22 Comments
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Sunshine's avatar

Radiating love back across the bridge to you, your readers, and beyond so it can expand.

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Duane Toops's avatar

YES! Exactly! Love this! Thank you for widening the circle!

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Davin Trail-Risk's avatar

Art and Artist are just dull nouns that don’t attempt to capture the living actions of head, heart, and hand. Even the verbs are simple: painting, drawing, writing… in the personal action of art/craft/make/feel we find or lose something and maybe from the artifacts of that someone else finds or loses something of their own.

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Duane Toops's avatar

Davin I always love your comments! You never fail to present a shift in perspective that is fascinating as well as complimentary. this one is no exception! It makes me think that the things lost are as equally impactful and important as the things garnered and gained. The things we let go boundlessly important and meaningful.

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Davin Trail-Risk's avatar

It's good to be prompted by your words to find words of my own. That's often the best we can do with words and pictures, to find a way of conversation and connection.

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Duane Toops's avatar

conversation and connection - this! that is the only the thing I'm really after. The impetus of all do! perfectly put!

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Xavi Buendia's avatar

Such a valuable lesson for all of us to learn here. Thanks for sharing, Duane!

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Duane Toops's avatar

My pleasure Xavi! Thanks so much for reading!

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Jill McDougall's avatar

Yesss to all of this! The fleeting moments, the un-pretentiousness, the connectedness...all of it.

Thanks for the shout out. And great collages in here, too, as usual!

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Duane Toops's avatar

Jill! Thanks for the inspiration! Always happy to shout out my bestie! I appreciate you!

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Martin Hughes's avatar

"We are all, in the private kingdom of our hearts, desperate for the company of a wise, true friend. Someone who will sit beside us in the dark. Who will wait with us in quiet patience. Who will be present until the sun comes out again."

I can imagine a Man Carrying Thing video where he speaks those words, before a final exposing bit to show it's actually an advert introducing AI persona companions from Grok.

Both hilarious and scary. Hiscaryous.

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Duane Toops's avatar

Well…i can’t unsee that now, haha!

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Dan Jandl's avatar

Excellent! Great piece and really cool art.

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Duane Toops's avatar

Thanks so much Dan! Really glad you like it!!

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Manuela Thames's avatar

Love this:"I’m paying it forward. I'm reaching out in the same way that I have always been reached to." Also, the last collage is something I can see on my wall as well. :)

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Duane Toops's avatar

So kind of you!! Thank you so much!

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Sonia Otero's avatar

I couldn't find a better definition of the art we make: "I'm simply returning the favor. I'm paying it forward. I'm helping others the same way they've always helped me".

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Duane Toops's avatar

Yes! So glad you agree! Thank you!!

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Andrea Fisher's avatar

I loved this Duane. The moments you speak of, the sharing…all of it. And ooooh, that soft, beigy-collage-thingy took my breath away. YOUR COLLAGE ARRIVED, safe in my mail box. Love it! I will frame the two and when done post a pic. Sending love from New Jersey.

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Paolo Peralta's avatar

Insightful 🙌 we talk of the same stuff so you are recommended to any one who subscribes to me!!!!👌let’s spread the word of the good

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Duane Toops's avatar

Thanks so much Paolo!! Means a lot to me! Let's do it!

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Duane Toops's avatar

We welcome the weird here, haha! Glad you stumbled in! Thrilled to me you! Thanks for your kind words, I appreciate it!

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