Studio Notes is my weekly-ish creative letter – part reflection, part art, part inspiration for real life.

Hi Reader,

Happy New Year! 🎉 Whew, we made it to 2026. I wonder what this brand new year has in store for us all??

I wanted to pop into your inbox today to let you know about a small but meaningful shift I’m making with my emails as we head into a new season.

Going forward, you’ll be hearing from me each week in something I’m calling Studio Notes.

Basically, it's the same kind of email you're used to receiving from me – just with a bit of a glow up in the form of a new name and a slightly new look and format. 😊 It’s the a space where I’ll share what I’ve been thinking about, making, noticing, and learning – both in my studio and in my everyday life.

I’ll still send separate emails when I have something specific to share or promote (workshops, sales, events, new projects), but Studio Notes will be the steady, weekly-ish rhythm – a note from my studio to you. Oh, and I'll be sending these emails to your inbox on Mondays (instead of Tuesdays like before). Hopefully they'll feel like a lovely way to start the week.

OK, let's do this! Welcome to Studio Notes No. 1. :)

Inside this week:

• In the Studio
• Loving Right Now
• Try This
• Calendar
• For the Week Ahead

I spent the last 2 weeks mostly cocooning with my kids while they were home for winter break. Not a lot of work or creating happened, and it was just what I needed! I slept in a lot, spent time reading, pulling tarot cards, and playing games with my kids (mostly Catan and May Contain Butts, in case you're curious 🤣), cooked, stayed up late watching Nashville in my cozy bed, cleaned and organized the basement, hiked in the Columbia River Gorge, sat next to a warm fire, and did my best to relax (which doesn't always come naturally to me).

I made this spread in my sketchbook right before Christmas, and it was a nice reminder that it's ok to take a pause sometimes and give myself what I need. Sometimes it can feel selfish, I think, but I try to remind myself that I can't give anything to anyone if I'm depleted. It's the ol' 'put your oxygen mask on first' cliché that really is just oh so true.

But I'm back in the studio today and am so grateful for the 2 weeks of simmering and cocooning, because I am FULL of ideas and ready to get back to work and creating!

This week I'm beginning work on a commissioned coloring book project, wrapping up a commissioned painting for a friend/client, and prepping for my upcoming 100 Creative Days workshop, which starts January 21st. I'm homing in on what my project will be for the 100 days and will share more once it's fully clear in my mind and my heart. Getting excited over here!

I got my kids a record player for Christmas, and we are OBSESSED! We've grown our collection to a whopping 14 records so far, and I'm excited to keep hunting for and adding records to our collection. It's also giving me flashbacks to my childhood when my sister and I would put on The Gogos and dance around to 'We Got the Beat'. Am I dating myself here?? Haha.

I go in and out of phases where I pull oracle and tarot cards for guidance and wisdom, and lately I've been in an IN phase. In fact, one of my loose goals for this year is to learn about the tarot in more depth and to practice learning how to read the cards. (If you have any tarot resources to share with me, I'm all ears!)

For now, though, my simple go-to way of using the cards, whether it's a tarot deck, one of my animal decks, or any of the other oracle decks I own, is to ask this question: "What message do I need to receive today?"

Shuffle the cards, close your eyes, get quiet, choose a card, and see what its message and energy is! For me, it's magical how helpful it is each and every time. I also like to look at the card that's on the bottom of the deck – the hidden energy – that can help illuminate a deeper meaning in the card I drew.

If you're a tarot and oracle lover like me, what are your favorite decks?? What are your favorite ways to use them?

Beautyberry! I'd never heard of this delightful plant before when my friend/neighbor told me about it last fall and suggested I plant it in my yard for some lovely winter color. Well, I promptly forgot all about it and didn't plant any, but now I'm seeing it everywhere and the purple berries are just stunning. You better believe I'll be planting some asap!

👉 Free Live Art-Making Session​
​Wednesday January 7, 2026 at 9am PST/12pm EST

On the first Wednesday of each month inside the Inner Magic Art Club, my friend Becky Hershey and I host a free live art-making session. You're invited!

👉 100 Creative Days​
​Kickoff call – Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 12pm PST/3pm EST
Starts January 22nd

A 100-day creative adventure. Make art daily, grow your confidence, and feel supported every step of the way. Weekly videos and live gatherings guide you through a transformative 100-day creative practice. Small efforts made on a consistent basis can add up to incredible things.

👉 Pattern Camp Live
​March 7-8, 2026

Mark your calendar if you want to join in the next live intensive session of my Adobe Illustrator pattern design course! Registration will open in mid-February.

I'm finding comfort in this reminder from the one and only Mr. Rogers this week. 2025 ended and 2026 has begun. The separations we create between cycles and experiences and eras in our lives are actually moments that are all connected.... beginnings are endings and endings are beginnings and there's magic inside all of it if we can remember to look for it. What's ending for you right now? What's beginning? What's ever-unfolding in your world right now?

Thanks so much for being here, and for reading along. I'm grateful for you!
Until next time...

ps – If you ever feel like replying and saying hello, I truly love hearing from you!

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