Switching Gears

December 15, 2025

Switching Gears

Let’s Face It

though i sure do love
predictable routines, it’s
time to shake things up!

—dotty seiter

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*Kindergarten Dotty*
detail from a self-portrait;
2021 rendering using 1955 original as reference

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Notes about poem and art:
• “Let’s Face It” is a haiku alluding to my intention to switch gears after creating a series of 35 color-swatches painted over the past few months of 2025.
• Is Kindergarten Dotty adorable or what? As evidenced by my kindergarten report card, each student in the class had to draw a self-portrait that was then pasted to the front of their respective evaluation. I post my updated rendering of the original here as an indication that, as when I began kindergarten, new adventures are on my horizon.

artist at play

experimentation, haiku, new adventures

Posted by:

Dotty Seiter

18 responses to “Switching Gears”

Joyful Puttering

December 15, 2025 at 7:21 am

I love routines…but I also enjoy switching gears! Your swatch series was a delight…but I can’t wait to see where you go next.

That self portrait is a fantastic! Yes…kindergarten Dotty is adorable!

Here’s to new adventures!

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  December 15, 2025 at 7:32 am
  
  That swatch series is still calling to me, gotta admit, but so are countless other shiny things (you know that feeling, yes??!). Accordingly, here I go! Here’s to new adventures!
  
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carol lee

December 15, 2025 at 12:33 pm

First, you can shift gears. and still continue to do swatches. Those swatches are a great color learning tool.

Yes, kindergarten Dotty is adorable! Maybe Dotty from the kindergarten will start painting?

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  December 15, 2025 at 1:07 pm
  
  Carol, LOL that you mentioned that I can shift gears AND still continue to do swatches—I’ve had it in mind to take myself in a new direction (I actually wrote this post a few weeks ago but didn’t post until today) but I’ve been struggling with the new direction. All of which is to say I’m grateful for your giving me ‘permission’ to keep doing swatches!!! I’ve also recently come to the same conclusion!
  
  It’s fascinating to really fully pause and consider kindergarten Dotty longer than just in passing, to recollect where she lived, who her friends were, how she responded to life, what her family configuration was at the time, and so forth. And to wonder if she will start painting—when you ask that do you mean that she might paint from that level of beginner’s mind? or did you mean something else?
  
  Thank you for your comments : )
  
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  1. carol lee
    
    December 15, 2025 at 1:19 pm
    
    Meant, to paint like a child!
    
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Dotty Seiter

December 15, 2025 at 1:33 pm

I hope I will paint like a child! Thank you!

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lolajovan

December 15, 2025 at 3:05 pm

ooooooh I can hardly wait to see where the muse takes you next! Yippee!! xo

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  December 15, 2025 at 4:34 pm
  
  The muse is already riding me hard, that’s what I have to say at this point! But I got engagedly and increasingly pleasedly lost in something new this afternoon, for which I am grateful. Thanks for cheering me on. I really do wonder sometimes what I might, or might not, be doing if not for my cheerleaders—yippee for my cheerleaders!!
  
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Joany

December 15, 2025 at 10:14 pm

I love that kindergarten Dotty! I have it as my picture for you in my Contacts. I’m looking forward to seeing how you paint like a child.

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  December 16, 2025 at 5:44 am
  
  I love that kindergarten Dotty also!!! As I think you can see, she’s my profile pic here at WordPress : )
  
  As to painting like a child, remains to be seen!
  
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roseanne333

December 16, 2025 at 9:19 am

Ohhhhh…. LoveLoveLove kindergarten Dotty. ♥️

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  December 16, 2025 at 10:30 am
  
  Thanks, Roseanne! Isn’t she a sweety?! ♥️
  
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Simone

December 17, 2025 at 10:32 am

I have known this drawing already for a long time. Was it on your website?), but I never knew its history! So marvelous it survived!

>

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  December 17, 2025 at 1:36 pm
  
  Simone, this drawing was featured twice in 2015, once in a painting for my mom for her birthday when she turned 86 and once in a painting for my sister-in-law Linda when she entered hospice care. It’s also my profile image here at WordPress, and I see it each time I open a reply window here in the comments. Can you see it when you receive this comment?? It’s original history as a kindergarten report card self-portrait is definitely fun!
  
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  1. Simone
    
    December 18, 2025 at 7:11 am
    
    Yes, that’s what I know it from – I now realise: from your WordPress account! Yes, I can see it!
    
    >
    
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Sheila Marie Delgado

December 17, 2025 at 6:54 pm

Exciting!

I always look forward to seeing “little” Dotty in my inbox!

xoxo

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  December 17, 2025 at 6:58 pm
  
  Little Dotty remembers being ‘corrected’ in first grade for coloring in circles on a mimeograph sheet the ‘wrong’ way. Balderdash! She knew even then her teacher was telling her nonsense. Onward!!!
  
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  1. Sheila Marie Delgado
    
    December 18, 2025 at 11:54 pm
    
    Love that, Dotty! xoxo
    
    Little Sheila was made fun of by a substitute, for writing her name too big, and too messy. She asked my teacher, “How can you even read that?” My teacher replied, “Oh that’s easy, that’s Sheila!”
    
    I just figured, there is all that blank white space, so why not use it. LOL.
    
    Happy almost-Christmas weekend!
    
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