small talk

Summer is wrapping, and we’re on the backend of 2020—a year that, for some, has felt like a million of them strung together (I’m in that number.) I keep wondering what 2021 will bring, then I realize that I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m trying, instead, to focus on what’s right in front of me, asking myself how best to finish off THIS year. Are there end-of-year goals that are within reach if I just work a little harder to attain them?

With chaos ringing so loudly, sometimes we have to be our own best motivators. I think of it as a time to reset, peel away layers, situations or people that are no longer serving you or preventing you from reaching your goals. Work hard. Reset.

Perhaps that's why I admire the sculptor, Barbara Nanning. Her detailed explanation of how she came to work from a circular concept increased my

appreciation for another set of skills an artist must have. There’s some science and engineering involved. It’s more than what just looks pretty. It’s hard work.

Artist Gun Gordillo told me during her interview that she didn’t believe in inspiration. She believes in hard work and an open mind. A respectable statement, I thought, with a lot of truth within it. Hard work.

The recent passing of Chadwick Boseman--a cultural icon and a superhero in the eyes of many children was painful to hear. Learning that his passion for his art and his awareness of what it would mean to others outweighed the pain and discomfort of an illness he knew he may not defeat makes him my hero. I will remain in awe of a man that chose every day to reset and fight a little harder while he still had the chance.