jessica Poundstone is Galison’s Artist Of the Month!

Galison’s Artist of the Month for July c’est moi, Jessica Poundstone! The Galison team has kindly published an interview with me including me behind-the-scenes looks at my cozily-cluttered studio :) See the interview below, and shop the Mindfulness Puzzle Set and Mindfulness Notecards featuring pieces from my Color Cloud Collection. Thank you Galison!

Meet Jessica Poundstone, an artist and creative mind from Portland, Oregon. Her Mindfulness Puzzle Set inspires a relaxing headspace with original art and an opportunity to connect with oneself.

Galison’s Artist Of The Month: Jessica Poundstone

 

At what point in your life did you know that you wanted to be an artist?

"I’ve always wanted to be involved with art — looking at it, making it, thinking about it: the whole package. But I never knew anyone personally — other than my high school art teacher - shoutout to Leona Nelson! — who called themselves an artist. It wasn’t until pretty recently that I got more comfortable referring to myself that way, and started owning it for myself... It opens doors — in your life and in your mind — to begin thinking of yourself as an artist sooner rather than later!"

What are some things that give you inspiration?

"For inspiration for new work: buildings, sidewalks, books on art, street fashion, the way the light hits a wall, unexpected color palates I happen to notice (the other day it was a semi-truck’s cab/container color combo that got me excited!), films, certain songs I’ll listen to over and over: I get inspiration from so many places it can be overwhelming!"

What are three things you need in your workspace?

"Other than the basics — my computers, art supplies and good lighting — my workspace has got to have coffee (strong, dark with cream no sugar), water (preferably LaCroix Pamplemousse or Beach Plum) and my playlist which, depending on what I’m trying to get done, is a mix of faves like Talking Heads, Spoon, REM and PJ Harvey, or white noise (rain sounds, of course - I’m originally from and still live in Portland, Oregon!)."

Why is art important in everyday life? 

"My favorite pieces of art give me a little jolt of beauty that says: 'Hey don’t forget: there’s so much mystery, fun, adventure and joy available to you!' That reminder to zoom out and see a bigger picture (haha, no pun intended) is important to me — especially when the routines of everyday life feel stifling. Art is a window we can always crawl through."

Mindfulness Notecards & Mindfulness Puzzle Set featuring my Color Cloud Collection are available at Galison or most places books and gifts are sold!

Jessica Poundstone Interview with Return On Art!

I’ve partnered with Austria-based Return On Art for an exclusive release of four limited-edition Color Cloud pieces! My interview with Return On Art curators was recently published over on their blog — I’m posting it here as well for anyone who’d like a peek behind the curtain of my brain! (Tread carefully, hahaha!)

Hope you enjoy it! There are still some pieces left in the limited edition series - check them out here!

Return On Art INTERVIEW WITH JESSICA POUNDSTONE

Jessica Poundstone’s work is informed by minimalism and experiential ‘light and space’ art movements. Her research into colour sensation led her to, in part, let go of the limitations of working with physical materials and explore the endless possibilities of the digital realm. Fascinated by the meditative qualities of colour fields and their ability to evoke intense emotion, she continues to experiment with their immersive powers and the effect they have when they become part of our everyday environment.

“There is something about immersion in colour that, like music, has the power to deeply move us, and that we can’t really explain. I love exploring that mysterious terrain.” - Jessica Poundstone

Q. Did you always want to be an artist?

A. It took me a while to really claim the title of artist, but when I look back on my life, I can see that I always have been - and always will be - an artist! I grew up loving to draw and paint, and could not get enough of looking at, reading about, and talking about art.

JESSICA POUNDSTONE

Let’s Work On It Together, 2021

Edition of 20

€ 450,00

Q. Where does your fascination with colour sensation come from?

A. My experiences with colour sensation work have been mystical. There is something about immersion in colour that, like music, has the power to deeply move us - and that we can’t really explain. I love exploring that mysterious terrain.

JESSICA POUNDSTONE

Let’s Grow, 2021

Edition of 20

€ 250,00

Q. Your work navigates a delicate balance between digital and physical art - you use digital media to create, with your hands, unique one-of-a-kind pieces - could you take us through your artistic process?

A. My digital work typically starts with a colour or set of colours that I get a craving to work with. The colour or colours might have been inspired by anything - a film, a flower arrangement, a feeling: I am - and have always been - very sensitive to colour, and the visceral experience of it.

From there, as I work on my iPad, I typically get very deep into the process of making a piece, getting into that amazing state of flow. I’ll either start by working on a series I’ve already created, like the Colour Cloud series, or I’ll be in an experimental mood, trying out different structures and shapes and textures.

Sometimes, a piece comes together very quickly. Other times, there are lots of stops and starts and dead ends. But when a piece comes together, I always get a little internal jolt of joy that tells me it has arrived. It’s, again, very mysterious! But I’ve come to trust the process and the feeling of “rightness” when a piece is done.

“Working digitally led me to think different thoughts, feel different feelings, and ultimately make work that felt more true to what I had wanted to be able to express all along, but hadn’t been able to create within the limitations of physical materials.” - Jessica Poundstone

Q. Why do you choose to work within this field of tension between the digital and the physical?

A. It feels more like it chose me! The factors that led me to start experimenting with making work digitally were very practical: I didn’t have dedicated space for a studio, but I always had my phone with me. The touchscreen on my phone just felt like a natural language I could learn to speak. I learned that David Hockney was working this way, so I thought that I could try it too!

Working digitally also offered me completely new processes and options for making images, which led me to think different thoughts, feel different feelings, and ultimately make very different work — work that felt more true to what I had wanted to be able to express in my work all along, but hadn’t been able to create within the limitations of physical materials. 

JESSICA POUNDSTONE

Slow It Down, 2021

Edition of 20

€ 450,00

Q. You also work in a variety of other media - you create rugs, paintings, etc. How do these different forms of expression relate to each other? Do you see them as different tools to convey a similar concept or are they something else entirely?

A. They do all relate to each other, for sure. I think of the digital work as a portal that I was able to walk through that changed the way I was able to express myself. Once I was in that new space, the way I could use other mediums changed as well - for the better I think.

Q. How do you think the experience of a painted piece or a high-quality printed piece differs (if at all)?

A. To me it is similar to the difference between watching a movie and watching a play. I can be equally moved by both, but they are different experiences. A painted piece, like a play, is a one-time-never-before-never-again object, and carries that energy and power with it. A high-quality printed piece of an open or limited edition can have just as much resonance, but has a more communal, expansive energy to it. I really love both.

JESSICA POUNDSTONE

Stay Passionate, 2021

Edition of 20

€ 250,00

Q. You have stated that, to you, art is part of a self-care practice that changes the way we see, think & feel. Could you elaborate on that? How does art impact your personal life and what would you like it to evoke in the viewer?

A. The objects we choose to live with - whether we choose them carefully or not - affect us. Being deliberate about these choices - and having the privilege of bringing beautiful things into our lives - changes our everyday experience of living. Living with blank walls is completely different from having walls filled with images that are meaningful to us, made by artists who are committed to tapping into a current of beauty, joy, wonder and mystery. It literally changes the energy in a space. I feel so comforted, touched, and cared-for by the artwork I’ve chosen to bring into my home! 

“Beautiful things change our everyday experience of living. Images and objects made by artists who are committed to tapping into a current of beauty, joy, wonder and mystery in the world literally change the energy in a space.” - Jessica Poundstone

Q. You have also published a book with your work, could you tell us a bit about that?

A. Years ago, I read something about a person who used Van Gogh paintings as a part of their meditation practice. I wasn’t meditating at the time, but that idea intrigued me. As meditation entered into public conversation in a new and big way and I decided to try it, I remembered that concept of using art to meditate. It occurred to me that my Color Cloud series could be used for that purpose. I really enjoyed it as a way to give me something visual to help me focus, so I decided to make a book so others could try it too!

Q. Your work has been part of several successful collaborations with big brands such as Anthropologie; what does it mean to you as an artist when your pieces are featured on objects for everyday use?

A. It’s an honor to have any piece of my work in people’s homes! I do especially love it when my work is part of someone’s everyday routine, whether it’s a glance at a piece of my art next to the door before they leave the house, or looking at their phone case. I’d love to have art be part of every moment of everyone’s day!

Q. Could you describe your work in three words?

A. Color - Structure - Emotion

Check out the full collection of limited edition Color Clouds exclusively at Return On Art!

My Interview on the Rare Device Website

The amazing humans over at Rare Device just re-launched their website, and you should most definitely check it out. It made me remember the amazing interview Kayla Conyer did with me there earlier this year - I wanted to add the full text here as well, because I loved her questions, and I hope the answers will be interesting to you as well, whoever you are ;) Here’s a link to the original version on the Rare Device site.

Inspired by feelings and concepts, the work of Jessica Poundstone has captivated the Rare Device staff. Jessica’s color block prints evoke the spirit of well-known artists like Mark Rothko or Josef Albers. Based in Portland, Oregon, Jessica began creating digital artwork over the last few years using only her hands and an iPad. Without any formal art training, her part-time practice is increasingly becoming a bigger part of her life. We talked to Jessica about where she finds inspiration, how she finds time to create art, and how color plays a large role in all of her pieces.

KC: How long have you been creating art and what is your background? At what point did you decide that making art and putting it out into the world is something you wanted to pursue?

JP: I started making art when I was a kid and never really stopped. I didn’t go to art school — I got a degree in Humanities with a minor in writing and have worked in communications ever since. But I’ve always spent a pretty significant amount of my time looking at, thinking about, and making pictures.

It was about two years ago that something shifted for me in terms of my art: I wanted to publish the pictures I was making and felt a strong urge to just go for it. It felt less like a decision and more like a compulsion, honestly. So I started an Instagram account and just went for it. I can’t even tell you how encouraging those very first likes and comments were! The intensity of my drive to make and put my work out there hasn’t diminished much since then. I am still so energized by creating new work and exploring new ways of thinking visually.

KC: Your work is mainly digital, but so many of your pieces remind me of paintings. How did you decide to stick with digital media over more traditional practices?

JP: Over the years, I’ve tried out a lot of different mediums. Pencil, charcoal, watercolor, acrylics, gouache, screen printing, ceramics: you name it, I’ve probably tried it. But none of the mediums I explored felt like “home” to me. I had messed around with making images on my phone in the painting app Brushes (much like a simplified Adobe Illustrator, it’s a blank-canvas painting app) for a while. But I hadn’t thought of it as a primary medium I could work in until I read that David Hockney had been making work on his phone and later on his iPad (also in the Brushes app). Just hearing him say how much he liked it — and then seeing pictures of a museum show of his where they displayed his iPad images on large LCD screens — made it an intriguing possibility I felt liberated to explore.

Over several months, I experimented with making images on my phone — often during my bus ride to and from work. I created a few different techniques and processes for making minimalist pictures that I absolutely loved. The images felt like a pure expression of things I wanted to say; it felt like I had finally found my voice.

Very quickly, though, I realized that I needed to know how these images would look in print. If they were not successful I’d need to figure out a way of working them in analog because I was now committed to the style I’d developed. I did a ton of research, found a local giclée printer and sent off some files. I was absolutely overjoyed when the test prints came back looking exactly like they looked on my screen. That’s when I knew for sure that I could continue working in digital.

Me at my dining room table….er, I mean studio :)

Me at my dining room table….er, I mean studio :)

KC: What is your practice like? Do you work as a full-time artist, or is creating art something you find yourself having to make time for?

JP: I have a pretty demanding full-time job, as well as family life and social life to tend to, so...yeah it’s a balancing act. There are days I find myself wishing I could work on art full time —  on other days I’m glad it still feels like I’m “stealing time” to make art because that dynamic creates a certain joyful/focused energy that makes it into the work. I’ve always been a night person, so I’m often working on my art after everyone else in my family has gone to bed, between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m.

KC: What is your process for developing your work? Do you start with color, pattern, or nothing at all?

JP: I have a lot of different starting points because I am constantly getting excited by things I encounter (an article I read, artwork I see, a building I drive by, etc. etc.) and generally have way more ideas than time to execute them! Sometimes I start with a color or a color combination; other times it’s something I’ve heard or seen, or there’s a feeling or concept I want to explore. No matter the starting point, I try to let the work lead me wherever it wants to go. That’s one of the many ways digital is so freeing — I can try anything with an image and never have to worry about finding a space to work or spending money on materials. I didn’t realize how much those two factors limited my process until I no longer had to worry about them.


KC: With the exception of a few pieces that are nature-based, most of your work is very abstract. Are these forms based on real items, places, and scenarios, or are they spontaneously drawn from the unconscious?

JP: It was a big shift — and a big relief — to step away from making representational work. And yes, most of my work is coming from the unconscious and is done in “flow” — as in the Mihály Csíkszentmihályi definition of it: that state where you’re completely absorbed in and energized by the work you’re doing because you’re being challenged at the top of your ability. It’s an incredibly exciting feeling.

KC: Color is obviously a point of interest for you. What are you looking for in the connection of multiple colors on a surface? Do you want to evoke a feeling? Spark interest?

JP: Color is just such a huge gift and a mystery. It’s very much like music to me. I’m still wowed by it all the time. At the heart of it, I think what I’m trying to create with these images are beautiful, meditative spaces people can have and hold in their minds. I want them to be both a catalyst and a comfort — a way of helping people break out of habitual thought patterns, inspiring new possibilities, new ideas and new ways of thinking and feeling.

KC: Are there certain color combinations that you find yourself going back to time and time again? Do they have any personal relevance to you?

JP: I was recently cataloging my work and realized I definitely do have some colors I go back to again and again — although I couldn’t really say why, or whether there’s personal relevance there. The main one is a soft, slightly orangey pink — I’ve been really close to that color for many years, and I see that I pair it with midnight blue, egg yolk yellow and bright tomato red in a recurring way.

Color Space 3

Color Space 3

KC: Do you have any projects or “dream pieces” that you’re hoping to work on/create in 2019?

JP: A crazy dream I’ve had for a long time (who knows, maybe this is the year!) is to make a light bath — a portable chamber people could step into and be in for a while to really experience a certain color or colors. In my vision, I’d buy time in various parking spots around town and people could come and just be engulfed by the color of their choice for a chunk of time. Doesn’t that sound great? If you can help make that happen, get in touch :) A more practical “dream” is to explore some surface design applications for my work — I have so many ideas for patterns! — and possibly make some work that’s really, really big.

My Work Now Available at Rare Device in San Francisco + An Interview on the Rare Device Blog!

Excited to share that Rare Device in San Francisco is now carrying my work!  If you don’t know about this shop, you should - I’ve followed its story since it started up way back in the day in Brooklyn, then moved to SF. Rena Tom founded it, then Lisa Congdon became a co-owner, and now it’s under the care and leadership of Giselle Gyalzen with Creative Manager  Rachel Robertson and a whole bunch of other amazing folks. 

From the Rare Device website: “The storefront is filled with lovely, approachably designed items for your home, yourself, and your family. Every object in the store has its own story, and has been chosen because it is either handmade, well-designed, useful, beautiful or all of the above. The aesthetic is modern and whimsical while remaining warm and inviting.” All extremely true: I love this spot in the world, so this is a bit of a dreams-do-come-true moment for me :)

In addition to carrying several of my prints (if you’re in San Francisco, go see ‘em!) they were also kind enough to publish an interview with me on their blog, which you can read right here. (Thanks again for the awesome Qs Kayla Conyer!) 

Q&A With Jennifer Neil, Ersa Fibers

This is the first of what will hopefully be many posts featuring Q&As with beautiful people doing beautiful things.  I hope these will serve to remind all of us to take our ideas and ambitions seriously. Here's my tiny pep talk: The world needs the unique things only you can bring to it - get to work!

Jennifer Neil’s work first hit my radar when I stopped in at a coffee shop in SE Portland and was immediately dazzled by the textile art on display. The colors, shapes and quilted textures paired with hand-fabricated brass hardware stopped me in my tracks. That led me to her Instagram and her website, and then to asking her if she’d be willing to do an interview. She generously agreed!

Learn more about Jennifer and her work below, and visit her website Ersa Fibers and her Etsy shop to take a look at available pieces, see her current inspirations and more!

Is there a story behind your business name, Ersa Fibers?

My full name is Jennifer Neil and when I first started my textile journey I envisioned myself operating more as a shop that would create lines of pillows and blankets that I would sell on Etsy.

At the time, I decided that I didn’t want to use my real name because it’s such a common name and I wanted a more interesting shop name so I came up with Ersa Fibers. The name Ersa is derived from greek mythology; she’s the goddess of dew, and to me it symbolized the start of a fresh journey. Although, now that I operate as more of an independent artist I’ve considered changing my website and Instagram handle to my real name.

Do you remember when you really began thinking of yourself as an artist?

The first time I designed and created a piece with primary colors was when I realized I had a talent. It was the first time that I created something that I liked. It was the first time in my life that I was actually inspired by myself, which is a truly wonderful feeling. It was such an empowering moment.

After that, it was as if I had tapped into a well of creative energy that I never knew was there and after years of fumbling around with painting, ceramics, and weaving I felt like I had finally found my medium and my voice.

"...it was as if I had tapped into a well of creative energy that I never knew was there...I felt like I had finally found my medium and my voice."

What is your relationship with color? How do you think about the choices you’re making in your work?

I don’t choose my colors they seem to choose me. I can tell when I’m on to a new palette when all of a sudden it’s the only colors I can see and I know when I’m done with a palette when I no longer feel excited when I look at it.

The first palette I fell in love with was primary colors. Which was unexpected and inexplicable because in many ways I find primary colors to be grating and almost irritating and in my personal life I gravitate towards softer colors. I think I liked the challenge of creating palatable pieces of work with colors that aren’t always easy to digest.

After the primary phase I took a very necessary break from bold colors and started digging into a neutral palette. This also wasn’t a conscious choice, at first I really battled with my sudden gravitation towards neutral colors. I felt like I was presenting a dulled down version of my work; a less interesting version of my work but over time I embraced the series and felt soothed by it.

Pieces from Jennifer Neil's portfolio on her website.

I’m currently on my third series of work and much to my dismay I’ve been pulled into a rainbow palette. I think after doing neutrals for so many months I’ve been starved for color so the transition was probably inevitable but I’m still trying to come to terms with so many colors. I haven’t quite gotten a good grasp on it yet but I’m having fun re-finding my voice in this new chaotic chapter.  

What do you do when you’re just not feelin’ it - whether it’s getting stuck on a particular piece you’re working on, or just in general?

I have two things that I do when I’m in a creative drought. Usually, I do what I call an “easy win” which is when you design something that’s easy to finish but the end result looks really great. Just the act of finishing a small project always reminds me of how good it feels to complete a piece and usually gives me the energy to tackle whatever it is that I’m avoiding.

And if I’m really stuck, I try to find my happy place by doing an improv piece or I “treat myself” by learning something new like trying to sew a shirt or a swimsuit; just anything that will make me feel a sense of accomplishment. That’s really the driving factor for me; feeling like I’ve accomplished something.

If you had a chance to magically become super-proficient in another artistic medium overnight, what would you choose?

Probably metal or wood. I’ve always wanted to design jewelry or furniture and I wish I was the type of person who could have a side hobby but I’m unable to “dabble” in things. If I were to take a woodworking or metal smithing class I would completely abandon sewing and jump head first into that new hobby.

You mention on your website that you want to elevate the art of quilting - that it’s been overlooked because “it has mostly been used by women out of their homes.” Can you say more about that?

What I mean by “elevate” is that I want people to start seeing the medium of quilting on the same level as painting and sculpture. Right now, quilting is seen as a craft or a woman’s hobby while being a painter or sculptor is considered prestigious. The medium of quilting hasn’t been taken seriously because throughout history women have not been taken seriously. I believe that if women had been treated as equals we would see textiles (i.e. quilting, weaving, embroidery, etc) right next to paintings, in museums across the world.

Hannah Hill, who’s an embroider, made a piece of work about textiles not being taken seriously that really sums up my feelings on the matter: here it is.

"The medium of quilting hasn’t been taken seriously because...women have not been taken seriously. I believe that if women had been treated as equals we would see textiles right next to paintings in museums across the world."

Tell us about one of the visual artists that’s meant meant the most to you, and why?

There’s a contemporary artist that I found on Instagram named Gina Gimenez and she has a piece that inspired my first primary quilt design so I contribute my artistic birth to her. She has a lot of abstract geometric designs that really speak to me.

What’s something you wish everyone understood about your work that’s sometimes hard to convey?

This was the hardest question to answer because my work is purely aesthetic, there’s no hidden meaning behind the pieces, so it’s only real intention is to provide joy and inspiration. I find real joy in seeing my visions come to life and when people see my pieces I hope it makes them feel inspired and happy.

"I find real joy in seeing my visions come to life and when people see my pieces I hope it makes them feel inspired and happy."

Who or what can make you laugh really, really hard?

My friends and family. I grew up in a household with a really wild sense of humor. It’s how we communicated with each other so my sense of humor is all over the place from Eric Andre Show to The Office. I also go through phases with Youtube videos where one video will make me laugh for months on end. Right now my favorite video is a Tim and Eric video called Quilting with Will it just kills me.

What art is hanging up in your house?

Sadly, not much. I currently only have 3 spaces where I can hang up work and right now they’re occupied by strange goodwill finds. Although, I’m dying to redecorate my apartment so hopefully I’ll get some new pieces (that are actually meaningful) very soon.

What does success look like for you as an artist? How are you defining it for yourself at this moment in time?

The funny thing about success is it’s never truly attainable. You achieve one version of success and then the goal post just moves. Right now, I’m pretty happy where I’m at; I’m regularly being contacted for shows, I’m selling pieces on a consistent basis, and I managed to get a job in the textile industry (I’m a sewer at a small leather bag company). So right now, I’m living in my own version of success.

But moving forward, I’d like to start seperating my work. Right now, Ersa Fibers is kind of straddling the craft world and art world. Eventually I’d like to create another account strictly for craft projects and keep the Ersa Fibers Account for my artwork and change the handle to my full name. I’d also like to release a line of full size quilt patterns and video tutorials with the hopes that I will eventually start getting some freelance projects.

Long answer short, my current version of success is producing higher end pieces under my own name and freelancing.  

Thanks again to Jenn for taking the time to share her thoughts here. I'm so excited to watch her work evolve!

A Q & A To Kick Things Off

Hello hello, and welcome to this little corner of the web where I'll be.....well, I don't know what I'll be doing up in here, exactly, but I'm going to give myself some space and time to figure it out. 

I'm going to start with a little Q&A because it's too hard to figure out what tell y'all about myself without it. I cherry picked some questions from the appropriately-titled Forbes article 55 Best Questions To Ask To Break The Ice And Really Get To Know Someone. So here goes - me answering 5 questions for you.

1) What was the worst job you've ever had?

In high school, someone thought it would be a great idea for me to take over from another girl who was cleaning house for a rather frail elderly woman who lived in our neighborhood. I wanted extra cash, and I did not love babysitting, so I was willing to give it a try. The woman was very sweet. However, she had a colostomy bag. (If you don't know what that is, Google with great trepidation. I have never Googled it, so I don't know for sure exactly the deal, but I believe that a fair description would be a bag outside your body that captures poo from inside your body because your colon's not working properly. Yipes.) One day, while I was cleaning her bathroom, I heard her tiny, sweet voice from the kitchen saying, "Uh-oh." I went in to see what had happened. You may have already guessed - and you're right. Her colostomy bag had broken all over the kitchen floor. I did clean it up like a trooper. But I could never go back there again. And sadly, I still vividly remember the truly paralyzing smell. Not good.

2) What’s the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?

I remember having absolutely no idea what I wanted to do when I was a kid - but then getting an assignment in like third grade to write about what I wanted to do. How I arrived at the idea of writing about a career as a dental hygienist is absolutely beyond me. I did not know any dental hygienists. At all. I think I was supposed to do research about it, and maybe talk to a dental hygienist as part of the assignment? I can't really remember, but suffice it to say, that assignment was both the beginning and the end of my entertaining a career involving looking at the insides of people's mouths. (Although later in high school, strangely, I did end up working in a periodontist's office - again, don't Google it unless you want to see some truly distressing pictures of the effects of gum disease - doing dictation. Occasionally I'd have to look at charts to reference something. One day I opened a chart and an old dead tooth fell out. Ew.)

3) What's your favorite 90’s show?

Tough call, but the one that immediately springs to mind is Northern Exposure. (Mad About You and Twin Peaks are up there.) It had what is still my favorite mix of things in any show: goofy, absurdist humor, wicked smart dialogue, flawed, human characters and then - every once in a while - whips around on you to deliver a moment that's so beautiful and full of meaning, you're not quite sure what hit you. Northern Exposure was on during my high school years, and I had a whole ritual for watching it. I'd get all ready for bed, turn out the lights and get under the covers. (Yes, my parents let me have a tv in my room. #lucky) I'd watch the entire show, muting all the commercials so they didn't sully the experience. Then, at the very second the last credit rolled and the end-credit song ended, I'd quickly shut off the tv, turn over and try to go to sleep as fast as possible to keep the feeling of the show with me as long as possible. #notweird

4) What are you reading currently?

I'm always reading a bunch of different things. At the moment, what's in the teetering tower on my nightstand...huh a lot of stuff. I'll just pick the three at the top of the heap:

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Sick in the Head - Judd Apatow's collection of interviews with comedians. Loving it. 

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Mindfulness Survival Kit by Thich Nhat Hanh - learning more about meditation and contemplative practices. Good stuff.

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The Sound of Music Story by Tom Santopietro. My son found this on the shelf at the library, and, since we've all been mildly obsessed with how good The Sound of Music (the movie) is since we re-watched it on Christmas Day (seriously it is so freaking good), Henry and I thought we'd give it a go. I'm reading it out loud to him. It is an extremely strange book so far, but not boring, so we'll keep going for a while.

5) What’s your hidden talent?

I can whistle and hum at the same time, in harmony. Is that a thing other people can do? I just realized I have no idea. Try it and let me know. Thinking about it, you know, I try to keep my talents on display, for the most part; I'm not sure what good hiding them does? Although the humming and whistling thing...maybe that's best left hidden, just because honestly it doesn't really sound that great. 

Okay, we made it through this Q&A, and  my first post here! That was pretty fun, if a bit one-sided. I'd love to hear from you - maybe with answers to these five questions - or answers to other questions of your choosing, or feel free to ask me other questions of your choosing, etc. etc. Comment away below!

Until next time! 

-JP