In sickness and in health…

Journaling is always such a refreshing way to jump back into studio work after a time away. It gets the creative juices flowing, helps the reflection process, and grounds you for a day of productivity. At least, that’s what it does for me. I suppose if I could sum up the start of the new year I would consider it to be pretty up and down. Much of that is due to some heavy colds that had me down in the trenches for a solid month. Pregnancy has taken my immune system and run off with it, leaving me defenseless to any little bug my kiddo brings home from daycare. Thankfully, I’ve managed to avoid Covid!

At the urging of my midwife I finally visited an urgent care. The nurse there just kept apologizing to me because there was nothing they could do to help. You can’t give pregnant ladies the good drugs, y’know.

So anyway here I sit, Echinacea tea in hand, feeling ready to jump start the work that I’d left on Friday… and when I say “ready” I mean with a proverbial limp. I will say, though, that I’ve been getting very excited for what’s starting to get accomplished in my studio. For one, I have a base set up for networking- Facebook, Google, Instagram, Etsy, website newsletter, email contacts… I’ve got it all established. Now, I begin the process of building contacts, followers, and sales.

I’ve filled out my Etsy shop a little more and have ideas for new greeting cards for Valentine’s day, plus another batch or two of tea towels ready for new designs. Sales have slowed after the holidays and I feel it’ll soon be necessary to take better photos and possibly display some video of merchandise. I gotta look the part after all!

I’m pouring through a list of publishers and agents who I want to approach with my work, figuring out which is an appropriate fit for my work and what the application process involves. Considering the lag time I’d like to get these out ASAP.

I will be partaking in a challenge through the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance for the chance to win some cash and exposure. The challenge is to illustrate the year’s chapbook winner, The Rabbit by Coco McCracken.

Other big ideas include editing and thumbnailing my newest manuscript. I joined a critique club that focuses on kid lit manuscripts who meet once a month. Hopefully, that will be fruitful as I feel this area of expertise is where I am most lacking.

I’ll be filling a watercolor sketchbook with character designs of children. This idea came when I realized I don’t have an easy fallback to reference when publishing companies or agents want to see my capabilities to draw kids. I think I should also have one available for animals, which would be helpful when coming up with new ideas for gallery paintings.

As for the gallery paintings, I have one on final board that’s ready for paint. When that’s complete I think I want to table that project for a while and pursue other things. I need to figure out how and what to paint for galleries that would be LARGE and not framed behind glass. This, believe it or not, needs a lot of careful planning. One does not just “make paintings big” as one does not just “walk into Mordor” - omg NERD.

Last star mention, the press release for my gouache workshop at Cove Street goes out tomorrow! I’m excited for this class and will be dedicating time to building the lesson plan sooner rather than later. I’ll also be marketing the holy heck out of that, as much as a new business can.

So there you have it! Things I have done, things I want to do, and all typed by one hacking sick pregnant person. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… “Shoot for the stars. If you fall short, you’ll still end up somewhere in the stratosphere.”