Matthew O'Brien

Welcome to fall y’all! My absolute favorite season. The changing of the leaves, the crisp mornings and FIRE. Our family fire pit has sat patiently waiting for cooler nights here in SC, and sometimes that takes till now or even late November. I’m ready to burn stuff. Watching the flames reach up for the surrounding trees, grasping at twigs that tease them from above. I’ve always wondered if the flames could ever get high enough… I stare into the orange and reds of the fire. What do you see? Does anything ever jump out at you? A vision? A past experience? A memory! Or something darker?

New comment 7d ago

Matthew O'Brien

1 like • Nov 5

Fire is a primal force, as far as I'm concerned. Takes me back to the time of ancient ancestors who needed it for protection, food, heat, and so on. Fire's no longer high tech, but it still contains all the wonder. Backyard fires are all the thing here in OH. I can stay up well past the time when the coyotes, raccoons, and opposums creep out to start their days, wondering who these mesmerized, fire-staring interlopers are.

Matthew O'Brien

Oct 26 •

General discussion

DIY art academy?

I had a rare evening to myself last night, so naturally I spent it going down YouTube rabbit holes. I've been meaning to get back into drawing/sketching for a while, but I haven't been found a point of traction that's helped my do more than spin my wheels. I stumbled across several videos about people creating their own "DIY art academies" that rely primarily on free resources. Long story short, I fed a lot of ideas into an AI (not free, but no additional fee since I was paying for it anyway) and have drafted a v1 of an art tutor. I've got a 100-day plan that's centered on just building a daily habit first, applying ADHD-informed ideas to help reduce the risk of avoidance. Has anyone here tried anythign like this? Success stories to share? Warnings about what to avoid?

Amanda Nadarewistsch

Oct 23 •

General discussion

Wrong colors 😆

in the spirit of Halloween, I wanted to try and take one of my sketches and add color. Next time I will set up everything before I start recording cause I just grabbed what was in my little art bag next to me. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and know that mistakes can happen And it’s OK!

New comment Oct 24

Matthew O'Brien

1 like • Oct 24

Listening to the self-talk reminds me of the way I habitually speak to myself. A mentor asked me what it would be like if I let go of perfection and just enjoyed playing. That's been years and I still don't have an answer. Sharing in case you have more insight about that than I do.

Amanda Nadarewistsch

Oct 23 •

General discussion

Thoughts for Thursday!

What is something you want to work on, but can’t find the energy for it. I’ve been dying to paint on canvas just for some extra income, but find myself constantly walking past my work station with fog on the brain. I want to sit and sketch, but i feel I’m waisting time I could be doing something more productive for the house and family. I suck at this!

New comment Oct 27

Matthew O'Brien

4 likes • Oct 23

Similar. I know I *should* start exercising, but I always feel like there’s no time. I should be doing something to help others instead, to boost the household income, etc. Intellectually, I know that’s BS, and that regular exercise would actually improve my productivity, mood, etc. Yet there’s some sort of mental block. Same with sketching. I want to pull out my pencils and dust off my skills, but I “should” myself with other tasks first. Always. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Matthew O'Brien

2 likes • Oct 23

Someone else just gave it to me this way: “Make time for wellness or make time for illness.” 🫤

Amanda Nadarewistsch

Oct 17 •

General discussion

Wolf

I find a lot of ideas on Pinterest and try to duplicate.

New comment Oct 18

Matthew O'Brien

1 like • Oct 17

@Amanda Nadarewistsch "Trying to get my workstation cleaned so I can start ..." is my default state. I think that looks amazing! More than a little terrifying, and yet also fascinating. You achieved that balance between "Oh, hell no!" and "Let me get a closer look."

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Matthew O'Brien

@matthew-obrien-3530

Trauma-informed self-defense coach. Grounded psychic. I teach repeatable skills that cut through bullshit and reveal what’s hidden. Guide, not guru.

Active 7h ago

Joined Sep 6, 2025

INFJ

Columbus, OH