My owls have been begging for places to hang out as a group! So, I gave them a notebook, a coffee mug, and a travel mug. Get yours online here.
It Takes Owl Kinds
What I Learned From Two Days With Little Jay
Little Jay, a Blue Jay fledgling
Fledgling Blue Jay
Tuesday afternoon started just like any other. I grabbed a cup of coffee and set up office at the picnic table in my backyard. I sat down and took a look at my to-do list and felt my stress level climbing. It’s been 3.5 months since I was fired. I’ve made very little progress with freelance design, which forced me to make my first withdrawal from my retirement savings account. As I battled my self-doubt, I noticed something fluffy fall from a nearby pine tree.
A fledgling Blue Jay had just jumped from his nest. He was stunned and seemed a bit panicked at first, screeching for help. I waited and watched. No one came to his rescue. I didn’t even hear any Blue Jay calls, which is quite strange for my yard.
Charting a new path
***I have been working on this post for a few days. I was nervous…okay, terrified…to release this. There are people who will criticize, or even laugh at me for this one. I had to push through my fear and convince myself that my dreams are worth more than these people’s opinions.***
I love Creative Pep Talk. It’s like Andy J. Pizza is in my head. No joke. It seems that the issues that I am contemplating end up being part of the next episode, AND he uses all kinds of comparisons that I totally get—like Fraggles! Oh, and did I mention, he has ADD, too? (All the cool kids do.)
Owladay Fun!
So, I’ve been playing with my owls again. I think I’m having way too much fun coming up with new ways to let my silly little creatures take flight!
On Society6… (20% off and free shipping ends tonight at midnight PT)
Happy Bird-Day: Owl-a-Day Turns 5
Five?!! Can you believe it?! Five years ago, I accepted a friend’s challenge to “do something” with my owl doodles. That “something” ended up being a 365-day challenge that resulted in 385 illustrations and over 400 owls (several posts had an extra or two as part of the story). I used that challenge to help me beat burnout and escape what had become a soul-crushing day job and to move on to my next big career adventure—what I thought was my dream job: working full-time for the nonprofit I had helped to found.
Short Story: I left graphic design for 4.5 years to run a nonprofit out of my home, only to be fired at a Panera without warning or cause, replaced by a friend of a board member, and left with no chance of a full-time job (thank you “confidential conversations” among friends) and no unemployment (small nonprofits are not liable in Ohio). While I’m hurt by how this was handled, I’m not angry or looking to place blame. It’s simply time for me to learn and to move on.
Valentine’s Day Printable
It took me forever to find a home for some of the Beagles that I designed during Illustration Friday 2016, but I finally figured it out.
So, here they are…printable Valentine’s Day cards featuring 2 of the beagles and some old friends (the lion & the owls were recycled for this project). I hope you enjoy them!
That’s kinda…fishy
I know, I know…I was supposed to post this on Illustration Friday, aka Black Friday. Better late than never, right? Even better than late…it’s a freebie!
I spent my Illustration Friday playing with fish. I created quite a few…some good and some really bad. See the best of them in my new Hungry Jpeg shop.
And, of course, I had to make something with these fish (and a few friends from Illustration Fridays past)…and it’s your freebie. Download the full PDF here.
Happy Illustration Friday!
Illustration Friday
Happy Illustration Friday! I’m skipping the chaos of Black Friday and jumping back into illustration for the entire day. Stay tuned to see how it unfolds!
From Owls to Cross Country
While I still love everything Mid Century Modern and plan to continue to create more retro illustrations, my designs have taken a turn for the trail. Are you surprised?
To make a long story short, I purchased a button maker and got an idea to help cover the cost of my son’s Eagle Scout project that happens to be for his cross country team. Cross Country buttons! So on a super long bus ride to a meet (I’m a coach too), I sketched out 3 pages of designs. Some appropriate for high school–others that are more appropriate for us older runners. Then, I asked the portion of the team that was on my bus what they would want to see on a button, leaving me with a grand total of 62 designs!
With two weeks to go until our big home meet–the Federal League Championships–I made over 700 buttons to sell as a fundraiser. It was a fun project and the first time I really felt confident in my designs for runners. Of course, each of these designs will soon be available on my Society 6 pages on t-shirts, sweatshirts & mugs. Custom pinback buttons are also available on my Etsy page, too.
Of course, what post would be worth your time without photos? So here they are!
I still have several pages of designs, so stay tuned for the next batch…
An Owl a Day Keeps Burnout Away...right? 