Be present and focus on what matters most instead

This Christmas season I hope you will be with people you care about, doing things you enjoy, and taking time out to celebrate what matters most.

Why dwell on what didn't get done, what could have been, or what's missing? Whether you're alone, with a few people, or a brood of family or friends, stop time and notice what's right in front of you, who is around you, and why you're part of it.

Cherish relationships that give you strength and take in the earth's beauty and the creativity that we are surrounded by every day. Even the snow that sometimes impedes our travel has incredible beauty if we're open to seeing it.

As this year comes to a close, my family and I wish you many joyful moments to capture, if not in photos, in your heart and mind.

And express gratitude. It is powerful.

(P.S. The photo above is of my husband, Bill, our daughter, Lena and son, Nolan, about eleven years ago)

I wasn't expecting the answer to be "tax form numbers"...

That was accountant Kathleen Collette's response during a meeting before I began working on custom artwork for her office.

I rose to the challenge to make tax numbers interesting and captivating enough for both Kathleen and her clients, playfully hiding the tax numbers within images of textures and everyday ordinary items. It was a rewarding adventure for both of us, and revealing the final artwork was such fun with friends and family present. For more photos of this "By The Numbers" series, please click here.

Being creative is what I love. My visual "stories" are shared on my website homepage and the images there are things or places that matter to me and bring me joy.

What do you love? What matters most? Put that on your wall.

If money were no object, what would put there that you could look at every day?

Imagine it so.