It’s strange how quickly certain aspects of life fall into place once you make up your mind and state your intention. Here I am just about a week-and-a-half after deciding to publish another book and I’m pulling together stories, editing, the book designer is secured, and we’re doing preliminary work on the cover design.

I do believe the picture below is very close to the final version of the cover spread. It just feels right to me.

I’ve mentioned before that when I’m really in the writing-zone it feels almost as though the words are being channeled from somewhere else. For this book’s cover I wanted a visual representation of what working on these stories or Walking with the Muse feels like to me. When I’m really connected to that creative energy it feels exactly like walking into a warm, welcoming, and all-knowing light.

I also wanted the overall design to have an Art Deco vibe because, to me, this encompasses optimism, refinement, and minimalism. It's going to be a busy summer for me.

An artist friend of mine gave me this feedback...

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Your cover immediately reminded me of the painter Caspar Friedrich’s painting Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog.

Although your imagery is contemporary and cosmic rather than mountainous, for me it evokes the same emotional and symbolic qualities. In both images, an unknown solitary figure is seen from behind. Because I cannot identify the person, it becomes an “every person” (inviting me to step into the image and experience the journey personally). Rather than observing a character, I can imagine my self walking the path. Instead of mist, you’ve used a luminous path stretching into a cosmic expanse, suggesting inspiration, transcendence, and the unknown. The title, Walking with the Muse, reinforces that sense of an inward creative pilgrimage.

Your design achieves a similar romantic feeling of beauty, awe, mystery and sublime through infinite space, radiant light, and celestial imagery. Both the painting and your book cover ask the viewer to contemplate what lies beyond the visible.

Your cover doesn’t simply illustrate a person walking; it suggests an inner journey toward creativity, intuition, or spiritual insight.

I believe that imagination is often more deeply engaged by what remains partially hidden than by what is fully disclosed. In your cover, that sense of mystery isn’t created through fog, but through light and the endless cosmic distance. The destination remains unknown, inviting curiosity rather than providing answers.

As someone who studied art history, my first association wasn’t with fantasy or science fiction—it was with Romanticism. The cover feels less like an illustration of a story and more like a visual metaphor for the creative journey. To me, that’s one of its greatest strengths.

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What do you think?

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Staying In

When I saw this meme pop up in my feed last week I was struck by precisely how true it was. The stock market is cranking, that's undeniable. However, prices for nearly everything—especially things we can't live without—are absolutely exploding.

I don't know where it will all end.

One week of groceries here in the Twin Cities for our household of three are now approaching $300. I seriously don't understand how young families with children are staying afloat. It's a good thing I'm working on this book because it gives me a reason for me to stay inside, mind my own business, and save $175.

Is the Bottom In?

If not, it does feel like we're close. I think those who've been dollar cost averaging into Bitcoin this year should be handsomely rewarded in the coming months.

Also, Tesla is set to make some kind of major announcement on July 7th. People are guessing it will have something to do with the CyberCab rollout or regulatory framework for autonomous driving here in the U.S. It could also have something to do with the release date of Optimus or details of the proposed Tesla/SpaceX merger. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Historically, Tesla stock dumps on any hint of good news so if the news is positive expect a dip. I hope Jim Cramer doesn't say anything positive about the stock or we're really screwed. The inverse Cramer is one of life's absolutes.

It does seem like the stock market is in for a correction though, we'll have to see if BTC decouples from the NYSE for a while and starts to rip.

All for now! Enjoy the rest of your weekends.

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www.ericvancewalton.net