Notes From the Studio

There were SO MANY poems fluttering about on this solstice.

12/27/2024

Austin Kleon talks about the "silly rituals" we have. Things that don't have any intrinsic value in and of themselves, but they help connect us to the work, connect us to ourselves. One of mine is that at the end of the year, I look back at what I've written in my notebooks since January. It's like reading through a ship's log, and you get a sense of just how far you've traveled in a year. I'm amazed every single time.

For example, last January, I had just received my 3rd rejection in a row. Rejections are part of the territory when you're a freelancer, but they're never fun, and after 3 in a row it's easy to start falling into despair. But then a huge project came through a month later, and later in the spring one of those rejections did a 180 and brought me on board. A year that started with rejection ended up with my 2 biggest projects to date! There's a lesson there, and that's the kind of perspective and grounding a "silly ritual" can give you.

Ink on Paper

I had already wrapped these up when I thought "Oh hey, I should take a pic..."

I printed our Christmas cards this year, and filled them all by hand. It was a tedious process, for sure, and there are services that make it way easier, but it was also really satisfying to see the physical stack of cards grow as I went along. To hold the weight of our community in my hand. I felt truly grateful by the end, even though my wrist was a bit sore.

The color is a little wonky in the photo, the trees are a real Christmas-y green.

Look at these adorable trees! This was my first 2-color print run. Registration was a bit gnarly to get everything to line up correctly, but I think they turned out really nice!

Upcoming Events

Nothing on the books, but I'll be looking ahead and starting to plan 2025 events soon!

Other Rambles

I came across this article about a small press in Minnesota, and how she has nurtured and grown the community through printing.

Also, while scrolling through Instagram, I stumbled upon remarks that Levar Burton gave after being awarded the National Humanities Medal back in October. I re-watched and wrote this quote down in my notebook:

The arts and humanities, in my view, are the underpinnings of civilization. Without the arts and humanities, we don't know who we are, where we've been. They give context for where we're going. all of our hopes, all of our dreams, all of our ambitions. They are all contained in these disciplines. Without them, we're lost.

You can watch the clip here.

Well that's a wrap on a pivotal year! Thanks for reading, tell your friends, and may your 2025 be vibrant and full of love, food, music, adventure, art, and all the good stuff.

See you out there,

~PB