About the Cover & Artist
“ How strange it is to be anything at all .” ~ Neutral Milk Hotel
Welcome to Diamond Mountains
This Month ’ s Cover Art
I hope you feel their power . I hope you get lost in them . I hope they ignite you and make you want to keep climbing higher . I hope they demand that you stop and stand witness to the epic journey you are on — because you are on one .
It ’ s true ; life is epic . How totally extraordinary that we get to exist at all and here on earth , benefitting from the bounties of nature .
Observing nature sends me into a rumination of life . How seashells form perfect spirals that mirror the shapes of galaxies ; how the sun makes music from its complex vibration of sound waves ; how the moon pushes and pulls water around our earth ; how some deep-sea creatures have evolved to self-illuminate in the great dark depths of the ocean ; how relative to weight , the strength of a spiderweb rivals steel ; how the magical cannabis plant elevates us and cures our ailments , but also has the ability to produce “ diamonds ” — * mind blown *!
When I set out to design the cover art for this January issue , I knew I wanted to capture the essence of winter and the magic of the natural world by highlighting the incredible beauty of THCa diamonds — one of the most potent forms of concentrates you can consume .
Truthfully , the art designed itself . These small diamond morsels are monumental offerings as mighty as mountains . When I photographed them and observed the way in which they sparkled and shimmered , it was nothing short of witnessing alchemy .
We are all miraculous beings . Our lives are made up of one profound moment after another . Let ’ s stay in a constant state of wonder and whimsy .
After all , no matter what you are doing or wherever you are , you are floating throughout the vastness of the universe “ on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam .”
Shine on , you crazy diamonds ~ Karla Deel
Karla Deel lives and works as a writer , photographer , poet , and designer in Kansas City , MO . Her first book , Storied & Scandalous Kansas City , a History of Corruption , Mischief , and a Whole Lot of Booze ( Globe Pequot Press , 2019 ), continues to bring disparate groups of people together in celebration of a shared history . She is a self-proclaimed maximalist , a lover of rural and urban exploration , global travel , people , world music , being barefoot , and surrounding herself with all things turquoise and gold .
46 January 2024