Intro
A chill is in the air, gang!
Like many of us, I look forward to getting up to autumnal antics, like wearing sweaters, drinking hot beverages, burrowing under blanket heaps, passing out candy to trick-or-treaters while playing horror surf rock, and hanging up my Halloween bunting I made last year:
(Psst: to get yourself in the Halloween mood, take a peek at my Tye-Dyed Creepy Comics project!)
Also like many of us (I assume), I feel like my days could be more fun and interesting, but it isn't feasible (right now!) to regularly dart off to Italy on a moment's notice. So what can we do to spice things up? Here's a concept called The Nine Delights, and the idea is you try to accomplish three of the following nine on a daily basis:
In other words:
Get some form of exercise.
Hang out /connect with your friends.
Eat something tasty.
Level up in something. (I interpret this as the successful result of #6.)
Laugh with abandon.
Work toward improving a skill. (For example: If #4 is doing a handstand, #6 is learning how to do a handstand.)
Get physical, a la Olivia Newton-John.
Get hyper-focused/in the zone.
Do something that fulfills you that is not already on this list.
This mindset makes sense to me; I can say I've had a good day when I've done a few of these. I would also add "experience novelty" and "create something" to the list—both of those feel good on the ol' soul. Did I just make the list 10 or 11 things? I'm such an overachiever!
Do you think you might try this approach this fall? If so, let me know how it goes and if, indeed, the tweet changed your life!
Behind the scenes
“Virginia Is for Lovers”
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Recent projects
Spotlighting “failures”
I've not had a major art project to work on this month, but Patreon kit season is right around the corner, so soon, I will turn into a one-woman kit factory, making all sorts of stuff! This year, patrons can choose to send their kit to a non-subscriber if they think someone else's mailbox requires goodies, but otherwise, patrons can expect artful gifties to arrive at their homes during December. Learn more by sending me a message or visiting the Membership page!
During the past few weeks, I faced up to a few creative duds. One was a series of clay pendants I made a decade ago, abandoned before I could add a clasp to each corded necklace. Another was a zine I started circa 2013 featuring fairy tale illustrations. I'd always intended to return to it, but when I attempted to do so recently, I wasn't into it at all. At last, I've given myself permission to officially end these projects without completing them and move on!
The lesson: it's okay to make art you don't like. It's never a waste of time or effort, and you'll always get something out of creating.
Don't let AI have all the fun!
Photo set
Septembers of the past
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Shop highlight
Halloween cat and dog prints
Now's the best time to stock up on H'ween-themed art, and might I offer these drawings of cats and dogs wearing costumes in spooky settings as a suggestion? Scoop them up like pumpkin seeds from a jack-o'-lantern's brain in the Etsy shop today!
Le fin!
I appreciate you taking a gander at this month's newsletter and wish you the start of a wonderful autumn. Now go frolic through those crunchy leaves and sip your cider, and I'll see you next month!
Stef Mates
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^ This drawing by @heyheymomodraws accurately sums up my creative process ^