Sunday 11/30/25
On Sundays I reflect.
I didn’t drink alcohol this week. Next week will be a year since I had a drink.
I spent the week in Chicago and Lake Geneva with my family. This annual tradition dates back to the early 90’s and serves as a bit of a family reunion for my mom’s extended family. My brother and Pri brought Mooza the bernadoodle and at a year old she couldn’t be cuter.
What a privilege it is that we get to spend the holiday at a resort every year. I bump into cousins in the hotel lobby and at the gym. We come together for dinner and brunch the following day, this year around 50 of us which believe it or not was a small attendance.
After Thursday dinner, a tradition has formed in which our cousins get together in the bar or hotel lobby for late night hangs. Back when I was drinking, I was somewhat of a presence at the cousin hang where a few years things got pretty wild. These days it’s nice to have a casual and more intimate hang by the fire in the lobby. I don’t get to see this side of the family much beyond Thanksgiving so the time is very special for me.
Earlier in the week we attended a reading of my dad’s play, telling the story of King Saul and King David from the Bible. In the play my dad explores concepts of power and gender roles in society. For many years my dad has been working on writing books and poems and plays. This is the first one to reach completion in this way and I’m proud of my dad for prioritizing this work in his retirement. He also has a poem being published and is already contemplating ideas for his next writing projects.
As time goes on it becomes harder and harder to see everyone I care about when I’m traveling. Our lives evolve in different ways as we’ve grown up. I prioritize more time with my family these days compared to when I was younger, and they have their own lives.
I only got to see a few friends this week, one of them being Willie the Pimp aka Cadillac Daddy. Willie has been a friend through my adulthood and career that I connected to through our shared passion for glass. We grabbed some pizza and I got to deliver the hanger I made for him in person rather than shipping it.
I should probably mention it snowed a foot while I’ve been here. We went from Fall to Winter almost overnight. Hopefully there will be snow back in Vail when I get home, but we’re off to a very light start to the season.
Where does Drum N Bass fit into all of this?
I’m working on more exciting projects with Ian and Jen Stark, two people who know very clearly where Drum N Bass fits into all of this. We’ve got Twinkle visiting the studio again to work with Ian while I’m in Miami, another unexpected DNB enthusiast.
174 BPM is the speed at which my brain exists. Whether I’m on my snowboard flying down Vail or in the studio watching the glass spin on the lathe as I blast it with a torch that’s where my energy is. These are peak experiences, but the music serves as a background in the rest of my life as well.
Is this my tenth year attending Art Basel and Miami Art Week? I remember how overwhelming it was the first few years. Today, this feels like a pretty normal way to spend the week after Thanksgiving.
Every year I discover new artists during the fairs. This year will be no exception. Over the last few years most art became uninteresting to me and I think artists are having to pivot or reinvent themselves to generate excitement. This year I already perceive that the art will be fresh from what we’ve been seeing. I’m excited to see my friends who are showing, my friends who are not showing, and so much work from people I’ve never met or heard of.
This year I’ll be looking through a different lens. In an effort to expand our developing artist residency program, I’ll be connecting with contemporary artists who are mostly not working with glass in attempt to create collaborations outside of our subculture.
As I prepare for what’s ahead, I’m currently pushing myself in a new direction with my own work. I’ve been practicing techniques on the torch without my lathe, and I’ll be taking a class with my friend Germ to further expand my capacities with glass. During the next week in Miami, I’ll be taking in inspiration to go back to my studio and continue developing a new body of work.
It’s scary and exciting. It’s necessary.
I have a lot more to say but it’s my last day with my parents so now I’ll get back to being present with them.
As always thank you for tuning in.
Enjoy your Sunday,
BB
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