I'm beginning work on a new commission of a one-eyed cat named Jack.  A beautiful orange tabby.  I'll be posting some compositional sketches in the upcoming days.

  A common thread through all successful men is that they are doers and not wishers.  If you're a doer, then something worth doing may take time, but it eventually gets done.  If you're a wisher, then you waste all your time wishing.  With everything art related, it's the same principle.  You can't wish your way to a great painting; you must put pencil to paper and brush to canvas eventually.  I'm making a distinction between 'wishing' and 'thinking' here.  I spend a lot of time thinking, which can border on wishing, but thinking is absolutely necessary to doing.  In a pinch, doing always trumps thinking.
  I'm really pushing myself to stop all my wishing and excuses.  Think of all the wishing you do and see if you can cut it out by taking action.  

One helpful technique is to make a list of all the wishes that you have and realize that they're completely within your control:

"I wish I could draw everyday."        -Why can't you? 
"Well, because I don't have time."   -Why don't you have time?
"Because I work all day."       -What about at night or on weekends?
"I'm really tired on the weekends and at night."  -Go to bed early on Saturday and then draw on Sunday.
"Well...I usually go out Saturday night."   -Screw you.

Recently read:
​From Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'ang and Sung Dynasty Verse.

"Written on a Wall" - Author Unknown

A pile of dry rushes in total disarray
suddenly lights the sky and suddenly gone
no match for a stove full of old stump wood
slowly steadily giving off heat

Great book with even greater analysis:
"...When Ssu-ma Kuang (1019-1086) saw this poem there, he wrote "Don't erase this poem," then added: "When you're climbing a mountain, if you walk slowly, you won't become exhausted.  And if you keep your feet on solid ground, you won't get hurt."

  This post is a tribute to everyone who's helped me learn and grow in my career and life.  And it's also an incentive for anyone reading to reach out and ask for help when you need it.  
  I've contacted countless people in regards to helping me with a whole variety of ideas and what I've found is that almost everyone wants to help.  Our society is more connected than it's ever been, but that also creates a feeling of isolation.  People hide in their social media profiles and never engage with anyone.  I encourage one on one, human interaction, but emails are great for contacting someone for the first time.  The truth is that a phone call shows more guts and gets the job done more effectively.
  It's amazing how nice people are when you go to them sincerely looking for guidance.  Try it out and see.