February News

Hi all! It’s been a good February- a little overwhelming, but very good. I haven’t posted here about what I’m working on in a loooooooong time, so I thought I’d tell ya.

Carrie and I started working on some new cards to accompany The Spacious Tarot . We are making about 20 cards that can be used with the current deck, or on their own as oracle cards. It’s a blast to create with her again, and to elaborate on the world that we created in the deck. It’s such a dreamy, vibrant world. Sometimes I sit in it, and the images will come without having to “design” anything. It’s truly a magical place to work in.

I’m also working on a new picture book with my agent, Andrea, and sharing it with some publishers. We’ve gotten great feedback, but everyone has passed. It seems that most people think the story is a little flimsy when it comes to one specific aspect, so I’m going to dig back into it and see if we can find someone to publish it soon. I really want to share the story!

And…..SOMETIMES IT’S BRIGHT is coming out April 6th! I have a couple events that I’m doing, but I’m very interested in doing more. The only thing is…. they are virtual. Honestly, I’m intimidated. I think the in person connection is something that’s so special, you can trust it. So a virtual event is automatically an “unknown” for me. There must be some major perks to doing it over Zoom, though. Some tech perks, and the fact that ANYONE can join. That’s pretty darn cool!

I have some half finished paintings in my studio, which I hope to get around to. I took an oil painting class in late 2019 and I’ve been meaning to break out the oils again now that I have my own studio space. That’ll be my goal for next week!

Beyond that, I have some great client work, and I’m also making weekly comics on my Patreon page. I love doing these so much. It’s almost like journaling, where you let something flow through you and play with an idea for a while. It’s very different from design. I don’t filter myself too much with the comics, which I hope people enjoy, but even for my own therapy and enjoyment, the filterless approach is so gooooood.

This is what my week looked like when I started drinking coffee again. More comics like these on my Patreon page!

Continuing to winter. Still not doing much social media this month which is helping me unwind. We all need time and space. Lots of space! Space to breath and let everything flow and rest. Spring is going to be busy- on top of the book, I also have my wedding in May! So I’m wintering all the way right now.

LOVE TO YOU ALL.!!

Annie

The Book Trailer is HERRRREEE!

I had so much anxiety making this little trailer, guys. I realize that anytime I am making something with a set of skills that are out of my wheelhouse, I freak out. I guess I really like doing the things I know I CAN do. Who's with me?

But I keep pushing myself to learn something new because the shaking, quaking, and josstling of my routine and habits make me feel much more capable on the other end. So is that the key? Do the things that freak you out and you'll be stronger once you move through it?

I guess so, yes. Weird!

Please enjoy the trailer, please share with everyone you know. This helps me so much to get the word out there as a debut picture book author. Let's encourage each other to try new things and do the things that light us up. Let's make that phone call and just say hi. Let's get outside for that extra walk. It's so worth it.

Love, Annie

Enjoying the Process

There's a lot I love about being a solopreneur. I actually do like the client meetings (love da peoples!), and I love scheduling and meeting deadlines, even though I can procrastinate, too. I like learning about how to reach more folks, do better work, pick more exciting color combinations, and do my taxes. Well, my taxes for now...they're getting more complicated every year!

But what I love the MOST is making art. I love how a blank page can turn into an entirely new, never been seen world. And although it can be scary, it's really fun to just dive in and see where a piece wants you to go.

I made a process video while working on a piece that had no preliminary sketch. I knew I wanted to "go for it" and let the piece organize itself. Here's what it looked like. I hope you enjoy, and let yourself "go for it" too, at least once in a while, and see where it takes you.

-Annie

Used Staedtler watercolor pencils, acrylic paint, hot press watercolor paper, and ink.

You Know What I Love- Listening

It's medicine for the soul.

Stop, close your eyes and take 30 seconds to listen. Try it :)

Relaxing, eh? Thought disrupting, yeah? I love this. I don't know about you, but my throughts are like a radio, constantly on and way louder than necessary. It's really nice to turn it down and listen to the real world once in a while.

Here's an audio clip I made several months ago, when I was on a walk in the neighborhood. You can hear windchimes, some distant cars, my footsteps, and the wind. It was a "listening walk", which I try to take as often as I can.

Now I live in a new neighborhood. My door is decorated for Fall with a wreath I made from strangely expensive Michaels craft materials. If I tried to sell this wreath based on materials cost, no one would buy it. It’s nothing special, and not worth what I paid to make it myself. But I LIKE this about the wreath. I like having to invest in an experience. Just like investing in listening means you have to stop everything else and essentially waste time.

That wasted time is like a portal to truth. I’m trying to go there more and more these days, though I recall accessing it a lot more in high school, even in college. My life jar is filled with responsibilities, worries, obligations, but also accomplishments, friends, things I care a lot about. So, I must be strategic with wasting valuable time!

Here’s my strategy:

Everyday I have an affair with wasted time. I’ll take a break from work and go for a secret listening walk, or I’ll clear off my desk and draw in my sketch book for 20 minutes. I pretend like no one needs me, and I can do anything with my wasted time. I can make love to my wasted time by drawing and singing, or I can seek refuge by listening. It’s magical. After 20 minutes, I go back to my work wife and resume tasks.

Here’s one of my recent affairs:

It’s not fancy. It’s a quick sketch. Kinda boring to look at, but accessing that portal taught me something. I drew those cards for a reason. Wasted Time showed me that I have a staircase to my creativity, and balance and discernment will give me time and space to get there. Thanks for the message, Wasted Time!

Really, WT just wants to spend more time with me.

Now, I’m not into affairs IRL. In fact, any movies that glorify them gross me out, but I will ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS cheat on my work wife. I guess I’m more of a player than I thought.

-Annie