Four things fifty-nine: a concise orientation before we get practical.
Four things fifty-nine: Quick notes
I know I have a reputation for being a highly productive person here on this blog, but there are days when I faff about and waste time with the best of them. I’ve been glued to the weather reports, surfing blankly online, and generally piddling the morning away. I did catch up with my parents, shipped out a commissioned painting, and varnished another. But I’ve been avoiding diving into actual work. I think the anticipation of a significant snow event has me feeling ready to hunker down and enjoy being socked in.
Our efforts to organize the garage last summer have paid off, and we’re able to park two of our vehicles there to shelter them from the snow. Jeff reved up the generator and filled up the gas cans. I ordered groceries and charged power packs. I think we’re set.
I know this incoming storm is affecting a large swath of the US, so I hope you’re all prepped and will be safe and snug as the ice and snow roll in.
what I’m reading
I have mostly been listening to music and podcasts this week, so I’ll share a podcast instead of a book. I have really enjoyed Episode 92 of the Daily Creative Podcast by Todd Henry. In this episode, he talks about the use of AI and cautions creatives against farming out parts of the creative process that require our unique perspective and voice. We want to use technology for the grunt work, the summaries, the things that can make our processes more efficient. While it’s tempting, we don’t want to delegate the parts of our work that make it ours.
In the AMC show about the rise of personal computers and search engines, Halt & Catch Fire, one of the main characters says, “Computers aren’t the thing. They are the thing that gets us to the thing.” I’m afraid that with smartphones and AI, computers are becoming the thing. Let’s keep them as just the thing that gets us to the thing.
what I’m watching
A couple of new seasons of Landscape Artist of the Year recently became available on Amazon Prime, so I’ve been catching up on those. I want to watch them all in one shot, but I’m trying to savor them one at a time. As I’ve shared before, Landscape and Portrait Artist of the Year are my favorite shows. Even if you’re not into painting and drawing, it’s a wonderful competition show that will have you appreciating our varied ways of seeing the world.
what I’m loving
“When you drink water from a cup, it becomes a part of you. When water falls on you like rain, it evaporates a few minutes later.
Similarly, thoughts can be consumed or dismissed. Is this thought nourishing? Is this feeling something you should drink? Or is it more like getting caught in the rain?
You always feel the rain, but you don’t have to drink the rain. You can let the thought pass, and in a few moments, the sun will return. You don’t have to claim everything you feel.”
James Clear’s January 8, 2026 newsletter
what I’m working on
This has been a week of the nuts and bolts of business no the kind of work that isn’t particularly fun to photograph or write about. I’ve been packing up paintings to ship, ordering new shipping supplies, packaging fine art prints, and having a few meetings. Today and tomorrow are pretty open, though, so I will use them for painting and working on other creative projects.
I did work on a few commissioned portraits, including this cute little fella. I sort of questioned the photo reference the client requested, but sometimes your dog is a gremlin, and that’s the best way to remember him. I would’ve said no to painting a tongue-out portrait, and one with such an animated expression would’ve been a double-hard no, but I loved painting this one, and it’s shown me how much I’ve grown as an artist.
What have you been reading, watching, loving, and working on?
A short mention of Four things fifty-nine helps readers follow the flow.
We reference Four things fifty-nine briefly to keep the thread coherent.
FYI · So cozy — makes me want a cup of tea and a quiet afternoon ☕.