Making Art a Habit + Studio Updates

More and more, I've been struck by how fast time has flown by. I'm sure as a child, I rolled my eyes as my parents lamented how quickly time was passing -- but now I'm the one talking about how quickly time passes us by!

I know I'm not alone in saying that this past year or so has really impacted the way I view the value of time and energy, but it's also shaped how I've wanted to build this little business of mine.

(Speaking of time & energy, if you've been around here for a little while, you know that camping & getting outside is a major way I recharge and get inspired. Here are a few spots I've been lately...)

There's been plenty of time to grow and reflect on what kind of life I want to live, and how I want to interact with the world around me. I'm not sure I have all of the words to articulate it quite yet, but the tangible outcome right now for my business is that I'm slowly pivoting my business to focus more on my own art. 

Well, desiring to make more of my own art is all well and good, but I had to face up to the fact that I'm out of practice! So, in these last months I've had to buck up and build up my habit of art-making from scratch. I realized that's the only way to make these dreams come true - starting from the daily habits I have in place to prioritize art and creativity, instead of relying on sporadic bouts of inspiration that I can't predict.

I'm a big planner, and the idea of sitting down to draw without an idea of what I want to draw still makes me a bit anxious. 

But for now, I'm focusing on art-making as a habit -- it's ok if I make "bad" or imperfect art, I just need to get myself in the habit of making it! Can you relate to this? 

Yesterday I got brave and shared a doodle of mine on Instagram. There are many things I like about the doodle, but there are also things that aren't quite "there" yet and that I want to tweak.

But -- I'm reminding myself that my focus for now is building the habit, not striving for perfection. So, I shared it with you on Instagram and I was honestly so struck by how graciously you all responded. Instagram and social media can be a fickle beast, and I was reminded about how lovely my little community is, and I felt so uplifted by your encouragement there. So, thank you!

If you're new here, you can find my first collection featuring my own artwork here.

Otherwise, I've been a bit quiet here on my website and on social media -- instead I've been setting up at the Albuquerque Downtown Growers' Market many weekends! It's been really fun to see many of you there. I'm not there every week, so if you hope to catch me, send me a message on Instagram or email me to make sure I'll be there.

Next up in the studio: I'm scheming some brand new zipper pouch styles and screen printed totes for you that I think you'll love!! I can't wait to share about this more next month.

In the meantime, I drew a collection of wildflowers that I just sent off to get printed into greeting cards and art prints. Here's a sneak peek... I hope to launch these next week!