For the last couple mornings I’ve woken up extremely early, and after I do all my morning routines, I still have about an hour before my work day starts. Earlier this week I was reading a book that, honestly, I think my sister gave to me as a birthday present — over a year ago! In the first chapter of this book, Joyful, by Ingrid Fetell Lee, the author tells the story of a Tirana, Albania, a town ravaged by war: The prime minister, Edi Rama, saw that the people were despondent and the city was lifeless. He hired a painting crew to splash vibrant orange paint on the buildings. Then they added more color! At first, this caused alarm, but several weeks and months later, the people began to open up, both physically and emotionally. They created space around their home. They visited neighbors. They chatted on the street.
This story hits at a very real place with me right now. I don’t usually share my works in progress on my blog, but today I’m making an exception! As I was reading this chapter, I imagined what it might look like, and sketched out a painting that I’d like to start working on in the next month or so. I will research as well, attempting to find some realism in my work, but I’d like to include an entire view of the street, to contrast with the color washed onto the buildings. I’ll share my future progress in my new Monthly Art Newsletter (started at the beginning of September!), with behind the scenes and upcoming plans, available ONLY to subscribers!
Color and Design
Speaking of color, I’ve jumped into a new version of selling my art, per a recommendation in a webinar last week. I am putting some of my pieces in an art-focused website named, Society6. I can create a more broad variety of works and by sending off my designs, I am able to free up time and space in my day. As much as I love chatting with new people at art markets, it is a lot of work to lug things from one place to another, set up, sit for half a day, tear down, and haul everything back up to my apartment each time I go to market! I don’t think I’m quite ready to quit this process because it definitely lets me meet more of my community, but I’m trying to find alternative methods to place my newest artwork into the hands of those who love it. I will use some of the paintings that I’ve worked on over the last several months, but I’m also going to develop more patterns based on my style, in an attempt to include my designs in household items and furniture, not just wall art.
Bookish Motivation
I had a book signing yesterday for Solivagant, and it was fun to chat with other book lovers and answer questions about writing and travel. I hope to get more opportunities like this in the future, especially as I create more books and continue to share creativity in different ways.
Along the book front, I am working my way through Hamilton (Miranda and McCarter) and other books that have become movies, which I’ll post about in the next week or so. I’m also writing some short stories that will become my mysteries within my young adult novel WIP. I can’t explain more now, but I hope after this next group of edits, that my graphic novel can be one step closer to publication in 2025! It has been so rewarding to spend more time on each of the chapters and I am pleased with how it is coming together.
I hope this short blog has inspired you to create something unique in your life! What will you create?? Remember, it doesn’t have to be amazing, it just needs to be done. Then you can hone and make it your own, later. With time!
Splashes of joy,
Hannah Marie.