February Things
a check in List
Some things from the last month or so…
Early morning starts- I have been doing 5am wake ups to write while the sun comes up, before anyone else is awake, even before walking the dogs and it’s pure magic. In Beth Pickens Parakeet class (a class I am so grateful to be taking) she said the first day- there are just some seasons of life where you have to sacrifice sleep or the perfect workout to get the things done that are important to you- I hadn’t framed it like that for myself in awhile- and I was like ok- this is one of those seasons for me.
French press coffee- I ran out of coffee filters and because I’m lazy I just moved over to my french press, forgot how much I love it.
Bean and cheese burritos- it was a staple for me in college and now that I am running back and forth a lot between home, school and my moms, I honestly don’t have a lot of time for cooking. I make a giant pot of soup for my mom and I to share for the week and then I have made it my mission to find the best bean and cheese burrito in San Francisco. I will say this is a journey with no real bad outcomes, lol.
Clementine Dress pattern by The Ordinary Folk I love this pattern so much, I love the long line of buttons and button loops- which when I first attempted felt intimidating but was so easy and satisfying. I love that it’s short and swingy- its oddly hot right now out here, brisk mornings but hot days and a short dress with babydoll vibes is perfect. I think i am going to sew up Seasons Skort and a few more Sour Cherry tops. I love the collar on the Sour Cherry, I’ve sewn it up a few times, and I think it will be cute with a shorter skirt. I have zero time for this, so I might cut out the patterns in the evening and save the sewing for a few Sundays in March or April.
Dyeing old clothes- the dress in the picture below was blue and green and white stripes and it felt really not me- I loved the construction of the dress but I didn’t love the color, and every time I put it on I felt frumpy. So I dyed it neon green and it changed everything! A quick $5 rit refresh.
Funny Weather by Olivia Lang- reading this to my drawing students each week. It’s so good and I think just settles us all into why we are here, that art in difficult times is not a luxury, its a necessity and that artists are always at the center of activism and difficult conversations. That while we doom scroll we can feel like now is the darkest time- and its dark, theres a lot going on, brutality and violence, people being kidnapped off the streets by our own government with no due process. This book is a reminder that there is always something to be outraged about, that requires our activism, attention, empathy and art- and maybe we just need to recognize that- it shifts us from feeling frozen in this moment to being present and able to make the work that we need to make in every moment and to see the importance of art in activism and through history.
Awakened by A.E. Osworth- I picked this up on a whim and I am so glad I did, its both funny and very endearing. The main characters- maybe every character now that I think about it- is trans and most are also witches. Some are recently awakened to their magical powers, some have known of them for a long time. The coven is battling an evil AI that is trying to destroy them. Its a really fun and playful metaphor- so well done and a joy to read. It is also giving me flashbacks to a lot of books that I read around the late 90s/ early 2000s that grappled with digital language and characters within writing. Osworth does it a lot better!
Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore- I read this back in the early 2000s when I was freshly out of college and loved it- I am re-reading it because I remember it being funny and playful and I want to see how Christopher Moore does that with fresh eyes. So far, a really good revisit.
Gathering Lindsay’s old books- since my dad passed I am at my mom’s a lot and I have been in my childhood bedroom much more than I have been in a long time. I am seeing and gathering my old favorite books. I forgot how obsessed I was with Fear Street and Christopher Pike books. I am going to share these, the pulpy cover designs and other elements I love so much in a livestream soon. They’re amazing and I want us to look at them together.
Drawing- I paint and write and teach almost daily and often I forget to draw. So have been trying and failing to bring it back consistently, but I will continue to try. It is the best way to store ideas for me- my sketchbooks are just the best place for me to revisit my own ideas rather than be on social media. My hope is to find a way to draw outside of my sketchbook more, maybe scanning them and cleaning them up digitally.
Chopping hairs, I learned to cut my hair years ago but mainly to be able to give myself trims and save money- last weeks haircut started with intentions of a bob and ended with almost a pixie shag type thing and I am still getting used to it but I love it. It feels really freeing. I got new glasses because of a new prescription and then I was like- oh this will be a good way to avoid cutting my hair, no dear reader, it was a gateway drug. Be careful with new glasses, LOL. The good news is, I like my hair and I cut my moms hair this weekend and her hair looks cute too. You can take classes, save money and be a creative hair cutting demon too by taking Jayne’s classes HERE
Other ways to find me and my work:
Check out my work HERE- maybe you need some illustrated elements for your business or for a project, a mural, some painted signs, illustrations for your website or company- I would love to work with you!
Online Classes! You can find recorded workshops by me HERE
In person Workshops! I often teach in person workshops with Case for Making, we plan to do a learn to watercolor series.
Get a custom mystery painting! I will paint it probably live a few times here on my substack! I love making these, they are such a fun way to make things for people.
Sign up for Creative Mentoring sessions with me- I love working with artists and I would love to work with you! I have helped artists organize their ideas for all sorts of projects, children’s books, new shows, applying for residencies and just getting clear on what they want and coming up with a clear plan for how to get there.
You can find work of mine for sale HERE
I live in the mission and Taqueria Cancun is my go-to for bean and cheese burritos specifically but I can’t claim to have tried them all. Please report back on your findings lol
Speaking of fun book covers, I’ve recently rediscovered the 90’s edition of Nancy Drew paperbacks and the cover art is really fun!!