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My back yard always had beautiful hydrangeas growing up. It’s one of the few plants I actually know the name of! The colors ranged from pink to purple, and all variations in between.

Then in 1996, in the shuttle from the SEA-TAC airport to my first calligraphy conference outside of Seattle, the bus passed a hydrangea with the most stunning blue petals.

Blue! Deep, vibrant blue!

There was a collective “Ooh!” from everyone looking out the windows, and someone (a gardener, obviously) shared that the colors are totally dependent on the soil, not the plant itself. Something about the acidity, if I remember correctly.

This strikes me as rather metaphoric. Our environments play a large part in shaping us as humans, too.

If you want vibrant petals, then, find the right kind of soil.

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I’ve been using an app lately that chimes a meditation bell at random intervals throughout the day.

Why? Because studies have shown that people are substantially less happy when their minds are wandering than when they’re not, and being mindfully present is highly correlated with greater happiness.

Knowing this, I want to practice being present in the present moment more often.

The random bell reminds me to get out of my head, out of the future, out of the past, out of worrying and anxiety, and come back to presence.

It’s kind of miraculous what a difference it makes in my life.

That said, just like this little green critter, I still love to daydream!

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Notice something different? If you’ve been following my daily art posts, you might have been expecting a white background.

Surprise! I thought I’d try working on wood panels!

When Linda suggested the title “Reaching” for this one, it instantly resonated with me. This painting encapsulates the feeling I have when I’m reaching or striving.

Not when I’m striving from an ego place, looking for external validation, but when I’m striving for excellence from a place of fun, exploration, and giving back to the world.

What do you see?