theusedlife

On Reading

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. – C. S. Lewis There are few activities I enjoy more than curling up with a good book. I’m always reading something—or, perhaps I should say, there’s always a book in my life—even if I only get…
On the Miraculous in Everyday Life

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. – Anaïs Nin Unless you learn to face your own shadows, you will continue to see them in others, because the world outside of you is only a reflection of the world inside of you. – C. G. Jung A thought for…
That Which Is Lost

Ernest Howard Shepard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons when the madness knocks at your door, my child, never forget that your ancestors are butterfliesand the trees are your friends I hate the ending of The House at Pooh Corner. I fall apart when Christopher Robin says goodbye to his friends in the enchanted forest because…
On Curiosity

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. – Albert…
Movin’ On & Other Art

Movin’ On (no. 1 of 4), paper collage, 2025 When I first started collaging, I used to finish compositions very quickly. If I found a few pieces that worked reasonably well together, they got the glue. The reason for that, I think, was lack of practice. I found two pieces that actually go together? Score!…
Self-Fashioning: A How-To Guide

Several of the self-fashioning narratives I’ve written over the past few months have been in response to life events. Nothing major—just some challenges and challenging emotions that needed to be dealt with as a result. Indeed, for me, these narratives have become more than just a method of relating to the feminine archetypes: they’ve become…
The Spiritual Healer

Of the traditional archetypes that are most dominant in my personality, I would name the mystic, wise woman, wild woman, explorer, and priestess. To date, I’ve written about each of these in various combinations. Though, I think many of the attributes typically associated with the priestess are embodied in an inner construct I like to…
Stay Close to the Cosmos V

The Future Is a Distant Star, paper collage, 2025 Be attentive to the stirrings of your soul. Learn how to do the things you love for their own sake. Because they give you joy, because they’re inherently meaningful and fill you with a sense of purpose. We’re not conditioned to behave this way. We’re conditioned…
90s Nostalgia

Image from Prime Video I love making collage art with materials from the 1950s-1970s because I love the aesthetics, and I enjoy feeling like I’m visiting another world. I don’t really use materials from the 1980s through the present because I was born in the early 80s. That imagery doesn’t transport me to another world.…
There’s One in Every Pack & Other Art

There’s One in Every Pack, paper collage, 2025 Here are some experiments in collage art from the past few days. Among my favorites here are “There’s One in Every Pack,” “Tiny House,” “The Missing Piece,” and “Hummingbird Fields.” Fun fact: Parts of “The Quest” and “Pink Dream” come from the back cover of the Firefall…