I know I have a reputation for being a highly productive person here on this blog, but there are days when I faff about and waste time with the best of them. I’ve been glued to the weather reports, surfing blankly online, and generally piddling the morning away. I did catch up with my parents, shipped out a commissioned painting, and varnished another. But I’ve been avoiding diving into actual work. I think the anticipation of a significant snow event has me feeling ready to hunker down and enjoy being socked in.
Our efforts to organize the garage last summer have paid off, and we’re able to park two of our vehicles there to shelter them from the snow. Jeff reved up the generator and filled up the gas cans. I ordered groceries and charged power packs. I think we’re set.
I know this incoming storm is affecting a large swath of the US, so I hope you’re all prepped and will be safe and snug as the ice and snow roll in.
what I’m reading
I have mostly been listening to music and podcasts this week, so I’ll share a podcast instead of a book. I have really enjoyed Episode 92 of the Daily Creative Podcast by Todd Henry. In this episode, he talks about the use of AI and cautions creatives against farming out parts of the creative process that require our unique perspective and voice. We want to use technology for the grunt work, the summaries, the things that can make our processes more efficient. While it’s tempting, we don’t want to delegate the parts of our work that make it ours.
In the AMC show about the rise of personal computers and search engines, Halt & Catch Fire, one of the main characters says, “Computers aren’t the thing. They are the thing that gets us to the thing.” I’m afraid that with smartphones and AI, computers are becoming the thing. Let’s keep them as just the thing that gets us to the thing.
what I’m watching
A couple of new seasons of Landscape Artist of the Year recently became available on Amazon Prime, so I’ve been catching up on those. I want to watch them all in one shot, but I’m trying to savor them one at a time. As I’ve shared before, Landscape and Portrait Artist of the Year are my favorite shows. Even if you’re not into painting and drawing, it’s a wonderful competition show that will have you appreciating our varied ways of seeing the world.
what I’m loving
“When you drink water from a cup, it becomes a part of you. When water falls on you like rain, it evaporates a few minutes later.
Similarly, thoughts can be consumed or dismissed. Is this thought nourishing? Is this feeling something you should drink? Or is it more like getting caught in the rain?
You always feel the rain, but you don’t have to drink the rain. You can let the thought pass, and in a few moments, the sun will return. You don’t have to claim everything you feel.”
James Clear’s January 8, 2026 newsletter
what I’m working on
This has been a week of the nuts and bolts of business no the kind of work that isn’t particularly fun to photograph or write about. I’ve been packing up paintings to ship, ordering new shipping supplies, packaging fine art prints, and having a few meetings. Today and tomorrow are pretty open, though, so I will use them for painting and working on other creative projects.
I did work on a few commissioned portraits, including this cute little fella. I sort of questioned the photo reference the client requested, but sometimes your dog is a gremlin, and that’s the best way to remember him. I would’ve said no to painting a tongue-out portrait, and one with such an animated expression would’ve been a double-hard no, but I loved painting this one, and it’s shown me how much I’ve grown as an artist.
What have you been reading, watching, loving, and working on?
12 Responses
I’m reading “Awake” by Jen Hatmaker. Great book!
I’m not really watching much of anything. Trying to listen to music instead.
Right now I’m loving researching for a trip I hope to take in the fall.
And I’m working on a quilt to give to give to a friend just diagnosed with cancer. I’ve been quilting for many years and now I mostly make quilts for chemo patients with a group I’m in. But it’s different when the quilt is for someone I’ve known for a long time…
I’ve watched all of the Landscape Artists of the Year, too. My gosh do I get frustrated with them. They certainly don’t choose who I think are the best but that won’t keep me from watching!! I love it. Thanks for the heads up.
You are truly an amazing artist. This is an adorable painting of the cute little fellow. Love it…Gremlin indeed! 🙂
In these days of a conflict charged world we must be careful about the cup we choose to drink from. Our Bible study group discussed this very concept this morning.
Yes.
I feel that Ai is taking away creativity in our lives. Everyone should read George Orwell’s 1984. He was really ahead of his time. Also, I purchased a French provincial dining room set from you at a show you were at in Raleigh. It was many years ago and I think we were both living in Virginia at the time. I sold it recently after moving to a much smaller home. Such good memories with that beautiful set.
We have this funny commercial were some guy takes pride in telling his neighbour his whole house is AI-engineered and he’s just an old-fashioned ‘peep’. The neighbour raises his shoulders and goes on with his old-fashioned life. He is drinking a cuppa in front of his window and sees the neighbour arriving. The neighbour has a cold. His smart home doesn’t recognise his voice and won’t let him in. The neighbour stands there, secretly grinning, watching his neighbour standing in the cold rain, trying to get his house working and open the door for him. I want AI to make my bed and do the laundry. I absolutely do not want AI to do my job and my hobbies. Climate change is partly driven by energy, water slurping AI energy stations. We can do better.
Hello Marion. I was glad to read that I was not the only one consumed by the weather news. Certainly we all need to be informed of upcoming weather situations but I can dawdle with the best of them. Currently I am reading your book Feels Like Home, and I am happy to report that I had an interesting conversation with the house. It is my goal to reread a lot of your older posts during this time of hunkering down. Oh the wonderful things you have taught us through the years. I truly believe you are called to do what you do. You are an amazing writer, artist, homemaker, etc. I am deeply concerned about how AI will impact our lives. I enjoy reading your posts all the way through, knowing that an actual human being wrote them. I love James Clear and enjoy his newsletters, always thought provoking. Be safe everyone in this upcoming storm.
Currently reading the Betsy-Tacy-Tib series by Maud Hart Lovelace! Good, wholesome, enjoyable stories.
Thanks to you, I am watching the NEW season 6 of All Creatures Great & Small that is premiering Sunday nights here in the USA!!! Thank you Marian for introducing me to this incredible show on one of your past “favorite things” list!! 🙂
Just want to tell you how much we are enjoying Liquid God. Thanks for sharing the recommendation. We are intrigued!
Marian, I love these posts of yours! We’ve enjoyed or made note of several of your “what I’m watching” recommendations. Our favorite was Long Way Home series. We’ve watched them backwards and are about to end with the first one. Then I think we may watch the most recent one, which is the first one we watched, which you recommended.
Thanks for all you do and share!
LeAnne