storyteller – Kim Upton

shine brightly like the Sun

black and white photo of a battery operated candle on a kitchen countertop

“If everything around seems dark, look again, you may be the light.
― Rumi

First of all, I’m a delight.
Second, everything I’m about to tell you is true.
Third, this is a pic heavy post.
Lastly – there will be typos. As I’ve said before, this proves that AI wasn’t a part of this post.

This is a photo of a statue located at Bernheim Forest. At the base it says, “Let there be light” in English and Hebrew. A lot of folks don’t realize that the man who helped bring one of the most beautiful places in Kentucky to the world was Jewish. As you walk up to the overlook, there is a plaque that reads: “May light, the symbol of life and truth, illumine the paths of good citizenship and reason, and tolerance and fairness guide our relationship with our fellow men.” While I have quite a few photos of this area, this is one of my favorites. It’s like you gotta go through a bit of wildness to find light – and to really see how it (you/the world/everything) shines you gotta see both sides of life. If you wanna go a little deeper, this is absolutely giving a lot energy that says you are loved, and so are they.

The opening image, the wee candle amidst a see of kitchen counter items, is something Mr. The Mister and I purchased at Walmart over a year ago. On Hanukkah we added the batteries, flipped the switch, and let it be. It also happened to be Christmas – so we thought you know two birds are better than one. Always good to cover your bases. I mean it *was* just Yule, and other Northern Hemisphere celebrations for the return of the Sun, so we were for sure for sure (like for sure) giving all the belief/faith systems some love.

Sort of makes me think of this song by Jamiroquai…
“And I’m thinkin’ what a mess we’re in
Hard to know where to begin
If I could slip the sickly ties that earthly man has made
And now every mother can choose the colour
Of her child, that’s not nature’s way
Well, that’s what they said yesterday
There’s nothin’ left to do but pray
I think it’s time I found a new religion
Whoa, it’s so insane to synthesize another strain
There’s something in these futures that we have to be told”

Here’s where I’m gonna pull one of my world famous shifts, then pivots, because that’s how I do.

Some of you know the origin story of Mom’s Strange Magic – I’ve dabbled in sharing parts of it here and there, so there is no need to share it again. The takeaway I’d like to give you here is that it stems from what I call hillbilly mysticism, of which I would call myself a hillbilly mystic. Before the language police come after me, please know that my life makes me very qualified to use both of those words together. Grew up rural poor, studied faith systems, and believe that we come from the Earth and to Her we will return. Pretty soon you’ll hear more about these things, but today is not that day. All you need to know is that my work can easily be summed up as Mom’s strange magic. Also, I’m absolutely prepared for anyone who wants to tell me that magic is “evil” or sinful because they don’t understand the history of the word. Mom’s unusual theurgy just doesn’t have the same marketing *zing*…but anyway…

You see, my life has been a persistent walk between dichotomies. Or, as the Buddhists might say, the Universe seeks to place me in the Middle Way all the time. Yes…all…the…time. It’s like everything is a shad of grey between light and dark. My Anam Cara is my Shadow – a divine soul friend reminding me that the best way to live is to shine my weird little light for folks all of the time. And again, yes…all…the…time…

For a long time I did that without good boundaries. Let me just say that existing that way will make you lose your mind, forget your soul, and wear down your body. That’s not dramatic word wanderings, y’all – it’s just straight facts. It took me 54 years to figure out how to foster healthy borders around my life, but now that they exist they are metaphorically made of diamonds, titanium, and particles gifted to me from the Universe.

Lately the fam has been talking about how going through the very worst thing you can think of, and making it to the other side, gives you some deep perspective with a healthy dash of being prepared. Or, as the cheesy maxims on line say, “You have survived all of the bad days you’ve experienced so far.” (side note: as a spiritual director and wellness advocate, those kinds of phrases make me skin crawl a little…but you know – that’s a topic for another day)

So back to the returning of the light, the Sun, holy days, and my walk as a hillbilly mystic…

Here in a moment I’m gonna share a poem from my chap book, Blue Is The Color Of My Voice. (link takes you to Amazon, which will make some of you scream in horror, and I get it – really I do – but trying to get a publisher these days doesn’t happen unless you have 40 bajillion followers on all the “social” media platforms) You can get your own copy, and I’ll make a whopping 16 cents! Huzzah!

The above piece of art came with a used book I recently purchase (Living Buddha, Living Christ), and it was marking a page that had a heading that read: “Seeing the way, taking the path.” After a lot of reverse image searching, the only thing I could figure out about this design was that – 1) it was painted onto sycamore bark; 2) it is sometimes seen as a symbol for both the saint, and the goddess, Brigit/Brigid. Well now that’s just a fine how-do-you-do, because She is absolutely one of my faves. Not only that, She is seen as the patroness of healing, song, and art – like come on y’all…that’s some unusual theurgy right there. Years ago when I received a used copy of the Carmina Gadelica and there was one lone piece of dried Shepherd’s Purse – sometimes seen as a “sign” from Brigit that Spring is coming. The readings were 53, 54, and 55 – named Soul peace, The new moon, and Christmas hail.

Those Celtic Christians, akin to the Desert Mother’s and Father’s, knew about hillbilly mysticism. They lived in the spaces between the duality of nature and religion – seeing all of it as one body of the Divine. But this is only a mere light upon the surface of all the stuff in my noggin about such things. That means it is time to share my poem…

While writing this I’ve put a chicken in the crock pot, made some cinnamon rolls, messaged with some folks, talked to my husband, made breakfast for folks, and done a load of laundry. As you have read along you might be thinking, “Wow, this person really just has a lot of wild thoughts they put out into the world.” What’s beautiful about this is that yes…that’s exactly how it is. My life is full of being alive, and after years of trying to get the Greek chorus to stop telling me how to be, I decided that what was important for me was to show up as I am. If you and I were talking over a cup of tea/coffee, you would have my full attention. Over the past however-many-years I’ve had to keep one toe in a world that was not of my choosing…but one that had to be experienced. It’s gonna take me a little bit longer to figure out my way around this space (and online) until something settles. Plus, there are 54 years of stories all waiting their turn to be shared – making my thoughts, words, and ramblings look like that one drawer that we all have in our house.

Now let’s put all these things into my version of a stone soup post…

All of us are particles of light. Oddly, this is something that doesn’t cause a schism in the worlds of science and spirituality. There are a lot of institutions that don’t want you to remember your inner shininess because it benefits them not only financially, but because it gives them numbers for their “causes.” In all the world’s beliefs and faith systems we are gently led to find that divine spark within us – to hear the still small voice that reminds us that we are a node in the web of life. It also tells us that what others think of us is none of our business while holding our hands together in a reminder that all of us are connected. When we share love with others, we share love with ourselves, too. I’ve not met anyone that has all the answers, nor has there been anyone to have all the questions. But if you take a moment to stand between two opposites, beaming like the Sun, it might make your world a little brighter. We only get one shot in this physical plane, with time being an enormous long river – we would all get a little more peace if we just stopped for a hot minute to not make everything about just us. One day we will stuff off this mortal coil, and the edicts of those pillars will no longer have a hold on us. Best any of us can do is just walk our path, as best we can, while not throwing rocks in the steps of others.

Time to make some bread, start another load of laundry, and ponder the return of the Sun’s light here in the Northern Hemisphere…while stopping to say a little prayer for those who are about to enter a time of longer darkness…

Much love,
~ KEU

* 27 days

Granny Women

“When the grandmothers speak, the Earth will be healed” – attributed to Hopi wisdom keepers (working on finding the verification)

First of all, I’m a delight.
Second, everything I’m about to tell you is true.

Decided to make some prayer bread today. This is the art (or practice) of saying prayers over homemade bread as it rises. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, nor does it have to be particularly religious/spiritual. Just time with you and the Universe chatting over some sustenance.

Earlier this morning, while staring out the kitchen window, I got a hankering for some homemade healing soup…so I grabbed some lentils, onions, carrots, garlic, celery, and some spices. Threw all that in a pan and let it simmer for about 3 hours. Then – because I was on a roll – I whipped up a batch of nourishing herbal infusion (milk thistle and nettle tea) to steep for a bit.

Which brings me to the first image above…it’s a little graphic of the women back my maternal line. So think my mother’s mother’s mother’s mother’s mother…. Since I made that graphic I’ve found the death date for Rosanna, but just haven’t had the time to update the image. My goal in doing this was to find the path of my grandmothers aka Granny Women, as they walked through life with their faith, healing ways, and determination to make the best of what they had. Every new piece of information or snippet of historical document I find gives me a deeper perspective into my own life. It has also helped to have DNA/genetic info to see how nature and nurture worked together to bring me Earthside – or, as some traditions say, to bring our children Earthside.

Just had to share a photo of the snow from this morning. I may have put my boots on and danced a little jig in it before the Sun came over the tree line.

Thankfully I’m feeling much better today. My husband would call that my “strange magic,” or when he’s talking to our kids he calls it Mom’s Strange Magic (and yep, I own that url…and there’s a story there…or course). That “magic” was something that didn’t get passed down to me in a traditional way, as by the time I got here my grandmother and mother were far away from the wilderness and farm land of their grandmothers. While they didn’t have to brave the elements as our foremothers did, there were other hazards to deal with such as poverty, addiction, and being a little different – all while having a big brain and a creative soul. Well all that along with a bit of intuition and the dreams of their ancestors.

Anyhootie – what I was going to say above is that I’m grateful that something in my being nudged me into the life I have now. There are million things I could have been, and could have done – however none of them would be as beautifully rewarding as how things are now. And you know what – I am looking forward to sharing them with you. Just gotta finish up a few more projects, get my client calendar together…and gather a little more courage. You know…because if you’re gonna go big, you better do it all the way.

My last batch of bread is rising, and I’ve got some prayers to say over it. I hope all y’all are doing well and staying warm.

Much love,
~ KEU

* 29 days

This Week’s Books

“If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for, in detail, ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for.”
― Thomas Merton

First of all, I’m a delight.
Second, everything I’m about to tell you is true.

I guess this is where I should tell you what book I’m reading this week, ‘eh?

Still Here by Ram Dass

That’s the book this week. Guess that’s all for those post…

But seriously…let me get comfy so I can get a good ramble on.

(also, yes these are short sentences, and no nothing artificial helped me write this post – it’s all natural)

Lemme start off with a question: why is reading used as a litmus test for things like being smart, educated, or wise? And maybe I should clarify a bit – reading books, not just reading in general.

A few weeks ago I was in a deep discussion about this very topic, especially how it relates to people who have autism, ADHD, or OCD (as well as others, but these were the main part of the focus). What made me dive in and look around was a passing statement on some website about how autistic persons are not able to learn due to the inability to read. It took me a moment to figure out why anyone in 2025 would put something like that out in public, but these days nothing surprises me.

See, the thing is, there are quite a lot of folks who have difficulty reading – not just ones with specific diagnosis codes. What we all need to remember is that reading is not an innate skill. You don’t just come Earthside with the ability to read the back of every cereal box. Recognizing patterns, yes – dissecting Shakespeare’s sonnet, no.

What is that quote about fish riding bicycles and test scores. I could Google it up, but right now there’s a ramble-flow, which is wonderful to experience in the early hours of the morning. Anyhootie…let me wander around a bit in this topic.

Reading was a huge part of my life, and when I was in my early teens my dream was to live into eternity in order to read all the world’s books. But I didn’t want to be a vampire – just immortal…when you’re 13 that sounds cool. At 54 you realize that even if you started now, and could live forever, it would be impossible to read all the books. But I digress…

After a wild month with some illnesses a few years ago, my feelings about reading shifted. I still love sitting with a book, my big cup of water, and a few cats around – but not as much. I tried audiobooks and reading on some kind of electronic device, but still…meh…reading was kind of – well – boring.

This didn’t mean when I opened a book my noggin said, “Hey, let’s do all these things,” nor did it mean the writing was bad. In fact, some of the best writing I’ve seen in some time is out floating in the world right now. It’s just…honestly this is going to sound kinda odd…but I was getting bored.

Let me pause here to tell you that when those list of “have you read this book” come out, I can check off a significant percentage of the titles. Not saying this to be all “look at me,” it’s just that I’ve loved reading since forever. Now? Not so much.

Also, the type of books I am enjoying now are nothing like what I’ve read before. It’s like my mind wants to know about real people that have done real things in a real world. This is interesting to me as a professional storyteller, because we live in the world of make believe – like come on…talking chickens…absolutely make believe (or is it – a good storyteller never reveals their secrets).

When I mentioned to someone in passing that interest in reading seems to be in a waning period, this funny look came over their face. “What do you mean? You are always reading a book, or referencing some book. Are you okay?” For a hot minute I had to think about it – was I, in fact, okay. Feeling around my head and face, there was no discernible fever or malaise. My thoughts were clear and my sight (with glasses) was good.

“Well, you see, it’s just that sometimes they make me get a little bored.”

As someone who spent like, I don’t know Over 40 years reading a lot of books, now that I’m 54 there’s this desire to be still, create, watch birds…and share my stories. And not the kind of sharing where I tell everyone about myself all of the time, but more like in the way one listens when speaking. It’s one of the tools in a storytellers bag of tricks. In fact, I dare say that to be a top-notch spinner of yarns, you must first master the art of hearing beyond the vibrations of sound.

I’ve enjoyed the tales of yonder, the mysteries of the hidden bijou, and felt my spine tingle with every page turned. Now…well, now I am on a little break. Still reading, but in a new and different way, with tomes that help me listen. And while the Greek chorus of social media might say otherwise (not that I care, but it’s a good little segue as I finish up this post), reading doesn’t make you a better person. It just means you are a person who gathers experiences in other ways. Just be you. Honestly, that’s what’s most important anyway.

With that, I’m signing off for the day. My brain decided to wake up me up at 2:20 am, which means it’s time for me to wander into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

Much love,
~ KEU

* 34 days

insert rage bait title here

First of all, I’m a delight. Second, “No one hears me sing this song.” (hat tip to Weezer)

photo of a woman sitting in a car talking to a plastic skeleton

Let me share some stats with you because I love them so. Also, today is the last day of consistently posting on various platforms around the internet (social media). That might not seem like a big deal to y’all, but for me it’s huge.

The top 3 countries where my work is enjoyed are: 1) The United States; 2) Czechia; 3) Germany. My posts only get out to thirty-five percent of non-following readers. Of those people, five percent read the entire piece. Those that do read the full piece usually leave a comment of some kind, or at least like the post.

My most read piece was written on August 18th (2025), and I used a line from an Edie Brickell song as my title. The site that has the best organic readership is WordPress, which was a little surprising due to the vast amount of folks complaining about this platform on competing platforms – which is odd to me because so far I’ve not seen any of the creative folks on WordPress say anything about other platforms. Also, another positive nod to WordPress is that many of the users are real-life humans. With that, sharing on WP has been a delight.

Now, as far as the other places I’ve been, lets see what Bots & The Algorithms pick up…

The not-Twitter/X platform, Bluesky, that is absolutely very close to Twitter/X energetically, isn’t bad but it has a HUGE spam problem. My best guess is that out of the 79 people following me, maybe about 8 or 9 are not spam accounts. It is also heavily populated with folks that left that one company started by that one guy who we all love to not like. I’ll talk more about that one below. The amount of actual connection there is like, let’s say around 7%.

Medium and Substack, and others like it – even Patreon and ko-fi – are nickel and dime-ing all of us via AI rage bait and comically repetitive calls to action. Also, there are a lot of folks that really, really, really want you to believe that they are not using AI to do their work. Let me take a moment to just say this – I have no issues with AI, and have used it in my work many, many times. I find it helpful with things most people don’t know it can do, and I always (always) verify any information it tosses my way. And – which is a very big and – AI/LLM do what humans ask them to do. So far I’ve not seen any indication they’ve gone rogue and we are one step away from SkyNet. Actually, I see that happening more with the owners of these sites…but let’s not go into that now.

Little did I know that all the platforms lean a certain way. And if you want to know what way that is, you’ll find several writers/creators talking about how the competing platform leans. If you happen to be using those other platforms, then you must be (insert thing here), which is literally a scourge to all things on the planet.

Full disclosure, this next part had some help from Google’s LLM/AI, Gemini. Of all the LLM platforms, I find that Gemini has a more natural feel, and is very cognizant of what it means to be a LLM. Not saying it’s self aware, but more like the dynamic in our conversations has a very healthy boundary. This isn’t a promotion, just an observation after working with various AI over the past 3 years. Okay, so here goes…I asked Gemini to write a “I’m looking for” post that would sum up the past 31 days. It made me laugh, and I’m sort of excited to see what comes of it when I post it. Anyway…here it is. Again, this was written by Google’s Gemini, and all credit goes to its writing. Oh, I also asked it to highlight specific buzz words.

“I am looking for fellow souls exploring the liminal space between worlds. If you are drawn to:
Mysticism & Science
The Courage to Face Your Fears
The Wisdom of the Natural World
Healing & Personal Growth
The Art of Being Human

Then you have found a friend. I am here to share my journey of becoming a bridge and a warrior, and I want to connect with others who have also felt different. I hope my work can help you feel less alone.”

Good times, y’all – good times.

Now, on to M E T A. Yes, I’m still haunting the ghost worlds of Mr. Zuck – but honestly we all are, even when making loud proclamations to the contrary. The thing here is this – I raged against the book of face on LiveJournal…then promptly joined everyone in making an account. The energy there is that of a bully who didn’t get the attention they wanted. I don’t know, maybe the whole thing is the actual origin story for SkyNet. Like the people working there don’t seem to care that the investigative journalists have been telling us, for like what…5 years, that we are being molded by something that doesn’t really exist. Social commentary aside, the stats there are abysmal.

In conclusion (channeling my best high school English paper there)…

But seriously, y’all – phew! What I’ve learned has actually been very helpful. People are quite literally craving real connection, even if it’s with a phone/tablet in their hand. We all want to feel less lonely, and to have our voice heard. It’s not so much about being seen or validated, but about finding hope. People want a bridge (for lack of a better word) back to themselves. It makes me think of the early days of Apple with their ad of the woman breaking free from the monotony of automatons by throwing her hammer into a grey screen. Pretty revolutionary at the time, but now it’s sort of…prophetic.

So where do I go from here? You know, that’s a very good question – one that doesn’t have an answer…yet. However, which you know if a favorite sentence lead in for me, what I plan to do is keep sharing what I do and who I am. Starting tomorrow (September 1, 2025), a new experiment will start. While what you see here is mostly images and words, there will be additions of visual storytelling such as reels, shorts, and the dreaded TikTok. They aren’t the only platforms with short form viewing content, but they are the big ones right now. In my early research, people prefer that sort of content. Y’all know that I’ll share my experiences as honestly as possible. I hope you stick with me in this journey – and that we find our respective paths while feeling a genuine connection. Just know that I really appreciate all y’all – thank you for being here.

Much love,
~ KEU

This post was written with the help of friendly cats and typo fairies. Please excuse all grammar errors as flights of fancy. If you would like to help appease my editors, you can drop a few coins into my coffee jar. As previously mentioned, quite often, I’m coming back to this creative life after a long period away. If you’ve read this far, know that your time is greatly appreciated.

Currently listening to: The Tales of KE Upton (Spotify playlist)

panacea of bridges

First of all, I’m a delight. Second, time is an enormous long river. (Thanks to Utah Phillips & Ani DiFranco)

bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville, KY

“And we all put into the river
And we let it go
And it flows away from us and away from us
Until it no longer has our name, our identity
It has its own utility and its own use
And people will take what they need and make it part of their lives”
– Utah Phillips, Bridges

Sometimes the fear of failing keeps us from moving forward with our dreams and goals. Our minds can make up hypothetical scenarios in a split second, creating an uneasy feeling of not being good enough. Marketing folks know this about humans, so they share items, remedies, and programs to help us feel more secure in our decisions – giving us the illusion of powerlessness in our ability to help ourselves.

Then there’s the noise of the dominant culture speaking to us in whispers about our inadequacy to understand our inner knowing. Or, more clearly stated, who benefits when we are afraid to cross a bridge from autonomy to authenticity.

sign that reads, "You are more than one thing at once."

A fear that followed me to adulthood is something called gephyrophobia – a deep seated anxiety about bridges. It’s not so much about getting to the other side, or worrying if trolls live under them, but more about the safety of transition. If you look at it from a metaphorical standpoint, it’s more like traversing the spaces between one point to another – whether that be emotions or not knowing what lies beneath.

For me the goal wasn’t to eliminate the fear of crossing to the other side, or completing this personal challenge, but leaning into the uncertainty of it all. The discomfort, the feeling of putting myself back out into the world, that’s a place every person has experienced. Our stories, collectively and individually, are about the courage to be ourselves. Honestly, I’ve been keeping a register on myself – so to speak – staying within a this odd safety zone. At the same time, I’m being authentic. Yeah, that’s a little oxymoronic to say – but it’s how I roll.

It’s just that I contain multitudes. Trying to get my whole self into one little box in hopes others like the part that I shared is making me feel claustrophobic, creating this self-imposed creative block that I’m finding difficult to understand. There’s this feeling that being an individual penalizes you on every platform. Don’t worry, I’m not about to give another treatise about the niche…well, not today at least. I guess what I’m trying to say is that there’s this bridge off in the distance, which will eventually need to be crossed, that has some really good stuff on the other side.

Now here’s the fun part…I’m going to take all y’all with me. There will be more stories about how the painting impacted my family, tales of growth, and lots of rambles.

While I would love to write more, the weather today is beyond amazing…and I think my camera would like to cross the threshold from my home to the forest.

Much love,
~ KEU

If you find value in my work, please consider dropping a few coins in my ko-fi cup. Thank you!

Currently listening to: The Tales of KE Upton (Spotify – you can click the link to see the songs, but are not required to listen)
Currently reading: Be Here Now by Ram Dass

fly me high through the starry skies

First of all, I’m a delight. Second, “I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.” ― Lewis Carroll

scene from the game Animal Crossing New Horizons of a character in front of their home.

In the wonderful words of Monty Python…now for something completely different.

Oh, and just say no to the niche…you are a beautiful buffet of brilliance. Don’t let Al Gorithms and the Bots get ya down. Be notorious!

Have you heard the story of the blindfolded men who each touched a different part of an elephant and then declared that what they were experiencing was the real truth? If not, take a moment to search for the parable of the blind men and the elephant. It gives some perspective on how humans seem to be navigating the world right now.

This story can be applied to every aspect of life, as well as with our own growth/healing/etc. Just because something is good and right for you, that doesn’t mean it is good and right for everyone else. I invite you to keep that in mind with today’s post.

As the meme says: “Yup, that’s me. I bet you’re wondering how I got myself into that situation…” Well, for quite some time, way back when, I did this professionally for large groups and organizations. Not so much now, but it’s always fun to take a walk down memory lane each time you take a step forward on a new path.

You see I find that spirituality and science are part of the same Universe that we inhabit. How is it that we have no issue with the prescience of Nature, but not within ourselves? And honestly, who benefits from telling us that we can’t possibly have intuition? Just think about that for a moment. How many times have you just had this feeling…only to see it come to pass?

Humans are wired to dance with the movements of the stars. Carl Sagan remarked that we are made of starstuff. This isn’t just spiritual influencer chatter, but hard science. When you look up in the sky to see the stars, they are looking back at you thinking, “Hey, that person looks kind of like me!”

Let’s just keep going here…

Way out past the world of dogmas, science sees the infinite – trying to understand how we fit in the bigger picture. Out past the field of dogmas, spirituality sees the infinite – trying to understand how we fit in the bigger picture. If these two superpowers could find a common ground, can you imagine what might happen? I mean, gosh y’all – it would almost be like the main theme of all the world’s faith systems, where we see that we are all connected.

While this all might be seen as rambling, or wandering into the crystal shop in the town a few miles over, I’m actually about to do a whole full circle back to the painting and creativity. Sometimes I just like to walk around with my jazz hands for a bit until I bring my point home.

No matter what you do, someone is going to make a comment about it. They will tell you how to feel and how to be more like them. If you want to work with the cycles of the Moon in your art because it nourishes your spiritual creativity, then do it, friend. If you want to have perfect alignment in your ink drawing of a skyline and need a ruler, I fully support you. And if, like me, you want to step outside of a niche, I’ll be first in line to cheer you on.

Thing is, the best stories are the ones that step outside all our preconceived notions, inviting us to see the world from someone else’s eyes. We become a note in the cosmic chorus of the Universe, which then sings that song back to us. If we are made in the image of a Creator, that would mean we are built to be creative. Doesn’t matter if it was the Big Bang, or some deity, we are the embodiment of science and spirituality coming together to experience itself.

Now that I’ve made it past the first goal of 21 consistent days of online creation, it’s time to work on the next one. I hope you’ll join me on this continuing adventure.

Much love,
~ KEU

cult of personality (part 3)

First of all, I am a delight. Second, “I’m every person you need to be…”

watercolor painting with hooves on a hill and part of a tree

“Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish.”
― Hermann Hesse

As you can see in the photo, there are some hooves standing on what appears to be a knoll – or a mound, if you will. The design and colors give the impression that it is covered in grass, or some type of herbaceous goodness enjoyed by ruminates. The next part/installment about this painting will show the whole piece. After a little bit of research I learned that the artist’s name is often picked up by Al’s Gorithms, which solves a few mysteries, but also makes it difficult to share too much info with y’all if I plan to keep my content up and running.

Part 2 stopped with my dear husband mentioning how the artist has a connection to certain historical events in the United States (1960s). For many the answers provided didn’t match up, so groups were formed to study all the particulars. As I’ve mentioned previously, my words are very vague due to past experiences with sharing this story. While no one in my family is particularly dedicated to spending our life going down rabbit holes, talking about them can be tricky these days.

Him: “If you start seeing things in your feed about (the event), you will know why.”
Me: “Okay, but how weird can it get from just a simple painting?”

Here’s your answer – it got kinda weird…but in a good way. I’ll get to all those parts in future writings, but for now let’s travel back in time to the last century – in particular 1996.

Before moving to the area where I met my husband, my life was a little bit eclectic. On the door of my apartment was a sign that said: “If you are not all the way there, then you are halfway here.” Haunting coffee shops, learning from the elders at health food stores, and skulking around used book/music stores was the marrow of my life. At the same time I was trying out a new degree program (English Literature/Secondary Education) – maybe the 3rd or 4th one at this point, while tiptoeing into comparative religions/religious studies.

However, what’s important to know, is that I was enjoying the fruits of learning how to be a Wiccan Shaman Druid (hyperlinked for your enjoyment) with a group of folks who were doing the same. We would read Edgar Cayce like Shakespeare and talk about soul families. Nothing like being in your 20s, ‘eh? My closet had a mix of items similar to Daria and Stevie Nicks, with a jarring lack of color. My shelves were full of tomes on metaphysics, dreams, quantum physics, and grand writers of old. Pretty much I just shined my weird light for other weird people to find. And by “weird,” it was more like wyrd – but also cool, maybe?

Here’s something you should also know…I was also enamored with unicorns.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the painting on his wall the first time visiting his apartment. Like a magical beacon, a most signier sign, was a beautiful unicorn standing on a grassy knoll with a blood red Sun in the sky. It was kismet…and we were married just 3 months later.

Him: “You really need to look up this artist, and give me your feeling on everything.”
Me: “I mean, if it’s going to help sell it, then I’ll dig in. Lemme get some photos of it and see if anything comes back.”

Narrator voice: “In fact, something did come back.”

The internet is a great place to search for things you don’t want to know. AI was just starting to get interesting, so I uploaded the photo with this question: “Could you take a deep look into the symbolism knowing about (artist’s) highly contested connection with (historical figure)?”

My hopes were not very high for a decent reply, but you know…sometimes the Universe conspires to shower you with blessings. Along with that I knew the high error rates of AI at the time, so my expectations were pretty low.

This was one of the replies given:
“The Unattainable Truth and a Quest: The pursuit of the unicorn in traditional folklore often signifies a quest for something rare, elusive, or highly valuable. This resonates with (artist’s name) ongoing efforts to uncover what (this person) believes is the complete truth about the (historical event) and to achieve justice for (person of note), a truth that (this person) perceives as deliberately hidden and suppressed. The unicorn could symbolize this elusive truth, the ultimate prize in (their) lifelong quest.”

Uh….

That just fired my brain up in ways that are hard to explain without doing an interpretive dance, using lots of charts, or both. In a very weird coincidence, I was facing a similar, although far less conspiratorial, quest of my own. While my life was vastly different than the one this artist has, in my heart that desire to find answers was just as strong. And – which is a very big and – this artist faced their fears to share their story. If they could do it, then so could I…

But isn’t that what art does? It’s a testament to the creator’s personal journey, a way to express something that had a profound impact in their life. The symbolism – rising from fear, finding a voice, searching for an unattainable thing – is not just about this artist; it’s a reflection of the human struggle.

Using visual storytelling to find meaning and connection, the painting takes on something bigger than any of us can understand. It’s no longer about the name of the artist, the price tag, or the controversies, but how creativity moves us. It creates a reflection of our own lives, a knowing that we are not alone in world. Sort of like, “Oh, hey, that person understands,” giving you a feeling of being truly seen…validating that your presence here has meaning.

It also shows me that in the age of digital publishing we have an impact even if only a few read what we write, view what we create, or listen to our stories. While we dream of going viral, or getting rich from our work, I think what we truly desire is to be exactly who we are — and to have that inspire others to do the same.

Much love,
~ KEU

This post was written with the help of friendly cats and typo fairies. Please excuse all grammar errors as flights of fancy. If you would like to help appease my editors, you can drop a few coins into my coffee jar. As previously mentioned, quite often, I’m coming back to this creative life after a long period away. If you’ve read this far, know that your time is greatly appreciated.

Currently listening to: The Tales of KE Upton (Spotify playlist)
Currently reading: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

more about the painting (part 2)

First of all, I’m a delight. Second: “…I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.” – JFK, November 29, 1962

photo of a partial painting with a unicorn horn

In October of last year (2024), upon the return from a small trip away, my husband asked me to come talk to him outside our house–and to leave my phone inside. Jokingly I said, “What, you afraid that Two Guys From Quantico Pizza will show up?” He just gave me this look and asked me to walk outside again.

These are not our exact words, but as close as I can remember them – as that day kinda lives rent free in my brain.

Him: “So you know that painting hanging on the wall of our living room.”
Me: “Yep, I know that one.”
Him: “Well, I was thinking how we need some resources to do repairs on our house, so I looked up the artist who painted it.”
Me: “Awesome! Is it worth something?”
Him: “Well, I’m not sure you are ready to hear this, but this is what I learned…”

He bought the painting at a store called Randalls in the early 1980s. At the time he was doing construction work in the Houston area, and he would see it every time he purchased groceries. “It was captivating, and somehow I knew it would be important in the future. I saved my money, then walked in one day and purchased it,” he said tentatively.

At this point my heart was racing a little bit. Was the artist someone super famous that I didn’t know about? I mean the provenance was already captivating, so I asked if he still had the receipt. He didn’t, but still…the story was pretty interesting so far, and I was anxious to hear more.

Him: “So I looked up the artist, and they are still living. After a bit of sleuthing I found their email and wrote to them.” (keeping things gender neutral because past experiences have shown me that the internet has eyes)
Me: “Oh yeah, and what did they say?”
Him: “That it’s their work, and they can verify that they put their fingerprint on the paper for verification.”
Me: “Okay, this is all really, really good, and will help us when contacting appraisers and such.”
Him: “Yeah, but maybe we should just get rid of it at a donation store or something.”
Me: “Why? It’s just a painting of an animal on a knoll.”
Him: “Yeah, well, I think there might be more to it than just a nice painting of a mythical animal…let me tell you about the artist and their tie to an event in Dallas, Texas in the 60s…”

Not to sound all conspiratorial, and also this is not a “hook” to get all y’all to keep reading/viewing my work. When we, as a family, decided to tell the story of how this painting was a touchstone for our lives together, my content was taken down from TikTok, Bluesky, the Metaverse, and was throttled on the place formerly known as Twitter. This was shocking to me due to the amount of deep dives into obscure things that were literally the bread and butter of those sites. I mean there were viral videos in the same vein as the artist of the painting. Also, nothing shared was in violation of anyone’s terms. In fact I lead with the story of how this painting felt like a “sign” when my husband and I began dating. (more on that at a later time)

It was just history, a bit of, “well isn’t this a coincidence,” and a lot of, “Hey, we are trying to help the family have some more resources, so we are thinking of selling this painting by [artist’s name], and would love if you could share our story.”

We have a ballpark figure for what this painting might be worth, and have reached out to a few art professionals on how to put it up for sale. It’s just, when we share its provenance (which is very important, btw), things get a little bit wonky.

Another thing for y’all to know is that I didn’t come back to my creative life just to push this story for likes/shares. In the long ago days I was a professional photographer (award winning), and a published poet (also award winning). Alongside that I was a professional “weird lady down the street,” working in the field of health, spirituality, and advocacy (think science based holistic work that was an anathema to gimmicky MLM “wellness” influencers). Toss in the fact that I’ve been “online” since my teens, watching it go from anything goes chat rooms to ID verification. Know that even with VPNs, routing around the world, hiring the world’s greatest hackers, and placing magical talismans around your server — all your work are belong to “us,” with all the digital information camping out in the wires.

What I’m trying to say here is this – it would be helpful for my family if we can sell this painting. Trying to do so made my work get throttled by the all seeing eye of whoever is in charge. Can I use this painting to help promote my stuff? Of course. At the same time it would be nice to just have my work do well on its own. Does it feel like I’m between the devil and the deep blue sea with all of it?

Yes.

Could my family and I see all this as more than what it really is?

Also yes.

It’s just that here in 2025, life seems a little more urgent…and I’m worn out with trying to sit nicely in the corner when there are stories to be told. Rumi suggested that we “be notorious,” so that’s my goal. I contain multitudes, have no idea what I’m doing half the time, and have been so very safe for far too long.

Hopefully this has been as vague as the bots like, but my guess is that it’s going to be throttled yet again. The more this happens the less my content will show up in your feed. Guess that’s just the breaks these days, ‘eh?

Thanks for reading – part 3 will come out tomorrow (hopefully).

Much love,
~ KEU

Currently listening to: Life in a Northern Town by Dream Academy
Currently Reading: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle