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Our motivation. Our inspiration. Our muse.
What You’ll Find Here
This blog is an evolving reflection of a creative life. I write about:
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Art and the creative process — both digital and traditional
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The emotional landscape of change, grief, and healing
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Tips, tutorials, and practical tools for artists and makers
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Reflections on aging, adaptation, and starting again
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The philosophical questions that arise from both making art and simply being human
It’s not always neat, but it’s honest. It's not always planned, but it’s always real.
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A Pumpkin, My Daughter, and a Trip Home
After four years away from decorating pumpkins, a visit to Michaels with my daughter became much more than a shopping trip. It was a joyful return to a creative tradition that had quietly been waiting for the right season to begin again.
anartistslament
5 days ago4 min read
When Life Presses Pause
Life had quietly continued without my computer. And, in some ways... without my old routine. What I discovered during that unexpected pause changed the way I think about creativity, work, and beginning again.
anartistslament
Jul 314 min read
Letting Go of Perfect Timing (And Why It Matters)
A design created ‘too late’ this year might be perfectly timed next year.
anartistslament
Jul 93 min read
A Gentle System for Planning Seasonal Work
The system only works if it stays light.
anartistslament
Jun 253 min read
Working Ahead Without Losing Your Creative Voice
Creating ahead doesn’t have to be one complete act—it can be a series of smaller steps.
anartistslament
Apr 163 min read
Why Creating Ahead Feels So Unnatural
This isn’t a time management issue. It’s a sensory one.
anartistslament
Apr 93 min read
A Season or Two Ahead… Wait—Christmas in July?!
It’s hard to think about Christmas when I’m standing in the middle of summer… my brain isn’t thinking about snow—it’s thinking about light.
anartistslament
Apr 23 min read
The First Weeks Home
Recovery from a stroke isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s quieter—learning to move a little slower, listening to your body, and discovering that life still feels familiar.
anartistslament
Mar 263 min read
The Moment I Picked Up My iPad
The day after I was admitted to the hospital, my husband brought me something from home.
My iPad.
He had offered it when he first got to see me, but I was still in the observation bay. I declined. I didn’t want to get it out in a room full of people while nurses were constantly coming and going. I also wasn’t sure how I felt about trying to use it yet.
anartistslament
Mar 192 min read
Inside the Hospital
After the diagnosis came waiting, testing, and uncertainty. Inside the hospital, I began to understand what had happened—and wondered if I could still draw.
anartistslament
Mar 123 min read
The Morning Everything Changed
One ordinary morning turned into a medical emergency when I suddenly couldn’t sit up, couldn’t speak, and couldn’t control my right arm. This is the story of the moment everything changed.
anartistslament
Mar 53 min read
Creative Survival Notes — Note #3
You’re not failing when your pace changes — you’re responding to conditions. Creative work runs on living systems, not factory settings.
anartistslament
Feb 262 min read
Creative Survival Notes — Note #2
Cognitive load isn’t a lack of discipline.
It isn’t a motivation problem.
It isn’t a personal shortcoming.
It’s weight, not weakness.
anartistslament
Feb 114 min read
Creative Survival Notes — Note #1
I wasn’t being lazy or naïve looking for an “easy way out.”
I was being tired, human, and honestly pretty smart.
I wasn’t looking for shortcuts. I was scanning for leverage.
anartistslament
Feb 42 min read
What Counted in 2025 (Even When It Didn’t Look Like Much)
This time of year invites lists. Totals. Highlights. Numbers meant to prove whether a year was productive or not.
I’ve never been very good at that kind of accounting.
anartistslament
Jan 214 min read
How to Turn a Hand-Drawn Sketch into a Seamless Pattern in Procreate
Bring your sketchbook art to life! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to turn a hand-drawn design into a seamless repeating pattern in Procreate — blending traditional creativity with digital precision.
anartistslament
Jan 144 min read
A Simple Technique with a Touch of Nostalgia: Creating Gingham Patterns in Procreate
There’s something timeless about gingham. Follow along as I recreate this nostalgic pattern in Procreate — step by step — and turn a simple design into digital art with heart.
anartistslament
Jan 53 min read
Holiday Echoes: When Tradition Leaves a Trace
Tradition isn’t just what we repeat — it’s what returns. Holiday Echoes is a collection of Christmas tree patterns inspired by rituals that change slightly every year, but never disappear.
anartistslament
Dec 29, 20253 min read
Silent Symphony: Finding Tranquility in Winter’s Embrace
Snow doesn’t just fall — it changes the sound of the world. “Silent Symphony” is a pattern inspired by that hush, the stillness that invites us to breathe and remember.
anartistslament
Dec 22, 20252 min read
Peppermint Joy: Candy Cane Art Inspired by Memory
Candy canes show up once a year, like old friends with striped scarves and peppermint breath. These four holiday designs came from remembering that sweetness — not just the taste, but the feeling of returning to something familiar.
anartistslament
Dec 15, 20253 min read
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