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 wearing gold underwear before the clock strikes 12 every December 31 for good luck in the new year.

I’ve started my own this year. One day a week I spend the day only doing family activities or things that nurture their health and happiness. As this month’s comic illustrates, I arranged for a bilingual story time at the local library. This got me thinking about other ways to nurture our traditions and our nest. What kind of impact does this kind of day have on creativity?

Here are some of my findings and why I think blocking out a day to nurture my nest boosts creativity.

It gives my brain a break from overanalyzing a project to death. I do this all the time! The only way to stop this is to pause and do something completely unrelated. Usually when I come back I'm full of ideas and energized to try something new with the work.

When a project, piece, or expectation doesn't go as planned it can be heartbreaking. Having a solid day away from it all reminds me of the wonderful moments and people in my present life. This keeps me from putting all of myself into an outcome - something that is forever beyond my control. With that pressure lifted I tend to be more open to experimentation and actually having FUN.

This probably sounds counterintuitive. I used to work round the clock. My thought at the time was, the faster I work and get this done the faster I'll see results. The problem with that as one of my lovely aunts pointed out to me one day was, "do you have time to live...to enjoy your life?" That hit home.

Studio Happenings:

Much to my surprise I ended up finishing a new illustration titled, A Day with Abuela.

View

Since the scanner I currently have only fits 8.5" x 11" paper I always have to scan larger pieces...well...in pieces. Then I put them back together in Photoshop. It's not the most ideal work around but I'm making sweet lemonade wherever I can. This cumbersome decade-long process has inevitably boosted my photo editing skills. There's always a silver-lining if you look really hard.

My Cartoonist-ness?

As you have probably noticed I work in different media.

I've been inching towards completing a short 10-12 page comic Zine for the Kindle platform. The planning is always the longest part of my process. Figuring out "how" I'm going to do something.

After a round of critiques from my writing group I've gone back and revised some of the dialogue and added a few panels. I tend to think faster when I work in tactile methods like paper and pen.

I feel like a real cartoonist now using Scotch tape and paper scraps. My painted work and my comics are two different parts of me as an artist. I fell in love with the comics format because it combines art, writing, and graphic design. I feel less inhibited when I'm writing a comic. It's a place where my work doesn't have to be polished and anything goes. If I can make someone smile or better yet snort I've achieved something priceless.

Sweet News

Issue 56 of UPPERCASE Magazine is available and you can find some of my work in there! What? Yes! I'm pretty stocked to be sharing the pages with so many amazing creators. The stock is currently unavailable but you can sign up to the UPPERCASE Newsletter to be notified when everything is available again. I highly recommend it it's always a joy to read each one.