The Mona Lisa is legendary because Leonardo da Vinci combined his mastery of art and scientific genius to pioneer groundbreaking techniques to paint the earliest painting that comes as close to a photograph as possible—182 years before the camera was invented. Read how he did it here.

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A lot of people suffer from destination syndrome. Destination Syndrome is a lie you tell yourself that causes you to constantly believe that happiness is somewhere else—right around the corner or over the next hill. There’s a nagging feeling of needing more or better because your current circumstances aren’t enough. 

“After I find a new job and make more money, then I’ll be happy.”

“When I find someone to truly love me and start a relationship with, then I can be happy.”

“Once I have kids, then I’ll be happy.”

“When I retire and my kids are grown, then I can finally have time to myself then I can be happy.”

Instead, ask yourself, “How can you experience more joy today in your current circumstances?”. If you suffer from destination syndrome, that’s the cure. Gratitude. Next time you write down your top three goals you want within the next year, write down the top three things you’re thankful for right now. Don’t let this deter you from pursuing your goals. Gratitude isn’t settling, it’s appreciating. It’s fighting against the chase for happiness so that you can embrace a constant state of happiness.

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Watch this TED Talk 3 times and share it with everyone you love: The lies our culture tells us about what matters and a better way to live.

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My Dad saw me prepping a 6ft x 6ft canvas to paint on...

Dad: “Wow! Aren’t you scared you’re going to accidentally mess it up?”

Me: “You can’t mess up art.”

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We need to stop teaching kids what to think and start teaching them how to think.

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The Mind of John Cleese...

John Cleese vs Extremism: Watch it here.

John Cleese on Creativity: “Creativity can only exist in a place where curiosity can operate for its own sake.”

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This week I was researching Generational Trauma for my painting series on the generational traumatic effects of slavery on African Americans and read something interesting that triggered a thought I'd like to share...

The passage:

“In the words of Bessel Van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, the ability to feel safe is ‘probably the most important aspect of mental health’.  When we grow up with family dynamics that make us feel unsafe, invalidated in our feelings and experiences we can struggle to move past our personal and familial trauma.  One of our jobs in therapy is to help our clients experience what is known as felt safety, which is an empathetic relationship based on the therapist’s unconditional acceptance of the individual’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences. In counseling, it is my job as the therapist to assess my clients holistically, meaning looking at the person, their environment, and their past, and work to help the client fully understand the meaning of their trauma so they can best heal from it.  When we do this it can help bring to light the, “Why do I do this?” behind the negative behavior that is affecting the client’s life.”

My thought:

Finding someone who is interested in understanding how your past affects who you are, and from that place of understanding they unconditionally accept your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, sounds like a few of the benefits of being in a healthy relationship. Similar to a therapist, finding and watering a healthy relationship is a part of self-love.