10/26/2026
Absolutely honored and privileged to be a part of THIS community. Thank you to Robin Wall Kimmerer for her tremendous gift of wisdom and kowledge shared. Thank you to The Lynx for the gift of community and reflection through their physical space and created space of Gainesville Reads. Thank you to the thoughtful evening hosts who challenged us all with fantastic questions and discussion to find our own gifts in the service of our Earth and communities.
Last night Whitney Leigh Morris shared a great thought exercise from Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson encouraging us to find the crossroads of climate need, personal gift (talent), and joy. As I closed my eyes, I felt immensely grateful to be sitting in a season of life that allows me to walk a path centered in the midst of those three.
Old Florida Vibes wouldn’t exist without a handful of ingredients. Ingredient #1 Necessity for mental clarity came first. The pandemic was raging and the only antidote for us was time outside. Ingredient #2 a gift of art. As a kid I loved to draw. I spent hours dreaming, exploring, and creating. Life gets in the way. That boy grew up. He rarely made time for art until the world slowed just enough to put pencil to paper in 2020 and document the natural world around him. Ingredient #3 Need from the land. Our natural world needs passionate voices. Folks who care. Folks who can point their enerergetic arrow in the direction of protection and restoration. Ingredient #4 Community. Without the community of support, creators, changers, makers, lovers and protectors of the land, this Old Florida Vibes journey wouldn’t exist.
Thank you The Lynx for allowing me the opportunity to share my gift. Thank you to each of you for joining along in this journey.
Shoutout to my two dear friends and creatives that I look up to Caroline Hurd and flow_with_c for hanging out throughout the evening. I’m so grateful for both of your gifts and the inspiration you share with our community.
Robin Wall Kimmerer Plant Baby Plant The Lynx Alachua Conservation Trust Whitney Leigh Morris Lauren Groff Stoop Illustration
