Welcome to 2026!

I want to start this year by sharing something that’s been on my mind.

Last March, my journey to Bhutan was built around a rare opportunity to be invited into a prayer ceremony and quietly witness and photograph it from within. Young monks sat in long rows. Candles burned low. Voices steady and focused in their chanting. Discipline, presence and intention filled the room.

What stayed with me wasn’t just the beauty of the ritual. It was the feeling behind it. The emotional energy, the stillness, the commitment to showing up day after day and doing the work without needing recognition.

I’ve been thinking about that experience again as I follow the monks currently walking across the country on their Walk for Peace. There’s no preaching in what they’re doing. Just movement. Just consistency. Just action.

We all move through life differently. Some of us have been through a lot and are looking for steadiness. Others are still pushing hard toward what they want to build. All of it is human, and none of it is wrong.

But when we’re gone, what remains isn’t what we wanted or accumulated.

What remains is how we treated people and what we gave back while we were here.

That’s the part I keep coming back to.

If you’re interested in following the monks’ Walk for Peace journey, you can find it here: Walk for Peace USA

For those who’ve asked, my book Alive in the Desert is available by clicking here and I’ll be sharing my 2026 Sedona art show schedule soon.

Thank you for being here.

Michael