THE “STATE OF EMERGENCY” chaos, panic, scrambling, adrenaline-pumping, horrifying reality that so many of us here in LA County have just experienced with the wildfires is now starting to settle with the ash and smoke that has filled the air for the past week.

I’m finding I need more time for reflection. For quiet and peace. I suppose I’m still processing. Although I myself still have a home, many friends and neighbors lost theirs. The process of rebuilding their lives and finding a new place to call home is just beginning. The outreach in the community has been nothing short of miraculous, and restores my faith in humanity. We are all still reeling from the devastation.

My husband and I had to evacuate on Tuesday night, January 7th—packing suitcases with valuables and grabbing our emergency backpacks that sit at the ready by the front door. Sam came running into the house around 9pm, yelling “We gotta go now! There’s FIRE!” I ran out to the back patio to see, and sure enough, there was a wall of orange and red flames I could see through the trees that was maybe a couple of blocks away. It felt surreal. I caught my breath, my heart racing, and ran upstairs to get a better look, recording on my phone in disbelief. Then we got the f%*k out of there.

See my short video of that night, seeing the fire from the backyard

But reflecting now, back at my house, I see nature, resilient  and steadfast, renewing, pushing through the soot, and blooming again.

There’s nothing like a life-threatening encounter that brings one’s priorities into full light. I got a new “field pocket” set of watercolors from my sister for Christmas. I decided to break it in the other day, and let the brush move across the page without premeditated thought. It was a free-form exercise that helped me to occupy a meditative space. I have been wanting to paint more, but never seem to find the time. But here it is, and in spite of “life going on” and “getting back to business,” I did find the time, and plan to continue finding a corner of peace on a regular basis. After all, everyday is a gift, and we aren’t promised the next. Our time is precious.

If you have a vision for your life and livelihood that you are ready to make a reality, now might be the right time to move forward with it. Whether it’s stepping up to a new offering that’s been on your mind and heart, or jumping into a whole new endeavor, I encourage you to find the space in your life to make it happen.

Perhaps I can help you take the first steps to making it a reality with visuals and brand ideas. You may be interested in a review of your website with the Website Success Blueprint, and the service is still being offered at 50% off for the rest of January. If that sounds like something you need, please reach out. 

A spontaneous vision. The red ring could be the fire, and the scene inside, the sanctuary found in the sense of peace and quiet that comes from within.

May you find peace and a quiet place in your heart, no matter what is happening around you.