Death. Illness. Winter. All have their reverberations in the body and the soul. All can do their part to not only silence the creative urge, but to kick the teeth out of one’s sense of purpose, and of orientation. I mention this by way of explanation for why the year went out with a whimper rather than the roar I had envisioned. A friend’s death after a prolonged illness in late November, the illnesses of two other dear friends, and my own New Year’s cold have extracted a measure of vitality commensurate with their gravity, and have given me reason to pause.

   And so on this day, the first day of the New Year, as I reach the conclusion of my first “Year of Art” as declared more than 125 entries ago and ready myself to embark upon a second year of art, I’m taking that pause and wishing you...

A happy and healthy new year.