OOPS

Early Friday morning I woke up energized after a good night’s sleep ready to greet the possibilities of a new day. Then came my usual rituals and routines—lighting a candle, making a cup of organic ceremonial grade Matcha tea from Japan with a scoop of collagen whisked in, and practicing TM for 20 minutes. This was followed by a Jab and Burn Shadowboxer workout on my trampoline.

Afterwards, I quickly peeked at my mail inbox and noticed an email with a congratulatory subject line. Clicking on it, there were further details revealing that one of my creative projects will likely be manifested. Beyond thrilled, I made sure to let the joy truly soak in.

Feeling buoyed, a couple of hours later, I started scrolling through the news feed. OOPS! The usual flood of ominous U.S. headlines and global resonance did what it always does — swept away my positivity and joy.

Even though I value broad awareness of what's going on in the world, protecting and elevating my mood, inspiration, and creativity matter more. Every time I expose myself to negative news, a downward cycle follows. Friday reminded me how precious that buoyant feeling is and how easily it slips away when I'm not paying attention. I won't make that trade so carelessly again.

Memoriam Segment - 2026 Oscars

Robert Redford was an all-time favorite prolific icon. I loved all of his movies—Barefoot in the Park, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Electric Horseman, The Sting, Three Days of the Condor, Downhill Racer, Ordinary People, and on and on—and really appreciated his championing of independent filmmakers, his philanthropy, and environmental activism.

I still remember the thrill of watching a movie in one of his arthouse theaters/Sundance Cinemas for the first time and subsequently. The concept was revolutionary and inspirational with no ads and reserved seating.

Similar to my mother in 2018, I only wish he had lived long enough to witness the passing on of the low vibration madman in the highest office of the U.S.

Returning to the topic of the memoriam segment, as the beautiful music was playing, his quote was displayed on the screen. As an artist, this is especially meaningful. It supports my tag line, “Let the force of my creativity inspire and start conversations for change.”

Intransigent

I’m always looking to expand my vocabulary, and certainly some words carry more weight than others. As an artist, my work is often sparked by a single powerful word. I saw intransigent in today’s HuffPost headlines referencing Israel’s continuous bombing; it truly captures the gravity of this moment. Definition: adjective; refusing to compromise or to abandon an often extreme position or attitude; uncompromising.

In The Beginning

…An absurd choice. Into the fire. The eye-opener. Exposure and candor. Courage. Restore Sanity.

Hand-cut from periodicals and deliberately paired into a poetic theme, these words capture fragments of truths that remain timelessly relevant.

Shattering of Illusions

How about the United Farm Workers (UFW) and co-founder Cesar Chavez?

Can it be argued that we are living in “times of movement” and reckoning? It seems as though the veils are being lifted, revealing more shadows and corruption at every level of our society. This isn’t just about one news cycle or one political party; it’s a systematic and world-wide exposure of the malignancies that that been allowed to fester under the guise of leadership. In the U.S., it’s daily onslaught with an evil madman, rivaling Israel’s, and his administration’s antics involving “Disruption as Strategy, Weaponizing Government, Spectacle and Distraction, Targeting Institutions, Rule by Personalization”, all to erode democratic norms and force fascism. The proof—SCOTUS, DOGE, Dismantling USAID, ICE, Greenland, Venezuela, Epstein files, the unprovoked war on Iran, etcetera.

This exposure is so painful! Will just about everything need to be blown up for the masses to wake up to the truth—none of this benefits people and our planet—and stop protecting the powerful? The other morning there was a news clip on a large protest in Israel with people opposing the Iran war. A young spokesperson said bombs will never make them or anyone safe and there are no more children to spare. I felt somewhat hopeful.


Patriarchy and Women

I maintain that women have always been, and still are, the most oppressed group on planet Earth. Yet, women themselves are often complicit in upholding the patriarchal systems that disenfranchise and marginalize them—whether driven by lifelong socialization, the raw necessity of survival, or a strategic desire to preserve the status quo.

We see the harsh reality of this in the recent firings of Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem. Their high-profile exits are a perfect illustration that representation is not the same thing as liberation. Just because a woman is put in charge doesn’t mean she will lead as a humanitarian or even with a basic level of consciousness. With these two, it was quite the contrary; their leadership was not about elevating mankind, but about allegiance to a system of injustice, dominance, and control that oppresses and destroys the lives of women, men, and children alike.

System of Patriarchy

No Kings - 3/28/26

Courtesy of a robust acupuncture treatment on Friday, I had one of the deepest night’s sleep in a while and woke up Saturday morning energetic and optimistic. The bright blue sky and warm weather were added bonuses. So, I decided to march to protest the fascism taking hold in the United States of America.

I felt such a sense of exhilaration to be part of a crowd so vast and diverse—with people of every age, race, and background, all united in We The People and democracy. There is an incredible power in knowing my truth is shared: that every human being has value, oppression and wars must stop, and freedom and justice have to prevail.

Bold Momentum