Summer Newsletter 2025

Change, art, and hope.

Hi friends,

I’m still here, and you’re still here, and that is a beautiful thing.

I’m nearing the end of my pregnancy, and it’s been a very strange thing to stare down a huge life change. I know that I will be a different person on the other side, but have no way of truly preparing for it or knowing what it will look like until I live it. I think about that children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and the phrase that’s repeated throughout: We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh no! We’ve got to go through it.

With any major change, or times that feel heavy and uncertain, all there is is to take one step in front of another and move through. (It does help to have good company.)

Here's what I've been thinking about over the past few months:

• ICAD is in full swing! This once-a-day, low-stakes creative project is hosted by Tammy Garcia of Daisy Yellow from June 1–July 31 annually, and it’s never too late to jump in. I’ve found this exercise to be hugely helpful in breaking past creative barriers and making a lot of ugly art to find the good stuff. Check out my cards from past years for inspiration.

• I wrote about liminal spaces and how my art journals hold my life in their pages.

• Amid a world full of bad news, I’ve been craving slowness and softness. In that vein, I’ve really been loving the work of Brandi Kincaid, Christian Watson, and Charlie Mackesy. Another artist I’ve been following for years who creates in a similar vein is Morgan Harper Nichols.

• More than ever, it’s critical for us to continue honestly examining the past, listening to those who have historically been silenced, and exploring how we can make a better future for everyone. In honor of Juneteenth yesterday, here’s a place to start.

• The Artist’s Way is a pillar of creative practice (and a great tool for getting through challenging times). Bella of @pocketfullofponder is hosting a free and open community read-through on Instagram; you should join in!

• I had a recent conversation about creative iteration — revisiting one’s thoughts and work and building upon it. It shouldn’t be any surprise to me that I’ve written about change before, but looking back on old posts like Impermanence and Doorways provides a new perspective.

• Don’t forget to hold on to joy and hope. There’s Tiki’s foster mom and new family, tiny moments of humanity wherever you look for it, and creative encouragement. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Thanks for reading and sharing this space with me. This newsletter goes out quarterly, but given that my next big creative project — motherhood — kicks off soon, the schedule may be disrupted. Til the next one, you can find me at my blog or on Instagram.

Take care,
Ingrid