Creating for me - ebb and flow of creativity

I guess its a romance kinda November

I'm in a word phase right now - writing lots. Drawing has taken a backseat. These are the ebbs and flows of my creativity. I've been riding a real drawing high for the last few months, but the circumstances of the world and busy life have me retreating into words. Retreating into what brings me peace, what helps me think. Creating for me.

Duane Toops

had an interesting piece recently that asked the question - what does my art ask of me?  I'm trying to pay attention to what my art is asking and deliver what it needs right now, which is words and new stories. I'm reading lots, writing lots and taking time out with the fam. But as the nights get colder and we curl up on the couch with blankets and popcorn in the lead up to the holidays, I know I 'm going to be itching to draw soon.

My husband noticed I was doom scrolling - phone, news on tv. He had been too. It was affecting both our moods and we needed to get some distance from it. "Its hallmark movie season!" he told me. And sure enough, he flicked the channel from hellfire reality to some station that plays hallmark-type romance movies 24/7.

No, its not a hallmark movie, its Taylor and Travis - this is from Superbowl last year when everyone was OBSESSED. I don’t have a ton of romantic illustrations and she’s in Toronto this week so I figured it works

I am not super familiar with romance as a genre. But I’m HERE for it right now. There's something very comforting in the predictability of these movies - big city girl returns to her small country town and runs into her first love/first enemy, always clad in flannel. There's something charming about their gentle humour, and something rebellious in their optimism. After Final Girl October and all the doom scrolling, I haven’t felt motivated to draw. But these movies, these 24/7 made for tv romances that radiate always-look-on-the-bright-side energy has sparked an idea for a new series. The holiday romance series!

Gotta wear flannel

I’m going to be leaning into romance and drawing the couples from the movies I distract myself with. Prepare for tropey joy! Enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, second chance, amnesia, enemies to lovers, fake weddings, enemies to lovers - all of it! Err....or at least as many as work schedules and the holiday hustle and bustle allow.

What are some of your favourite comfort watches/reads?

Doodle

What I’m Working On

My upcoming YA book for hi-lo readers got a very nice review in Kirkus! “A compelling, fast-paced adventure that will appeal to reluctant readers.” Thanks Kirkus!

Creating the ebook for Unicorn Death Drive has been held up (so so sorry for the wait). I’m doing some super secret work that’s due soon so hopefully once I get that wrapped up I can get UDD finished for your holiday reading list! Nothing says the holidays like man-eating unicorns! 😱🦄

Also! I got to be featured in a post on one of my all-time favourite newsletters,

Noted

by Jillian Hess! If you’ve been here a while, you know I love my notebooks and use them for everything - they even inspire the monthly Listy List feature. So I was very excited when Jillian selected pages from my notebook to appear alongside some very talented creatives, each with different approaches to creative notebooks. Check it out!

How 5 of Noted's Readers Create With Notes

And that’s it from me!