1. Color. The leaves are changing right now, and I’m so grateful to watch them change before my eyes.
2. Light. Golden hour stops me in my tracks, because I know the glow only lasts a little while.
3. Wildlife. One evening a doe and I locked eyes, and I slowly backed away so she could exist, because I was just a visitor in her world.
4. Libraries. I love the quiet, the company of strangers who don’t need anything from me, and all that knowledge sitting on the shelves.
5. Curiosity. I’m curious about culture, geography, brains, history, and the experience of being alive.
6. Wandering. I like to go somewhere new with a ticket, a place to sleep, and everything else left open.
7. Society. Society’s expectations are often pretty messed up, so I push back where I can and try to live in a way that aligns with me.
8. Art. After an accident many years ago, I embraced art to express what I literally could not see in my mind, and it taught me to slow down and see everything.
9. Mental health. I’ve been in some really dark places, and now I can say: wow, I made it.
10. My inner world. It’s deep and full of a magic treehouse, rainbow domes, spooky forests, and a girl named Flower.
11. My kids. They love me and also beg me to please stop talking about the colors of the leaves.

I see and think much faster than I can write or paint, so this is just a small sample. I am more than words, and more than any page.