A New Year, a New Self Portrait and a note on What’s Important.

Posted on February 14, 2024 by kay

Hello everyone! Happy New Year, and Happy February! If you’re wondering why I’m saying Happy New Year in February, well it’s because for some reason every year, even though I’ve planned not too, January never seems to “work out” for me. That is, in a creative sense. Call it burn out, call it being overwhelmed, […]

Hello everyone! Happy New Year, and Happy February!

If you’re wondering why I’m saying Happy New Year in February, well it’s because for some reason every year, even though I’ve planned not too, January never seems to “work out” for me. That is, in a creative sense. Call it burn out, call it being overwhelmed, maybe it’s even seasonal depression, but January is not my month. And that’s okay! I use this month to focus on other things, brainstorm for the year ahead and what-not, but mostly to rest and regroup. I guess it’s my way of hibernating.

Now, I am slowly getting back into things and for todays post I wanted to share something with you I find very interesting.

Here’s a Quick Story…

Kung Fu Panda 4 is coming out later this year. Yes I’m talking about a children’s movie series, and yes it brought me to a deep realization. Because the new Kung Fu Panda is being released soon, my family and I wanted to catch up on all of the previous Kung Fu Panda movies.

We started with the first of the series, which is rightfully named just, Kung Fu Panda. I’ve seen this movie a handful of times. I usually end up falling asleep to it, but for this instance I stayed awake and enjoyed the whole film and one very IMPORTANT part that specifically stuck out to me. If you’ve seen the movie before, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

A break down of the movie…

Towards the end of the film, Po has finished with his training as The Dragon Warrior, and now it is time for him to receive The Dragon Scroll. The Dragon Scroll is the missing piece, the key, the only solution to saving his village and defeating the evil tyrant Tai Lung. Pretty serious stuff.

He receives the scroll, unrolls it slowly, and reveals… nothing. But this isn’t the part I’m talking about.

A little while after, Po and the villagers are evacuating the village because Tai Lung is on his way. Po meets up with his dad, a goose, and Po is feeling defeated. His dad is trying to make him happy, and finally he reveals a deep secret, THE SECRET to his secret ingredient soup. To Po’s surprise, and much like The Dragon Scroll, the secret ingredient is… nothing. This also isn’t the part I’m talking about.

After Po’s dad reveals there is no secret ingredient, Po asks him, “It’s just plain old noodle soup? You don’t add some kind of special sauce or something?”

AND THIS NEXT PART IS THE PART THAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.

Po’s dad says he doesn’t need to add a special ingredient. He says, “To make something special, you just have to believe it’s special.”

Did this old man goose just blow my mind?!

Here’s a link to the clip of the movie I’m talking about (Fast forward to 1:50)…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJcBqwKq0qw

This brings me to my point…

A point of IMPORTANCE. Or, as Po’s Dad says, something being SPECIAL.

The definition of Important is, of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success, survival, or well-being.

But what is important?! Well, it’s whatever you want it to be! I think that’s the best part. What is important to you? Much like Po’s Dad’s soup, it’s only special because he believes it’s special. So in turn, if you believe something is special, then it will become special to you. This may sound simple, but it’s something I have to remind myself of frequently as I can lose track of what’s important to me. Do you struggle with this sometimes too? I would love to know if you have a way to remind yourself on what’s important to you in your life, let me know in the comments!

Special vs. Important

I’ve changed the wording from special to important, because going into the new year, I want to focus on what’s truly important to me. You could call it special though if you’d like! The word “important” just has more gravity for me for some reason. Whatever word you choose, I hope this will help you figure out what’s important, or special, to you. On the opposite end, I think if we give things that aren’t important to us less energy and focus, then we can spend more time working towards the things that are important and valuable to us. Does this make sense? Basically why waste your energy on things that aren’t important to you.

A quick activity to try…

Let’s give power and energy to those things that are important to us! For me today, I’m focusing on my art, more connection offline and giving more time to reading. Here’s a list of what’s important to me

1: creating or finding a space for my art. (see my post on renting a space here)

2: painting more. (this seems to be a constant on my list!)

3: writing more.

4: getting more involved in-person through my community.

5: setting up my online shop.

So far, that’s it! And these aren’t in any particular order, but if you would want to list yours in order of importance that could be fun. I hope because I’m giving these things importance, maybe everyone around me will find them important too!

A Self Portrait…

To explain my portrait a bit more, I’m very much into reading books lately. Instead of doom scrolling on my phone, I read. I love finding a new book (any other goodreads lovers out there?), or highlighting quotes I find interesting, hence the highlighter in my back pocket. The leaves in the air are a nod to a project I’m working on, and the pencil and paintbrush are nods to my art focus. Lastly, I’m sitting outside, which being outside is always important to me, and my little mouse friend in the picture is a reminder to keep my work whimsical.

So what’s important to you? What’s special to you? Finishing that sketchbook? Sharing your work more publicly? Selling your work for the first time either online or through a show? Whatever it is, it WILL BE IMPORTANT, IT WILL BE SPECIAL, because you’ve given it that energy and power it deserves.

Thank you for reading along, and have fun creating!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

Ohkayyay 5 things October Edition

Posted on October 3, 2023 by kay

Hello everyone and Happy how is it October already!? My favorite time of year, and also, the BUSIEST! Out of three of my kids, two of them have October birthdays, also not to mention all the pumpkin farms, haunted houses and hayrides, apple and pumpkin picking, and last but not least, HALLOWEEN ITSELF! There is so much to do within the month of October. What are some of your favorite fall activities? I would love to know! For now, let’s get into this months “Ohkayyay 5 things”.

*As mentioned in the previous months, “Ohkayyay 5 things” is a loose and free monthly based prompt challenge with zero pressure! Just some things to get the gears turning if you need any inspiration, all based around a particular month. See September’s Ohkayyay 5 things list here.*

Here are the “5 things” for October:

Moon:

“When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

`tis near Halloween”

I love the way Halloween gives the moon an excuse to be a big character within illustrations! Especially in vintage Halloween illustrations. Here’s a link to a Pinterest board that has so much vintage halloween inspiration, and even some moon characters sprinkled throughout.

Ghost:

If there’s ever an excuse to draw a ghost, October is it! One of my favorite things to play with when drawing/painting ghosts, is the fact that they are transparent. Playing with bringing the background colors through the ghost is always a challenge for me, but a fun challenge! Here’s an example of what I played with in my ghost character from Peachtober last year here.

Pumpkin:

Nothing says fall and Halloween like PUMPKINS. Every year I go to buy pumpkins I think to myself, how many pumpkins is too many pumpkins? I love them! I would grow my own, but every time I try, the deer come through and eat the blossoms. Haven’t figured out a way to make them stop lol. What do you think of creating when you think pumpkins?

Owl:

Another fun October character, the Owl. Have you ever seen an owl? Last year we had an owl in our backyard in one of our trees, my kids named them “Luna” a very fitting name for an owl!

Apple:

What’s your favorite ways to eat an apple? Apple pie, apple cider, candy apple, or just a regular old apple? I love apple picking, and I love the apple aesthetic, but when it comes to eating too many apples, my stomach is none too happy lol. Such is life! But I love me a good apple cider, or apple frost, a local snack from an apple farm that combines apples and vanilla in an ice cream/slushie treat. One of my families favorites!

That’s it! The “5 things” for the month of October. Hope they help inspire you to create!

*Note: These prompts do not have to be finished pieces, they could be a sketch, a story, a sculpture, anything! If you feel like sharing, you can use #ohkayyay5things and tag me on instagram @ohkayyay. I’ll be sharing creations in my stories throughout the month of June! If you don’t want to share over social media, you can email me at ohkayyay@gmail.com or you can keep your beautiful creations all for yourself. I can’t wait to see what you make!*

Thank you for reading, and have fun creating everyone!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

Ohkayyay 5 things September Edition

Posted on September 2, 2023 by kay

Hello everyone, happy almost fall, and welcome to “Ohkayyay 5 things” September Edition! Can you feel the fall air creeping in? I can’t wait to jump into all things fall like a big pile of leaves, but I’m holding back and clinging on to those last bits of summer. How about you? Are you ready […]

In the want to hold onto these last summer moments, and also enjoy the anticipation of the fall months ahead, here is a special Back to School Edition of “Ohkayyay 5 things.”

Here are the “5 things” for September:

Bus:

Hurry up and wait! (Any other Bluey fans out there?) The bus is on its way! I’ve always had this want of drawing characters in cars, trains, and buses and I’m using this prompt as an excuse to get my but in gear and make it happen! Here are some things to think about. What kind of “bus” would a smaller creature take to school? What color could the bus be? Maybe we can turn a bus into it’s own work of art!

Pencil:

One of the best tools for an artist! I love drawing pencils, especially oversized ones. They are very nostalgic and aesthetically pleasing I find. I hope you have fun playing with this one.

Book:

Is there anything better than finding a great story and getting lost in a book? I’ve made a promise to myself to read every single day and taking that time to focus on this goal has brought me a lot of calm in my day-to-day. What book are you reading right now? What was one of your favorite stories as a child? Connecting with those memories and stories can help fuel and motivate you for what you’re creating today, listen to those feelings!

Backpack:

Don’t forget your backpack for the first day of school! What’s inside your backpack and what does the outside of it look like? My daughters both needed new backpacks and were so excited to pick them out in the store. Remember that feeling of grabbing your list and going and picking out your new school supplies? What was the number one supplies you were always looking forward to getting?

Recess:

All that school time deserves a break! Time to get outside and recharge. In one book I illustrated, “You can do it Digger” The trucks were working together to build a playground. I felt overwhelmed because where to start when drawing something big like that? But practicing and stretching my drawing muscles really helped. I’ve revisited drawing different playgrounds since, each one feeling more and more tricky, but trying and studying these different angles and sceneries have been great practice and I highly recommend it!

That’s it! The “5 things” for the month of September. Hope they help inspire you to create!

Thank you for reading, and have fun creating everyone!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

BURNOUT and 3 ways to recover from it

Posted on August 30, 2023 by kay

Hello everyone! What month is it? Time seems to be passing faster and faster and here we are, already well into the end of Summer. How are you doing? I hope you are being kind and gentle to yourself! Let’s get into it… The Dreaded BURNOUT I wanted to write about something important today. Something […]

Hello everyone!

What month is it? Time seems to be passing faster and faster and here we are, already well into the end of Summer. How are you doing? I hope you are being kind and gentle to yourself! Let’s get into it…

The Dreaded BURNOUT

I wanted to write about something important today. Something I regularly struggle with, and that is BURNOUT. Or sometimes it can be called, ART-BLOCK. As much as it can try to be avoided, it somehow seems inevitable. Okay, so we know it is probably going to happen, and there is nothing we can do about that. But how can we get ourselves out of it, where we feel comfortable creating again? First let’s start with the why.

Why Do we Create?

First thing I want to talk about and also a question I have for you to think about is… Why do we create? Why do we do it?! If it brings us so much frustration and exhaustion sometimes, why do we keep doing it to ourselves? And maybe you’re a rare few where you have an endless amount of energy to create, time and resources all in place, ideas FLOWING out of your brain, self marketing comes perfectly natural, you have a store that’s fully stocked and you have a back log of posts, blog writings, photos, videos, all the things and then some, the list goes on and on.

If you do have this, please contact me and tell me all of your secrets, but also (chances are) managing all of these things can be a bit stressful, overwhelming and unobtainable. Bring on THE BURNOUT.

What Causes BURNOUT?

I find that my burnout comes from when there are other outside factors in my life at play. Family, health, friends, relationships. Things that are important need to take priority. Would I love the dinner and laundry to do itself? The kids to put themselves to bed? The second job to take care of itself? All these things done, so I could sit in my beautifully curated office and casually sip my coffee while an abundant amount of ideas and creations effortlessly get put down on paper and magically bring me to where I want to be career wise? Sounds like an amazingly impractical life.

All of this sounds stressful. So why do we do it? Well, the spark. The NEED to create. I can’t get rid of it, can you?

So I find myself writing ideas in a notepad, scribbling characters on grocery lists, stopping in my tracks with a thought or a painting idea or a new color combination I want to try. Sometimes, we loose the spark. The spark burns out. But it’s never gone. Just know, that want and feeling you have to create something, will probably never be completely gone, sometimes it just doesn’t burn as bright.

The Three Steps to Recovering from BURNOUT

Step One: The Social Media Dilemma

Okay passion and sappy talk done, now what to do about it?! I’ve come out of several burnouts, all different, all terrible. I want to start off with my NUMBER ONE thing to do when dealing with that artblock, burnout feeling, and I cannot stress this enough. GET OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

Social media platforms are a great way to stay connected to a large community of artists. So many resources at your fingertips! But you have to know how to use it. One thing that instagram is specifically good at is focusing on the numbers (read more about how I feel about numbers in this blog post here). How many people are engaged? Did your post get a lot of views? What about likes? Are people commenting? The system wants you to know, because they want you to feel like you need to keep posting, to do better aka get your numbers higher.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve fallen into the numbers game. It has gotten to the point where I was posting purely off of what I thought everyone would want to see; what I thought would get me the highest numbers. Endlessly scrolling, not even looking at the beautiful art that people were creating, but just looking at how many likes it got. I was working for the algorithm, I wasn’t letting it work for me. As soon as you get this feeling, or notice yourself looking at the numbers only, take a step back and walk away. This is the first place to start in conquering BURNOUT.

Step Two: Finding the Source of the Burnout

One of the biggest things that brings me to a burnout, are the outside factors. Life moments becoming bigger and taking up a lot of space in my mind. Holidays, birthdays, big life events, all of the things that come up naturally, can make me need to pause and step away. Not step away because I want to, but step away because I have too. If you have kids especially, it can be hard to balance all of the things, it takes a village!

Not having clear direction can be a source of burnout for me as well. When I’m working on a project, I have a direction, I know what needs to get done. But when I’m left open ended and completely alone to come up with my own projects, it can be a little daunting. Mix that with the outside factors and it can seem like, what’s the point of it all. Your spark is dwindling.

Finding the source of your burnout can help you recognize what needs to be done. Am I overwhelmed with family life? Focus on what your family needs. Am I lacking a project or direction? Brainstorm ideas with no intention of finishing a project. Do I need inspiration? Go visit a museum, buy a new sketchbook! Is my head feeling cloudy? Go for a walk. I’ve just recently read about the benefits of “Silent Walking” (link to the article here) and I can’t wait to try and implement it into my everyday. Stepping away, finding the source and taking the time to address it can be a huge help.

Step Three: Slowly Lighting the Flame Again

So what if you’re not doing anything? What if your burnout has led you to a point where you’re not creating, you’re not interacting with the community, you’ve completely fallen off the face of the art world and you don’t know how to jump back in? Well I’ve been there, first of all. Second of all please take comfort in knowing that this is okay. You probably need the time to not think about things for a while. It’s not a bad thing to shut off and take a break. But you miss drawing, and you miss creating, so what are some ways to nurture your inner flame and not smother it back down?

Make a mess:

I keep several sketch books. And one of my sketchbooks, is my messy I don’t care who sees this sketchbook. Everyone needs one of these. Open a page, and just start drawing. ANYTHING. Make shapes, draw lines, put a blob of color down, it doesn’t matter what you do because no one is going to see it. You can’t be too precious with your work all the time. If you’re too gentle and cautious, then you are going to start doubting yourself, being too hesitant, and it will show in your work.

When’s the last time you took a crayon, any color, and just ran it across a piece of paper for no reason, with no vision in sight? Do that! Scribble, doodle, make UGLY art! Who cares! It will help keep your creative juices flowing and I think it’s a good place to start. Start with no expectations, end with no expectations, just create something for fun! (Sometimes I color in my kids coloring books to just for fun, it’s 100% no pressure and I find it very relaxing.)

Find Inspiration:

So you’ve scribbled and had some fun, has your spark lit up a bit more? If you’re still not sure what to make from here, maybe it’s time to get some inspiration from other sources! I know I said to stay clear of social media, but Pinterest is a great tool to find inspiration (and also pose references.) I feel like they don’t put too much pressure on the numbers either.

Some other places where I find inspiration are children books. Do you have a favorite illustrator? A favorite author? Some of my favorites are Richard Scarry, The Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel, or any other kind of vintage children books. Go to the library and turn some pages in a book! Researching and absorbing these types of illustrations helps inspire me to create my own art.

Try Something New:

How’s your creative flame doing? One last little idea I have that could help you get your spark back is, try something new! This could be anything from using a new type of paint, to sculpting something with clay, painting on a super big canvas (this has been on my bucket list of things to try for a while now) or even just drawing a new subject matter. Just remember when trying something new to not stress about it, easier said than done, and chances are it’s going to be difficult at first, but what better way to grow than to give a go at something just for fun?

Ending Thoughts

Burnout is real. Art-block is real. Accepting the fact that it is going to happen is important. Your need to create will never leave you. Always remember life moves in waves. Everything can’t always be great, and you need the down time to heal and recover to come back and be stronger. That’s how we learn, that’s how we improve and grow.

Have you struggled with Art-block or Burnout? What are some things you have done to get out of it? I’d love to learn and hear from you in the comments! Thank you for reading, and happy creating!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

Ohkayyay 5 things August Edition

Posted on August 4, 2023 by kay

Hello everyone and where did July go? How is it already August?! Thank you for staying with me, I’m a little behind, but I’m excited to share this belated “Ohkayyay 5 Things” August Edition with you! *As mentioned in the previous months, “Ohkayyay 5 things” is a loose and free monthly based prompt challenge with […]

Here are the “5 things” for August:

Sunflower: The sunflowers have started growing and turning their faces towards the sun and I am here for these beautiful flowers. When drawing sunflowers, think of the simple shapes you can use to create the bigger picture! Where are the sunflowers planted? Is it one sunflower being held, or a whole field of sunflowers layering over each other?

Mushroom: We’ve had a lot of rain where I live, mix that with the warmer weather and out pop the mushrooms practically overnight! Here are some fun mushrooms I’ve seen around:

-Stinkhorn

-Ghost Pipes

-Giant Puffball

-Bitter Bolete

-Hen of the Wood

And I’ve seen even more than this, so many mushrooms, so little time! Have you seen any cool mushrooms where you live?

Acorn: Another favorite of mine, acorns! Anyone else think these are super adorable? An acorn can be a great prop for a character in a piece, it can be a character itself, or it could even be a home for a character. What do you think of when you hear the word acorn?

Home: What does home mean to you? Is it a person, place, or pet? It can go so many ways! I love painting buildings and homes, especially A-frames houses, and if you’re looking to try to paint or draw a house, here’s your sign!

Harvest: It’s almost the end of summer and that means it’s time to harvest. Last year my family planted more in our garden than this year. We had squash, cucumber, tomato, and some pumpkins. This year we’ve been trying to clean out our beds and yard so we haven’t had much time for planting, but I’m excited to see what harvest means for you and would love to hear if you’ve planted anything and seen any successes!

That’s it! The “5 things” for the month of August. Hope they help inspire you to create!

Note: These prompts do not have to be finished pieces, they could be a sketch, a story, a sculpture, anything! If you feel like sharing, you can use #ohkayyay5things and tag me on instagram @ohkayyay. I’ll be sharing creations in my stories throughout the month of June! If you don’t want to share over social media, you can email me at ohkayyay@gmail.com or you can keep your beautiful creations all for yourself. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Thank you for reading, and have fun creating everyone!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable

Posted on July 15, 2023 by kay

Hello everyone! How’s your July going? I’ve been working away slowly on a few projects, but MAN is it difficult to get things done in the summer. Between the beautiful weather, all the outdoor activities and the kids being home from school, it can be difficult to find time for myself to get things done. […]

Hello everyone!

How’s your July going?

I’ve been working away slowly on a few projects, but MAN is it difficult to get things done in the summer. Between the beautiful weather, all the outdoor activities and the kids being home from school, it can be difficult to find time for myself to get things done. Do you have kids? How are you doing with balancing it all?

I talk a bit more about working from home with kids in this blog post here.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for things to do with your kids or to just keep them busy for a little bit, boy do I have an activity for you! During the summer, my kids love being outside ALL THE TIME. That’s what inspired this…

A Nature Scavenger Hunt!

*Click on image to download, scroll for both painted and outlined versions*

Just download and get searching!

There is a painted version OR an outlined version for your little (or yourself!) to color and also to help save on ink when printing!

I hope you (and your family!) have fun with this one! Feel free to share your finished searches if you’d like.

Again, printable link to the Nature Scavenger Hunt painted version here and the Nature Scavenger Hunt outlined version here. If you would like more printables and things like this, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter “Bit Bobs and Knick Knacks” where I’ll be writing more insights, how-tos, and designing more fun activities. Sign up is below and have fun searching everyone!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

Ohkayyay 5 things July Edition

Posted on July 1, 2023July 1, 2023 by kay

Hello everyone and woo hoo July! Wow, can’t believe this year is over half way through now, it’s flying by for me, how is it going for you? As mentioned in the previous months, “Ohkayyay 5 things” is a loose and free, monthly based prompt challenge with zero pressure! Just some things to get the […]

Hello everyone and woo hoo July! Wow, can’t believe this year is over half way through now, it’s flying by for me, how is it going for you?

As mentioned in the previous months, “Ohkayyay 5 things” is a loose and free, monthly based prompt challenge with zero pressure! Just some things to get the gears turning if you need any inspiration, all focused around a particular month. See May’s list here, and see June’s list here.

Here are the “5 things” for July:

Parade: A major staple to the summer season, parades! Our town does a big one for our local fireman’s carnival, and it’s definitely something my kids look forward to every year. I think parades are also fun to draw because you can make them very dynamic by playing with the characters, levels and color palettes.

Fireworks: In honor of fourth of July, fireworks! This is another nostalgic one for kids. Staying up late till it’s dark, watching fireworks, holding sparklers. Great opportunity to play with lighting, shapes and patterns.

Strawberry: My family and I went strawberry picking a couple weeks ago and oh man, strawberries are really cute. Some ideas to think about, whose picking the strawberries? Could the perspective change and could someone be living in the strawberry patch? Could you design a pattern out of strawberry leaves, flowers and fruit?

Picnic: A lovely day for a picnic! This prompt has been one that I’ve been wanting to paint for a while. I hope I have time to tackle it this month.

Jam: This one could be interpreted in many different ways! I think of the jam you can eat, I mean what else am I going to do with all those extra strawberries? Can’t wait to see what you think of!

That’s it! The “5 things” for the month of July. Hope they help inspire you to create!

Note: These prompts do not have to be finished pieces, they could be a sketch, a story, a sculpture, anything! If you feel like sharing, you can use #ohkayyay5things and tag me on instagram @ohkayyay. I’ll be sharing creations in my stories throughout the month of June! If you don’t want to share over social media, you can email me at ohkayyay@gmail.com or you can keep your beautiful creations all for yourself. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Thank you for reading, and have fun creating everyone!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

To rent, or not to rent? That is the question. Pros and Cons of having an out of home office space.

Posted on June 16, 2023 by kay

Hello everyone and happy mid June! I’m chipping away at some projects and I wanted to bring up a bittersweet moment in my art journey. Getting rid of my out of home office space. After almost two years, the space that I had curated, decorated and enjoyed several creative moments in, is now coming to […]

Hello everyone and happy mid June! I’m chipping away at some projects and I wanted to bring up a bittersweet moment in my art journey. Getting rid of my out of home office space. After almost two years, the space that I had curated, decorated and enjoyed several creative moments in, is now coming to a close. Even though this feels sad typing this, I still ask myself, is this necessarily a bad thing?

Let’s jump in!

So what started this need of a separate work space from home? One guess. 2020. After being home with three kids day in and day out, it was easy for my husband and I to make the decision that we needed a space away from our house (and our children) in order to get anything done. Both of us working remotely helped with this ultimate decision of needing a space, as neither of us had an “office” that we had to report to every single day. After looking for a month or two we finally found the perfect place. It was a good size, the walls were white and the natural light that came in was just right! Plus it was in a great location downtown near a baseball stadium and even a waterfall! Everything seemed so perfect. But then almost two years later, we started to wonder, was the office working for us? Or were we working for the office?

If you’re considering looking into a studio space, or if you feel like your creative self is missing something, here are my pros and cons to having an out of house space.

Pros:

You have an out of home studio space! How cool is that?! This one is pretty simple. If you have a family and a full house, maybe renting a space away from your screaming three year old is 100% worth it! Plus there is a sense of professionalism that comes with having your own space.
Less distractions: Because you are in a space dedicated to working, you might be able to get more done. I remember most days I would be so excited to leave the house so I could go and have my painting time just for me. I would get so much done because I didn’t have laundry, kids, pets, chores or anything else to distract me.
Getting out of your house can bring a sense of community: Sometimes being in your house can make you feel isolated. Like it’s just you against the world. Yes there are social media communities, but there is still nothing like getting up and physically going somewhere, talking to other people, taking a walk in the local area, really submersing yourself into the community feel and everything it has to offer.
*this is another one if you have kids* No one touches your stuff: Constantly at my house if I set something down, chances are the next day, it’s not going to be there. At the studio space, when I put something down, it was right where I left it when I came back. IYKYK.
A space for all of your supplies: Printers, paper cutter, mailers, envelopes, stickers, prints, paintings, books, I could go on and on. I have no idea where I am going to put all of this stuff now that the space is no more. If you have any tips on storage, I would love to know!

Now that we’ve gone over some PROS, which all sound great… here are some CONS:

Money: If you want that extra studio space, you have to pay for it, and that price is not guaranteed to stay the same. By the time we had made the decision to leave our space, our rent had gone up an additional $50 a month due to CAM fees. And if you’re wondering what CAM fees are, they stand for “Common Area Maintenance.” So if your renting a studio space and there is a common area room, your monthly rent could go up.
Commute time: When looking for a space, think about the time it actually takes to commute. Ours was about 20-25mins away on a good traffic day. Do the math and that’s almost an hour a day spent driving to and from a space. If you can find something closer to home, I definitely recommend it!
Pressure to create: This one may sound weird but if you have anxiety like me I think you’ll understand. While there were those days where I could let loose and create, there were other days when I would go to the office with no ongoing project, sit there and twiddle my thumbs and then feel defeated after a day of not really getting anything done. For me, sometimes, everything is valued at how much it costs. The fact that I was paying for a space, going there to get something done and I wasn’t getting anything done… well that meant that the day was a waste and I lost a value in the investment of the studio.
Not being able to be available for my kids and my family: And I don’t mean this in a way like, “oh no I can’t make it to Timmy’s soccer game because of work!” I mean this in a way that when my kids were home sick, or needed to be picked up from school, or forgot something at home, or had a doctors appointment that day (any number of things) I would feel tethered down to my house. Then I would feel upset that I couldn’t make it to the office to get things done. It was like a weird power that the space had over me. If I didn’t use the studio then I was failing at my art career and wasting my money.
Safety: As glamorous as a downtown space sounds, there were some safety concerns. One day someone’s car got broken into, another day someone was mugged. If you have a rented space you’re at the mercy of the location. I would recommend asking other tenets of the space you’re looking in to. If they have had any negative experiences regarding this, it would be nice to know ahead of time. Always good to get more information!

In the end…

We decided to move on and move out of our office. We have reached out to family members to help, it takes a village! They watch our youngest a few days a week, and we invest in daycare as well. Our youngest is three, very cute and very sweet, but he’s a monster. Even though I’ll miss the space a lot, I think that remembering the moments there is enough in of itself. Maybe in the future we’ll get another space, but for now we are making it work at home! Whether you’re saying goodbye, or moving into a new space, know that your work isn’t validated by where it’s made! You’re still an artist with or without a studio space.

Have you had or are you currently renting/looking into a space? I would love to hear about your experience! Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading and have fun creating!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

Ohkayyay 5 things June Edition

Posted on June 1, 2023 by kay

“Ohkayyay 5 things” June Edition Hello everyone and happy June! How are you doing? Have you gotten a chance to be outside lately? Where I live, the sun has been shining and the winter weather is no more! I hope you’re able to go out and enjoy these beautiful days. Here we go with the […]

“Ohkayyay 5 things” June Edition

Hello everyone and happy June! How are you doing? Have you gotten a chance to be outside lately? Where I live, the sun has been shining and the winter weather is no more! I hope you’re able to go out and enjoy these beautiful days.

Here we go with the second edition of “Ohkayyay 5 things” this time all based around the month of June. What is “Ohkayyay 5 things?” It is a monthly prompt list of “5 things” that are meant to inspire you to create something! A no pressure list, to spark ideas and creativity based off of the current month. *See the first round of prompts here all based around the month of May.*

So grab your pencils, sketchbooks, paintbrushes, anything at all! Here are the “5 things” for June:

Frogs/Toads: The weather is warming up and that means the animals are in full twitterpated mode! Any other Bambi fans out there? Our yard has been filled with its fair share of toads but we haven’t had any frogs yet. Frogs and toads have always been one of my favorite things to paint and draw, and if you haven’t drawn one yet, or in a while, I hope you have fun giving them a go.

Figs: Different kinds of fruits have always been some of my favorite things to draw, and when I googled “fruits for the month of June” figs were one of the ones that came up! I had so much fun going back to just colored pencil, exploring a new color palette and creating this fun fig pattern and making these textures in my sketchbook.

Dads, Dads with Kids: Last month we celebrated moms in honor of Mother’s Day, so this month, let’s celebrate Dads in honor of Father’s day! You can sketch any type of Dad, can be personal or a made up story with new characters, whichever you’d like! *And incase you were wondering, Father’s Day is Sunday June 18th.*

Clovers: If you follow me along on instagram, you’ll see I have a hobby of finding four leaf clovers. If you haven’t gone out and looked for a four leaf clover recently, I highly suggest it! The thrill of finding a four leaf is pretty great, as much as my husband would disagree and my family find it annoying that I’m continuously pulling four leaves out of the ground from what seems like nothing but a bed of three leaves. Either way, clovers are a cute little plant, so let’s give them a moment in the spotlight.

Leaves: It’s June and the leaves are all out soaking up the sun! This prompt is all about focusing on shapes and patterns. What is the overall shape of the leaf? What patterns do the veins of the leaf make? What different colors of green do the leaves make up? Is it more of a deep emerald green or a yellowish green? Does anyone else nerd out about things like this? Please tell me I am not alone. Either way, grab some paper and something to draw with, go for a walk outside, find three different leaves and sketch them really quick.

Color Palette Bonus: If you’re stuck in a color rut, like I get into frequently, here are some color palettes I’ve found when creating these blog pieces. I hope they help and bring inspiration!

That’s it! “5 things” for the month of June:

Frogs/Toads

Figs

Dads

Clovers

Leaves

I loved seeing your work for the month of May and I’d love to see what you draw for this month, if these prompts inspire you!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you have fun creating everyone!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.

Your Art is Not a Number

Posted on May 15, 2023May 15, 2023 by kay

How-To find value in your Art! *without looking at the numbers.* Hello everyone, and happy mid-May! How are you doing? I hope everything is going well so far! May is one of my favorite months for several reasons. Number one, the flowers! I love me a good lilac. Number two, I feel like the time […]

How-To find value in your Art! *without looking at the numbers.*

Hello everyone, and happy mid-May! How are you doing? I hope everything is going well so far! May is one of my favorite months for several reasons. Number one, the flowers! I love me a good lilac. Number two, I feel like the time to be creative is now! There are so many prompts, challenges and things to get you inspired. Last but not least, the May weather. By this point of the year, I have had it with winter and cold weather. Even as I am typing this it is still not that warm outside, but it’s not snowing so I can’t be to picky.

With all of the art challenges coming up and creative inspirations flowing, I can find that now is the best time to create and share your work! Sometimes, there is a negative. You create, get excited, share your work and the result you get from the public is not what you expected. Does this devalue your art? It shouldn’t, but I understand if you feel that. Well that’s what this post is about. So let’s get into the meat and potatoes of it all!

How it starts

Have you ever noticed yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media platforms, whether it’s on your personal page, or whether it’s someone else’s page, and find that while you may be “looking” at the art, you’re actually just looking at the numbers? The following count, how many likes it got, how many views it got, how much money was brought in, how many comments were left and on and on and on?

While I do find that sometimes numbers are important, what I also find equally as important is… ignoring them. The reason that I find it important to ignore the numbers is that sometimes that’s the only way we find value in our work. In my opinion, this is the fastest way to experience, burnout, self-doubt, depression and an overall creative decline. If you thrive on having creative energy, valuing your work through number comparisons is one of the worst things you can do.

How can you find value in your work then? Because it is valuable! With the numbers game out there, sometimes it is hard to remember, why am I doing this? Why do I create? More on this in another post, but for now, here are 5 things that you can do when it comes to finding value in your art.

1: Be mindful while you’re creating. How did you feel WHILE you were making something? Did you feel peace or relief? Did you feel “in the zone?” All those feelings hold impact and if art can give you a sense of joy and peace, than that’s the value right there! Another time to be mindful is when you’re done creating but BEFORE you share your work. There’s nothing like finishing a piece you’ve worked so hard on and taking a moment to reflect and appreciate everything that went into in. Be aware of your feelings. Do not focus on how you feel after you posted it, or showed your work to anyone. Don’t let outside influences negate your personal value in your work.

2: Take a look at the bigger picture. Look at the progress of your work as a whole. Here’s an activity you can try! Take all of your recent work, 5 or more pieces, place them all out in front of you. Then take 5 or more pieces of your older work, say about a year ago, further back if you’d like, and place those next to your more recent works. If you work digitally, print out the pieces! Having them physically in front of you hits differently.

Here are some questions to answer while you’re looking at your art! Did your style change? Did you learn a new medium or skill? What about composition and color? Have things like those come more natural to you in your newer projects? What was the overall personal progress you’ve made?

Sitting down and taking the time to reflect on where you’ve come from and how much you’ve grown visually puts the value of your work right in front of you. And look how much you’ve grown!

3: Take pride in viewing the world through creative eyes. This one sounds kind of weird, and let me know if I’m crazy or not. Ever since I started down this creative journey, I see the world around me differently. An example, when I see a flower, I want to draw it. When I garden and come across a worm, I come up for a story for that worm. I’ll see some moss on a walk and think, wow what a great texture! I’d love to figure out how to recreate that with paint! Does this happen to you? I think there’s value in seeing the world with a bit of whimsy and magic. Having creative ideas like these is not something everyone can do! Take pride in that.

4: Create with no outcome in mind. Create something, and keep it to yourself. If you start a piece knowing that you’re NOT going to share it with anyone, I bet that piece will be one of the best and freest works of art you’ll ever make. I would love to see it, but don’t show it to me!

5: Be aware of your spark. Recognize that sometimes your creative spark will not be burning super bright. I have another longer post on this idea around burnout and the struggle with being constantly creative. The main thing to take away here, of finding value in your art, is to find value in yourself and recognizing that your creative bucket will not be full every day. Which is 100% normal and completely great. No one can be “on” all the time and if you are what is your secret? Let me know!

Biggest Takeaway

The #1 (get it?) thing I want you to take away from this is, YOUR ART HOLDS VALUE. No matter what others think, or how many likes, comments, shares it got, it is still important and the world still needs it. Please do not let anything stop you from creating, because the value you can get from creating can be so rewarding!

Thank you for reading, and have fun making something!

-Kay

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Bit Bobs & Knick Knacks

An Illustration Blog with Monthly Updates.