worth(your)while: an event, a commission, a comic, a painting

SAVE THE DATE:

Saturday, June 21st
noon-4pm
Carrot Condo will be at
at Kitchen Culture.*

More details coming at the end of May, but get this on your calendar. You won’t want to miss it!! *(6300 SE Foster Road in Portland)

In the meantime, a few things to share with you all:

Thank you to PNW CSA for commissioning a pen-and-ink illustration. I wanted to convey how exciting it feels to open up your CSA box each week: full of abundance and color and possibility. I love the watercolor-style paper they chose for printing greeting cards–it makes my illustration look like a piece of art ready to frame.

My “Thank you Thursday” project continues each week. At the time this newsletter is going out, I’m on thank you card number 15 out of 52.

The only thing that has been difficult is sharing on social media. I don’t want to share the specifics of the thank you–that’s for the recipient–and yet I want to share what makes the person I’m thanking so meaningful. I’m hoping by number 26, half way, I’ll have found what works with social media posts.

Many of my thank yous are anonymous–I don’t want anyone thinking I hope to get anything out of this, so I sign my cards with something like, “from, a long-time fan.” However, I made one letter public because I don’t know the name of the person I’m thanking nor how to find him. Here it is, a simple cartoon illustrating a moment that has stuck with me for decades:

Lastly, at the end of March, I attended an event called Creative Morning, Portland. These are monthly lectures from and for creatives of all types, from writers and designers, to filmmakers and musicians.

I’ve watched the archived lectures online, but this was the first one I attended in person. I felt hesitant. I think I worried I’d be surrounded by Super Impressive Creatives and imposter syndrome would kick in. Turns out, I probably was surrounded by Super Impressive Creatives, but the welcoming atmosphere put me at ease.

After the lecture, I explored Kiln, the cool modern building where the event was held. I came across two walls filled with large, square watercolors by David Shrigley. One of them summed up my experience exactly:

Sometimes it’s hard for me to decide if I should push through my nerves and do something that stretches my comfort zone, or if I should pay attention to my anxious reaction and say “no thanks.” I’m learning that creativity requires times of risk–attending the Creative Mornings event for example–and times of inward focus, trusting my vision, blocking out any other influence.

It’s a balance I’m learning to appreciate.

Thank you–as always–for following along my creative journey. Your interest and support are everything! I’ll hope to see you on June 21st. More details soon.

–TRISTA

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