Stubborn Dispositions January 17, 2026.

Even when I don't think of myself as being a resolution-maker each year, I decide to keep being creative and making art. The desire to keep drawing, painting, creating, and collaborating waxes and wanes when there are other things going on in the world that can drag down my morale. In 2025, I hardly did any plein air painting! Most of my time and efforts were poured into illustrations for A Dragon Named Parasol. If you're lucky enough to not be overwhelmed by all the horrible things going on, good for you. Getting people out of the 'safety' of their homes and into real-world physical spaces to share in creative endeavors is something I have been lucky to experience in the last year.

Thanks to local artist Theo Howard I have had the good fortune to connect with the local arts community and found some other folks independently. Those worlds are starting to overlap in all the best ways. In these local groups it's a common statement that "everyone knows Theo" because he has been putting together events for years in the area. A muti-talented and skilled artist himself, Theo brings many artists to the yard. He started getting folks into a local bar once a month for life drawing sessions in addition to what I think of as casual Drink & Draws. I think of these events as Drink & Draws because regardless of branding or whatever, Art Nights, Draw Groups, whatever-- they are all Drink & Draws to me. I have another group of gaming friends who have been doing some Drink & Draw style events randomly through the last few months. Finally, I've been spending more time at the Atwood Atelier for short pose figure drawing, too.

Continuing to make art and connect with local people in the face of fascism may not seem like a big deal to anyone who reads this. For me, though, it is the only way to stubbornly move forward through this phase of our lives--another shared experience of difficulty. Finding that none of us have to suffer alone and can connect with something as simple as foreshortening is truly a welcomed experience. When in the Treasure Valley, it was heart-wrenching to lose my connection to the creative circles I helped bring together. Those folks were part of a very important support system and group of friends. It's taken many years, but I am so grateful to have found a similar community vibe in the Midwest. Grateful for those who show up. Those who share their challenges and successes. Those who host. Those who participate. Those who support. Those willing to be an impromptu model. Those willing to show up based on a single online post. Those who want to be part of the community. Let's use that stubborn disposition to keep going together.