In the recent book I read "The creative habit" by Twyla Tharp she talks about the 5 essentials for a creative life. Food, "creating", exercise, sleep and solitude. Those are all great, but I add sharing time with family and friends as very important also. Yesterday, I took some time out with my friends, Lara and Courtney, to make caramels and spiced pecans for the holidays. We also went for a nice snow shoe to enjoy the beauty of winter. Friends and family, as well as solitude, are very important in my creativity. I'm taking a little time off for the holidays from painting, but certainly will be busy with other things. I plan to dive right into some larger size panels of my new minimalist series.