theusedlife

On Receptivity

The receptivity of the artist must never be confused with passivity. Receptivity is the artist’s holding him or herself alive and open to hear what being may speak. – Rollo May I know artists whose medium is Life itself, and who express the inexpressible without brush, pencil, chisel, or guitar. They neither paint nor dance.…
On Feeling Pretty

I view the feminine within, first and foremost, as a source of vitality. When I am in sync with the feminine, I feel very strongly myself. I experience myself in a way that feels powerful, sensual, radiant, and very much alive. When I have gone too long without tending to the inner feminine—that is, when…
On Nurturing

Artwork by Elowen Digital I do not have children, and for a long time, I believed that raising a child was the singular most important role of the “mother” or “divine mother” archetype. As I’ve matured and gotten to know myself better, of course, I have come to realize that belief was false. Like all…
Bloom & Other Art

Bloom, paper collage, 2025 Here are some new experiments in collage art. I hope you enjoy this collection.
Torn & Other Art

Torn, paper collage, 2025 Here are some new experiments in collage art. I hope you enjoy this collection.
On Becoming

Cosmic Cowboys, paper collage, 2024 As I was having coffee this morning, I found myself contemplating some of the ideas I encountered in Carl Rogers’s On Becoming a Person, which I was rereading the other day. And I was struck by a thought that I believe is worth sharing: Allow yourself to be shaped by…
On Looking and Listening

Northern Cardinal (male) It is my opinion that living is not only inherently worthwhile, but that the basic experience of being alive is also inherently pleasurable, or should be inherently pleasurable. And if the basic experience of living is not pleasurable, it is likely because our way of living, or mode of experiencing life, is…
Good Morning & Other Art

Good Morning, paper collage, 2024 Here are some recent experiments in collage art. I’m starting the new year with fresh materials, including a bunch of 1940s-50s National Geographic magazines, Arizona Highways from the 1970s, and a Spiegel catalog from 1956, which is a treasure trove of fun images. It has everything from vaccuum cleaners to…
Stay Close to the Cosmos III

Lost Sunset, paper collage, 2024 We know ourselves by experience. The feeling that you’ve somehow “lost touch” with yourself indicates an impoverishment of experiencing. At any given time, I have the choice to be active in—to be the creator of—my life, or to regress into passivity. Said differently: at any given time, I can make…
Merry Christmas

Christmas 2024 Every Christmas for the past three years I’ve made a holiday-themed collage that I share on Instagram and send to family and friends. This year, I thought I’d share it here along with those from years past. Merry Christmas!