Compro-mouse

February 21, 2026

Compro-mouse… …is what I was going to call this little friend.

He’s painted with plants – all homemade inks, mostly made from wild local abundant and often invasive species. In this case, lots of buckthorn, a dash of sumac, a splash of wild grape…

I was going to call him the compro-mouse because I gave myself permission to use standard watercolour paints for grassy greens. In the end, I didn’t. Just because. Because once I got into it, I decided to try using the same muted palate for its grassy nook.

But the practice of compro-mouse is still so important. Giving myself that permission is what let me sit down to paint in the first place. Because however noble – and sometimes essential – fixating on perfection can so easily mean missing a path to progress. And the pressure of perfection can be as tight a vice and as great a weight as the anvil on one’s chest that comes with never getting started at all. And it is always better to get started than to stay stuck.

… or so says the noble compro-mouse.🐁 // It is my birthday this week (w00t!), so I must here inform you of my official birthday rules: I request that, as soon as possible, you do something nice for yourself. A nap, a cupcake, a fresh salad, a walk in the park, a visit to the lake. The exact activity is entirely up to you, but it is mandatory. By reading these rules, you have entered into a pact to enact an act of care for yourself, and it is binding. :) 💚 // Have a great weekend folks! 🐁