“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it’s much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!”

— Neil Gaiman, British author (b. 1960)

I’m continuing to focus this month, traditionally a season of hope, on the importance of our creative work to the world.

“The one thing you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and play and dance and live as only you can.”

Neil Gaiman

“When things get tough, this is what you should do — Make Good Art. Make it on the bad days. Make it on the good days, too.”

— Neil Gaiman

(“In the Clearwater Valley,” pastel on suedeboard by Leslie Budewitz)