Samuel Grey Horse is a native Austinite, and a genuinely cool dude. Sometimes you’ll catch him riding one of his beautiful horses around downtown. Or, you might experience him jamming with he Greyhounds on a Saturday night. It was heartwarming to hear a dear friend call out to him and chit chat.

Want to practice a form of meditation that goes really deep and is an endless source of trips into pure consciousness? Set a timer for 20 minutes, sit comfy, observe your breath. As thoughts come return to the breath. Do it again later today. Yep. That’s it.

Have you embraced little habits, apps, systems, lists, etc. that have helped you stay on track, moving towards your heart’s desire? I have had many, and I’m really excited about the latest thing I’ve been tinkering with.

Who am I to talk about consciousness, let along portals to consciousness. Heck, 99% of this stuff is from my present guru, Eckart Tolle. I’m an imposter. I’m a fake. I’m not an artist and I’m not a writer. Whew! Now that we’ve gotten that nonsense out of the way, here is a little starter thought for you:

I have practiced mindful meditation over many years. I go through some seasons when I meditate daily, and others when I don’t meditate at all. Sometimes I set a timer and simply focus on the breath, and other times I follow guided meditations. Some days I practice for 20 minutes and other days I’m lucky to sit silent for 3.

My wife Sandra and I will miss spontaneously jaunting over to Austin’s legendary Skylark Lounge, just a few blocks from our current home. We will be moving east of town to Bastrop in a few days, and are so excited about enjoying the vibrant music scene out there.

Breath, I know it is cheesy, and grown men shouldn't have to say it, but seriously—you are my very best friend. Out the womb I came, and “whoosh!”, there you were, inside me, surrounding me. And you haven’t left me since.

As I write this entry on a long flight back to Austin from San Francisco, I’m feeling blessed that my wife and I got to experience God’s majesty, California-style. Our trip began with my wife’s business conference in San Francisco. We then rented a car and headed east to Yosemite Valley, where we spent 6 nights.

First, let me say that I looked at my images of these precious young souls tonight and I cried. Second, let me say that I’m falling in love all over again with the Sony Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 lens. And third? Well, I don’t know which to talk about first.

So glad I took a deep breath, composed myself in the middle of this encounter, and asked this guy to close his eyes. I’m sure he lived his life on the streets with a tough persona. But in this shot I recognize his innocence. Haven’t seen him downtown in quite some time. I hope he has found peace.

Yesterday I wrote about my encounter with four outstanding people in my quest to connect with others who might share their thoughts on pain and grieving. My walk around the UT Austin campus led me to my second encounter. Meet Nayzak.

On a recent Facebook Live video, I expressed some mighty heavy emotions regarding the loss of our precious Yellow Lab Travis, who has been with us on this journey for 16 years. Through this process of grieving, God’s presence has been strong, and I’m being blessed with some clear messages like these:

Welcome to a little story about the next outstanding person I met on my walk earlier this week. I was on a quest to connect with others who might share their thoughts on pain and grieving. Fresh on the heels of losing our precious Yellow Lab Travis, I knew it would help for me to utilize one of my most effective tools when emotions are tough: my camera.

In Texas, bluebonnets are a big deal. In the Spring, they grow like weeds along the side of the road. Hundreds of millions of selfies are taken amidst them each year, primarily utilizing 20' selfie sticks that allow for dozens of family members to be in the shot. The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas, so don't even think of picking or damaging them, or you might get cuffed and sent to the pokey.

Technology is revolutionizing the planet. Change is not so much constant as radical. Every single industry is being affected. Of course, photography and videography are no exception. I am a designer, photographer and videographer. As an artist, I have to always be on alert about my Texas-sized ego rearing its ugly head. My ego can blind me. Put me in denial. Close my imagination to new possibilities.

Last Saturday night at Austin’s Spider House Ballroom, we rocked out to David Ramirez and Jackie Venson at a Black Fret Listening Session. Black Fret is an exclusive and limited network of art patrons dedicated to supporting Austin's internationally recognized local musicians.

Don’t worry. My friend Reed is resting fine after his shooting. All kidding aside, I admittedly was a bit nervous before doing Reed’s portrait. You see, we have known each other for a long time. Since college to be exact. And, let’s just say that in those days phones had cords that plugged into the wall.

Many of you know that I have transitioned from a 20-year career in graphic design to a new career in portrait photography. I "followed my bliss", and every promise that comes with it is coming true. Such a feeling that I'm "in the flow." Not only was I led to pursue photography, but more specifically, I have been led to portraiture. It's the highest professional calling I have ever felt. Not wedding photography. Not product photography. Portraiture.

When Sandra said "I have a surprise for you" a few weeks ago, I perked up. Then, after getting over my initial disappointment that we weren't going to Disney World, I found out that she had scored tickets to last night's Steve Miller Band show at Austin's Skyline Theater at the Long Center.