Twenty-five years ago, my brother walked out of Tower Two during a training break, a small decision that changed the course of our family. Today, as he helps his son recover from a near-fatal accident, I keep thinking about survival, chance, the families who weren't as lucky, and everything we've been given because he came home.

I’m not trying to settle into one medium or force myself to find an artistic style. Right now, I’m painting, experimenting with texture, tearing up watercolor paper, working small, dreaming bigger, and following one creative idea into the next. Social media may tell us to find a niche and stick with it, but art has never really worked that way. Learning to create is about experimenting, trying different mediums, making mistakes, and discovering what you actually enjoy. If you’re questioning what kind of artist you’re supposed to be, maybe the answer isn’t to choose yet. Maybe it’s to try more.

After decades as a photographer, I watched cameras become more accessible while the value of experience behind them became harder to explain. Now, as I learn to paint, I’m being reminded of something photography taught me years ago: the tools can help us create, but developing the skill still takes practice, mistakes, patience, and time.

Sometimes a good idea needs room to breathe. After three months, I'm pressing pause on A Wandering Palette Art Club—not because I don't love the concept, but because I want to take the time to rethink it, refine it, and figure out how it fits into the bigger picture of my life and creative work.

For years, I called myself a photographer. It was my career, what I studied, and how I found my place in the creative world. But over time, that stopped feeling like the full story. These days, I’m less interested in capturing what’s already there and more interested in making things by hand — and helping other people do the same.

After months of thinking through the idea, A Wandering Palette Art Club is finally live. Each month I’ll turn one of my paintings into a small creative study you can try at home — combining a collectible piece of art with a simple way to learn how it was created.