Hello, Reader and hello Spring!

What a winter, am I right? Between the long, cold, dark nights and my biggest deadline to date, 2026 has had me shut in and working away. Now that the sunshine is starting to stay longer and I submitted final art for my debut picture book, I feel like I'm ready to till new seeds and start blooming afresh. Gosh, I've missed you and I'm so happy to be back at my newsletter sharing my work, play, and wonder with you again!
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Something I've thought a lot about over the past 3 months is how to show up to creative work when the creative energy is just not there. Deadlines are a major part of being a professional illustrator and moods + big feelings are a major part of being me, so how do I work when the deadlines and the feelings just don't match? Maybe you know what I''m talking about, Reader, and it's tough. Whether it's a professional deadline for a client or a personal goal to show up to your practice so you can get better, the bottom line is that sometimes you just have to show up even when you don't feel like it. Here are some of the most impactful nuggets of advice I've gotten recently/recalled from the past:

1. Trust the process: it's easy to look at a project at the start and think "I'll never finish" or "it won't turn out how I want" but as you trust yourself just to start and respond to the piece along the way, it will take you where it needs to go. Sometimes where it needs to go is in the trash but don't disregard the learning you do along the way there that will make the next piece work.
2. Ritualize your practice: implement things into your creative work that can help your brain shift into work-mode. One of the things that helps me is turning on Downton Abbey to play in the background and making some herbal tea. When I turn the kettle on, hit play, and spread my rag over my lap, I know it's painting time and it helps me change gears. While I love the emotional aspect of art-making, I'm realizing more and more how important the logistical side of it is too.
3. Sketches + color studies are your friend: they may feel unnecessary or like a waste of time, but preliminary studies save a lot of time and heartache in the long run. They allow you to explore options and ensure confidence in your decisions as you move into final work. This is especially helpful when you need to crank out a lot of work but don't have the creative energy to be a genius about it. If you've already made the big decisions about composition and colors, it's easier to lay the paint down no matter your mood.

Studio Tidings WORK I am elated to share that one of my favorite projects to date is finally launching: a Cowgirl Collection for Gibbs Smith will be available to purchase on 6/23! ​ "From bold bookmarks and collectible buttons to playful stickers, totes, and giftable keepsakes, our Cowgirl Collection is filled with Western charm, adventurous spirit, and heartfelt style. Designed for readers, dreamers, and modern-day cowgirls, each piece brings a little wild heart energy to everyday life." Kicking my boots and tossing my hat as I share this fun collection🤠 Peruse it here! And don't forget to ask your favorite local gift stores to stock it so you can peruse in person✨ ​ PLAY In my grad program (how was that already 5 years ago??!), we were taught to explore illustration as a practice not just a career. A big part of that involved diving into a multitude of mediums and methods and it got me fascinated by wood working + illustration in 3 (or 4?) dimensions. Four years ago, just after I graduated, I drew this pug and sent out my design to be woodcut so I could paint it and turn it into a clock. It has been sitting, stopped in time, for years because I couldn't get the clock part to work but I *finally* dug into it recently and am loving working to the tick-tock of my pug clock🐶 LATELY May was a wild month and I have oodles of news. Here are some highlights in a nutshell: I've been accepted to the Milkwood Residency for Writers and Illustrators and I'll be spending the first half of this month in New York researching, painting, writing, and making picture books. Can't wait to share all my treasures from it all next month!👏 (Photo above is courtesy of Milkwood Farm) New book announcement!! Scroll this email for more details😜 I finished my first cable-knit sweater (vest) and I think anyone who has spent hours knitting knows that's big news🙃

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