Below a yellowed tree,
weeds fringe the driveway’s
borders. Anoles pump.

They jut, and the bigger
lizards skitter along
the yard’s edge. While

daylight’s needles stitch
threads the spathodea,
seven De Kay’s brown snakes⁴

slue like scarves through
the new ivy. Though
it’s already five o’clock,

I haven’t heard from him
yet. Not this week.
Not this month. He’s
‍
gone with no word.
So far, silence. Green
quiet. Someone next door

opens a second-floor
window, and a toddler
shrieks, shatters the still air.

The child’s cry skylarks
the mimosa, shrinks,
then dissipates through

the evening’s haze. I shake
out our wet clothes.
In the breeze, the clothesline
‍
snaps my red blouse
as it dances, my empty sleeves
waving in the wind to no one.

— Cate McGowan

Creativity is often thought of as a perfectly formed idea, something whole and complete from the start. But in reality, it’s more like the broken mirror—fragmented, surprising, and full of unexpected reflections.

This mirror, doesn’t show what’s around it. Instead, it reflects the sky, turning a forgotten piece of glass into something bigger. It challenges perception, forcing us to see the world differently. And isn’t that what creativity is all about?

Too often, we search for inspiration in predictable places—inside structured processes, within known boundaries. But real creativity comes when we look at things from a fresh perspective, when we embrace imperfection, and when we allow ourselves to be surprised. Sometimes, the most powerful ideas come from the fragments of something else, from mistakes, from what we weren’t even looking for.

Next time you feel stuck, take a step back. Shift your perspective. Find beauty in what’s broken. Creativity isn’t about perfection—it’s about discovery. And sometimes, the best ideas are hiding in the cracks, waiting to reflect something unexpected.

— Study the world
— Respect your feelings
— Listen to your intuition
— Talk to strangers
— Be gentle to each other
— Be aware of your surroundings
— Be kind
— Share your knowledge
— Keep learning
— Continue to improve yourself

Tomorrow will never know, he looks down at himself from a distant God's-eye view and arrives at the enlightened conclusion: "Living and dying are one in the same."

In the toughest of times or during the most difficult conversations, the impulse is often to search for convenient expressions that make a situation feel more manageable.
"It is what it is!” “It could be worse!” “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t!”


Ukiyo [u-key-yo] — (n) living in the moment, detached from the bothers of life.

As the clock resets to a new year, I’m embracing the spirit of transformation with a refreshed website. Why the change? Because, just like you, I believe in starting fresh, redefining goals, and presenting our best selves to the world.

This refresh isn’t the finish line; it’s the starting point. Just like the concept of “new year, new me” my redesigned website is a commitment to continuous growth and evolution.