The Circles: A Quiet Start to Something Personal

In the middle of a world that feels loud, fast, and uncertain, I started working on something small.

A short animation.

Nothing flashy. Just a few drawings, some sounds, and a little story about our family and the place we live.

We call it The Circles, named after the small neighborhood in Santa Cruz where we live, tucked just a few blocks from the ocean. It’s a place where crows caw early in the morning, where neighbors’ cats dart through our yard, and where time, somehow, moves both slowly and quickly.

This little film began as a storytelling challenge. I wanted to practice using simple tools to express a feeling. But it quickly became something more: a way to document this chapter of our lives. A way to reflect on how much has changed. A way to look around and say:
Look at what we’ve built.
Look at what we’re holding.
Look at this life.

I know there’s so much happening in the world right now. I often wonder if it’s the right time to share something this gentle. But I believe we need stories like this just as much—ones that remind us to pay attention, to savor the in-between moments, to recognize the beauty in our own small worlds.

So this is the first installment of The Circles.
There may be more. Or maybe this one stands on its own.

Either way, it’s a beginning.

Thanks for watching. And thanks for being part of the world we’re in.