full blood moon | lunar eclipse | 38
Hello, friends. I’ve been thinking of you. I know I haven’t written in a while. It started innocently enough — the holidays are busy for everyone. On top of that, I was finishing my FINAL semester of graduate school in December. Yes, I finally graduated with an MFA, three and a half years and one child later. (She just turned two and a half!)
One thing led to another, time went on, and now it’s been too long! I’ve been holding a lot of change, gently and lovingly, as I consider what is next for me (and the world). How about you?
Doe Bay Resort & Retreat, Orcas Island, WA
There is so much beauty here. I am one of those people who LOVES to take a trip by myself, but I haven’t had the chance since my 2020 birthday, exactly three days before everything in Seattle shut down due to the pandemic we didn’t quite understand at that point.
This year, I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to take myself on another solo getaway to Orcas Island. Not only is it a gorgeous place (with a surprising amount of sun that feels like it came out just to celebrate me!), there has been a lot of synchronicity, including the revelation that I can see out the window of my cabin the full “Blood Moon” lunar eclipse tonight! I’m watching the moon slowly disappear as I write this from my cozy bed.
The phenomenal Doe Bay Resort also happened to host a shockingly good open mic night tonight (who knew you could jam on a digeridoo?), with incredible food and drink at the Doe Bay Cafe, and I happened to sit down in front of a beautiful bouquet of daffodils, my favorite flower.
More than anything, I keep thinking about how grateful I am to be 38, and more myself every day. As an artist, an introvert, and a Highly Sensitive Person, I need time like this alone to reflect, to survive in a chaotic world, to heal and thrive.
Birthday love from Doe Bay, Orcas Island, Washington
Here’s what I’ve been up to, in brief:
Grieving
Processing
Moving through winter
Gathering
Preparing for spring
Celebrating
Mourning
Reflecting
Making paper clay from recycled cardboard
Drawing & journaling
Planning
Dreaming
Scheming
“Bad Moon,” mixed media, Alexia & Nova Casiano (Feb 2025)
Here’s where I’ve landed:
I need to build a business, or a nonprofit — an organization, with a storefront presence, in Kirkland WA or nearby; Seattle’s Eastside.
A community artmaking space, gallery, and store.
A drop-in space for families and individuals to play with various mediums, recycled materials, art supplies, laugh and learn together, and be in creative community.
Will you join me?
As this new community art project takes shape, I am slowly manifesting what is already so real in my head and heart. I am gathering collaborators, supporters, believers, customers, board members, co-conspirators, donors, artists, parents, and dreamers. I need YOU!
creative coaching:
In the meantime, I continue to be amazed and grateful for the life I get to experience and work towards. Becoming an artist — BEING the artist I’ve always known I am — has always been my deepest desire and biggest fear. It takes so much courage, vulnerability, and trust in myself and the world to receive what I have to offer. I’m finally ready to take that leap. Thank you for joining me in the celebration of life’s greatest joys and challenges!
I am also excited to be offering Creative Coaching services. These are one-on-one zoom sessions incorporating active listening, reflection, goal setting, prioritization, creative empowerment, teaching art strategies and “creative disruptions”, and therapeutic art approaches to promote holistic well-being and overall life satisfaction.
Need a fresh perspective on life? Want to weave more creative strategies into your day to day? Have a tough emotional or logistical problem to work through? My approach combines a lifetime of artmaking, visualization, art and psychology education, and two decades of operations and project management to achieve real-world results and inner mindset shifts. I thrive on helping you live the life you want, and love the life you live. Contact me now or fill out the intake form HERE for a free consultation!
COMMUNITY:
In-Person: FREE Artists’ Guild Meetups every First Sunday!
The world is crazy right now. Please be in touch, however and whenever works for you. More love, more art. More authentic living. Keep up the resistance.