218. Reader, it's Cold Outside.
scenes from life in a pacific northwest winter.
Dear reader,
The cusp of a new year is an excellent time to discover new writing. If you are a writer too, please introduce yourself in the comments and tell us about your work. Readers, visit the comment section to find exciting new words. Or, suggest a writer you have discovered this year!
The SneakyArt Post is a publication of secretly drawn art of the world. Every week I share the latest drawings from my sketchbook and the best ideas from my journey as an artist and writer.
If you like having SneakyArt in your inbox, share it with another person who may like it too.
Recharging stations
Cafes acquire new purpose during the cold months. People come here to see friends, to catch a break from the elements, to refresh, and to recharge. By providing coffee, wifi, and a snack, every cafe becomes an essential third space of city life.
At the Matchstick Cafe on Main, you hear the droplets of rain pitter-pattering against the glass. It blends with the clacking of keyboards and the clattering of spoons until you can’t tell them apart. Threads of conversation float in the warm air, pierced now and again by steam shooting out of the espresso machine. The barista calls out an order. Words intermingle with other words and lines intertwine with other lines and become white noise.
I like to go to the cafe at times of peak white noise. I find the outside noise helps to neutralize the noise inside my mind. Then I can get some work done.
Cafe People
Reader, have you tried eggnog latte? I am curious!
Use code [SNEAKYREADER] to get a special discount off the “Cafe People” print on my store!
In Case you Missed it…
🤖 Thoughts on Art and Artificial Intelligence, data theft, cultural colonization, and why art is the most intensely human thing to do.
🎙 The best ideas from this year on the SneakyArt Podcast, including why this is the best time in human history to be an artist.
📖 The evolution of art and the changing role of the artist in these times of virtual reproduction.
✒️ Why I use a fountain pen for the first draft of every idea.
✍🏼 The path to developing your unique style is simple, but not easy.
Eight years ago, I left in the middle of a PhD program in Neuroscience to become a writer instead. A path of curiosity brought me to sketchbooks and observational drawing and, quite accidentally, I became an artist instead of a novelist.
For the past three years, readers of this publication have been with me on this journey of self-exploration and self-education. Thank you to everyone who has given me a share of their time and attention.
The SneakyArt Post will return in the new year with exciting new plans for exciting new milestones. I have so much to tell you!
I could not stay on this path for very long without the support of SneakyArt Insiders. Paid subscriptions allow me to follow my curiosity, instead of chasing after trends. Paid subscriptions empower me to share my truest self, instead of wearing a ‘poptimistic’ social-media facade. Paid subscriptions help me stick to the job of artist and writer, instead of running an entire brand-marketing department inside my head. Thank you, dear Insiders, for helping me stay on the right path.
If you have enjoyed my writing and my art, my words and my lines, take advantage of this winter deal to become a SneakyArt Insider.
What a year we have had. I can’t wait to begin another one with you.
I've been writing longer than drawing or painting, but feel more comfortable making art than writing most days. And I have a journalism degree, which seems weird. Some days writing is like pulling teeth. I just keep doing it, reading, revising, holding my breath and pressing "send post."
Out of morbid curiosity, I tried an eggnog latte. Not for me, but I enjoy them separately!
I like the drawing of the child experiencing the tree. What a special moment to capture.
What a wonderful post! Thank you and I hope you have a fabulous end of year.