Slowing down....Being present is the gift.

Hey friends!

I’ll be honest, I have been feeling pretty blocked lately. So what does that mean when I get blocked? I feel disconnected from myself, my soul, my purpose and I feel like I am just going through the motions of the day to day. I’m not feeling particularly negative, but I just know I’m not feeling all there, if that makes sense.

Maybe I can describe it more as like I am dissociating a bit. I think in the past I would have fallen into a bit of a depressive episode and I have to say I am really proud of myself for sticking with my routines of self care. I start off my mornings with a 10 minute meditation, followed by stretching or yoga, then some writing. Usually by this time, I’m making coffee and try to get a walk in too. During the days I work, I make sure to get in steps during my lunch break (most of my days at work have me sitting down at a desk, doing meticulous and repetitive tasks), then when I get home, I get in a workout (I have been adding weights back into my routine a few times a week) then start to either make dinner or other tasks around the house. After dinner, when the kitchen is cleaned up, that’s when I have time to breathe and create.

While all these things (morning routine, regular walks, cooking at home, creating regularly) are usually really great and absolutely contribute to my wellbeing, I’ve sort of fallen into the trap of a strict routine, which then makes these things that I normally enjoy into a chore. I haven’t had as much flexibility in my schedule as I need in order to feel as grounded. Typing this out has made me realize, it’s soccer season for my kiddo so we’re doing practice or games 3x a week and realistically, that’s roughly 2 hours each day we have that going on so NO WONDER I have been feeling so tired! I have been trying to do too much, trying to be there for everyone else, and overthinking things.

I guess I’m just at the point in my life now where I realize I NEED much more down time than I used to and I genuinely enjoy and appreciate having slow mornings and going at my own pace. While it’s still hot as heck here in central Texas, the days are shorter. I enjoy going for walks in the morning and watching the sun rise. I enjoy laying on my trampoline in the evening and watching the sun set. I also love the parts of my life like going to support my kiddo at practice or school functions, cooking meals and cleaning up when I know my husband had a long day, keeping my home feeling comfortable and clean so we can accommodate for sleepovers for the kids. I love that I have a beautiful commute to work and I get to make a lovely product that I believe in, and I work with wonderful people. I love that when I slow down, I can really, really appreciate all the wonderful things in life.

I guess I just needed to get that off my chest and honestly I do feel better. There’s lots of things going on in the world that distract me from focusing on the good sometimes and I just want to always make sure I come back around and remember how important it is for me to be present in my body and move through the world that way….Present.

I am going to write blogs more regularly. I am going to move with the flow of things instead of overthinking. I am going to create, create, create because it is what I am here to do.

Fall in love with your sketchbook

Howdy friends! I wanted to write about sketchbooks today.

I have acquired MANY sketchbooks over the years and I have decided to make it a goal to complete (as in draw/write/ create on as many pages as possible) them within the same year. I have found through trial and error a few things help me complete my sketchbooks.

These are the sketchbooks I have. My oldest sketchbook I believe is from around 2000, one from 2008 ish, and some recent ones. I have 6 or so that are complete. These vary in size from 11 x 14 “ to 7 x 7”

SIZE matters

From the picture above, you can see I have a variety of sizes of sketchbooks that I work in. I have come to find that for me personally, I am more likely to reach for a smaller sized sketchbook. I find 10 x 10 is the perfect size for me because it’s easy to work on a small, crowded surface (which is how my desk normally is LOL) and it’s small enough that I can throw into my purse. Plus I feel WAY less pressure when I am working on a smaller page for some reason.

Easy access to Materials

I always have pens and markers out on my desk so those are the supplies I use regularly. I love playing around with lineart, and line weight, so these items work for me. Keep whatever items you like to use most close by and easy to get to to help your art process flow smoothly.

make time to create every day

I know most people who wish they could create more art think that they don’t have the time. You have to MAKE the time for the things that matter to you. Even just 5 to 10 minutes of doodling in your sketchbook right before you go to bed, you’ll see improvements in your art and mood if you can commit to creative practice. I know that when I flip through my old sketchbooks and see even the messiest little sketches, I instantly remember where I was that day and what I was feeling in that moment.

Draw things that make you happy

I believe in making the art you like to see in the world. I love Drag Queens! I love the artistry, the makeup, the expressions, the personalities! So they make fun subjects to draw IMO. You will also see lots of cats and Sailor Moon drawings in any of my sketchbooks, hehe.

Have fun

Seriously, don’t get too caught up in making the most perfect pieces in your sketchbook. This is a space for you to create and get things our of your head! I sometimes switch up my materials, because I do love playing around with mixing media. I also write a lot in my sketchbooks now. I used to try to keep a journal separate, but sometimes things will hit me that I have to write down.

Some pages I only have notes written, sometimes I will just draw around the words.

Sometimes I can turn those words into fun designs.

Try new things

I like to draw, but I also like playing with colors. I pick mixed media sketchbooks so that I can pull out some other art supplies to work with like water color and paint. Since I’ve learned to have FUN, I have no problem just throwing paint on the pages to see what happens. Watercolor is nice because I can always draw on top with pen or marker.

I doodled this to get some feelings out. I made it into a story and you can watch it on youtube.

Those are just some of my tips for falling in love with your sketchbook. You get to make it a space for you. If you want to create beautiful aesthetic spreads, go for it! If you just use your sketchbook to dump out the contents of your brain and it won’t make sense to anyone, do that! There are no rules, except that it’s yours and you create in it.

That’s all for now. Happy sketching!

Beach vacation ⛱️

Howdy friends! I spent last weekend on the Bolivar peninsula (next to Galveston) and had a blast with my boys!

This was our first overnight trip with Jake and he did so great!! He had a lot of firsts with us in this trip. He LOVED the water and I had to pull him away because he kept biting the waves! 😂

We stayed at an Airbnb that was so cute. I loved our views upstairs and downstairs had a screened in porch, which was great because the mosquitoes are us upppp!

The first night I saw something flying against the screen and I thought it was a small bird until it finally landed and I saw it was this big moth! What a beauty!

We went to dinner then to this place called”the big store” that was a grocery store, souvenir shop, and also sold hardware and appliances 😆. There were these statues at the entrance.

I wish I could have got better pictures of the birds that were out there. They would have been so fun to draw.

I just absolutely loved the views of the sunset 😻

There were some pretty plants and flowers too.

We discovered there was another room in the second day.. This shower is amazing. It reminded us of the one we had in our home in El Paso. My hubby even had some space between him and the shower head! Haha, I'm short so I don't have these kinds of problems.

I've been learning about astrology and human design type stuff the last couple months. This book isn't directly about those things but it does help me see human nature a little differently.

Haven't worn a bikini in many years and I feel good all my myself!

These people were down the beach from us and I watched them pull this huge redfish in!

We took the ferry a couple times. There were dolphins!!

I sat at this table quite a bit during this trip. I doodled, I read and wrote.

If you follow me on Instagram, I posted clips while I was there. It was such a wonderful trip. I'm so grateful. :)

Market

Howdy friends! This past weekend was the market and I’m so grateful for the experience. Another opportunity to put myself out there and get to meet new people. My favorite part was connecting with the other artists and makers in this market. I want to sign up for another one (I missed out on next month’s deadline, but hopefully I can make September!) and I am just so glad to be part of a little local event like this.

Working with what I got. I would like to invest in some shelves or something I can stack on the table to display things at different heights. :)

Okay, so I was trying to go with a red, white and blue theme. I got this dress many moons ago and don’t wear it enough. I thrifted a cropped jean jacket (cut off the sleeves) and these white sneakers. And put my hair up in little buns. :D

I don’t do my makeup as much as I used to, but I though this graphic blue liner and a red lip was cute!

My neices came to see me! They got some goodies too.

Snagged this from my mom’s fb page.

Iced coffee!!

I feel so fortunate that my husband helped me setup. My mom, little brother and neices came out from Houston to support me. I sold a few pieces of art. :) I’m grateful.

Here are some more pictures of some of the inventory I had.

Prints!

More prints! I don’t think I ever shared these digital images anywhere.

My witchy stickers featuring some crystals. Hehe.

Some of my magnets.

Okay this is just a drawing in my sketchbook but I just discover Chappell Roan and I LOVE. I love her music, her style and makeup is so freaking cool. I really want to draw a ton of fan art. hehe.

On another note, yesterday Hurricane Beryl hit Houston. My parents and quite a few of my friends are still without power at the time of me posting this. Send some good vibes their way. Summer is brutal in Texas, and it’s especially humid in Houston. But I am grateful it wasn’t worse and that everyone is fine.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. :)

Trip to Houston

Howdy friends! Hope ya’ll are staying cool now that summer is in full swing. Whew, it is HOT in Texas for sure, but I am still finding ways to have fun. :)

Last weekend I took a quick trip to visit friends and family in the Houston area. It recharged my battery and my heart feels so full!

I love being Aunty!! I got to make some art with my nieces!

Taking Gibbs for a walk. He’s a good boy.

I took a little video of this deer bone. There is a little tiny spider on it.

After staying visiting family, I made it out to see my bestie Nicole! She’s currently on crutches and healing but we are not letting that stop us from finding fun adventures!

My bestie Nicole!!

My friend Rebel just opened up a store location. Check out Rocktopus Art & Jewelry in Montgomery, Tx!

I had to get a pair of earrings from Rebel. HOW CUTE ARE THESE TAROT EARRINGS?!

Cute mural on the side of Flower Child.

Delicious lunch with my bae!

After lunch we went to Old Town Spring. The main mission was to find some new crystals to add to our collections, hehe! The first two places we found were okay, but we then saw signs for The Spirit Quest Center that was having a psychic fair that day! This place had an amazing selection of crystals.

We also both ended up also getting tarot readings from Jess, who had such amazing energy. We sat through each other’s readings and were both just in awe of how clear and accurate these readings were. It’s been 2 days and tbh I am still processing it haha.

I use the mantra “the universe has my back” ALL the time. And have I been working on my dreams so much this year.

After our readings Jess was kind enough to walk with us a bit and give up a tour of some other places close by.

We went to an Elixer bar and tried Kava for the first time. It’s an herb that grows in the Pacific Islands and is used in ceremonies in Polynesian cultures. It is very bitter, a bit spicy, and very relaxing.

I had such a good time. I am so grateful and feel SO SO blessed I had the chance to spend time with loved ones. I’m so happy that I live much closer to my friends and family now. That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

Prepping for market & Fun in the sun

Howdy friends! Summer is in full swing and I am loving the sunny days. I just feel like I have more energy. I’ve been working out really consistently and nourishing my body with good food. Right now, raw veggies and hummus are my favorite snack and protein smoothies are really hitting the spot.

I got accepted to be a vendor at this market next month and I’m making art and prepping for this event!

I’m still in the process of getting some new stickers made and I’m going to making some prints this time too.

16 x 20” Acrylic on canvas

details

sketchbook doodle

I love drawing mushrooms!

I did this sketch and thought it would make a neat print or sticker.

Inspired by Billie Eilish of course.

Going to make these into stickers and prints too!

I’m always trying to balance work with fun. :)

I stop for turtles. Helped this one cross the road safely on my way home from work one day.

We went to a watering hole!

Kinda heart shaped rock

Enjoying some sun and water!

I hope you all are enjoying your summer (if that’s the season in your part of the world) and also making sure you get some FUN in. Thanks for reading! :)

Rolling with the unexpected

Howdy friends! I had quite the week with some unexpected things popping up but sometimes that turns out to be a lot more interesting!

This is a color combination I don’t normally lean towards…But, I have to say, I actually quiet like this! Unexpected color choices made for an interesting little doodle.

An unexpected visitor in my bathroom. Don’t worry, we safely relocated this little scorpion outside.

Unexpected photo of my doggy Jake, which makes me smile. I love it, he looks so silly!

guests from out of the country

Last week my 10 y.o. stepson had a soccer camp that he was attending. The weekend before the camp started, the person in charge asked the parents if anyone would be willing to host the coaches to give them a more interesting, international experience. My husband Kevin asked if we could host since we have room, and this would give our kiddo a fun opportunity to get to know them a little more. I agreed, not knowing exactly what to expect, but being excited about a chance to meet some new people from another country. My husband and I both have both traveled to different parts of the world, so we could understand what it’s like to visit some place new and also culture shock.

Beef ribs!

Our guests were Gabby and Finley, from the UK and they were lovely! Gabby traveled around and she’s been in Texas before, and this was Finley’s first time here. Honestly it was so wholesome to see someone experience Texas things for the first time. Kevin made sure to introduce Finley to good ole’ fashioned Texas BBQ, including brisket and beef ribs (which he loved!).

We went out to shoot some pool and play darts. This was so much fun!

We had so many good conversations. It was really wonderful to connect with people who also felt similar about the state of their country (and the world) and what we do and how we live our lives. We also laughed a lot too, and learned about slang and other sayings each of us have. I know we’ve made lifelong friends with these two. :)

We liked this bar so much we came back to play darts and pool another night.

I am so grateful! Gabby and Fin brought out a lot of FUN out of us. At the house, we even busted out Just Dance, which I haven’t played in years. We ate lots of good food and had some very deep conversations.

Austin

I love how there are so many fun things to look at in parts of Austin just walking down the street. The buildings are all different, lots of murals and art and funky decor. Even looking down at the ground, you find things you woulnd’t expect!

We took a quick trip to Austin on Saturday. While the guys went to try out some BBQ, Gabby and I walked down the street to Bouldin Creek Cafe.

There was so much art to look at here! I should have taken more photos!

Art by https://www.instagram.com/ripleylarue/

Art by https://www.instagram.com/ripleylarue/

Being in this space, felt so comfortable. It was something else I didn’t expect. I’m a queer woman in a happy marriage with my husband, but also is no longer part of her own community and feel like that part of my identity misses being seen. Being in roller derby for over 10 years gave me a community full of so many amazing people from all sorts of walks of life. It allowed me to be me in a way I am not anywhere else. I don’t know if that makes sense. Ah, I have to make a blog post about this topic sometime. ANYways, back to Austin.

This picture doesn’t do this meal any justice. I had a stirfry, she got a vegan burger and we had a chipotle pecan dip that was sooooo good, and I am dying to figure out how to recreate it myself. There’s so many yummy vegan and gluten free options here. I really loved the decor and overall vibe. I'd be here ALL The time if I lived closer.

I’m not sure if this place is open but I had to snap a pic of the mural.

I couldn’t find this artist

this rad mural by Mr. Doodle that he did during SXSW this year . https://www.instagram.com/mrdoodle/

I finally got to try Voodoo Donut! I got a voodoo doll donut to-go, which did not look as cute after being wrapped in paper lol. But this place was so cute too.

I love the whole idea of Space Cowboys.

Such a beautiful mural!

Gabby sent me this on her way out of town but I wanted to include it here!

So that was a little recap of my week. Sometimes the universe throws things your way and you just go with it and things go way better than expected. I’ve written this down as more proof that the universe has my back and everything is always working out for me. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Thanks for reading!

School's out for summer! Travel, spending time with friends and family, and Art!

Howdy friends! I feel like I blinked and it was suddenly June! There’s been a lot of things we’ve been celebrating at the end of the school year for the kiddos.

Last weekend we took a trip to New Mexico because my oldest stepson graduated! 🥹🥳

Congrats M! We’re so proud of you!

On the drive there, we saw a turtle trying to cross the road so we stopped to help it across safely. :)

I was soaking up the sun in New Mexico in the back yard of the Air Bnb we stayed at. I doodled a little bit. It was nice getting to spend time with my in-laws too!

This last Friday I met up with one of my best friends from high school before he moves to Washington state. He’s one of those friends that even when we don’t see each other for YEARS, we just pick up where we left off. It really made my heart so happy to see him and spend time together.

We took this in Georgetown in front of a cute store called Cozy Cannabis.

some Art/business things!

I’ve been super fortunate to have the connections I do thanks to the ~10 years I spent in roller derby. The last two weeks I’ve been having coaching calls with Chris (click his name to check out his blog and read his story) and it’s been really great for me. I appreciate that he’s taking the time to offer these coaching. It helps keep me moving forward onto the path where I want to be, which is with a sustainable art business that will allow me to live a more meaningful life. I’ve shared with him a lot of the things I struggled with and just with these conversations, I’ve cleared up a lot of space in my brain and energy and it has allowed me to forward on things I haven’t been able to for many months.

I’ve come to the realization that I need to think bigger, in many ways, and that is including the actual size of the art that I make. So I pulled out some old pieces of art I haven’t touched in a while and decided, I gotta get the reps in somehow! I love the little magnets I’ve been working on, but they come with some limitations and I larger canvas allows for me to create differently.

I originally wanted to fix just the face on this but then decided to change it completely.

I flipped over the canvas and changed the composition a bit.

It took a couple of days but slowly she started to appear! I want to add more stars in back but I’m happy with this!

We’ve been having a lot of stormy days here in central Texas, so when the sun is out I take advantage of the light! Makes for cute pics too hehe.

Here’s another old piece I started last year of Qveen Herby (She was my top artist on Spofiy last year and will probably be this year too haha). I put down old pages from a French poetry book that was falling apart then painted on top.

This is where I stopped originally. I do like certain aspects of this but I wanted to flesh it out a bit more.

I love that you can still see the words peeking through the paint here.

I really love the texture of this piece. I think I captured her likeness a bit better in this version.

Another big thing I’m trying to work towards is my Youtube channel. I have mentioned before I am a recovering perfectionist… I actually have recorded a few times in the last two weeks but didn’t feel it was “good enough” to post. So yesterday morning, I took a little time to record and edit and POST A VIDEO!!! Check it out here!

I have some other things in the works, and I am trying my best to make it all happen! This week is going to be a bit different for me because we’re hosting some guests who are coming in from out of the country. But I am excited and it feels really good to be making the progress I have been and I am catching that wave of momentum.

Thanks for reading!

2nd launch was a success!

Howdy! Friday I did a shop update and I am so happy that I sold 5 of my magnets!

i am so grateful to have such amazing, supportive friends and family. I’ve had people who’d believed in me long before i believed in myself.

I have to say that this launch felt so different. This isn’t the first launch I’ve done, or second, or third. I made my first sale on this website in 2020 and I can definitely say I have learned so much since then, about myself, my thoughts and beliefs about money and being an artist. Because for a long time, I really felt like my art wasn’t good enough or that I wasn’t worthy of this. Even when I was making sales, I still felt like I could do more, that I could do better. I’d feel good about it all for a bit but then noticed I would feel discouraged and drained when some of the items I had wouldn’t sell. I kept chasing after “success” but I didn’t even know what that meant and I turned in all the negativity inward.

What is success anyway?

Success to me, in the context of this shop launch, means having a calm, nervous system that isn’t fried from stress and anxiety. It means being able to FEEL comfortable selling my art to people. It means feeling at ease, knowing that my art means something to someone.

I have sold my art in so many ways over the years, and I have to say this launch I felt the most confident. I look back at all the different experiences I had, and realize I was so hard on myself when really I was just learning. Each opportunity was a chance to grow and expand, but I didn’t understand that and pushed and pushed myself until I was burnt out and I didn’t want to or couldn’t make art which really hurts my soul. I would go long periods without creating it is an ache I don’t know how to properly describe. I’m not fully myself when I am not creating.

So another priority, is that I get to have fun. And I don’t have to take it all so seriously. I’m better at giving myself some space to just explore and get messy and make ugly art. This is why I love spending time in sketchbook. Some of it I don’t share, and that’s okay too. Because it allows me to bring out fun pieces like these magnets with joy!

There are a few still available!

Thanks for reading and being part of my art journey. :)

I've been painting more magnets 🧲

Hi friends! I have had a really energetically expansive weekend. I had some conversations that are taking me into a new direction that I'm really to excited because of means growth in a really, really big way.

I felt so inspired and painted a little bit this weekend.

This is a 6x6” magnet. I'm obsessed with moons! I love painting them. I got a new tube of pink and white so this was me playing with those colors.

I wanted to do a citrus slice. I used the same color palette as the moon.

These colorful landscapes always turn out so nice.

How cute is this donut?? I impressed myself with this one haha, it makes me smile everything I see it in my fridge.

Size comparison.

I'll put these to on my website this week! :)

Thank for reading.

I took an AI generated photo and made it better

I know there's a lot of thoughts about AI, especially in the art scene. My personal thoughts are that AI is just another tool that can be used to make some things easier. I didn't think it can replace real, human artists. I've seen some really awesome AI generated images and videos and to me they're neat but there's something about it that is missing. Maybe the average person wouldn't notice (honestly, I see why THIS is a big fear people have, especially with Deep Fakes and AI generated videos of celebrities) but there's something off to me. Maybe it's because I have a trained eye for spotting things because I grew up photoshopping and knew what people looked like before filters were built into photo sharing apps.

Another huge issue with AI art specifically is that it uses images made by artists who may not have consented to having their art being used in this way. There's definitely an ethical discussion that needs to be had around AI art. I could go on but Let me show you an example of a cool, AI generated image I made through Canva.

I typed in “witch in moonlight” or something and it spit out a few different images. This one was the most fully rendered images, that had the least amount of weird, AI quirks (if you've seen many AI images, you'll see multiple hands or limbs or things not placed in the right place). I actually really like this composition and colors and decided to tweak it a little.

I made some edits to the background like removing the moon on the right and changed her face and hand mostly.

Her arm position seemed a little awkward. I changed the draping of the sleeve to make it flow a little better. And of course the crystal! 🔮 My personal favorite addition.

I changed to face to fit my art style, and cleaned up details in the top. I made that amulet on her necklace a star.

So what do you think about these edits? I'm thinking about the ethical part of this again. I did make some changes to this image but can I really claim this image as my own? I feel weird about it. What an interesting time to be alive and to think of these things. :)

Thanks for reading!

Gene Keys, wildflowers, little paintings

Hi friends! Another week gone and I am looking at the calendar wondering how it is already almost May!

Ghost taking a nap on the couch.

This is what i’m learning about lately

Have ya’ll heard of The Gene Keys? You can create your profile for free. You plug in your date of birth and time, and you’ll get information based on that info, kind of like your astrological birth chart. I’m still fairly new to it, so I can’t quite explain it in depth. But I have been reading this book and it helps me see my life, my behaviors, as well as others in a different way. It’s like, I’m seeing how each person is programmed from birth with these certain gene keys and they are expressed in different ways but they’re also all connected. Like I said, I am still learning this and I don’t have a strong enough grasp on it to explain it properly yet. I’m also interested in Astrology and I can see how that ties in with Gene Keys. Anyways, that’s the rabbit hole I’ve fallen into lately haha.

This is my Gene Keys profile. Those numbers really didn’t make any sense to me until I got the book. Even with the book, there’s SO much unpack and learn. It’s really interesting to me and I want to nerd out about this with other people.

daily life

What does your day to day look like? Mine isn’t exactly the same each day, but I say most mornings I get up, meditate for 10 minutes, do some yoga (I’m a big fan of Yoga with Adrienne on youtube!) then do some chores, make coffee, walk my dog and then write. I haven’t been prioritizing the writing this week and I can feel a difference in my day. I have some projects I’m working on that are taking up a lot of brain space, so I feel the need to take certain tasks out of my day. I’m always trying to find that balance though. :)

Tofu scramble scramble with HEB Green sauce.. This was my first time making tofu like this, and it was delicious! I will be making this more often.

A church that’s close by where I work.

I saw this turtle crossing the road on my way home from work on day. I stopped, grabbed it and carried it across to the side it was already heading. There was a creek close by, so I just took it as close as I could get, and as far from the road as possible.

Maybe a river cooter? In any case, I’m just glad I was able to help get this one out of the road.

I was so surprised to see these blackberries growing in the empty lot across from my house. I mean, look at the kind of soil it’s growing out of...It’s clay and shells. Nature is so resilient. :)

There’s so many of these Firewheel flowers in bloom right now. They’re so beautiful!

It’s amazing to see all the flowers and bugs that are out and about now. Abundance!

Here are some things I made for myself this week.

Like I mentioned, I have some projects I am working on so I forget to make stuff for myself. It’s funny that when I DO make something for me, I actually have MORE energy to give. So, this is just a reminder to myself to keep making art.

I painted my light switch cover in my office. I think it’s cute and I’m enjoying adding a little bit more of “me” into this space.

I laid down a thick layer of acrylic paint then used acrylic makers on top. I don’t know how durable this is but it was fun!

I’m thinking a lot lately about how I want to grow creatively. I have this feeling in me that says I’m aiming too low and safe, because it’s comfortable (lol, reading my Gene keys is really bringing up a lot of this to the surface!). I have a lot of potential, in fact, SO MUCH that I let that overwhelm me sometimes. Rather than just doing the things, I overthink. I want to launch a Patreon or something where I’m creating to create things I enjoy (and I have a solid group of folks who have been huge supporters of my art through the years, I’m so grateful!), rather than creating on a social media platform that just wants creators to pump out new “content” in the form of short format video that will be forgotten after scrolling for 5 more videos.

So I am contemplating this a lot lately. How do I make art in a sustainable way that does not burn me or and feels truly, authentically me? There are other introverted creatives who have figured this out, which gives me hope that I can too. I have been considering creating Youtube Videos again. I have time and time again realized I DO NOT enjoy filming my creating process and want to figure out other types of creative videos. I kinda miss vlogging? I just enjoy slower and longer forms of content. I like this blog. Even if it’s just a place for me to brain dump once a week, I have been able to prove I can do that in a way that feels good.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading.

Attitude of gratitude, manifesting

Hi friends! 🤗

Last Saturday a friend from El Paso accidentally butt-dialed me while I was at my kiddo's birthday party. I reached out to her the next day and we went back and forth for a bit and she asked if I could draw something for her in memory of her dad. It's a really fun idea, here are the sketches I came up with.

During the week, I work for a small business that makes the most beautiful pens (I’ve been there ~7 months now). My boss asked me if I'd design something for a major holiday coming up later this year. Y'all, I'm thrilled for this opportunity to do such an awesome collaboration. And I feel so ready to make this happen!

These two opportunities in a week just had me feeling so incredibly grateful. I've been praying, writing, meditating and visualizing these kinds of things…and now that they've manifested, I just feel so grateful and blessed.

My mom made this candle and the crochet flower mat it’s sitting on. If you ever wondered where I get my creativity from, it's from her.

Thanks for reading. 💕

Total Solar Eclipse & Fresh Office

On Monday April 8th, 2024, there was a total solar eclipse. I happen to live and work in the path of totality, which means I got to witness this event with my own eyes! The moon completely blocked the sun for 4 minutes and 27 seconds. I tried to get some pictures but just know it was WAY better in person haha.

I took off my shoes and socks and put my feet on the grass while laying on my Sailor Moon blanket. Little kid me would be stoked to hang out with this me.

Interesting solar flare / bokeh light.

It was cloudy that day but there were moments when you could see the sun / moon through the clouds. I had those special glasses, but when the clouds were in the way, you couldn’t see anything, but I was able to get some pics on my phone.

this meme was too accurate lol

This picture is not doing it any justice compared to how amazing this sight was in person.

This was my first time seeing a total solar eclipse. I witnessed the annual solar eclipse last October (This is when the moon is farthest from the Earth, so it does not completely block out the sun) and I believe we won’t have another total solar eclipse in the United States in 20 years or something.

It was wild how dark it got. It was like 1:45 in the afternoon but looked like it was 8 pm. It just felt so otherworldly and made me think A LOT about our human perception of time.

It was really cool to see this event in person. While laying on the grass, I said some prayers and set intentions, and released beliefs that no longer served me... Since that day, I have really felt a shift in my energy. I don’t know quite how to describe it, but I feel more at ease and at peace. And that some weight was lifted off my shoulders a little and I can breathe deeper.

I started this painting a while ago but wanted to try to paint this eclipse just yesterday. I have quite a few layers under there as well as some words I wrote to help me process some feelings. You can barely see writing under the layers of the yellow.

I’m currently sitting in my freshly painted office. I have put up pieces of art I love to look at, some things I have collected over the years up on the walls, I have a bookshelf with my sketchbooks and books I care about, as well as my tarot cards and put up some crystals on my door frame. It feels really good to do those things right now and the energy in this room is different in a really, great way.

Ghost looking so regal, even when growing out his silly haircut.

Almost all my sketchbooks in one place.

Top left art by Oscar Fernandez Top right art by Dom Bam

Bottom left art by Erin Curry and bottom right by Jacquelin De Leon

In the middle, I found a quilted heart

Yesterday was a really good day too. We celebrated my stepson’s 10th birthday and it was the first birthday he’s had both halves of his family involved and in the same space together. I’m so grateful.

Thanks for reading. :)

Rainbows

This last week wasn’t my best week.

I felt emotionally and energetically drained. i feel like i barely made it through work and had nothing left in the tank by the time I got home. When I’m feeling like that, I know I just have to be patient with myself and not force myself to do anything…Including creating art if I was not feeling it. I had a lot of things I wanted to create, especially with this event coming up…I ended up backing out of it, btw, because I did not want to create things I was not happy with. Knowing when to say “no” is part of being kind to myself…

Anyways, I remember the previous week asking the universe to show me a sign. I was feeling pretty low, and thought “Show me a rainbow!” and a big part of me was/is still missing my Loki…There’s this rainbow piece of art I created that now always makes me think of him when I look at it.

I did this sketch with Loki in January of 2023. I later decided to paint this idea onto a wooden panel I had.

I started painting this wooden panel a couple days after the sketch. Loki was supervising / napping.

I added gold leaf in the center and a shimmery pink on the outside. This piece just looks so much cooler in person than in photos.

I decided to add epoxy resin on top to keep the gold flake from flaking off more. It was a process. And the shiny layer of resin on top makes it extra difficult to take pics of.

Some pieces of the gold flake floated off into other sections so I tired putting more on top. You can see how it’s sticking out in some areas.

On Wednesday, we went to drop off Gabriel. It had rained a little and cleared just as we were getting into the car. I saw part of the most vibrant rainbow I’d ever seen in the sky. I love seeing rainbows!

I stick my phone out the window to snap this.

A little farther down the road was when I first saw the second rainbow! It was so much more vibrant in person. It’s like that rainbow painting I have!! Pictures don’t do it justice.

And then as we drove, I could see this double rainbow in perfect view from my side. I tried my best to get pictures. Honestly, seeing this just lit me up inside in such a way. Universe showed me the rainbow I asked for and I felt the second one was Loki saying hello!

By the time we got to where we were going, only a few minutes later, the rainbow was nowhere to be seen. I feel very fortunate that I was able to catch a glimpse of this rainbow and that we were in just the right place at the right time to see it.

It made me think…I don’t think I’ve seen a rainbow after the rain since we moved back to Texas. So I looked through my photos at other rainbows I’ve taken pictures of.

February 2020. I was in a Walmart parking lot in El Paso.

September 2020.

September 2021. Columbia, SC.

October 2021. New Mexico.

🌈 Thanks for reading <3 🌈

SHOP LAUNCH and being kind to myself

Hi friends! I relaunched my shop on Friday and I have magnets, stickers, paintings, and zines up for grabs.

clICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT

So I wanted to be real here…I didn’t get to put up every piece I wanted to in this update. I do work at a job that takes up my time and energy, as well as being a wife and stepmom. I’m not saying these are excuses, because I would have grilled myself over not being able to do a thing 1000%, but I’m a recovering perfectionist and acknowledge my human-ness. Instead of beating myself up, I just did what I could and launched anyway. I did not lose sleep over it (I did lose sleep over other things though haha), and guess what? I still got some sales! :) I’ll update with more pieces slowly, but I’m not going to fry my nervous system over it. This is so different from the pace I went during my 20s and early 30s and I am proud of myself for prioritizing myself in this way.

So here are some pieces I wanted to include in this launch but I could not get the pictures quite right.

I wanted to add epoxy on this wood piece because the gold leaf kept flaking off. You can see pieces of it drifted into other parts. I added 2 layers, but it’s still not quite flat. Maybe that’s okay?

I added epoxy onto this piece. It looks nice but SO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH. Also, I have to add another layer because there are areas the epoxy didn’t stick.

This sucker has texture AND shiny metallic bits of paint. I also wanted to show how big this piece is.

Speaking of prioritizing myself, I find as many little things that I can do that bring me joy. Creating art is an obvious one, but being in nature has really been calling me lately. Right now, there’s lots of blue bonnets in bloom and that makes me smile.

I had to stop and take a picture with these bluebonnets. :] They make me so happy!

There’s a small patch of bluebonnets by my work!

I went to Houston to visit my family, Mom made a yummy fish soup and lumpia for lunch. We also went to a plant nursery and she showed me how to crochet!

The front of my parents’ house. I’m glad I got to see them and spend some time with my neices!

My youngest niece drawing on her tablet

Look at this spread! I ordered some crystals from Itsy’s Crystal Cove. I love their videos on Youtube! It’s so satisfying to watch, and they have so many fun and unique crystals. I absolutely love all my pieces and the tarot deck.

This was part of my order. 🥹This knave of wands card looks like Loki! It’s part of a deck with images of Familiars… How kismet.

My brother-in-law and oldest niece came over this weekend too. I didn’t get any pics. But I’m so grateful to be close to family that we can spend time together and not just during the holidays.

I’m very tired lately, and I know recovering from my broken foot plays a significant role in that. I’m trying my best to continue to be patient with myself and listen to my body. Don’t forget to do that for yourself, too my friend.

My first mini zine! You can get in in my Zine Pack.

Spring Break '24

This last week was simultaneously amazing and hard. It was Spring Break and I am grateful I had time off work to spend with my loved ones. I had time and space to reflect on things this week, which I feel was very much needed.

The bluebonnets are in bloom right now. It’s one of the things I love seeing on Texas road trips. This was actually close to my home.

One day I want to have land where the bluebonnets and wildflowers can grow.

The hardest part of this week was saying goodbye to Loki. It’s been 5 days and I am still crying a lot. He was a special kitty to me and you can read more about him and see pictures of him and how we was by my side while I made a lot of art. Thank you for your bright little light, Loki.

I had a painting in the corner of my room that was calling to me. I picked it up and started painting on top of it. This painting is absolutely a processing and healing piece for me.

Okay now that I’ve made myself cry again, haha, let me tell you about what pulled me out of my heartache! Spending time with these guys!

Me, my husband, Mikael (the oldest), and Gabriel (the youngest) watching Kung Fu Panda 4. I really liked it! It made me really laugh out loud in a few parts.

We went to the movies.

We went to an arcade for a bit another day. We like games. :)

Have ya’ll ever played Dragonwood? We played this game together a few times. I have never won, haha.

This was absolutely my favorite moment of the week. I normally sit at this table and make art, and usually alone or with my kitties at my feet. I was really missing Loki (who normally is close as I make art, and of course this piece has helped me process that) and they came over and played a little while I painted. I didn’t ask but I think it was really lovely timing that they deiced to hang out with me for a bit. I just felt so at peace and so incredibly grateful for a moment like this. It made me cry too!!

Meow Wolf - Grapevine, Tx

Meow Wolf!!! I was so stoked to finally make it out here. I went to original Meow Wolf in Santa Fe in 2017. It’s an experience. Photos and pics don’t do it any justice.

Some Art I made this week

This is the finished kitty paw painting. Reaching up into the sky. This is a canvas I wrapped myself and I’m positive Loki was around while I worked on the original painting. I pulled out some paints I haven’t used in a while and just went for it. It feels different from a canvas from the store. And using these particular paints makes me paint differently. I can’t quite explain it, but I just felt really connected to this piece, the paint, and the canvas.

Before.

After - I was just feeling the repeating pattern of strokes on canvas while working on the piece above so I wanted to bring that into this painting too.

3 x 3” canvas magnet.

4 x 4” round canvas disco ball

Right now I’m sitting on the couch writing this. Did I mention I also have a broken foot right now? It’s been about a month of that and it has really taken a toll on my mental health (not to mention I pushed it a little too much at work and trying to DO all the things at home) and I’m really trying my best to keep my spirits up. It’s been a dreary, cloudy, last couple days but I’m just grateful to be able to take the time to write this.

I know now my body has been asking me to slow down for a while and I am finally listening. When I do slow down, I am more in tune with my intuition and I feel more whole and myself. I miss being this me. I know it’s all about balance…and I’m always stiving to find it, in all aspects of my life.. You can’t know how wonderful and beautiful your life truly is unless you experience it’s opposite. You need the dark in order to appreciate the light. If you’re moving too fast, you miss the wonderful experiences and things that are right in front of you. This week was a really, powerful reminder of that.

Thank you all for reading. Sending you all lots of love and light.

In memory of Loki

Last night around 10 p.m. I said goodbye to my sweet little Loki. I wanted to share some photos of this little kitty that really made my life a little brighter.

October 2022. This is the day we got him. We saw him at the local Petco when we were living in South Carolina over the summer multiple times and my husband said “if he’s still here next time, we’ll take him.” And one day I came home from work and saw him wandering around curiously. We believe we was about 4 and half months at this point.

Yes, this is literally me sitting on the toilet and this guy would jump up there. He did not believe in personal space.

He LOVED to play. I mean, he would pick up his toys in his mouth and carry them to us up the stairs. He ALWAYS wanted to play.

Curious about everything!

He took to Ghost pretty quickly. Eventually Ghost came around, although tolerating is probably the best way to put it.

He’s on my leg. He was very cuddly.

He just liked to be near me.

Especially while I was sitting at this table making art.

I was doodling him :)

He sometimes made it a little difficult to draw, hehe.

That sweet face.

I remember this time in South Carolina. It took me a while but I was finally starting to feel “at home”. I was in a really good grove making art and his presence made it so much more special. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we really bonded during these times.

I love this picture. I have this finished piece still hanging on my wall. Part me of wants to keep it forever because he was right there with me while I made it.

Supervising

I put a lot of heart and soul into that particular sketchbook. I actually made a Sketchbook Tour which you can watch on my youtube channel.

Dude was always chillin on my stuff.

The way he was holding onto my ring 🥹

😛Blep

nap time

Seriously, he loved to play. He would fetch this toy and bring it to us.

This is the last picture I have of him before we moved back to Texas. I’m sad to say after the move, the pictures of him (well, tbh of everything) really slowed down and I really got caught up in this new era.

This is in our new home in Texas.

So after this move, Dad said NO MORE CATS ON THE TABLE. Which I sadly agreed with. But this little piece of carpet is right under that table where I sat and made art. He still liked to be close by.

I was setting up the spare bedroom and laid down to test out the mattress. He got up there and snuggled with me.

Can you see the feather toy up in the top?

He wasn’t in the mood haha

This was taken in December 2023. One of his favorite sleeping spots is Gabriel’s bed.

This was in January of this year. He looks so normal here. But looking back, this is when he started to show signs that he was not well.

He always found cozy spots to sleep. He was sleeping a lot more these days. I thought maybe he just has a little cold and he’ll be okay.

This was a week after I took him to the vet. He had an ear infection and upper respiratory infection and was so skinny, but after a week he seemed to be so much better, and back to his normal self. He’d greet me in the mornings and come hang out.

This was a few days ago. He seemed to be very lethargic, and was having a hard time walking. I thought maybe he needed another round of meds or something. I set an appointment to see the vet but it wouldn’t be until the next week.

Yesterday he was not okay. I took him to the emergency vet clinic and they ran some tests and told me he was very sick and going downhill fast. His kidneys were failing and there were other things the doctor told me that I was not able to process. And somehow I just knew what decision had to be made. I was so thankful for the kindness and professional staff who helped me ensure Loki could make is transition into the non-physical as painless and peaceful as possible. I held him and told him how much I loved him and how grateful I was to have him until his last breath.

I made this piece of art in my sketchbook a while ago. It really hits differently looking at it now than when I made it.

While I wish so much I could have had many many more years with him, I won’t forget how special this little kitty was to our family. I feel a lot of emotions, I play a lot of things through my mind and think “What if?” but know that won’t change anything. I cried so much. Then I drew. And cried more.

At one point I thought “Is this helping? Is this what I should be doing right now?” And then went to Facebook and saw this right at 11:11.

I know when Spirit speaks to me. I get little signs like this all the time. And you know what, it made me feel better and reminded me that Loki is pain free and playing with all the toys in the non-physical realm. Some people call it Heaven. Whatever you refer to it as, I know it is where we all go and where we all came from. And our loved ones are truly never gone and they will communicate with you if you know how to listen and what to look for.

I want to make art of pets. I think I’m going to open up commissions for pet portrats. It’s something I have admired others for doing but haven’t felt confident in trying it out myself. But I know if these little doodles I did of Loki can make me smile, I know others can feel that way too.

Thank you so much to everyone who has left me comments on all socials. I’m still pretty overwhelmed with everything but I truly appreciate you all. I have so many wonderful, lovely people who have my back and root for me. I am just so grateful to you all and to the universe.

My first event - breakdown of costs and supplies

Last weekend I attended a local art event as a vendor. This event popped up on my Facebook feed in January looking for vendors and I thought, why not! I filled out the application without really knowing what I would bring. About a week later, I got the email saying I was approved. The fee was $50 and I got a 8 x 8 foot table with free reign on how to set things up.

Expenses for the display.

Here are some of the items I purchased to help come up with this display: Vinyl sign and business cards from Vistaprint ($66.87), 2 6” and 2 8” table top easels from Walmart ($13.92) From Amazon I got an 8x8ft table cover (17.45), 12 x 16” dry erase magnetic board stand ($11.99) , 9 x 11” pocket chart to display stickers ($11.99), Square card reader ($10.60). All that comes out to $132.82.

I am not at all discouraged by this amount and I hope that doesn’t scare anyone from trying. You don’t NEED any of these items to start, but this is an investment in yourself and in your business. I had a vision for how I wanted to display things. I have a ton of materials I already had at home to use and most of those purchases can be used again the next time I go into an event, plus….

via GIPHY

Expenses for the art/products

I have been selling my own art for years now in a variety of ways, so I’ve accumulated lots of little things. I have a printer and cardstock at home, so I just printed the price lists on a sheet and cut them out.

I did buy all these magnet canvases, but I got them all on sale. I paid $1.50 for a pack of 4 canvas magnets and $2.50 for the square magnets. Even at regular price they’re not bad, and these babies sold well! Other than that, I already had the other canvases and paints and stickers. I even brought some prints, but decided I had so many other options, I decided not to put them out.

I sold all the round magnet landscapes and the cat. :) I also had one 4 x 4” round canvas disco ball that sold too!

I sold a couple of these Zine packs. I printed the labels on some cardstock at home.

I had these clear bags from many moons ago and used them to package these zines.

happy accidents happen

The day before the event, I was in a little bit of a rush thought “I should try to sell some prints! So I thought, I’ll just print out 3 4x6” images on a sheet of paper from the local office supply store. I saw the first print and gave the okay to do more. When I got home I realized they were not the right size. So I decided I can’t sell these, so I just set them on my table and gave them out for free to anyone who said they liked them.

Aren’t these cute? They were printed on a stiffer paper, like a glossy cardstock. They’re kind of like positive affirmations cards. :) While I didn’t sell these, I love the idea of them so I am getting prints made of them in the correct size.

In sales, I made $197.44 + $60 in cash = $257.44. So if I take my cost of supplies, including vendor booth that’s 188.32, so at the end of the day I walked away with $69.12.

That’s so great to know! And as I mentioned earlier, I purchased some stuff I know I will be able to use again in another event so my profit margin will be much bigger next time. That’s really exciting to me to know these numbers and to have done this event. I do want to change some things up, like how I displayed my stickers. But I am really excited to make new art! And I’m on the lookout for other shows I can vend in my area. I have a potential event in April, which is an outdoor event so I’ll have to check back in with ya’ll about how that goes.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading. :)

Creative Canvas Festival Recap

Hi friends! It’s a lovely Sunday morning and I am so full of amazing energy, I just have to share with you how yesterday went!

The Creative Canvas festival had vendors from the community and in the large conference rooms were activities and the local school district’s Visual Arts display.

my biggest takeaway

Put yourself out there. You don’t have to be perfect. You will find your people. You will attract them. They will find you.

Doing this event helped me remember how much I DO enjoy interacting with people. I have not put my art out to the public like this since 2019. It felt good to do this and I am so inspired to do more of it. I know there are other creatives out there who could benefit from going to events like this and I want to help encourage others by being transparent about what it could look like to make it happen.

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SHOUTOUT TO THE PEOPLE <3

I ended up setting up across the way from an awesome artist, Oscar who I instantly connected with as soon as I saw his first painting when I walked into the door. I know there are no coincidences in this world, and I fully enjoyed being around such a lovely person and I just see and feel his art on a soul level, you know? So vibrant and deep, but also nerdy AF, which I totally am too. Thank you for being you Oscar, you definitely helped make this day better and brighter.

Thanks to my coworkers who have been hyping me up since I told them I was going to this! And just everyone!

I’m going to leave this here for now and just continue to process everything. I have so many thoughts and ideas that I can break down into separate blog posts. Let me know if there’s anything you want to know about my experience. :) Take care and much love!