Soul Siblings,
Sometimes art takes four years to make.
(Okay… five. I lied.)
I’m writing from the long arc of a body of work that refused to be rushed. A practice that kept asking for patience, listening and trust. Again and again, my art invited me back into the rhythm of ebb and flow.
This work began years ago with ‘The House of Blue Portrait Series.’ It started with my best friend Jay, then widened to include his husband Kenny, then Harvey. Along the way, it intersected with Vanessa and Charles, my niece and nephew, and their late, great Saint Francesca the Chihuahua, and landing with their newer dog, Butter. Human lives overlapping with my so-called-blue-life.
Eventually, without asking permission, the work turned toward landscape.
A two-piece offering that began as a gift for Jay’s 40th birthday.
I just completed the second piece and gave it to him on his 45th. Five years. Same thread. Still alive.
What I’m learning (again and again):
Don’t rush the making.
Don’t abandon the thread.
Trust repetition.
Explore with different tools and mediums.
Release perfectionism.
Draw and create with children and awesome adults.
Have fun along the way.
Our lives, like art, move through mediums. Pen to the shade of pencil. Charcoal or pastels. Watercolor to whatever comes next. We change tools. We change pace. But something essential keeps weaving through us.
Art doesn’t move in straight lines.
Neither do we.
We are circular. Seasonal. We return carrying more than we left with. If something in you feels unfinished, dusty, tucked away in a drawer; maybe it isn’t done yet. Maybe it’s just resting. Waiting for the right season to be touched again.
So keep going.
Pull the paper out.
Dust it off.
Trust what wants to emerge next.
I’m listening to Able Heart’s song “STILL STANDING” as I write this, and it feels like a quiet companion to this truth: we are still here. Still making. Still standing.
With love on this Winter Day, as the chill of ICE creeps across the state of Minnesota.
Stay connected, informed and kind.
Yours Bluely,
Alexander 🩵🪶
PS
The video attached to this post offers a glimpse behind the scenes — sketches, studies, and side paths that quietly supported the two finished pieces. It’s part of the “Bluescape” too. Take a look when you’re ready.
Quick Bite from Instagram
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Wise Circle is a weekly gathering designed to help you move through Winter with more steadiness and less isolation. Together, we practice listening, wise speech, community building, and gentle practices within a grounded, supportive container.
As a thank-you for being part of this community—reading along on Substack, listening to the podcast, and staying connected—you’ll receive $50 off enrollment for MidWinter Wise Circle. It’s my way of honoring the relationship we’re already in. We start Tuesday, February 17, and finish Tuesday, March 24. Follow the link for exact date, time and program details.
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VIRAL MINDFULNESS the podcast.
The Soul Care Series is a Winter’s limited series and sequence of podcast episodes devoted to exploring how we can strengthen the muscle of our soul. Inspired by the words and books of Frances Weller. Each episode offers sound suggestions for staying present in uncertain times — building the muscle of care, attention, and honest listening. So far in the series, I’ve walked us through Winter’s Edge: The Grandeur of the Soul, teaching us why winter’s long dark is a natural season for inner life; The Quality In Your Approach, exploring how reverence and curiosity shape our capacity to meet ourselves; Why Inner Work Needs a Vessel, learning why deep practice unfolds only in patient containers; Does Your Soul Value Restraint?, in which the gift of restraint becomes a soul practice itself; and Amnesia and Anesthesia, exploring how repetition keeps us awake and embodied.
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