2003 is almost over. This year has seen a lot of change. American troops caught Saddam Hussein... but there is no view of world-wide peace on the near horizon. My mother died. My friend John Hart also died. And Cringe put on their final performance.

So there are a lot of sad things to think about.

But everything is not sad. There is the future to look forward to... When it comes to the Artistic Network, there is a lot of growth coming. New members are joining more often, and while traffic is becoming erratic -- some days impressive and others less exciting -- I expect that more members will submit more work and make the site more viable and varied.

The holiday season is not yet over, so anyone that has free time is encouraged to pick up some paper and get creative -- add some poetry or creative fiction; get creative and draw some pictures or take some photos.

I hope everyone has a warm and safe holiday season. And I look forward to everyone's participation on the site.

Take care,
Shawn