Got out to create for myself

I got out to create for myself today, but not by myself. Barbara and I spent time together in shared direction and creative company, and I’m grateful for that.

We trekked out to a “new” spot in Black Magic Canyon. I’m not sure how many of the 100+ images I created I’ll end up editing, or if any will be printed for display. This adventure wasn’t about an end result. It was time I had to set aside to create and reflect on the lessons of the past few weeks.

Since the Spring 2026 CSI semester started, my schedule has tightened. This website and blog are part of my personal goals, but also, I am using them for assignments for my formal education. There is more overlapping right now than in semesters past.

The cover image—shared earlier on my personal Instagram and Facebook—is a black-and-white photograph of basalt rock in Black Magic Canyon, Idaho. Water erosion around a small pebble has formed a heart-shaped hollow in the stone. When I look at the heart shape, I imagine the water rushing past, slowly wearing away the wall where the pebble settled. It’s interesting how not only people are shaped by the forces around them—stone is, too.