Monthly Archives: January 2026
Your Most Creative Year Yet – 2026
Why Art, Movies, and Mingling with the Marvelously Different Will Change Your Life (And Maybe Your Wardrobe)
Welcoming 2026: A Creative Call to Adventure
Greetings, fellow travelers in the grand gallery of life! As the curtains rise on 2026 it’s time to consider an idea that’s neither about kale nor exercise. Let’s make 2026 the year we all say “Yes!” to more art, more creativity, and maybe even a few movies or musical numbers in our homes.
Why Art Matters: Everyday Enrichment, Zero Calories
Let’s be honest: life can sometimes feel like a never-ending loop of emails, to-do lists, and the dismay that comes with discovering an old moldy dinner that ends up in the Insinkerator. Enter art! Whether it’s a splash of beautiful colors on a canvas, an amazing digital creation from the mind of an inventive computer geek, a simple doodle in a notebook, or that interpretive dance you do when nobody’s watching, art infuses our days with wonder, pleasure, and a dash of quirkiness. Creative experiences don’t just make our Instagram feeds appealing, they give life meaning, promote problem-solving, and make us feel more alive. Plus, unlike caffeine, art won’t keep you up at night (unless you’re a musician playing at a venue or you can’t turn your creative juices off – both of which have happened to me).
The Magic of Movies: Taking a Break from the Ordinary
Now, let’s talk about movies, the ultimate time machines, empathy engines, and providers of popcorn-related joy. Some of my favorites lately are movies that star the actor, Rutger Hauer – Blade Runner from 1982, The Hitcher, Ladyhawke, Surviving the Game. Watching a great film is like taking a mini vacation without the hassle of airport security. Movies invite us to inhabit other worlds, see through someone else’s eyes, and occasionally question why everyone in action scenes never seems to need the bathroom. More than entertainment, cinema is an art form that can spark inspiration, offer comfort, and encourage us to rethink our routines. The right film at the right moment can nudge us toward new dreams, or at the very least, inspire us to try slow-motion walks in dramatic lighting.
Lifestyles: Growing by Embracing the Wonderfully Weird
If you really want to supercharge your personal growth, try stepping beyond your comfort zone and engaging with people living lives wildly different from your own. Befriend a local avant-gard café or someone from your yoga class. Chat with the improv comedian at your local comedy club or finally accept your neighbor’s invitation to their “Experimental Cuisine Night” (just… keep an open mind about the beet lasagna). Surrounding ourselves with diverse perspectives and lifestyles not only expands our worldview but also helps us challenge our assumptions. It’s like updating the software of your soul – suddenly you’re running new programs and seeing life’s possibilities in high definition or perhaps an update.
Practical Tips: Adding More Art to Your 2026
- Visit a local museum or gallery: Bonus points if you bring a sketchbook or try describing everything in rhyming couplets afterward (poetry is harder than it looks)
- Host a movie night (theme hats encouraged): Pick films from different countries or genres and discuss them afterwards with friends (or your very patient dog).
- Try a new art form: Pottery, collage, interpretive shadow puppetry (is that a thing?), the world is your creative oyster.
- Say “yes” to invitations outside your comfort zone: Attend a poetry or writer’s group, join a dance class, or volunteer for a community mural project.
- Make time for daily creativity: Even five minutes of doodling, journaling, playing your guitar or keyboard, or humming tunes while you take a work break can do wonders for your mood and mind. Listen to background music while you paint or write.
Incorporate Creativity—Make Life Your Masterpiece
As 2026 unfolds, let’s make a pact to welcome more art, more movies, and more beautifully diverse experiences into our lives. Not just because it looks good on social media, but because creativity makes every day richer, more surprising, and more meaningful. We all have the capacity to be creators, explorers, and admirers of the eccentric and profound. So, dust off your imagination, take time off and watch a movie you’ve been meaning to see, grab a ticket to the next concert in town, and don’t be afraid to try beet lasagna. Here’s to a year of vivid colors, a bold outlook on life, and unforgettable stories – on the screen, on the canvas. Make your life extraordinary!
Solitaire
Click Here for Art by Solitaire
Simple Changes for a Happier and Healthier 2026!
New Year’s resolutions – not a huge fan of them. They are often big promises that are meaningless and you are unable to keep. It only sets you up for disappointment. There are no quick fixes or magic formulas for success. Instead of making these over-the-top resolutions, I prefer to be more realistic and come up with things that are achievable and keep you optimistic rather than feeling like a failure. Here are a few ideas you might employ for 2026 that I believe are achievable.
Exercise – here’s a big one. Most people make their expectations much too high and expect too much in too short a time. Put yourself on a program that takes a month at a time. This makes it easier to prioritize what you do rather than procrastinate. Enjoy dancing, hiking, going to the gym, playing sports, etc. Commit to walking 3 to 5 times a week. Short distances at first until your body gets used to this new experience and then increase the distance accordingly. Once you start moving, you’ll feel better, breathe easier and your overall health will thank you. Walking also increases creativity. The conditions around you are changing and your mind can wander to new ideas. We have all become much too sedentary in our lifestyles. We need to move! (And drink more water!)
Eat healthier food – we are all in a hurry these days and eating is one of the things that suffers as a result. Make a few changes in your diet – add more fruit or vegetables each day, cut back on the ultra-processed foods, make simple healthy food choices whenever you can. If you make an effort to do even one or two things differently, you can create change.
Read a book – It’s a fast-paced world we live in, and we need to find a way to slow down. Everyone is interested in something so find a good book that catches your attention and pick a time to read a chapter per day – right before bedtime or during your lunch hour. Find a time that works for your schedule. A good book can take you to world’s unknown or enlighten you about a faraway place in this world. Whatever the subject, learning is always a wonderful thing. Our bodies and our minds will value the effort.
Kindness and gratitude – Develop an attitude of gratitude. Be thankful each day for your family, friends, and life itself. Treat others with respect and kindness. Go out of your way to say “thank you” to those who do so much for you every day. Be kind to those you don’t even know. Smile at people – it might make their day. Send a card to a friend or family member you haven’t heard from in a while. Volunteer at a shelter or food pantry. People need to know that someone cares. If there’s one thing this world needs more of it’s kindness!
Slow down the digital – It’s easy to lose track of how long you spend on digital devices. Try making a conscious effort to put down your phone completely during activities like walking the dog, drinking coffee with friends, socializing with friends and family, or playing with your kids and pets.
Explore new hobbies – Make different kinds of food, take a painting class, try building something, take dancing lessons, take up gardening, learn to play the guitar or piano, or make hiking your new hobby. Do something that feels fun and maybe totally different from what you would normally do!
The healthy resolutions listed above are sustainable ways that can improve your emotional and physical health that can be followed for a lifetime. This New Year 2026 try some of them out to make it the happiest and healthiest New Year possible!
Solitaire
Solitaire Parke - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books 
