Atiliay noun, a play off the French word “atelier”; a workshop/studio, esp of an artist or designer; my creative space

Notes plural noun, a brief record of facts, topics, thoughts written down as an aid to memory; a short informal letter

 

Dear Friend, Throughout the month I collect different stories, ideas, words, and other things I liked that I think you might enjoy as well. Here's what I've gathered for April along with a few updates from my corner of the world. I hope there's something below that resonates, inspires, or that you find helpful.

💙 Mend the part of the world closest to you. I saw these words at the Mosaic Tile House in Venice, CA (which is an amazing and inspiring place!) When times feel heavy and you feel helpless, keep this phrase in mind.

 

🌲Trek for trolls! Artist Thomas Dambo creates these huge friendly and fun trolls out of recycled materials, each with a unique story that encourages us to be good stewards of nature. Check out the troll map to see if there's one near you. I've shared this before but wanted to mention again because some trolls are part of traveling exhibits! Even if you don't live by a permanent one, they might come to you! If you live in So Cal, you can currently find 12 of them at South Coast Botanic Garden until Oct 4th and WA friends, there are 5 permanent trolls here!

 

📄 Here's your permission slip to let 💩 that go. This article by Evan Sanders popped into my inbox exactly when I needed it. Sharing in case you might need it too or save it for when you do.

✍️ Write this letter to your future self, read it every day, see what happens A powerful exercise I learned about from Alexandra Franzen. Find the details and template here. I tried this at a time when I felt untethered and anxious and it helped me feel more centered and grounded. I have edited it as things change and feel like it's time to revisit it again. (You don't have to do this only when times are challenging--I think it's beneficial when things feel great as well!)

 

📅 Save the date! 21 Every Days Project begins May 17th I'll be hosting four 21 Every Days Project this year--one for every season so we can document these different times in our lives while adding some creativity and fun into our days! The first one will begin later this month. I'll be sending out more details and the sign up soon, please keep an eye out!

 

🎨 Play with powered watercolors For June's Creative Spark Club project, I'll be mailing out 2 powdered watercolor samples and different papers to paint on! If this sounds like something you'd want to try, you can subscribe to the club (it's a monthly subscription which means you'll be automatically charged every month and continue to receive projects every month) or place an order as a one-time purchase without a subscription (link coming soon). If you're already a subscriber, you are all set and don't need to subscribe again! 

Wishing you a good start to the new month ahead.

Take good care and talk to you soon,

PS: If you're reading this in real time--I'm cutting it close!--May the 4th be with you :) I got to attend Down for Dance's Monday Art Explorations class today where we took some inspiration from Star Wars while learning about drawing human figures and proportions. My favorite characters are ewoks so I used the human proportion to help me guesstimate the size and shape of one--mine looks like a mix of a teddy bear + sloth lol. 

 

Down for Dance is a non-profit empowering individuals of all abilities to build a stronger sense of self through dance and the arts. Thanks to my dear friend Kristen, I got connected with them. Today I was an observer and student and from time to time I get the privilege of being the substitute teacher--it's an amazing organization working with amazing folks!

 

 

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