A Behind-the-Scenes Journal SUBSCRIBE SHOP SHARE JANUARY 2024 Creative Sparks! LetterRelaxing & Nourishing Creative MomentsFrom Our Studio Hi Reader The snow has melted and it has been replaced by rainy days. They were fun while they lasted. Rainy days are my favorite kind of day. What better time to sit down for a few minutes to reflect on our hopes and our dreams? Have you been listening to some rain sounds? Back in 2022, I shared how I replaced music with a variety of rain sounds...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
behind-the-scenes into nourishing creativity (Amidst the wildness of everyday life) SUBSCRIBE SHOP SHARE Dear Reader I hope you're getting settled into the new year. My wish is that it may be a year filled with moments of creativity and simplicity for you. Every new year, the norm is to push ourselves to make piles of goals that end up making us feel pressured and stressed. For the next Creative Sparks! letter, I'll share a way to make plans without all the anxiety and stress of planning. I...
over 1 year ago • 3 min read
Issue #19 PIECES OF AUGUST, 2023 Dear Reader, I'm looking out my new window and smiling at the rain cutting through the morning air. Did I take out the trash? Is the laundry dry? What's next on my agenda? Those worries melt away as I watch the gentle drizzle scatter when it hits the ground. I love the feeling of "newness." I wish I could capture it in a bottle. That first sigh of contentment, those gentle butterflies in the stomach. I want to remember those feelings years from now when...
over 1 year ago • 3 min read
DRAW GROW SMILE Issue #18 it's the little things Dear Reader, In the last couple of months, I made a big move. I happily said goodbye to the big city of Nashville and hello to the rolling hills, wild turkeys, and beavers of rural Tennessee. It may not be forever but it will be home for the next few years. I'm still buried by boxes but I wanted to say hello. Here are little things that I'm grateful for right now during this major shift: Limited optionsEverything I usually use for my artwork is...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, May was a bit soggy and cold in the mornings. I welcome the sogginess and the break from the chill as we slide into summer. Do you experience the summer sluggishness too? It feels like the summer heat slows me down. Do you have any unusual summer activities to stay cool? I could use some tips. I've been wearing many hats while my daughter is out of school and we wait for a procedure in a few months. She's doing great at home but can't attend school without being ill every day. What...
almost 2 years ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, It feels like too much time has passed since we last caught up. It's been years since I've seen you in person or heard your voice. Believe it or not, I think of you and wonder about your day when you read this. Are you feeling happy? A little sad? or maybe both? I hope that it's a good day for you. We need more of those more often. I've been away from everything I grew up with for almost four years. It's strange how time feels like it stands still and flashes past me at the same...
about 2 years ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I hope this letter finds you doing well with time to put your feet up for a well-deserved break. Right now, in the hills of Tennessee new leaves have persisted past the bitter cold. Gifting me with an early preview of spring. I’m a late bloomer, with March being the time I’ve decided on my intention for the year. My overall intention this year is to simplify. The first area where I tested this notion is laundry. Do you ever feel like it’s never ending? I could do it all day and it...
about 2 years ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I think we all grew up with traditions passed down from generation to generation. I’m discovering as a new parent I get to do this too. I have fond memories of the traditions I grew up with like lighting candles on October 31 to remember family who have passed away. Drinking a cup of coffee strong enough to burn a hole through the floor with every visitor. No matter who the visitor was they were all treated with this humble welcoming. A more uncommon one that makes me smile is...
about 2 years ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, How are you doing this week? I know rolling into a new year can bring with it a lot of pressure to do more or make massive changes. I know that feeling always creeps up in me a few days before the new year. Hopefully we can both let go of that pressure a bit and keep things simple as much as possible. I wanted to send this letter out to you in the beginning of the month but two things happened. First, I had to nurse my family back to health and then I got sick. We’re better now....
over 2 years ago • 4 min read