Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope this holiday finds you warm and content, as Christmas should bring a message of hope and light.

Technology truly is a wonderful thing. I spent many hours on Skype today with my family doing everything we normally do on Christmas. We opened presents (I even had my usual seat on the couch, well the computer did...), we ate Christmas dinner, we opened stockings, we even searched for the pickle! (My mom hides a pickle ornament in the tree and my sister and I have to find it, it's a bit of a Pennsylvania tradition). I marvel at how great technology is. Thanks to Skype and FaceTime, I felt like I was there with my family all day. Though nothing can replace spending time together in person, this was a nice substitute given that I'm 2,000 miles away.

Since it's Christmas, allow the meaning of this day to seep into your life in the coming months. Especially if you're an artist reading this, take this season to think about why you do what you do. As artists we get so caught up in our work, our playing, how we sound, etc etc etc. It's so easy to get caught up in the technical aspects of the work and we very quickly become very self-absorbed. But what is art really about? Do we do it to show off or to glorify our own abilities? Or do we create/perform to affect those around us? We've been given such incredible gifts as artists. It is our responsibility to use them for others, not to glorify our own work.

Reach out, spread hope and light with your work this season.

Merry Christmas.