Studio Notes is my (mostly) weekly creative letter – part reflection, part art, part inspiration for real life.

Inside this week:

• What's Happening Lately
• In the Studio
• Loving Right Now
• Try This
• Calendar
• For the Week Ahead

Hi Reader,

Yesterday I had this bunch of adorable (and loud) rascals in my house to celebrate my sweet girl's 7th birthday. We crafted some fantastic headband crowns, and as promised, here are a couple photos:

It was a fun, chaotic, crafty time! It was interesting, too, watching the different levels of engagement with the project, and the kids who were super into it and were still working on their crowns after the others had finished and gone outside to run around reminded me of when I was a kid and was always the last one at the table decorating Christmas cookies, carving pumpkins, working on craft projects, long after my siblings had all finished and moved on to other things. Once a focused maker, always a focused maker!

These first few weeks of January have been fun and full and I feel like I've been scrambling to keep up. Is that the general 2026 vibe so far? Now that G's birthday and party are behind me, my focus is on an upcoming trip to Colorado to help care for my mom, who's having a pretty major surgery this week, both physically and emotionally.

I keep doing that thing where I'm like "after this big thing is done, then I can finally relax!" And then I remember that after each thing gets done I still feel that way, because time marches on and new things are always needing to be done. I'm thinking maybe the trick is to learn how to relax now, while the big things are happening.... I'm working on it. ;)

In the studio, I've been getting ready for my 100 Creative Days workshop, which starts this week! I'm planning to mostly paint on small wooden panels, switching it up with different supplies as needed based on where I am. Since my kids and I will be in Colorado for 5 days right after the start of the workshop, and a pile of wooden panels and a bunch of tubes of paint aren't probably the most practical thing for me to travel with this time around, I'm going to use more portable supplies like colored pencils, markers, and my sketchbook while I'm away from my studio.

I'll be busy while in Colorado, and I know it will be a bit of a challenge to focus on making art while I'm there, but I'm also really grateful to have this 100-day commitment to show up for. Art-making is one of my best tools for navigating my inner world, and I know it'll be a great way for me to create some calm inside myself, because I'm feeling nervous and emotional about this trip. This is the first time my mom has had to navigate any sort of health challenge, and it feels scary because it's just such a visceral reminder of how we're all getting older and how everything is so precious and fragile and fleeting.

We'll be heading back to Colorado next month too, though, to celebrate my grandma's 99th birthday (!!), so that's a nice reminder that things sometimes also last a long time. :) Both things can be true at the same time, right?

Anyway, starting later this week I'll new art to share regularly, so that feels good... I'm excited to see how my creations start to take shape, and how everyone in the group's creations take shape, too!

There's still time to join if you're interested. The kickoff call is on Wednesday this week!

Speaking of learning to relax now, I listened to the audiobook version of The Power of Now at the beginning of last year and started listening to it again last week. It's such a nice way to start the day, listening to Eckhart Tolle speak about the power of being present in the moment as I get ready for the day ahead. Highly recommended!

A year of books I was recording a chat with artist Ana Bianchi last week for my 100 Creative Days workshop, and she told me she had her kids wrap up 12 cookbooks for her that she would use each month to cook new recipes. I love this idea so much! And it made me think how much my kids would probably love to wrap up 12 books (even just books that are already on our bookshelves!) for me to read throughout the year. What a fun way to add an element of surprise into your life, don't you think?! I'm going to give it a try!

​100 Creative Days​
Kickoff call – Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 12pm PST/3pm EST
Art-making Day 1 – Thursday, January 22nd

This 100-day creative adventure starts this week! 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.

​Free monthly live art-making in the Inner Magic Art Club​
​Wednesday, February 4th at 9am PST/12pm EST

​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.

This is one of my favorite quotes. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day. May we each help drive out the hate with love today, and every day.

Until next time, my friend...

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