Toxic Toxicity

I came across an Instagram post from the Colbert show with Monica Lewinsky today. He was interviewing her and she apparently has a new podcast out. It's about bullying. Talk about writing what you know.

Can you even imagine what she’s been through?

She was 22 years old when the world turned her name into a punchline. Late-night hosts, tabloids, and politicians turned her into a national joke, a seductress, a homewrecker—everything except a whole person. Decades later, people still refuse to see her as anything more than a scandal frozen in time.

The comments under the clip of her interview on Colbert were vile. But one stood out: "Who at 22 didn’t make a mistake?"

But here’s the thing, we made that language up and it’s multitude of meanings. We decided what “mistakes” are and what they mean. We love to believe that our mistakes were just lessons—but other people’s mistakes? Those are different. Those are unforgivable.

Funny how that works, right? We talk about growth and second chances, but the reality is, we still thrive on public shame. We let people “move on” only if it makes us comfortable. We define whose past gets to stay in the past.

And then the realization washed over me..

The people shaming her were being shamed by others in the comments. The cycle was never-ending.

Shaming is still shaming. Yelling is still yelling. Toxicity, even when it’s “on your side,” is still toxic.

It’s all the same game.

David Hawkins says that "nothing is ever wrong, it's just unfinished. So what if there IS nothing wrong? What if we just… stop playing?

A Return to Social Media—But Different

I know. I know.

After my break from all things Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), I said I was done.

But I’m back.

Not because I need to scroll endlessly. Not because I missed the outrage. But because I realized something:

Social media isn’t inherently bad. It’s a tool.

It connects us to anyone, anywhere across the globe. It gives us a platform to create, share, and amplify good. It allows us to find others doing the same thing.

So this time, I’m using it with intention.

I’m not here to fight. I’m here to build. I’m not here to shame. I’m here to create.

And something interesting happened when I returned.

There was an account I used to follow. I stopped for no particular reason, but when he popped back into my feed, I remembered why.

He was on my side on so many topics, but he was still toxic.

It was all outrage. All negativity. AND he was…SHAMING.

So, just because someone agrees with me, doesn’t mean they’re good for me. And the same holds true if they don’t agree with my position. And, this ones a hard one for me, it doesn’t discount their position. I just don’t have to engage.

That was a perspective shift I didn’t see coming.

Finding Beauty in the Unexpected

This weekend, Gary and I went to Felix Art Fair looking for inspiration. I've talked about this before. How do we surround ourselves with people, art and beauty that lift us up? Well, here's was the opportunity. Right around the corner at the Hollywood Roosevelt.

No agenda. No expectations. Just an opportunity to discover.

Some galleries carried themselves with the confidence of “blue-chip” dealers, bringing an energy that was bold and unapologetic. And while not every piece spoke to us, the passion behind each creation was undeniable.

But most of it? It was a celebration of creativity in all its forms—unexpected, expressive, and deeply personal.

Most of it was raw, creative, and inspiring.

We discovered Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber, founders of The Royal Art Lodge.

Their series "Animals with Sharpies" was simple: Animals holding Sharpies, scribbling out bits of wisdom, humor, and truth.

It was Gary’s favorite…for those of you that know him, I’m sure you’re not surprised.

Their "Libraries" series was just as brilliant—books with unknown authors, giving voice to thoughts we’ve all had but never said out loud.

I could pick one message a day from their book titles and live inside it.

Next, we met Megan Mulrooney, a gallerist (and fellow Laurel Canyon dweller).

She introduced us to Nick Taggart, whose work spans across styles— from color pencil drawings of iconic LA imagery to completely different, unrecognizable paintings.

No one box. No one style. Just pure artistic expression.

It became crystal clear:

Art is art.

The pieces that spoke to me didn’t make the others not art. And even when something didn’t match my aesthetic, it was still worth experiencing.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

This is bigger than art. This is bigger than social media. This is about how we choose to see the world.

It’s easy to dismiss things we don’t immediately like. It’s easy to believe that we are right and others are wrong.

But what if we let go of that? What if we looked for beauty instead of agreement? What if we embraced creation over criticism?

In researching for this newsletter, I came across an artist named Drew Cameron, the creator of Combat Paper.

Combat Paper takes old military uniforms, with the participation of the owners of the uniforms, cuts them into tiny pieces, turns them into paper, and transforms them into art.

Their message?

"The power of art to unite, heal, and provoke thought is needed now more than ever."

My message?

Go seek out something that sparks inspiration—something that makes you pause, reflect, and feel. Then, take it a step further. Find something completely outside your usual tastes, something that challenges your perspective, and look for its beauty. Let it surprise you. Let it shift something in you.

And don’t keep it to yourself. Share the experience. Have a conversation. See where it takes you, what ideas it stirs, what unexpected connections emerge.

I’d love to hear about your journey—what you discovered, what moved you, and how it changed the way you see the world.

I came across an Instagram post from the Colbert show with Monica Lewinsky today. He was interviewing her and she apparently has a new podcast out. It's about bullying. Talk about writing what you know.

Can you even imagine what she’s been through?

She was 22 years old when the world turned her name into a punchline. Late-night hosts, tabloids, and politicians turned her into a national joke, a seductress, a homewrecker—everything except a whole person. Decades later, people still refuse to see her as anything more than a scandal frozen in time.

The comments under the clip of her interview on Colbert were vile. But one stood out: "Who at 22 didn’t make a mistake?"

But here’s the thing, we made that language up and it’s multitude of meanings. We decided what “mistakes” are and what they mean. We love to believe that our mistakes were just lessons—but other people’s mistakes? Those are different. Those are unforgivable.

Funny how that works, right? We talk about growth and second chances, but the reality is, we still thrive on public shame. We let people “move on” only if it makes us comfortable. We define whose past gets to stay in the past.

And then the realization washed over me..

The people shaming her were being shamed by others in the comments. The cycle was never-ending.

Shaming is still shaming. Yelling is still yelling. Toxicity, even when it’s “on your side,” is still toxic.

It’s all the same game.

David Hawkins says that "nothing is ever wrong, it's just unfinished. So what if there IS nothing wrong? What if we just… stop playing?

A Return to Social Media—But Different

I know. I know.

After my break from all things Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), I said I was done.

But I’m back.

Not because I need to scroll endlessly. Not because I missed the outrage. But because I realized something:

Social media isn’t inherently bad. It’s a tool.

It connects us to anyone, anywhere across the globe. It gives us a platform to create, share, and amplify good. It allows us to find others doing the same thing.

So this time, I’m using it with intention.

I’m not here to fight. I’m here to build. I’m not here to shame. I’m here to create.

And something interesting happened when I returned.

There was an account I used to follow. I stopped for no particular reason, but when he popped back into my feed, I remembered why.

He was on my side on so many topics, but he was still toxic.

It was all outrage. All negativity. AND he was…SHAMING.

So, just because someone agrees with me, doesn’t mean they’re good for me. And the same holds true if they don’t agree with my position. And, this ones a hard one for me, it doesn’t discount their position. I just don’t have to engage.

That was a perspective shift I didn’t see coming.

Finding Beauty in the Unexpected

This weekend, Gary and I went to Felix Art Fair looking for inspiration. I've talked about this before. How do we surround ourselves with people, art and beauty that lift us up? Well, here's was the opportunity. Right around the corner at the Hollywood Roosevelt.

No agenda. No expectations. Just an opportunity to discover.

Some galleries carried themselves with the confidence of “blue-chip” dealers, bringing an energy that was bold and unapologetic. And while not every piece spoke to us, the passion behind each creation was undeniable.

But most of it? It was a celebration of creativity in all its forms—unexpected, expressive, and deeply personal.

Most of it was raw, creative, and inspiring.

We discovered Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber, founders of The Royal Art Lodge.

Their series "Animals with Sharpies" was simple: Animals holding Sharpies, scribbling out bits of wisdom, humor, and truth.

It was Gary’s favorite…for those of you that know him, I’m sure you’re not surprised.

Their "Libraries" series was just as brilliant—books with unknown authors, giving voice to thoughts we’ve all had but never said out loud.

I could pick one message a day from their book titles and live inside it.

Next, we met Megan Mulrooney, a gallerist (and fellow Laurel Canyon dweller).

She introduced us to Nick Taggart, whose work spans across styles— from color pencil drawings of iconic LA imagery to completely different, unrecognizable paintings.

No one box. No one style. Just pure artistic expression.

It became crystal clear:

Art is art.

The pieces that spoke to me didn’t make the others not art. And even when something didn’t match my aesthetic, it was still worth experiencing.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

This is bigger than art. This is bigger than social media. This is about how we choose to see the world.

It’s easy to dismiss things we don’t immediately like. It’s easy to believe that we are right and others are wrong.

But what if we let go of that? What if we looked for beauty instead of agreement? What if we embraced creation over criticism?

In researching for this newsletter, I came across an artist named Drew Cameron, the creator of Combat Paper.

Combat Paper takes old military uniforms, with the participation of the owners of the uniforms, cuts them into tiny pieces, turns them into paper, and transforms them into art.

Their message?

"The power of art to unite, heal, and provoke thought is needed now more than ever."

My message?

Go seek out something that sparks inspiration—something that makes you pause, reflect, and feel. Then, take it a step further. Find something completely outside your usual tastes, something that challenges your perspective, and look for its beauty. Let it surprise you. Let it shift something in you.

And don’t keep it to yourself. Share the experience. Have a conversation. See where it takes you, what ideas it stirs, what unexpected connections emerge.

I’d love to hear about your journey—what you discovered, what moved you, and how it changed the way you see the world.