[Insider 66] Year in Review Pt. 2
a resolution kept, a new way to share, and scenes from the train.
Dear Insiders,
Today, I share part 2 of my 2022 audit, scenes from the train, and the link to this month’s Insider Hangout. Read part 1 here.
A Resolution Kept
At the best of times, being a writer, artist, and podcaster is a difficult juggling act. Dividing my attention and efforts, I found that pushing with one led me to play safe with the others. So, as I produced longer podcast episodes this year, I drew less often. When I did go out to draw, I stuck to themes that were comfortable. I stopped pushing out of my comfort zone.
When you draw less often, you take fewer chances. The trick to taking chances is to lower the cost of any single drawing.
The more drawings you make, the more pages you turn, the less you care about any single drawing. The less you care, so to speak, the easier it is to take chances.
As part of a Substack mentorship this year, I spoke with the amazing
, who helped me realign with my goals. We discussed the things I was doing, and everything I want to do in the future. She made me see that everything flowed from my being an artist, first and foremost.We came up with a plan for me to draw every day for one month. This became 30 Days of Vancouver.
The goals for this project were -
🚍 to recommit to art as an essential part of my daily routine
🌆 to explore Vancouver
📝 to put words next to my drawings (this was the scary bit)
Check out the daily posts I shared during 30 Days of Vancouver, and you can see my confidence build over time!
Thank you, Wendy!
A New Way to Share
On Day 20 of 30 Days of Vancouver, I tried something new.
Sitting on a bench in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood, I made a drawing on a blank postcard. Then I left the postcard beside the bench and took the bus home. On the back of the postcard, I wrote - “Dear stranger, this is for you.”
I repeated this exercise multiple times that month. It felt better to do every time.