable. It’s no fun to wear an uncomfortable outfit. You feel self conscious and annoyed the whole time, which sucks some of the fun out of whatever you’re doing.

When I looked at my donation bag it would have been easy to say, well time to go shopping and get some new clothes. Instead, I realized that I had plenty of things that were flattering and that I was happy to wear. Not going on a quest to replace things was like letting go of a weight. No running around, no expense, no feeling that my closet lacked anything in a particular category. And here’s what happened next…

I felt so good about having fewer items of clothing that I took a good hard look at the studio. Surely there were things in there that I didn’t need. People have given me fabric over the years that I have stored. They don’t speak to me, inspire me or even appeal to me. Yet, I have given them free rent in my creative space. Why? I don’t know. Now I understand that I can (and should) let them go without guilt or fear that I will run out of fabric. I have lots of fabric and there are businesses out there who are making more fabric every day.

There were a few other supplies that also didn’t inspire me. They were evicted. No drama, no guilt, no telling myself that I had spent money on those.

When I look into my closet, dresser drawers and my studio, I now realize that the things that have been removed were the things I wasn’t wearing or using in my creative process. I had exactly the same amount of clothes. I wasn’t wearing the clothing items that were donated anyway. They were taking up space. The art supplies and fabric that were removed from my studio in no way changed the amount of supplies I had to use. In fact, removing them brought to the forefront the fabrics and supplies that are my favorites.

If you love everything in your wardrobe and studio equally, you have the right amount of stuff. However, if there are clothes you always bypass for some reason or another, let them go. You are never going to start using them. If there are supplies to have because you needed them for a class, or wanted to try them, or never got around to using them and you continue to be uninspired by them, pass them along. If there is anything in your life that you own but never use, not having it will not change your life. (although it might change your storage overflow for the better) I believe that letting go of the things that aren’t useful, inspiring, or enhancing your life will not leave you feeling like you have less. You will see that you own less and you have exactly the same amount of useful, inspiring and life enhancing things you had before.

Maybe you have your wardrobe dialed in and your studio supplies in perfect alignment with your process. Maybe there are no extra gadgets in your kitchen. No marinade that you bought once, didn’t like and kept in the fridge even though you probably will never us it again. No shoes that pinch. However, if any of these are getting rent free housing, I promise you that kicking them out will not leave you with less. You will have the exact same things to wear, use and enjoy as you had before.

Thanks for hearing me out. I hope you found something useful here. I also hope you remove something that helps you rediscover something you have but forgot about.

Claude Larson 3/11/26 Claude Larson 3/11/26

Creative Urgency

*“Space to Breathe” Collage on Paper in Solid Maple Frame*

I am at a point in my life where, unless I live past 122, I have less time left than I have already put to use. Doctors say things like, “That’s normal at your age.” Young people think I am old, which will change when they are my age. Elderly people think I am young and wish they could do what they did in their sixties. It’s not a bad place to be actually.

I am comfortable with who I am, although I know that I am still becoming the someone else I aspire to be. I have made a lot of progress, many missteps and acquired and lost friends along the way. I have achieved things that I am proud of but mostly I am proud of myself for having become the person I needed to be in order to achieve them. Yet, there is a tension in me that will not relent to my mental reminders that I have done enough and I am just fine the way I am. I think about improving every day. Some days I know exactly what that means and some days I have no idea what I would need to change to be better.

I will say this, I have within me an urgency around my creativity. What if I don’t get to make all the things I want to make? What if I run out of time? or worse What if I am no longer able to make those things and am burdened with a lot more time but no creative abilities? What those things might be is not the point. The desire to create is the point. I want to be able to create art, write, cook, hike, travel and do the things I enjoy with the people I love.

I realize that no one gets all the time they want. There will always be another place to travel, trail to explore, meal to savor, story to write and artwork to create. The problem is that I, like everyone, have no idea when the time will run out. And so, I feel this urgency around getting into my studio, making something, writing another book, planning another adventure and on and on. The problem is that urgency creates tension. Tension creates stress. Stress steals creative flow. Creative flow needs time. It’s a conundrum.

Here’s how I plan to confront the problem. First, accept that whatever I create is a gift to me from the forces that watch over me. Second, know that if I run out of time, there will be a creative soul that picks up where I left off and the Universe will guide them too. Finally, that we collectively are responsible for the act of creativity. What you bring to the world adds to what I put into it. It’s additive. My contributions don’t take away from anyone else and what you add benefits the whole as well.

Instead of feeling that there isn’t enough time, I know that there is enough time for what I am supposed to do. There is enough time for what you are supposed to do too. That said, you will never be younger than you are right now. What do you plan to contribute to the world? Don’t rush. Go slowly. Going slow is smooth. Going smoothly is fast. Let’s amaze each other with the creative outcomes. It’s urgent.

*“Connection”* Collage on Paper in Solid Maple Frame

Claude Larson 3/4/26 Claude Larson 3/4/26

Less is Challenging

Less is more? Maybe. I will say that the more simplicity you want to put in your work, both art and writing, the more time it will take. It requires you to reduce everything to only what is needed to make it complete. I think this recent interest in simplicity is directly related to my recent trip to Antarctica. The landscape there is so simple. Don’t get me wrong, it’s huge. Glaciers the size of towns, mountains that rise high above the frigid waters of the Antarctic Sea and whales that rise and fall around your small boat.

Along with the simple landscape, the color palette is reduced to glacial blue, white, black and a few patches of algae in pinks and greens. The water is a deep blue and the sky is shades of bright blue and cloud grey. The areas of color are huge but limited. And the sounds are simple, and often wrapped in a silence that is awe inspiring.

Before we left, I was making some little art quilts in my studio. Here are a few of them.

Now that I have returned from the quiet landscape with minimal colors, I have noticed a shift in my work. Here is what I have been making since our return.

Do you see the difference? I am focused on making each piece feel complete without being too much. The colors are similar to the pre-trip pieces but the vibe is calmer. It’s not done yet, but I have a piece in black and white on my design table at the moment. I’m eager to see how it turns out.

If you are trying to elevate your work, I challenge you to make it complete without over working, over crowding or adding things that don’t need to be there. It’s easy to include everything. It is more meaningful to include only what makes it complete and then stop. Discernment over density.

It works in art as well as it works in life. Less of certain things makes room for more of something else. What do you want? Reduce everything else and you can have it.

Claude Larson 2/11/26 Claude Larson 2/11/26

The Power of Silence

Antarctica is different than any place I’ve ever been. I mean really different. There are no cities or towns. We did set foot on a couple of polar outposts that are in operation during warmer months. Generally a handful of people carrying out research or just taking care of activities for daily living without the advantage of running water or readily available food supplies. We were also surrounded by wildlife that were not at all afraid of us and more icebergs and glaciers than can be counted. All of it was remarkable. If I tried to describe it, I would fail. Suffice to say, there were moments where I was taking photos so I could capture the experience. Then there were moments when I just stopped and took it in and was overwhelmed by the feelings of joy and gratitude that I am fortunate enough to be there. Tears of joy.

What I learned, aside from the information about penguins, whales and glaciers, was how deeply satisfying it is to be present in serenity. When we cut the zodiac engine and just sat in the quiet, a sense of calm and contentment washes over you. I heard whales breathing right next to me. I listened to glacial ice melting and popping with the sound of release air from thousands of years ago. I heard silence.

This expedition was a reminder to me that I don’t need to fill my every waking moment with something. A task, a text, an errand or the unending feeling that I should be doing something, when my entire being is telling me to just stop and relax.

While this journey was one of discovery, it was also a journey of going inside. Reflecting, appreciating, feeling your breath, your heartbeat and your inner most thoughts and desires. It connected me to my self. I tell you this because if you are making to do lists and filling your days with things so that you will be busy, you have permission to stop being busy and just be.

So many people tell me how busy they are but when they list their accomplishments, I can’t find anything that sounds fulfilling. I appreciate that laundry and grocery shopping need doing. But these aren’t the things that bring contentment and peace to our already over scheduled days.

(Is this what we look like trying to accomplish our to do list?)

I encourage you to sit with your self. In silence if possible. Listen for what you want deep down in side. Make that your priority. Maybe you need rest. Maybe you need to create. Maybe you need to talk to a friend. It’s hard to know what we need if we plan and schedule our days leaving no room for going inside ourselves and exploring what our hearts desire.

It took my journey to the white continent to fully appreciate the simplicity of being so tiny in a landscape of massive and unfathomable beauty and peace. I know now is that I can close my eyes, sit in silence and take my tiny place in the vast and beautiful Universe without ever leaving where I am. It’s a connection, not a destination. I can come and go at will. It’s a journey that goes inside of your self. What you find will amaze you.

Claude Larson 12/31/25 Claude Larson 12/31/25

Creating Space for Your Joy

Just the other day I was reminded of a story I had heard before. It’s about how they catch monkeys. They hollow out a coconut and make a hole about the size of a monkey’s hand in one side. Then they put food inside the hollowed coconut. The monkey reaches in and grabs the food only to discover that they cannot get their clenched fist out of the hole. They are caught between wanting something so much that they won’t let go of it and being free if they just let go of the food.

It reminded me of so many times in my life that I was that monkey. I wanted to hold on to a relationship that kept me trapped into being someone I wasn’t. I wanted to keep doing everything I was already doing and add one more thing. I had this feeling that if I stopped doing something even though it no longer served me, terrible things would happen. I created a lot of monkey traps for myself.

This past week is the one week that I consistently sit down and look at what I have accomplished and not accomplished this past year. I make decisions about where I want to take my time, energy and resources for the next 365 days. This year, I made some choices that will only be possible if I stop doing other things. Those other activities, projects and practices are my metaphorical monkey trap. If I don’t let them go, I will not have enough freedom, energy and time to pursue what I really want.

I have found that rethinking what I have done in the past and discerning what I want to do in the future requires me to put some things down. If I am too busy hanging on to people, projects and unhelpful thoughts, I cannot be free to try out my new ideas. I realize that the only way to achieve what I want to achieve this year is to subtract. Some things I need to move to the back burner and some things I need to toss in the trash.

Here’s some of the things I’d like you to consider if you want to have a more fulfilling 2026.

Are there people who don’t support or uplift you that you need to move on from. Not in a dramatic blowout or big huff. But, just a quiet walk away until you are a comfortable distance from them.

Are there any habits that are wasting your time and energy that you need to stop? Something that if you stopped doing you would get back a lot of time and perhaps some creative energy.

If you could pick one thing you want to focus on for the next year what would it be? What would you need to let go of in order to create the conditions for it to happen for you? If you are already telling yourself that so and so would be disappointed if you didn’t keep doing that or you don’t have whatever you think it takes or you’ve already spent so much time or money on it- You are creating your own monkey trap.

Open your hand. Unclench your fist (and your jaw for that matter). Make space and time for whatever it is that feeds your soul. Imagine yourself with your open hands in front of you palms up. What you want can only come to you when you are ready to receive it. You’re ready. You just need to make room.

Claude Larson 12/3/25 Claude Larson 12/3/25

Hold Hands with Joy

Hello fellow creative! I get you. We make things. Some people understand us and some people never will. We know that there is a simple, powerful and joyful pleasure in making things ourselves. We enjoy the process and take pride in the result. Sometimes we enjoy the process and are humbled by the result. Either way, being fully immersed in the creation of something that didn’t exist before fuels us in a way that scrolling, bingeing TV and completing meaningless tasks on a to do list cannot. And so we carry on making things.

Little kids know this. They make a finger painting or mud pie and are so proud that they unabashedly say - “Look at this. I made it” Hopefully when this happens someone hangs it on the fridge or smiles and says good for you. However, somewhere along the way, we are taught to keep our accomplishments to ourselves. Not to appear boastful or a braggart we hide behind our achievements both great and small.

Here’s the secret we keep quietly to ourselves. We find such pleasure and contentment in creating something that we don’t need anyone else’s approval to keep creating. Unlike a child looking for the approval of a parent, we can simply make things for the joy it brings us in the process. The presence it permits us to experience in such a way that time passes without our notice.

So I implore you to hold hands with that joy. If you find that joy in a set of measuring spoons and cups, a paint brush or a welding torch, hold it in your hands and make things. It is not in watching a screen that you will find joy. It is literally in the palms of your hands when you engage with the world to create something that has never existed before. Use simple materials or fancy ingredients and make something extraordinary or ordinary.

The level of joy you feel is not dependent on what you create. That’s where we get it wrong. Only the fancy dish is worth making. Only the greatest painting of all time is worth painting. Only the award winning song, film or poem is worth our effort. It all counts. The scarf you knit, the backyard garden you build and the sketchbook you fill with ideas and experiments all count for something. They are a collective joy that we gather with each creative effort we make.

Once you feel the peace and contentment of creativity, you will want to hold hands with it forever. It is a tireless companion. It is patient and always ready to hold your hand. It is waiting. Go find joy! Then make something together.

Claude Larson 10/22/25 Claude Larson 10/22/25

Getting There

***“Canyon Walls”*** Acrylic on cradle panel in solid maple frame

Have you ever been on vacation and started having conversations about where you’d like to go on your next vacation? It seems that no matter how well things are going right now, we are in a constant search for something better. It seems we struggle with everything from finding new clothing, a better job, the perfect house or the right creative endeavors because we think there is something better out there. The reality is, there is something else out there. Is it better? Maybe. Would you be happier having it? Maybe. Would you be happier not having it? Maybe. Who’s to say what better is? Who’s to say what happier is?

In the constant search for my creative destination, I have the same recurring thought. I love making this. I will make this forever. I will make 100 of these. I have found my thing. My happy place. The work that will put me on the artistic map. I have arrived. Only to discover that once I have a reasonable amount of mastery in a technique, color palette, theme, design style or material, I get bored. It’s as if I went on a dream vacation and it was great for a while. Then the weather was too hot, the beach was same old same old or the favorite restaurant lost its novelty. I thought it was the perfect vacation. Until it wasn’t.

After the experience of backpacking in Utah, I had the time to reflect on this idea of reaching the top of the mountain. I trained for months and I was as prepared as possible. The days were filled with total presence and focus on every step, river crossing and staying far enough back not to get smacked in the face when you’re bushwhacking. (Lessons learned) The evenings consisted of simple meals prepared with boiling water as the key ingredient and retiring to my tent as the day’s light slipped behind the canyon walls. I had time to relax and just watch the stars appear. I also got to watch the sun come up and touch the tip of red rock canyons, then seep down to create a stunning array of colors and nuances that can only be seen in a passing moment. Once the Earth rotated one degree, it was different until it would only appear again the next day. By that time, I was gone. Moved on to another beautiful place that captivated me for a series of moments.

Like my creative pursuits, this experience was a series of moments, decisions and circumstances that could not be repeated. Even if I tried to see things the same way, they are constantly changing. Evolving. I made art quilts this way, until I did something else. I made collages and paintings in these color palettes until I wanted something different. Every piece is a collection of moments, decisions and choices that cannot be repeated. Every day is a series of moments driven by our decisions to either repeat something until we are doing it mindlessly, or choose something new and enjoy novelty.

What I have come to understand is that when we try to get “there” and find our one true happy place, we miss so much along the way. One more example from my recent trip. I was lucky enough to win the lottery and get permits to “The Wave” in Arizona. Somewhere between 1-3% of people who apply for the permit, win it. It is a 3+ mile hike through sand, deep in places, rock, sundrenched desert and rock scrambles. One of the people in our group was looking to see the wave. She raced ahead and didn’t stop to admire anything else on the way. She missed the opportunity to take in the absolutely breathtaking beauty of the landscape that ringed the way to the intended destination. I looked at everything from the wildflowers growing out of rock, to reflections in pools of water to layers of wind and water swept landforms that seemed to have been created by Dr. Seuss. And on our 3+ mile trek back to the van, she watched a movie on her phone. She missed it. A million moments of breathtaking beauty because she was focused only on the destination. Once she had seen it, she moved on to watching her phone screen.

Maybe we all do this. Instead of stopping to watch our child tie their shoe and compliment their skill, we just need to get them out the door and their accomplishment is ignored. Instead of noticing the change of colors in the trees, we just see the traffic and worry about arriving at a time we no longer control.

I’m here to remind you that no matter what it is that you are searching for, it is best not to be overly concerned with your arrival. The people you meet, the skills you learn, the sights you see and the work you put in are a gathering of moments that fill you up on the way. Once you arrive you will surely find that there is no there there. Whatever it is you were looking for, even once you find it, will not sustain you. It is a moment in the road trip. And you have so many miles to go. Enjoy the journey – so cliché. But really, if there is no there there, the journey is all we have.

I hope your life is a creative journey. Filled with ideas, experiments, experiences and moments of joy. Here is a gentle reminder that being “there” in these passing moments is the destination.

Claude Larson 10/8/25 Claude Larson 10/8/25

What’s In It for Me?

Lots of people will tell you that your artwork is a vehicle of your personal expression. Your painting could only be made by you and the world needs your work. Here’s a quick reality check. If you never made a painting, wrote a poem, created a new flower garden or sculpted something to put in your backyard, the world would go on. And so would you.

I think a better question is “How does what I create help build the life I want?” Maybe the quilt you sew engages you for hours of satisfaction and peace. Perhaps the clay you mold at the potter’s wheel allows you to center yourself and gives you a sense of accomplishment. The same is true as you write songs, poems, books or blog posts. You share yourself with the world (or not) but, the point is that when you give your creativity space to breathe you are giving yourself the gift of clarity of ideas, connection or a greater self awareness.

It’s not selfish to ask yourself “What’s in it for me?”Because if you are voluntarily involved in an activity, any activity, there is a reason. Does knitting lower your blood pressure while you feel the satisfaction of slow progress. Does painting transport you from an overactive mind and allow silence to enter your thought stream? Do the swirl of colors you see make you happy just for the experience of seeing them? Really - What’s in it for you? If there wasn’t some intrinsic reward for you, you’d quit. And to be honest, you should. Because if it doesn’t bring your life something you value, you may want to go looking for something that does.

I encourage you to take an objective look at how you spend your free time. What you do with that time that energizes you or brings you contentment? What are you doing that steals that energy? Social platforms love to steal your time and energy - it builds their bank account. That’s what’s in it for them. They are not as interested in you as they would have you believe.

Yes, the world has a YOU shaped space that is yours to fill with anything you choose. Choose what fills you up. Lifts you up. Lifts your spirit. Because if you didn’t make your art, the world will go on. But if you choose to create what will be uniquely yours, you will fill the space with a light that burns inside of you and illuminates the space around you. That shines out and you feel it. That is what’s in it for you.

If you show it to the rest of us, we get to share in it. If you decide it’s only for you, then do it anyway. Knowing that it’s valuable to your life - just because you did it.

Claude Larson 8/27/25 Claude Larson 8/27/25

The Truth About Fear

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Be afraid and do it anyway.” Have you been in a place where you stopped yourself from doing something because of fear? What exactly are we afraid of? If you’re afraid of heights you might not choose to go jump out of an airplane. But would it stop you from flying to a vacation destination? There’s a difference isn’t there? One scenario means you will be plummeting toward Earth faster than feels comfortable. The other is that a qualified professional will get you from point A to Point B and you will have a seat belt, beverage and a snack.

So, maybe it’s not the fear that is the problem. (Hint: it’s really not the fear.) Maybe it’s the story we have concocted in our head that is the problem.

Speaking from experience, there was a time that all my work was small. When I started out, I didn’t want to “waste” materials so I made small pieces. Even though I had an abundance of fabric, I didn’t want to use it up on something that might not turn out good. And to be fair, most of my art quilts start out as two relatively small pieces of fabric stitched together and they end when I feel that I have added enough little pieces to make a big piece. Here is one example that was made one square at a time. I didn’t know where this was going at first, but it gave me directions as I went along. One piece at a time.

The thing that I learned in the process of making this piece is that the fear of making something big disappeared once I was actually making it. You see fear is a mile wide but only an inch deep.

Here’s another piece that is reasonably large. I was making a lot of smaller collage pieces and I came across a larger canvas. Granted, it’s not huge but when compared to the 12” X 12” pieces I was focused on, it was a stretch. In the end, I saw a lot of chopsticks in this piece and so it called itself “Let’s Get Takeout”. It started with two layers of dark grey paint and one piece of vintage book page. Once I had one piece in place, I stood back and added another piece and another until I arrived at what you see here. I learned a lot about collage with this piece. The smaller pieces helped me get comfortable with the process but, having a bigger landscape to play with broadened my vision of what was possible. How was I going to make it all come together? One piece at a time until I stood back and said, yes. That’s everything I want to put on there. And along with losing the fear of making something bigger, I built my confidence in my ability to do so.

You can be afraid to do a lot of things. Meet new people, show your art, hike 45 miles in the backcountry carrying all your necessities, travel to foreign lands, start a new job, public speaking, and on and on. Yes, fear is a mile wide.

Here’s the thing. Once you dip your toe in the fear, you will find it’s only an inch deep. Meeting new people seems intimidating until you are involved in a conversation and find out that you have some things in common. In all my travels I have discovered that when you are really lost, someone will notice and they will help you. In fact, in many times that I have felt a bit fearful the arrival of intuition, divine redirection or assistance has arrived.

My latest fear that I have tackled is the backcountry backpacking trip I am preparing for. A few years ago, a friend asked me if I wanted to hike The Hundred Mile Wilderness section of the Appalachian Trail. I turned her down. Part of me believed that I could hike it but, fear kept me from going. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I bought the gear and never used it again? What if the other three people had to help me carry my gear? What if I wasn’t strong enough? And on and on.

That turned into a real regret for me. I should have trained. I should have tried. And so, as this regret festered in the back of my mind as an opportunity lost, I figured out how to overcome it. I have been training for over three months now for a backpacking trip where I will carry all my necessities for 5 days, traveling approximately 45 miles in backcountry Utah. As I researched how to prepare every single concern I had began to dissolve. What to pack? Check. How to train? Check. Logistics? Check. One thousand little decisions that has brought me from carrying 15 pounds for two hours to carrying 33+ pounds for 4 hours at a time. My fear has been transformed into confidence because when I stepped into the fear, I found that it was not that deep. I could take the first step and then another. I could carry 15 pounds and then 16. I could hike for two hours and then two hours and 15 minutes.

Getting back to creativity and making art. A lot of artists are a bit fearful of creating big art. I used to be like that with my art quilting and I still have a little trepidation about making a really big painting. I mean really big. I see these artists making painting that are 6 feet by 6 feet and think holy cow! That would be cool. But, I haven’t done it yet. Why? The canvas would be expensive and what if I mess it up? What if the painting doesn’t turn out well? What if I use up a lot of expensive paint? Here’s what I think about that now. What if I just get one canvas and give it a try? Treat myself. Use my less expensive paint on the first few layers? Figure out how to make bigger marks or maybe make myself some big brushes. As I ponder the project the fear slowly fades until I reach the point of feeling just enough confidence to give it a try.

Once you take on a challenge, it’s a good ideas to stop and look back at what you’ve done. Afraid to carry 33 pounds? Look back at 15 and 20 and 27 and realize that each of those felt heavy. Now I head out and 33+ feels pretty comfortable.

Afraid of making a big painting? Look back at the smallest work and then the next size up and the next size up and so on. Looking back at what you believed you could do and realizing that you are capable of so much more lives on the other side of fear. So before you stop yourself from trying that thing that piques your interest or replays itself over and over again in your mind, think about the smallest first possible step. Do that. Then do the next smallest possible step. Because the truth about fear is that letting it stop you will be one of your biggest regrets.

Claude Larson 8/13/25 Claude Larson 8/13/25

The Excitement of Not Knowing

I believe there is a thrill in not knowing what is going to happen or how something might turn out. Planning a vacation and leaving room for exploring and seeing what turns up in your path has brought me some really cool surprises. Watching a movie that you haven’t read the story line or watched the trailer helps hold your attention, especially if you have no idea how it ends. Putting fabric, paper, paint or any other art supply together with no defined direction creates opportunity for new inspirations. All of these things and so many more leave you open to the possibility of something new.

Decades ago I used to make my own clothes. I chose the pattern, picked the fabric and voila - I knew what it was going to be before I even started. Having the finished product was satisfying but after a while it wasn’t exciting. It was a process that left no room for exploration. I think that’s why I left that practice behind and started art quilting.

I knew how to sew and a little bit about quilting. I had some fabric scraps to play with. But, I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. It added a little excitement to what was otherwise productivity. I became less productive but more curious. What if?

When I got several years of art quilting under my belt, I left it to the side (knowing I could always return) for collage. And then for painting. And now I add collage to my paintings and paper to my art quilts and the excitement is in the trying new things.

Some things work out, some don’t. But that’s not the point. Often the thing that doesn’t work out as I had hoped leads to something I hadn’t thought of. It’s a rabbit hole perhaps. But it is so much fun to go down that hole. Why? Because I don’t know where it will lead. The new ideas and inspiration can be at any turn.

If you are feeling bored with your art practice, (or any aspect of your life for that matter) try something else. Add something, take something away, change your setting or your color palette. Try out a new material and see what it can add to your work. If you’re really looking for inspiration pick up something you have never used before. Perhaps someone gave it to you or it was bestowed upon you from someone’s deceased relative. (I have had a lot of fabric and art supplies given to me this way) It gives you free materials to use in any way you choose without the concern of how much money it cost. That free freedom to play.

If you like what you do and it’s your groove, carry on. But, if you want to spice it up, I highly recommend you have a go at doing something for the first time. It will either confirm that you want to go back to what you did before (ie comfort zone) or it will open your creative mind to something new.

Either way, it’s about embracing the unexpected and being open to the thrill of not knowing.

Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment.

Claude Larson 7/16/25 Claude Larson 7/16/25

5 Simple Steps to Open Your Creativity

There are as many ways to be creative as their are people who create. If you are looking for ways to start or restart your creative endeavors, I have some suggestions that may prove very helpful to get you on track or speed your creative journey.

Make Space

Making space for creativity applies to quite a few things. First, you should have a physical space that you call your own and claim it for your creative projects. The spare bedroom, garage, closet that once decluttered could house your materials and work table, back porch. It doesn’t matter what the space it. It doesn’t matter what size the space is. What matters is that you have planted your flag and claimed it. You might need to clean it out first, but I bet you can find a place to call your own.

Along with a physical space, you need to make space in your schedule. Everybody is busy. Take a look at your calendar, your commitments and your time usage. Where can you find space to create. Go to bed earlier and wake up before anyone needs you? After breakfast? After dinner? After the kids are in bed? Saturday mornings? If you think you don’t have time, I suggest you watch one less thing on TV, scroll less on your social media and find the time. You deserve to give that time to yourself.

The third thing you need is to make head space. Are you worrying? Comparing yourself to someone who made space and has been creating for a long time? Telling yourself it’s all been done before? Stop it. Making things is human. Making things is unique. You making things is as essential to your well-being as it is to your universal contribution. The words “I made this” have brought joy to our souls since we were little kids making things to put up on the fridge. Find that joy again. It’s waiting patiently.

2. Show Up

Once you have a place, time and idea the only thing missing is applying your skills and getting down to the actual doing of things. Go in your place, at your scheduled time and clear your mind of expectation so you can just make something. None of these preparations matter until you actually show up. Exchange scrolling and time wasters for something that brings you joy.

3. Simplify

Start with as few materials as possible. This reduces your fear of wasting materials. It also reduces decision fatigue about what to do. It increases the amount of time you are interacting with creative materials and shaping your ideas into physical form.

4. Focus

You want to try clay, fabric, collage, acrylic, sculpture and watercolor. The problem is that you will spend time shopping, deciding, organizing, and ruminating. Focus on one thing at a time. Learn watercolor deeply or sculpt with clay for fifty projects. But stop trying to create a painting, a sculpture, a quilt and a poetry book at the same time. You will make very little progress in any one direction. The lack of progress leads to abandoning the creative endeavor entirely. Failure does not breed success. Small successes build more success.

5. Embrace Progress

However small, accept with grace and gratitude what you learn, how you grow and any time you invest in making something. The minutes add up. They fuel the desire to put in hours. They also create momentum that keeps you coming back. It doesn’t look like a giant occasion with lots of fanfare. It is the little inner smile you get when you mix colors and get something unexpected that makes you say wow. It’s the way you notice the materials on the table and see a new possibility. It’s the magic of time passing without you even noticing. Joy, like progress, is a collection of small things that fill you up like one marble at a time in a jar.

I hope something in this post helped you clarify why your creative endeavors are important. I also hope that you will invest in your happiness and take steps to create whatever your heart desires. Find that space, time, pursuit and go. Even the slowest pace lets you linger in the creative joy. You deserve it.

Claude Larson 6/11/25 Claude Larson 6/11/25

Finding Magic in Your Life

What is it that you want to accomplish with your life? This question can be a real show stopper because sometimes we really don’t know. Many answers can come to mind and you think you should want these things. To get promoted at work, to raise children, to be fit and look great, to be a good… friend, spouse, parent, sibling… the list goes on.

What do all of these have in common? They are tainted with the visual cloud of what other people think you should do, or what would make you look good to other people or what might make someone else happy if you did this, or the dreaded would it impress others?

But, that wasn’t the question. What do you want to accomplish with your life? Without the input or opinion or anyone else. Disconnected from any judgement or what other people might think. Regardless of what anyone around you is striving for (because you don’t know if it’s a true calling for them or just something they think will make other people take notice.)

Here are some questions that may be helpful if you want to embark on a journey of personal fulfillment. As you work through them, see what comes up for you and if it shines a light on something you haven’t considered before.

First, take a look back at your life. Not in the form of a doctoral dissertation but, in general terms. What have you accomplished so far in your life? Anything from levels of education, skills for any activity or relationships of any kind.

I bet that list is pretty long. Which is proof that if you want to achieve something, you have already proven time and time again that you are capable. Put a big check in the belief in yourself box. You’ve already done all those things. So if you are telling yourself that you are too young, old, unskilled or incapable of something, you have already proven yourself wrong by accomplishing all the things you have already.

Moving on. So you want to do something and you know you can learn what you need to in order to realize that goal. Here are some other questions that can be a useful guide.

Sit with your thoughts and see if you can boil down what you want. Really, really want. Write it down. Say it out loud. Repeat it a few times. How does your body feel when you tell yourself these desires? A true want will feel exciting, maybe even a little scary. It will bring a smile to your face or lift your spirit at the thought of it. A false want will include how it will impress others, make someone else notice you, how it will look out there, or how it would really make your mother happy. But, it will not excite you. It will feel like an obligation or even like a burden.

Next, clarify what you want to the clearest terms you can find. I want to paint is not as helpful as I want to create landscape paintings using watercolor and paint them on location. I want to learn Italian is not as helpful as I want to travel to Italy and have enough fluency in Italian that I won’t have to rely constantly on a phone app to be understood or to understand others.

The first version of what you want might have a direction but, a clarified version will have a direction and a definition of what success looks like for you. It gives you a place to go and a point where you feel you have arrived.

I strongly encourage writing these ideas down and reading them aloud to yourself. When you hear it and see it at the same time, it either activates your motivation or puts on the brakes and lets you know that that isn’t quite right.

How will realizing this goal feel for you? Ultimately, if you set out to do something and then you work toward accomplishing it when you meet with success, you grow your self-worth, self-respect and sense of pride in yourself. Regardless of what anyone else thinks of your accomplishment.

Along the way, you may run into a few negative beliefs. I’ll never be able to do this, achieve this, realize this or be successful in this quest. Write these down and say them aloud. This might sound counterintuitive but, when you shine a light on the unhelpful things that rattle around in your head, they begin to sound absurd. Because as you have already determined, you can accomplish lots of things so you can also accomplish this goal. Remember all the things you’ve done already. You’re living proof in your capacity for growth.

Celebrate every small step to make. You bought the paint, picked the location, picked out a sketchbook, read the blog, watched the video, whatever you do to move you along your path - see it for what it is - A WIN!

When things don’t go as planned (and that is something you should know going in - not everything goes smoothly all the time.) be nice to yourself about it and let it go. We live our lives with enough baggage from other people, don’t add rocks to your suitcase when you are trying to move along on your journey.

How will you create the circumstances to make your desire possible? But the language program? the art supplies? read the book? When will you create the time to invest in your desire? On the weekend? after work hours? after dinner? These real nuts and bolts are the difference between a wish and a plan.

If you haven’t already seen my video about time and place. Here it is as a refresher.

Energy and Memory

How will this benefit my life? Consider that everything we learn applies to something that perhaps we didn’t expect. As a twenty-five year classroom teacher, I fielded the question “Why do we have to know this?” so many times. I had some stories for my students around this question and basically, it comes down to this. If you learn something that you consider useless at the time, there may come a moment where that knowledge can save your life, your relationship, your sanity or your most valuable resource, time.

Get clear on how this goal is a benefit for you. After all, with time at a premium who want so invest time in something that makes life harder, sadder or less fulfilling. If your goal brings you peace and happiness, that’s awesome. If it brings you abundance in any form, also amazing. If it builds your self-confidence it allows you to try more things and grow even more. I don’t see a losing side to pursuing what brings good things to you.

Here’s that last thing I want you to consider about this subject. Can you pursue this goal and let go of trying to control how you accomplish it? If you are so focused on making the landscape painting that you miss the feeling of sunshine on your face, the breeze in your hair or the song of birds around you, you may make a wonderful painting. But, you will have missed the magic that was all around you in the process.

Have a goal is awesome. Preparing and working toward achieving it builds confidence. Realizing your vision is fantastic. However, noticing the small bits of magic and serendipity that accompany your every step is what makes it worth your effort. You are magic and all the other magic wants to make friends with you. Let it.

Claude Larson 5/28/25 Claude Larson 5/28/25

3Cs of Creativity & Life

So, you want to make art. (or music, or fancy cuisine, or amazing adventures) It doesn’t matter what you want, there are three simple things to help you get there.

The first one is clarity. If you don’t know what you want, anything you get will feel okay. It might not feel great, or inspiring or amazing, but you will be okay with it. Without clarity life is a series of days, events, problems or activities that fill your time but can leave you feeling unfulfilled. Like eating a meal and thirty minutes later you’re perusing the pantry.

When you find yourself always looking for something more, I suggest you stop looking. Just sit for a bit and figure out what you want. Knowing that you want to work in clay and make imaginary animals can be a very clarifying realization. As can painting with any medium. Or deciding that what you really, really want is to just explore in sketchbooks. Investing some time sorting through all the options and narrowing it down to one thing is a super effective way to save a lot of time, energy and money. Instead of being okay with whatever comes along, you have thoughtfully chosen one target and you are aiming all your resources at it.

Once you take the time and make the effort to clarify what you want to pursue, the next C is confidence. This is where you listen and even write down all the reasons (pronounced excuses) you have for not moving forward with your inspired idea. You already have a different project started, you need to buy a few things, you have never tried it before, blah, blah, blah. The greatest of these is what is people think. I beg you, please - live your life in a way that makes you happy and stop worrying about what other people will think of your favorite activities. It’s not your job to make them happy. It’s your job to live the happiest life possible. No one else has the time or energy to do that for you.

If you are worried about what other people will think - they are too busy with their own stuff to give it that much thought. If they feel the need to comment, feel free to just give a long silent pause. The longer the pause the more uncomfortable they will feel and the less likely they are to make any other comment. While they are getting uncomfortable, you can mentally review your reasons for diving into your desires.

Once you have your list of reasons in front of you, read them aloud to yourself. Are they true? Are they insurmountable? Are they comfortable and you want to fight to keep them? It is impossible to argue with anyone who holds their limiting beliefs so tightly. Instead, try writing the opposite of the statement and see it that seems possible. For example: I can’t draw well. vs. I can practice drawing until I can draw well. The first sentence gives you an out. You don’t have to do anything. The second one inspires you toward a particular focus. It gives you the direction in which to put your energy. That’s what clarity and confidence look like.

The final C is courage. Once you figure out what your thing is - do it. You have taken the time to figure out what you want and why it is important to you. You have quieted all the inner critics saying but, what if you fail. (no such thing by the way) Now, the only thing left is to get in motion. An idea that no one acts upon is great if you are a philosopher. But if you want to be great at something, you need to move toward that target. Courage is the act of getting up, getting in motion, chasing the goal and making tiny steps of progress. Maybe no one else will notice. But you will.

Knowing what you want is a gift. Believing you can get it is a dream. Working for it is a journey. That journey becomes the moments of joy that make up your life. Please make it as joyful as possible. You don’t have to ask anyone else what you want. You already know but, you have to take the time to ask your quiet inner self. That’s time well spent.

Claude Larson 4/23/25 Claude Larson 4/23/25

Sunk Costs

If you are anything like me, you probably have some supplies you purchased with the intention of using in a new and exciting project. And then you got busy, it got pushed to the side, went to the bottom of a pile and eventually forgotten.

We hold on to that stuff once we rediscover it. Perhaps you remember why you bought it or that idea is a distant and faded memory. Either way, you have this stuff - paint, tools, canvases, fabric, clay or whatever it is taking up room in your creative space.

This applies to some of the things in your closet. The dress you thought you’d get a lot of use out of, the pants that are just a little bit uncomfortable or the sweater that was a gift and you don’t want to hurt their feelings by giving it away. It’s taking up space in the closet and eventually it is likely to get moved to the bottom shelf, back of the rack or the hard to reach place in there. And if you are never going to wear it, it is taking up valuable open space.

These are known as sunk costs. Sunk costs are expenses that have already been spent and cannot be recovered. They are things like past investments of money or time that are no longer recoverable. Yet we hold on to them. This set of pastels, paints, fabric from past projects are all too good to throw out. So, we hold on to them and they become heavy. That project you started and then lost interest in is lurking in the dark back corner of the closet or drawer. You think it’s no big deal. But, I’m here to remind you that the weight of it is weighing you down. Perhaps it’s even keeping you stuck.

Why are you keeping it? Was it a gift? Regift it. Obviously, tell the new recipient that it is a regift. This avoids feeling guilty for giving it away and under the guise that it was purchased specifically for the new owner. Is it no longer of interest to you? Woefully out of style? Hanging around because you might wear it or use it some day? Guess what. You won’t. If you have projects that you have completely lost interest in and have no intention of finishing, recognize this as sunk cost of time and stop bumping into it and reminding yourself of the time investment. It wasn’t wasted time if you enjoyed it. But, the creative party is over. Let it go.

These are all sunk costs. The price? Our headspace, physical space, wallet impact and emotional baggage. The money you spent is gone. The time you spent is gone. What’s left is a feeling that you need to keep it for reasons like, she gave it to me, it was expensive, I might use it someday or it’s not in the way so just leave it in the back of the closet.

Trust me, these seem like good reasons and if you are one to kick the can down the road instead of dealing with it, it seems easier to just shut the door and ignore the stuff you don’t need, want or use.

However, making it a creative project to lighten your load is a great way to jumpstart your creativity. Think of the stuff as a problem to solve. Where can I take it? Who do I know who might appreciate having it? Where could it be donated to benefit a teacher, student, charitable thrift shop or even an animal or rehab center.

I used to have a closet of fabric that had a lot of leftover scraps from projects I had completed. Why did I keep these oddly shaped and basically useless pieces of cloth? Honestly, I have no idea. Perhaps it’s the fear that I wouldn’t have enough and at least I had this stash of scraps. When I looked them over, I found a lot of stuff that was taking up space but, had no real usefulness. Clearing out the closet has left me with mostly empty shelves. Which allowed me to reorganize what I was keeping and arrange it neatly and with plenty of open space so that I can use it and return it without having to play a game of Jenga to make everything fit back in the small closet.

So, instead of telling yourself Aunt so and so would be upset if you gave away the itchy sweater, take a moment to realize that she probably doesn’t even remember she gave it to you. There was an occasion. She wanted to give you a gift. You received it with gratitude. If it’s something you love great. If it is feeling like an obligation, then it’s not a gift. Holding on to it is investing in sunk costs.

The lesson in clearing out a closet or tossing out artwork that you don’t want anymore is not only about creating the space for clarity. It’s about using the clearing as a reminder that when making future decisions, it's important to disregard sunk costs and focus on the potential benefits of future investments of time and money.

Let go of what you cleared away. Focus on what you want to create next. Do you want a really great wardrobe? Get rid of everything you don’t wear for all the reasons you don’t wear them. Invest in things you love and want to wear. You can actually own fewer things and be happier with them. If you consider what you wear now and really pare it down to your favorites and go to pieces, you could actually have a lot fewer things to store.

Perhaps you started with watercolor so long ago and you’ve moved on to a bunch of stuff. Now you mostly work in clay and have no interest in painting. The creative act of painting led you to something else. Holding on to what got you here tethers you to the past. It doesn’t leave a lot of opportunity or freedom to move into a creative endeavor you really want to try. The mindset that you might go back wards in time some day (as if we could reverse the clocks) is ridiculous. You created, you grew, you learned and you aren’t supposed to keep being the same person. Thank goodness we change. Otherwise we’d all be stunted in the mindset of our younger years. Yikes!

I encourage you to invest some time in defining what you have purchased that was a great investment. The quality sewing machine you always use or the easel that you paint on all the time. Those are investments. The supplies that haven’t seen the light of day in years, those are sunk costs. Don’t lament the money spent. Just use the lesson to help you distill down what you really want to buy because you genuinely want to use it. It takes practice and sometimes it takes a pause of a day or two or a week or a month. If you still want it in a month, you know the item has some staying power. If you forgot about it the day after you left the store or the website then you have avoided sunk costs.

I wish you the time to get clear of what needs to go in order to create renewed energy to your life. And then I wish you great enjoyment of the things that you choose to keep. May they make a meaningful impact of your life.

Claude Larson 2/12/25 Claude Larson 2/12/25

Book Review: The Spark & the Grind by Erik Wahl

I promised myself to dedicate more time to reading this year. And along with some well chosen fiction, I have a long list of books that are designed to facilitate personal growth. The first one that is art related is what I am reviewing here. The Spark and the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity, by Erik Wahl.

As I shared over the last year, I became more consistent in my studio practice by just showing up more often. Low and behold, I made quite a bit of work, played in some sketchbooks and sparked some really good ideas to keep me going in both areas of my work, fiber and paint.

Here are a few take aways from the book that I noted as I read. The first is that there are people who are “sparkers” or igniters. They are creative people who swim in new and novel ideas. They are dreamers and have a role in finding the good ideas that move innovation forward. There are also other people who are grinders. These are the hardworking people who will diligently sift through the details and do the mundane tasks because they are driven by knowing what to do and what the final outcome looks like.

I think I used to be an igniter. I started a lot of things that never came to fruition. Lots of unfinished objects in the studio and often stuck in drawers or out of sight places so I didn’t feel the “failure”.

Recently, I had a conversation with a long time friend. He was at the house and asked to see my studio and the work I was doing at the moment. He marveled at how I could take a blank paper or canvas and then create without knowing where it was going. You see, he’s a grinder. He has a woodworking workshop. He will diligently do the tasks required to make a piece of furniture as long as there is a plan, a photo and a specific end goal. I think traditional quilters can be like this. There’s a pattern and I saw it in fabrics that were a nice color combination. I know what the end product should look like and so they set to their cutting tables and sewing machines. They know where they’re going.

I tried traditional quilting once. It was a loooooong project. I abandoned it for improvisation and not knowing what size it would be, or shape or what the final piece would look like. Unlike grinders, I am more comfortable with ambiguity. (I also think this is why a lot of people had a really hard time with the pandemic. There was no certainty, end game or target for success.)

As Erik points out in the book, in order to have consistent creativity you have to oscillate between sparking and grinding. Once you get a good idea, you have to be willing to do the work to see it through. I think this is key if you are an artist. I also think that people quit making art because they have the ideas but, have trouble mustering the drive to do the tedious, mundane and laborious tasks.

Here’s some points he makes about growing your ability to move back and forth between finding the ideas and acting on them all the way to fruition.

Embrace the creative process without attachment to a specific outcome. Keep open to new ideas and course corrections.
Attach who you are with what you do. When you align your inner being with your outward actions what you do work becomes play.
Practice courage and everything else will follow.
Look for creative sparks where you are and within your circumstances. Don’t wait for the perfect time or place. Maximize the certainty in your life (financial, personal, emotional) and leverage that to embrace uncertainty. Don’t separate your reality and circumstances from your creative work. See opportunities where you are.
Create a routine that allows creativity to flourish. The boundaries of your routine allow you to focus and go deep into experimentation, exploration and creative work. Having a routine with decisions already made allows you to maximize your creative capacity.
Defamiliarize the ordinary. Change how you perceive things. Look for ways to innovate your daily environment. See differently or see differently things. Originality has a better chance in unfamiliar locations and circumstances.
What you already know will not ignite creativity. Looking into the unknown generates sparks and builds intuition. Blend efficiency and novelty to create innovation.
Be curious. Let go of mediocrity and embrace uncertainty. Learn to create a bit of chaos in your day so you practice opportunities to be creative.
Stay foolish. The more you think you know the less you look for creative solutions to problems, projects and challenges. The beginner mind is about thinking. Staying foolish is about acting in a state of wonder and curiosity.
Know that in order to do what you have never done before you must face fear. Accept that it’s there. You got this. Go.
Take small steps and you will see progress. Create big steps and you will be strategizing instead of creating.
Fall in love with your creative work. (that’s a verb) Don’t fall in love with every painting you create. Fall in love with the actual act of painting, sculpting, baking, gardening, or whatever is your creative pursuit.
Be obsessed with the creative process and don’t focus on creating the perfect environment. You will find unique solutions to fix the issues within your surroundings and you won’t even notice the imperfections while you are engaged in your creative work.

This was an interesting book to help reinforce what I am doing well and a nice way to review what I can tweak to invite more creativity into my daily life. I got a copy from the library and if you are so inclined, you can probably get a copy from yours.

I hope something in here resonated with you. This post was taken from the notes I took as I read. The ideas here were the ones that spoke to me. If you read the book for yourself, surely other ideas will jump out for you.

Thanks for being here. It was a long read. I hope you will take a look at your imperfect circumstances and find an innovative way to make it work with your creativity. Look from a different perspective and it will always be more interesting.