this & that

Fantastic creative business flow chart by illustration hero of mine Lisa Congdon (+ Nate & Matte too !)

Lisa has a fantastic feature here with Grace at Design Sponge - about the life and the business of being an illustrator - with loads of great advice // More great info about the business of creativity over at Lisa's blog in her Frequently Asked Questions section // Nate Williams wrote an excellent article on having a career in illustration (with tips & techniques !) I heart N8 // & a great interview with my another of my illustration heros - Matte Stephens

You have to leave the city of your comfort 
and go into the wilderness of your intuition. 
What you’ll discover will be wonderful. 
What you’ll discover is yourself.
Alan Alda

I guess at this point in life (& career) I am mostly calling myself an Illustrator. Actually my full title would be Illustrator/Designer/Artist/Scaredy Cat ... (it's true you know, the scaredy cat part I just hide it really well ;-)

This Sunday here at 29 Black Street we have a blizzard/snow fall warning in effect - we're all tucked in, fires burning, cats a roaming, Doug's been working on the incredible reno of the downstairs bathroom (powder room) which involved taking down a wall and moving the door, sink and then building a new wall where the old door was - tres exciting and gorgeous. I do promise a post devoted just to this amazing bathroom transformation. I've been finishing up my first week's painting assignments from Flora Bowley's amazing Bloom True painting e-course. Wild & crazy, loose & intuitive, big & bold, free & easy, paint smearing mark making, drawing with paint - stamping, etching, scraping, dabbing - I love it !! a year ago, though, I could not have handled such wackiness, such spontaneity & unplannedness - it would've killed me. The concept did not make sense to me, I just didn't get it - at all. But I sure do now ! I'm ready ... I am so ready.

& omg ! I picked my one little word for 2013 finally ... or maybe I should say it picked me 'cause that's kinda how it happened & it's a such a perfect word for me. Hey 2013, Welcome ! happy to meet ya and we sure off to a great start. OLW* post coming up this week and I will reveal my new word in all it's glory (sung by the chorus of angels). Happy Sunday ! xos

* + les fantastic list of "one little words" here