Things I’m Currently Obsessed With

Drica Lobo
27 minutes ago
4 min read

Hey, hello there, friend!

Lately I’ve noticed my life orbiting around a few small obsessions. Some are practical, some creative, some are philosophical, and one of them… is dried cranberries ;)

When I step back and look at them all together, I realize they’re not random at all. They’re shaping how I think, how I work, and honestly even how my art is evolving right now. So I thought it would be fun to share a few of them with you.

Cranberries (I cannot be trusted around them)

Let’s start with the most important one: dried cranberries. All of them. I recently discovered that I have absolutely no maturity whatsoever when it comes to keeping dried cranberries in the house. They are supposedly meant for salads, healthy snacks, or a polite little sprinkle on something nutritious.

But that’s not what happens.

What actually happens is that I open the bag thinking I’ll grab “just a handful”… and the next thing I know I’m standing in the kitchen eating them like popcorn.

The bag disappears very quickly. So yes. Current obsession. If you ever visit my studio and see cranberries nearby, now you know the situation.

The tiniest Italian espresso

Another little ritual that has been making my studio days extra enjoyable is a tiny Italian espresso.

The shortest shot of coffee imaginable.

Sometimes that little pick-me-up before diving back into painting or writing is exactly what I need. If it’s before 4pm, espresso it is. If the day is getting later, I switch to hibiscus tea instead.

It’s funny how something so small can shift your energy. Just a tiny pause… and suddenly you’re ready to go again.

The gym (and discovering discipline)

I’ve also been training a lot lately. Five days a week. Sometimes six. Occasionally seven.

I’ve been serious about going to the gym for quite some time now, but recently it gained new momentum after I started working with a personal trainer in Brazil. The workouts are already planned, which makes everything easier to follow — but also harder to train. No shortcuts. I just show up and do the work.

Lifting weights has become something I genuinely love. I’ve realized it’s just as important to my creative life as painting.

Not only because it keeps me strong and healthy, but because it gives me incredible mental clarity. There’s something about moving the body, pushing a little harder, showing up consistently, that clears the mind in a way nothing else does.

And it revealed something interesting about discipline. Once I became consistent with my workouts, everything else started aligning too. It’s like one good habit invites another one to join the party.

I work out for mental clarity and health, but the results compound in ways I didn’t expect, more energy, more creativity, and honestly more life force.

That said… I still enjoy a little red wine here and there, too ;)

Painting every day

My 100 Days of Art Practice has been another huge source of inspiration lately (I'm half way through it).

What I’m really loving right now are the textures and bold strokes that have been showing up naturally in the paintings. There’s a sense of freedom in them that I didn’t expect. And interestingly, I keep noticing a theme that has followed me through many of my projects: duality.

Soft blends and bold gestures.Control and play. Structure and spontaneity.

It reminds me of ideas I explored in my solo show Parallel Realities, and it’s fascinating to see them reappear through this daily practice in a completely different way.

What I’ve learned from painting every day is that when you approach your work with a spirit of play, something magical happens. Ideas just keep arriving.

Rewriting my book

Behind the scenes, I’ve also been deep inside the rewrite of Decoding the Flow. And let me tell you… this is not a small update.

Now that I’ve developed a framework for the ideas I’ve been exploring, I’m reorganizing the entire manuscript and adding a lot more depth. By the time this version is finished, it will likely be almost twice the size of the original.

So yes… be ready.

At this point it feels less like editing a book and more like writing a brand new one. But this time the ideas feel clearer. More grounded, and exciting.

Relaxing too (I promise)

With everything going on, you might think I never stop working. But I promise I still make time to relax. Lately I’ve been watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and I have to say I highly recommend it. It’s funny, smart, beautifully written, and set in the 1960s. The dialogue alone is worth it.

Something bigger forming

When I look at all these little obsessions together — painting daily, training my body, writing, experimenting, even the cranberries, I realize they’re all pointing toward something bigger I’ve been exploring lately.

A way of thinking about creativity, awareness, and how we shape our lives through the way we see and create.

I’ve been calling it Creative Consciousness. I’m still building the framework, so I’m not ready to explain it fully just yet, but is something I've been talking on my podcast, and keep exploring deeper.

But the clues are starting to appear everywhere.

And honestly… that makes this season of life feel pretty exciting.

Camera roll drop!

PS: Important question… am I the only one with zero self-control around dried cranberries, or is this a universal problem? Also... tell me one of your current obsessions. Bonus points if it involves snacks.

Color Your Life!

Drica