Happy New Year! As the celebrating draws to a close, it’s time to buckle down to plan on making 2026 the best yet. How do we do this? We begin by looking at ourselves— not in the mirror but deeper, into the essence of who we are at our cores. We can all be better human beings: kinder, more patie nt, helpful, thoughtful and just plain nice. It’s basic. But there is more. Parallel to that is learning something new. Maybe learn a new skill or rediscover an old one. Improve your health, read more, scroll less. Be mindful of what you view; it permeates your brain and affects your disposition. Find your balance between “Debbie Downer” and “Suzzie Sunshine” and embrace it. (Illustration by Mark Meszoros via Google Gemini) Doing what makes you happy carries over into the way you live and how you treat others. How you do that is up to you. Many choose to make New Year’s resolutions. But if you are making the same ones every year — and many of us do — it might be time for a new method. Here is one I have been making for several years: draw more. I sketch my clay projects, sometimes before I begin and sometimes after, just so I can record my glazing choices with an image. The sad truth is the only real time I’ve spent drawing of late has been in the waiting room at Classic Toyota in Mentor. That, my friends, is about to change. I am taking a five-week drawing class with Earl Smith at Stella’s Art Gallery in Willoughby. His work is so amazing, I am tickled to be able to join his next class. Let’s see how well I do on my next resolution: enter more art competitions. I totally failed on that one in 2025. I’ll be sure to let you know if I get accepted anywhere, even if I get rejected. I have learned not to take it personally, as all artists need to learn. Just try again. I’m tired of hearing arctic-blast warnings and doom-and-gloom snow and ice forecasts. If you are, too, you may love today’s hot news. Feral Hot Glass Just writing “Feral Hot Glass” warms me up. I met with the artist, owner, founder and floor sweeper, Mark Rubelowsky, last week for an update and tour of the facility in Geneva. And I just have to say it, I was “blown” away. They broke ground in April 2024 for Feral Hot Glass at 6183 S. River Road W. At first, Rubelowsky was going to build a pole barn. But his father, a retired lieutenant colonel from the Army, had his eye on a house. It wasn’t that he wanted to move, but it had enough property for growing grapes and building a glass-blowing facility. And so it began, father and son each making the dream a reality. “As with any large project like this, the scope of the work has evolved,” Rubelowsky said. “We’ve spent a little more than planned, but that was expected. We want to build this thing right the first time, so spending a little more up front saves more time and money in the future.” Mark Rubelowsky stands in the future Geneva home of his Feral Hot Glass. (Cathee Thomas) Fellow glass blower Rob Coby is Rubelowsky’s right-hand man. Both graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art — Rubelowsky in 2019 and Coby a few years earlier. “My dad actually introduced Rob and I when Rob used to work at (nearby) M Cellars. He said he knew another CIA glassblower that I had to meet, and it turned out I had already followed Rob on Instagram and loved his work.” Their goal is to “bring a fun, new and exciting thing that the whole family can enjoy to our beautiful Northeast Ohio wine country.” A feature will be glass birds built into the walls as part of a scavenger hunt. “I haven’t seen anything like this before,” he said. “From the architecture of the structure itself, to the location here in wine country, to the actual services we’ll be offering, be it the Airbnb rental, events, glassblowing and other creative classes/workshops. We’re creating something fun and unexpected here.” Wonder where the name Feral Hot Glass came from? “I was a die-hard dog person for most of my life until my cat, Blimp, adopted me,” Mark said. “He is fearless, protective, playful, smart and loving. I’ve personally seen him fight two raccoons at once. Our unexpected relationship mirrors what I am trying to embody here at Feral — natural, organic untamed.” At Feral, guests will be able to enjoy a glass of wine or whiskey, watch the action from the observation deck or take to the floor to make something themselves. Rubelowsky expects to be open by May. Follow the progress on Facebook and at feralhotglass.com. Willoughby Arts Collaborative The Willoughby Art Collaborative has wrapped up another very productive year and is starting 2026 with a bang. WAC will perform a dance flash mob at the city’s Chilloughby event, which is being held from 4 to 7 p.m. Jan. 10 at Wes Point Park downtown. This is a family-friendly winter festival featuring ice sculptors, music, fireworks and more. The flash mob begins at 5:15 p.m. And you are invited to join them. Fill out the form at willoughbyartscollaborative.org, and someone will contact you. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Participants are asked to learn the dance from a YouTube video with instructions and then come to at least one of the two remaining group practices at the Fine Arts Association, 38660 Mentor Ave., Willoughby — 7 p.m. on Jan. 5 or 7. WAC recently elected a new president, Michelle Fish. She was an active volunteer who joined the WAC board. Her energy, enthusiasm, and diverse skill set are expected to help move the organization forward. She welcomes ideas from the community and encourages you to reach out with ways you’d like to be involved. Stella’s Art Gallery Stella’s Art Gallery, 38033 Euclid Ave., is accepting entries in two January shows: the “Black and White Show” in the main gallery and “ROYGBIV” in the Annex Gallery. The “Black and White Show” is a juried art exhibition open to all media. Entries must be black, white or pull from the 50 shades of grey. In contrast, “ROYGBIV” — which stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet — invites artists to participate in a colorful celebration by creating three pieces of monochromatic artwork on a 12-by-12-inch square. Dropoff dates for both shows will be from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 2, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 3, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 5. The opening reception will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 9, with awards being presented at 8 p.m. Find complete entry details at stellasartgallery.com. The Secret Society Comedy is returning to Stella’s for a night of laughs at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23. Ticket availability and more info will be posted at the website as it becomes available. Call the business at 440-266-9111. ...read more read less