Dear Insider,
I know I know, the job of a professional artist is to sell their art, preferably for the highest amount possible. But I really wanted to do this instead? So many readers took the Black Friday deal to become SneakyArt Insiders (i.e. paid subscribers of this publication) that I believe I now have the mandate to do this instead.
December is officially SneakyArt Giveaway Month. I am trying to give away as much art as I can with a self-appointed artist residency (h/t
’s post on the subject). Keep reading to learn more, and for the chance to win a drawing too!The SneakyArt (Insider) Post is written for paying subscribers of this publication. I share a behind-the-scenes look at my work, share special projects such as this, and think of crazy, new ways to send you my art.
If you think an independent artist sending tiny drawings around the world is a crazy/good idea, join the club and help me keep going.
My Self-Appointed Artist Residency
A Little Free Library (LFL) is a beautiful thing that humans did. We can be unreservedly proud of this one, fellow humans. Do you know about the Little Free Library project? This month, I am doing an artist residency at LFLs across Vancouver.
No one gave me this job. But it is something I want to do that lines up perfectly with other things I want to make happen.
What I Want #1 - to give away as much art as possible.
What I Want #2 - to keep finding LFLs in my city.
What I Want #3 - to reward the lovely people who use them.
Little Free Libraries are the sign of a beautiful city. It is a city whose people value books and learning. It is a community willing to share the joy of reading with not only other community members but also complete strangers. It is a neighborhood full of people that build, maintain, or use, a facility that charges nothing from fellow humans but gives, gives, gives.
This month I will share with you the LFLs of Vancouver, the books I find inside, and the tiny reward I am leaving in them for a stranger to find. On top of this, an art giveaway for Insiders every week!
How it Works
Step 1 - Leave tiny drawings in a LFL
Step 2 - Share the contents of LFL with a question for readers.
Step 3 - Give away tiny drawings to the best comments.
Let’s go!
A Little Free Library on Granville Island
Granville Island can be incredibly crowded during tourist season. Thankfully this LFL is located away from the more tourist-y areas. Nevertheless I have visited this area many times, parked my car on the street just behind, and never noticed it until this afternoon. It hides in plain sight. Nice.
Dear Insider, which book would you take from this LFL? Tell us about it (and why) in the comments!
A Little Free Library in Mount Pleasant
This is the most beautifully crafted LFL I have seen so far. You get a glimpse of what’s inside without needing to open it! It is outside the wall of the property but a feet in from the sidewalk under the shade of trees (when it isn’t winter). I found it only because I was unable to get parking outside my gym one morning and had to drive into this inner street for a spot.
Here is a line from the page at which the drawing now hides -
“He had never been completely honest with her about his family. He had told her about them but always with little jokes and colorful anecdotes that made them seem more like adventurers in a Technicolor movie than what they really were.”
Dear Insider, can you tell which book this is from? Bonus points if you have read it too!
A Little Free Library in Cambie Village
This street sees a lot of pedestrians and I often find people curiously looking inside this LFL. Somehow, I have never seen anyone leave a book. But every time I walk by, the collection is a little different.
Dear Insider, what can the contents of a LFL tell us about the people of a neighborhood? What unspoken communications are trapped within its archive?
📖 Related -
🐶 That time I found the only thing even better than a Little Free Library
📬 I left a tiny zine inside a LFL, posted about it on Reddit, and it got picked up within a couple of hours!
🖼️ An essay written in 1936 led me to conclude that everyone should own art and it is the artist’s job in 2024 to make it happen.
Thank you for reading and supporting my work. Remember: best comment this week wins a tiny drawing in their mail.
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