This is the decision every creative person has to make to ward of pirates; do I fortify my ship with iron cladding and conscript lawyers to man the cannons, then wallow in defense mode? Ew. I chose to build a sleeker, quicker boat. I paint, I sketch, I write. I've…

You just made me realize I've insulted myself for creative escapism more than everyone else has. I should stop that. I've made my living as a painter for forty years. Patrons who come back for more say, "Your work makes me happy." My joke reply is, "Oh good. Now I don't have to get a therapist license and a practical job." What you wrote urges me stop being mean to me, or quite so dismissive of what I do. Thanks!

Epic visual nerd list. I especially appreciate the restriction to hand craftsmanship and like all the masterpieces added here. I'll add to the bottom of the list John Toll's cinematography in Wind, which gave the ocean and sailboat racing the eye candy that Barry Lyndon did for the 18th century and Blade Runner for the 21st (only with a dumber story).

A 1983 copy of West With the Night is one of only a few books to survive almost 40 years of moving and purging many bookshelves. In my 20s Beryl inspired me to hurl myself into every adventure and danger be damned. In my 60s she gave me the confidence to write my stories as a memoir. and, like Hemmingway, I built my own pigpen.

I'm a painter and absolutely agree—an artist's essence is not only embedded, but emits that energy. I can 'dark night of the soul' in literature, but not on my walls. My favorite way to buy art is directly from artists I have made an effort to meet, talk with and determine if I want them (their work) to be the equivalent of a roommate for a long time. Open Studios & smaller art festivals is where you can find affordable originals while supporting a living person whose energy is uplifting and ideals inspire. As it happens, they are most often female artists. The walls of my home are beautiful and happy... bookshelves are where the controversy lies.