Meditations on the Interior Storm.

On this sublime and cryptic trajectory travels through the thorny fields lead one into uncharted territories…filled with temptations of comfort, complacency, escape, transformation & redemption.  For me these variegated trails have thrown me into a place of deep conflict. Always thinking I could “cure” the temptations, quiet the fear and fully evict my anger.

Conflict is an inertia who’s existence is fed by the endless and co-dependent quest to conquer and destroy any signs of acquiescence…by nature conflict in me was proof I existed and proof I had something which validated my efforts, led my actions and directed my course.

What then becomes of a person when they seek to quell the inner fire & struggle of which ones entire life has been dedicated? I call it a personality lobotomy of sorts…for it is seemingly very easy (temporarily at least) to always define oneself in constant state of frenzy, nearing on insanity. I can remember the high I would feel from my warring mind, alive & fueled vehemently toward keeping resolve at bay. So when I begin to embark on a path which not only is intentionally free of conflict but of which any form of adversity is praised to be yet another exercise in extinguishing said conflict I begin to wonder what it is in fact that I am. Or rather who….

I have been feeling lately as if I am rewriting myself. I have become a diplomat in the house of my interior world. I become the omnipresent watcher inside my head reacting to the reactive element of my identity. I begin to retract any and all forms of judgment in lieu of overstepping my newly drawn boundaries. But then…what forms as the foundation of my newly established state? By not engaging the enemy I still find myself in enemy territory, establishing a dichotomous position still perpetuates this relationship. So I find in abolishing this vicious cycle it is necessary to affiliate my political patronage to the liberal center. Opening all opportunity and option of possibility, I become completely accepting of the thoughts that arise, which seek conflict & seek peace. They are forces of a great tug o war & I let them in. This time around however I just don’t arm them. They can play all day together, debate and dance and I am simply grabbing the popcorn and enjoying the show.

It has come to my attention recently with the help of some incredibly wise people that these forces of opposition, temptation, fear & judgment are going to live. Most likely forever.  But in choosing to let them be, as simple unattached thoughts, they lose their strength and their surreptitious efforts to command my being. We all then join in to a lovely dance spinning, dipping and shasaying around my mental dance floor…and now are no less harmful than the butter in the popcorn.

Let the show begin.

material addictions. (aka shopping sickness)




Black Friday.


Matters of the moment:

Street style & its power raves on as soon the clothes on ones back/bag can be chartered/logged & sourced. Globalization marches on…there is less and less division between culture and geography when it comes to style because we all now have access. As it has always been then, the masses turn it viral and the seeking individualist reacts whether subconscious or not & personal style becomes homebrewed, stripped down & refined.

In the same vein I think the trend of bespoke, local, traditionalism reigns again as we’ve seen for several seasons and as we see in food: the current high culture, its about locally sourcing & small batches.
We want the bags crafted in Ghana by woman who used the left overs of goats to make handles & rubber for the base. We want to feel the sole of a shoe and see the hand stitching. Hear the story of the man who tans the leathers in small Italian village…these artisanal mainstays are the heart and soul of our modern identity…the carriers of the standard. I think humanity is understood even in the way we shop. In the experience of the tactile & sincere life that is put into something. In this land of hyper-multi tasking & mass consumption and compulsive distractions it’s the slow focus on intent and craft that will lead us out of this vapid and socially superficial funk we’ve been in.

It enriches and engages our senses when we begin to taste a mushroom hand picked and personally sold by a farmer 30 miles away. These experiences are personal and as the markets crash and our dollars are ever more sparse we think about how we use them. Its about a quality, smaller batch of consumer frenzy that finally gives pause. Makes us think about what we’re buying and why. Do we need it? What makes me think this is such a special way to spend the precious money we make…lets savor a little more shall we? As we’ve heard consumption is personal & political.  Make it an experience not a blind act of compulsion.

grey matters


Days like today always make me think of this painting. I went for a run along the water today & watched the greys of water & greys of clouds merge into one swirling, sublime mass and fell awe struck. There is something so affirming about being amidst this silent, muted spectacle that leaves me breathless and entranced.

be Still, now.





There’s something about the tension in these paintings that leads me to trust the earth is within each of us.  Layered tensions, when ripped apart begin to breathe truth…they breathe light right onto the source. What’s revealed is disheveled chaos…lapsed over time & scarred over.  But every vibrant layer needs to next to subsist. It is a beautifully functional harmony tempered by the slow weathering away of each crust.  Observed tightly, each stroke seems to scream for its individual moment, once I step back I realize that those distinctive moments are forging into a unified & empowered singular force. (All images: Clifford Still)

The Garden of Earthly Delights: Veronica Moore



Heightening the experience of something supremely organic and raw into something that is both precious and wearable is in fact an art. My dear & talented friend Veronica has a way of putting energy and artistry to weave a most stunning harmony of materials. To wear a piece of her work is to know what it is to exalt that which is most magnificent and unique. Take a peak & wonder on. www.veronicamoore.com