Thank you, the big move is mid July, hopefully a week later I'll be set up there to post a video of the new home office/art studio space (plus music instruments, family history archive, music CDs, art supplies, etc.) It's gonna be a tight space. 😬🥵 (Preview of small room from different angles) ...

I’m building a creative life after 60 by making room for art, music, writing, memory, family history, neurodivergent perception & stories still waiting to be told. That’s what my YouTube channel is about, making room for the creative life still ahead. Link is in the reply. #CreativeLifeAfter60

A small progress glimpse from my May illustration, Jonwell & the Mossy Root Door. In this short video, I’m building mossy bark & root texture with pastel pencils and PanPastels — one small section of the piece, slowly taking shape. Part 1 is now on YouTube. I’ll place the link in the first comment.

My YouTube channel is built around the creative world I’m building; illustration, storytelling, nature, memory, music, & quiet reflections on seeing the world differently. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d be grateful if you checked it out & subscribed. Link is in the first comment. 🙏

More moss, bark, shadow, and root texture today. Day 4. Slow progress on Jonwell and the Mossy Root Door. 🌿 #illustration #pastelpencil #panpastels #GentleLiving #RelaxingVideo #Massachusetts #JohnSmallArtist

Day 3 working on Jonwell and the Mossy Root Door. This is a small glimpse of the upper-left section — old bark, moss, roots, shadows, and the slow layering of pastel pencils & PanPastels on Pastelmat paper. I’m enjoying the challenge of trying to make the tree feel both real & quietly magical. 🌿

Old trees, mossy roots, hidden places… This is a small section of a new work-in-progress in pastel pencils and PanPastels on Pastelmat paper. I’m still in the early stages, but this piece is beginning to feel like a quiet return to Jonwell’s world. 🌿 #workinprogress #pastel

Just a small sampling, covering an early Beatles song. I'm hoping to do more of these.

I’m happy to share that I sold a 12.5" x 16" print of my photograph, "Lobster Pot Provincetown" to a collector in Fitchburg, MA. It always means a lot knowing something I created has found a home. Thank you for supporting my work 🙏 fineartamerica.com/saleannounce...

I’ve been writing quiet essays about slow living, memory, and place. No noise. No rush. If you’ve been craving something more reflective, you’re welcome to join me: substack.com/@johnsmallar...

This is what progress looks like right now. It isn’t one big cleanout, it’s a slow letting go. A drawer. A shelf. A corner at a time. Some things tossed. Some recycled ♻️ Some donated. Some are sold. 💰 Now, things feel lighter. Still in progress … and that’s exactly the point. #decluttering

If you’ve read one of my books, The Small Family Legacy or Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear and enjoyed it, thank you. Reviews truly help independent authors. I’d be grateful if you’d consider leaving one on Amazon. Link in comments. #author #book #capecod #northtruro #Massachusetts #GentleLiving

Beginning a quiet exploration of some early Beatles songs that shaped me — and my original songs shaped by that. One voice, one guitar (currently) - all a work in progress. #music #Beatles

When something suggests I attend church, my response ... 🤪🤣

It's cold, it's dark, it's isolating  - it's January.   Happy 2026

For some stories, time moves slowly. I’ve been quietly working on a third book, The Adventures of Thomas the Lighthouse Mouse, a gentle illustrated tale set at Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod. A story of courage, timing, noticing when something slips just out of place. Coming Spring 2026. 🐭🕰️🌊

'Peace — Snowman and the Rat' A small moment beneath a winter moon. 🌙❄️Wishing everyone a gentle holiday season, filled with peace, reflection, and simple joy. 🌙❄️

Today marks the Winter Solstice — the longest night, and the slow return of light. For me, it’s a season of quiet creation and rekindling energy for the year ahead. Stories take shape in stillness. Growth begins where we pause long enough to listen. Dec. 21, 2025

December A good month for quiet thoughts. #December #winter #GentleLiving

I have a new video, segment of a song called Out By The Sea. A glimpse into an original song I wrote in 1988. At that time, I had no idea my ancestors lived & worked at Highland Lighthouse… but somehow the sea was already in me. This piece blends music, story & memory. The link is in the comments.

Thank you to everyone who’s welcomed, Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear (and my Small family book) into your home. If you’ve enjoyed either one and have a moment to leave a short Amazon review, it helps more than you know. Grateful for every lantern you light along the way. 🌿🕯 #books #amazonbooks

What readers are saying about Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear ✨ “A quiet, nurturing refuge.” ✨ “A brilliant gift for all ages.” ✨ “A joy to read—fabulous artwork.” Thank you to everyone finding comfort & wonder in Jonwell’s moss-soft world. 🌿💛 Available on Amazon: search “Jonwell the Gnome-Bear.”

I found an old song I wrote and recorded in the mid-1980s when I was a teenager, just me and a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder. The audio is raw and imperfect, but full of heart and memory. I paired it with a restored photo from that era. Link in comments. 🎸🌊 #AnalogRecording #1980sMusic

I only plan a couple of bookstore signings each year, and the next is at Tidepool Bookshop, Worcester MA — Tuesday, Nov. 11. Join me for a reading, discussion, and signing of The Small Family Legacy — a 400-year voyage through family, history & light. 🌊📖

The hardcover Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear is worth the wait—premium pages, vivid art! The printing elves are running behind, so order early for Christmas delivery Search “Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear” on Amazon. #JonwellTheGnomeBear #HolidayBooks #GentleLiving #BookLovers #JohnFKSmall

Sometimes “creative order” looks like photo 2… and sometimes like photo 3. 😅 I’ve been organizing, downsizing & letting things breathe — in my workspace - and in my head. Growing my hair and beard a bit too, as if to balance the scales ⚖ Autumn always feels like the season for quiet change. 🍂

It's Halloween!!!! 🧙‍♀️ 🧹 👻 This is my last "Halloween-themed" image with my two published books, 'The Small Family Legacy' and 'Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear' (both available on Amazon). 'Tis the season ... 🎃 Amazon: John F.K. Small: books www.amazon.com/stores/John-...

Since this is Halloween week, I'll be posting a "Halloween-themed" image each day along with my two published books, 'The Small Family Legacy' and 'Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear' (both available on Amazon). 'Tis the season ... 🎃 Amazon: John F.K. Small: books www.amazon.com/stores/John-...

Since this is Halloween week, I'll be posting a "Halloween-themed" image each day along with my two published books, 'The Small Family Legacy' and 'Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear' (both available on Amazon). 'Tis the season ... 🎃 Amazon: John F.K. Small: books www.amazon.com/stores/John-...

Since this is Halloween week, I'll be posting a "Halloween-themed" image each day along with my two published books, 'The Small Family Legacy' and 'Journal of Jonwell the Gnome-Bear' (both available on Amazon). 'Tis the season ... 🎃 Amazon: John F.K. Small: books www.amazon.com/stores/John-...