It is one month away. Our annual hiking boot-camp on the border of California and Oregon, where we test our mettle against rocks, briars, tides, sand and sun. 

And so my head is filled with memories of what we did the last time, and the time before that - oh, and the others before that. Including the equipment epiphany that was climbing gloves. Don't get me wrong - we are not rock climbers, per se. We are scrambling over giant boulders to get to the next cove. And those gloves? They make old, arthritic hands better. ​ And the woman wearing them more confident.

And what the heck does this have to do with art?

Well, I am glad you asked. The right tool can be transformative. Put a rubber wedge in my hands and things I thought I could never do are right there - easy peasy. A rough chopstick makes organic texture like a precise instrument never could. That new primer I mentioned recently? Depth of color right there at my fingertips. If things aren't working despite your many attempts, a different tool (brush, pen, paint, substrate, paper - anything, really!) might just be the tipping point you need.