Short colored pencils next to a colorful mandala. Let’s pick up like old friends… I’m not sure these days how many people read blogs, so I’ll write for myself and let you read. ? My art and materials have changed since we last spoke. I’ve shifted to coloring my own drawings, and messy collage work in my art journals. The imagery and details have deeper meaning — I referenced one in my last therapy appointment to the delight of my therapist. When I started creating art, it was a struggle to translate my emotions from words — which was my primary way of expressing myself — to images. When you p ..read more

If I can’t come and post about issues I’m dealing with about journal sizes here, where can I go? I’ve been working in an A5 sized book since December, the blue one up there with the whale on the cover — a cute and good purchase from Notebook Therapy. But when I found out I could get a B4 sized one from Archer & Olive, I was ecstatic. I’ve always loved working in composition book sized journals, and make most of mine to be that size when creating handmade journals. So I ordered one — I’m about 15 pages from the end of my current book, but figured I could still add to it while working in th ..read more

The most 2021 art journal page ever. (there are some journal pages as a bonus at the end of this post!) As Arizona opened up vaccines for everyone, I signed up for an appointment and went for my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The whole thing was like a go-kart track met a drive through; we wound through the serpentine path, the truck in front of me having to go slow and almost back up around each curve. (My car has an amazing turning radius, thus, my fun was ruined by the giant truck going slow in front of me.) Each stop on the trip was full of more questions. Do you have allergies that ca ..read more

We were in the middle of taping when the door behind us beeped open and a security guard crossed the lobby and headed to the bathroom. The three of us looked at each other, then back towards where the man disappeared. I’d stopped in the middle of a sentence, and after a brief period of wondering how long the man would be in there, we started again. But I’d lost my place. I’d been in the zone, successfully putting together answers from the years and years of thoughts and experiences as a spoonie, but the break in action had me floundering. A few times, I couldn’t think of a word, and had to st ..read more

There are art supplies all around my recliner, like a Michael’s blew up and everything burst from the packaging, allowing random markers and stamps and papers to mix together.  Except I didn’t have regular paintbrushes. Just my water brushes. And I didn’t want to get them messy with black in, so up I got, again, pulling out more…and then added them to the storm of supplies.  I’d sat down to work in my Book, as well as my watercolor sketchbook. I didn’t really have any idea of what I was going to do, just that I had that need, that deep urge that an ..read more

I uploaded this yesterday, but didn’t post about it — and some of you found it already! Here’s what I have on my table at all times, and I carry it with me if I want to make art elsewhere in my house. Because I don’t have a lot of extra energy (spoons!), I don’t want to have to pull out a lot of supplies or make a mess I’ll have to clean up at the end because I’m usually dead tired at that point (most art making happens before bed). So I decided to really look at what supplies I was reaching for the most, put together a little kit, and that’s what I use! No big bin of supplies pulled out. No m ..read more

When they finally found the way out of Hell. I thought it fitting. From Dante’s Inferno. I want to say it’s hard to believe I haven’t blogged in over a year, but considering the year we’ve all had, well, I was a bit distracted, to say the least. March, I got COVID. Worst flu-like thing I’ve ever had. I remember thinking, “I’ve never been this sick before!” It took a few months before I realized that’s what it was. My lungs are still a bit angry with me, but I got an inhaler to assist. COVID crashed my system. There are articles coming out, now, about the post-COVID malaise, the long-term effe ..read more

Here it is! The how to video everyone’s been asking for! I hope to film every weekend now that I have a dedicated space. Let me know what you think ..read more

A few weeks ago, as I was ruminating on all things art, I had an inspired idea: What if I got one of those Happy Planner punches and made my own little books? You see, I have a friend who is obsessed with those books. Rather, she’s a planner addict, and I’ve sat many a day doing art while she’s worked on layouts and such. I don’t get it myself, and yes, I’ve tried a few times to get into the planner spirit, but 1. I don’t have that much going on past work, physical therapy, and a few social engagements, and 2. I don’t want to spend time making my layouts look pretty if I’m just scribbling thi ..read more