Make Art Every Day: July Vibe Check ✨
Hello and welcome!
A little over six months ago, I released a studio calendar for creatives. A bunch of friends (and friends of friends) took it on, and now that we’re halfway through 2025, I can’t help but wonder:
How’s it going?
Whether you’ve been working steadily, fell off a bit during the busy season, or find yourself somewhere in between, I’d love to hear where you’re at.
What seeds did you plant this year—and what’s starting to bloom?
What obstacles have you faced, and how did you move through them?
What’s brought you the most joy?
What could make this ritual even better?
I’ve put together a quick survey, and I’d be so grateful to hear from you.
How’s it going on my end?
This is a new way of working for me too! At the start of the year, I kept things simple—tracking just one thing: Did I make something or not? That small black dot gave me a sense of grounding and accomplishment. But pretty quickly, I craved more nuance.
So I expanded my system (maybe a little too much 😅) to track other parts of my practice—like writing, curating, and research.
Honestly? Perhaps I got a bit carried away.
Note: I wrote in pencil on purpose… she’s experimenting.
On one hand, it allowed me to account for all the unsexy parts of creative work—like planning, admin, and posting on social media. But it also helped me recognize just how scattered my energy had become. By spring, I was bouncing between so many different roles and practices. All exciting, meaningful things—but the calendar made it clear where my time was actually going, and how I wanted to shift.
After wrapping my last curatorial project, I took some real time off. I felt stretched too thin and needed space to regroup. Sitting with myself, I wondered:
What do I actually want to create next?
The Plan Ahead
Since 2021, I’ve been working towards a series of twenty paintings based on a myth. In those four years, let’s just say I haven’t gotten as far as I would have hoped.
Between now and December, I’ve created a plan to do one major task per month, each indicated by a single color. The last several weeks has been Research (green dot). Next up: Sourcing reference images. Then, Drawing, and so on.
I like the idea of working in phases––batching similar work into focused “sprints” to build momentum. Ideally, by the end of this cycle, I’ll have a solid foundation that sets me up for success in the next stage of it all.
Am I using project management skills from my day job here? You bet I am. But seriously, I’ll take any help I can get to accomplish a big goal.
As with anything in the studio, this is an experiment, and we’ll course-correct as necessary.
Over to You 💫
Has the calendar helped shape your creative rhythm?
Did it totally fall off your radar—and are you just now circling back?
Are you using it in a completely unexpected way?
Whatever your experience, please do share!
Email me, say hi at the next opening, or fill out the (very cute!) survey — I’d love to hear from you.
As always—thank you friends 💛
