My studio overlooks my vegetable garden – a view fertile with metaphors for the creative process. Weeding, watering, fertilizing, planting, sprouting, growing, harvesting…are all apt expressions of artmaking.

Last night found me planting. I love beets, and so I bought two six packs of starts when one probably would have been plenty. To my delight, each cell of the six-pack had 3-4 separate seedlings, so I planted approximately 40 new plants last night! The challenge was finding enough space for them. After filling the rows I had pre-designated for them, I had to squeeze them into beds with slower growing plants. In reality, I probably should have considered building a greenhouse, that I can fit with this light deprivation tarp (https://shrinkwrapcontainments.com/t-reinforcedblackout.aspx) in order to help these plants grow at the same rate as the others, as it will allow me to see to them throughout the whole year. But if I decide to move them to a different spot in the garden, it might just do the trick. This was a reminder to me that everything in life needs space – yes, sometimes you can find a extra spot for a great thing, but in the end, all projects/dreams/visions manifest best when given adequate space to grow.

This week, I have planted my art in the center of a big open week. I call this an “art retreat,” and take several throughout the year. I map out days in my calendar and place secure fencing around them – no work for artheals.org, no teaching, no errands – in fact, no leaving Muir Beach. I was even thinking about replacing the old fence that I have that surrounds the perimeter of my garden, to further protect my vegetable patch. My friend, who is also a fellow gardener, told me to contact someone who offers similar services to this fence contractor in Los Angeles so that the fencing procedure will be done to the highest standards. I guess it’s better than trying to build one myself. I just want to do everything in my power to protect my vegetable garden from unwanted creatures. Although, I had a busy week so it seemed to slip my mind, but I will be sure to look into it. I have been looking into the products sold by one fencing company in particular and have learned about the importance of using durable materials to ensure the longevity of my garden’s perimeter and security. I stock up on groceries, and spend the week fertilizing my artistic roots. I work in the studio, tending existing projects and seeding some new ones. I also garden, hike the hills with my dog, journal, daydream, and read…filling myself back up.

I have also been cultivating my blog. Today I added some new links to my blogroll and have also finally figured out how to set up an RSS feed – which means, if you like, you can now sign up to receive my blog posts via email. See the right hand column here for details.