Let's talk about May

The highs and the lows

Hello to subscribers old and new, thank you so much for being here 💕

A couple of weeks ago I had some pretty disappointing news regarding a project I was working on. It was unexpected, and to be honest, my confidence took a bit of a beating. These things happen in life, and I’m certainly not above the ol’ rug being pulled from underneath me. I’ve learned an important lesson, and though I’m still a bit wobbly, I’ve mostly dusted myself off and I’m looking ahead, ready to embrace new opportunities.

This coincided with navigating a couple of bumps in my personal life, and I was reminded of how important it is to prioritise the things you really want to do. I struggle with anxiety, and this can hold me back at times, especially when it comes to making decisions. What if it’s the wrong choice? What if people don’t like what I’m making? What if I fail?

All this to say, I feel more determined than ever to embrace change.

You may have seen my last post about starting again with my portfolio. If you haven’t, you can have a read here. I’ve made a decent start so far, with one picture book spread, and one middle grade spread complete.

Test print

I really liked how this turned out in the end. I ended up re-working it and adding lots of texture and pattern. Whilst there are things that could be better, this feels like a good direction, and I’m looking forward to working on the next piece.

This piece took me flippin’ ages! Again, it was a really good opportunity to explore tone and texture in a way I haven’t really done before. I think I found a nice balance in the end.

Timelapse

Warning: This video is absolute chaos. We went on a real journey of discovery together, but that was the point really.

I have plenty more to do and am looking forward to sketching new ideas next week!

Both pieces did get me thinking a lot about play, and how important it is. I don’t play in my sketchbook nearly as much as I should, and that needs to change. I am pondering hosting an online weekly sketchbook group, via Zoom or something. A place for us to get together and take some time to muck around in our sketchbooks. This is often when some of the most exciting ideas come about, and is a great way to explore different techniques, without being too precious about the outcome. Let me know in the comments if you’d want to join in!

Above are a couple of quick doodles I did yesterday. Are they perfect? No. Did I have fun? Heck yes!

Besides a couple of hiccups, May has been kind to me overall. It’s been different as I’ve wrapped up a handful of long projects and currently have a bit of a gap in my schedule which I’ve been craving for years, and now it’s here, I need to embrace is as fully as possible.

I’m halfway through my current pottery term, and have just signed on for another one starting in September. Below are a couple of my recent creations that I will be glazing next week.

Pottery has been really important for me as it has given me a place to be creative for myself, aside from my job. It’s like a form of therapy, honestly.

This didn’t turn out exactly as I’d hoped, I think I’ll try a different technique next time!

What next?

Today I’m hoping to print some new die-cut stickers, and I really need to get a move on with my new mousey sticker sheet - I’m planning to do a separate post going through the process of creating stickers from sketch to final product soon!

I’m also going to do a giveaway of a few things hopefully next week which I will post here, so keep your peepers peeped for that.

I know it’s only June, but I’d really love to get to work on those Christmas card designs I’ve been wanting to do for five years. I may do a livestream of this once I’ve figured out the best set up.

Just to note: I will be making some slight changes to my Substack once I’ve figured a couple of things out, but in the meantime all paid subs have been paused - let me know if for some reason yours hasn’t and I’ll look into it asap!

Tomorrow I am heading back to Manchester to spend a long weekend with family which I’m very excited about. If you’re reading this Mum, I hope you’ve got good snacks in!

Thanks for reading!

More soon,

Bx