A Journey from Self-doubt to Self-acceptance

The wisdom of this profoundly simple truth has stayed with me ever since. Not only has it stuck with me, it started me on a path that has changed my life in subtle, and eventually profound ways. It has reverberated inside, reaching into the deepest parts of me, casting an effervescent light on all my self-doubt and fear. It has illuminated all the ways

Dream Alchemy

He didn’t look like a monster, but in dreams, things can transform from benign to frightening in the space of a heartbeat. His half-grin turned into a full toothy smile as he said, “I am not one of your monsters, but I will teach you a little trick I know… one that will make it so you’ll never again fear any monster. Would you like to learn it?”
I nodded, albeit cautiously. Curious thing though; his voice was that of a younger man, like water over smooth river rocks, not at all gravelly or gruff, and it had a calming effect on me.

My First Stradivarius

“You NEVER forget your first!” This experience moved me, changed me, gave my soul wings, and I will never forget it.

I remember standing for the first time before a painting by Rembrandt. I became lost in the play of light and shadow, the life of each brushstroke. I became lost in time. For an instant it was as if I were there, watching him paint his masterpiece. His vivid essence remained, even centuries after he put brush to canvas. I stood there. Transfixed. Forgetting to breathe.

This was like that but amplified a hundred times.

The Dream Stone

(The Stone Throw Theory)

The greatest lessons in life sometimes come from the most unexpected places.

One late afternoon, on a warm spring day in my nineteenth year, I sat with a friend of mine on a cliff in Palos Verdes, gazing out at the Pacific blue. Waiting for the sun to set, we sat in silence, feeling our separate worlds merge.

A Musical Legacy

My father’s words: What matters is that you continue to CREATE. As long as you are creating, your soul will flourish. It is important for everyone to have a creative outlet, but for souls like ours, it is absolutely essential… as essential as breathing. If you stopped writing books, then I would be worried, but your books are like music to me, and the songs you have written tell wonderful stories, so where is the loss to your soul?”

Wisdom of the Waves (part 1)

I was raised next to the Pacific Ocean. I grew up a “surfer girl,” and a musician, listening to the Beach Boys, who grew up in the same place.

The ocean was one of my greatest teachers. I believe the wisdom of the waves can help us deal with the complexities of emotion at any age, and see us through many of life’s difficulties and hardships along the way. 

Here’s what it taught me…

Wisdom of the Waves (part 2)

Everything went quiet and still inside and I begin to see each individual drop of water move in slow motion. The roar and the pounding of the waves in my ears had gone quiet. Everything slowed down so much that I had enough time to think complete thoughts and contemplate the situation, but I was so taken by what I was seeing, that the only thoughts I had were feelings: peace, serenity, and utter fascination. 

Echoes: A Love Letter to New York City— E.B. White’s Book “Here is New York” Sparks a Glistening Memory

Seeing New York City for the first time through the eyes of love has painted an indelible portrait on the canvas of my mind that will forever remain vibrant and alive. 

The Death of Sunshine

On my way to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, I didn’t know I was about to receive a lesson in “The Illusion of Permanence.”

Sacred Symmetry: The Dance of Dark & Light

I have always been fascinated with the idea behind the Italian word, “Chiaroscuro.” There is no English equivalent. For a language to have a word that encompasses both light and dark into one unifying concept, speaks volumes about its people. Chiaroscuro [kjaroˈskuːro]; is the Italian word for light-dark (chiaro, meaning bright, clear, and scuro, meaning…

The Long Dark Hallway of the Soul

The silence was devastating. I wanted to say something that would help my friend, wanted to ease her pain, wanted to go back in time and stop it from happening. I wanted to hug her, tell her that everything was going to be alright, but I was 600 miles away and… it was never going to be alright.

“Art for Art’s Sake”

When I write, I, as the conduit, eventually disappear, transmuted into energy… a presence, like wind on water… able to influence the surface, but the depth and breadth below is a quality unto itself.

Art has always been an inner path for me, and a personal driving force in my life, but for the past two decades, it is also my livelihood.

There are times when the idea of “art for art’s sake” vs. art for monetary gain, becomes food for thought.