Shi Grey Sky

I wrote 24 poems yesterday. I'm motivated to get my next collection of poems written. They aren't good, but I wrote them.

They look forward to how you always end your phone calls with "mm-bye" People enjoy your presence and your uniqueness. I know it is hard to think otherwise but you are one of a kind and your essence is what makes your art/craft/existence different and notable (and beautiful and necessary).

Other people crave your essence. They love to see the loops you do on your hand written "y". They look forward to the emojis you sprinkle into your messages. They love the specific lens that you see beauty, pain, love, and healing through.

A blackout poem about Lake Superior with a cutout drawing of the lake glued onto it and circled with silver gel pen

Superior Superior
wild
sweeps us into the spiraling
SUPERIOR SUPERIOR /superior/
pinnacle
so hauntingly perfect
superior
touches us at the deepest level
powerful
greatest

the poem is written on a ruled notebook page that has been ripped out and glued to the inside of a small notebook, the background is a bookshelf with a dulcimer leaning against it

life is full
of wonder and joy
it drips of
sweet nectar
waiting to be
savored

so sip
and remember
that this is sacred

to experience
is to honor

and every moment
life surges through
your veins
brings you closer

to the Universe
we are one in the same

Progress so far 🌹

Work In Progress, Rose Unfurling
charcoal willow stick on paper

Charcoal drawing of wilted roses in a glass vase

A faint pencil outline of wilted roses in a vase drawn in a spiral bound sketch notebook

Dried wilted pink roses in a clear glass vase

🥀 (wilted rose) drawing, outline, reference

Under-painting done 💙🖌️

A collage I made today
"a heart without dreams is like a bird without feathers"

-a beautiful tribute written by a Tenant Organizing colleague that I hope kindles your flame as it has sparked mine

"So, tonight, when you can’t see the stars, remember. There is light; you are the light; we will guide each other through the darkness, and we will shorten the darkness."

"The goal is not flooding light onto the horizon. We turn on a lamp to sharpen the view, to expose what hides in the dark. realize that with every will, every want there is a way under the stars."

you can't just think about and talk about something. praxis = practice. you don't master a skill until you can apply it. so get out there and do the thing. do it some more until you're good at it. don't just intellectualize it.

I want my documentary film to be crafted with confidence, skill, finesse, and love so I'm excited to keep investing in my ability to be a producer / documentarian 💖

A colorful drawing of trees with knarled roots with a reference photo of the same scenery held just above the drawing

Should I stop or continue going and risk ruining it? Reference photo from a canoe trip to BWCA

A 2 panel comic with simple line work art. The first panel is labeled "visitor from 2025" it depicts a character wearing a rimmed hat and a crew neck shirt with the sun behind the character, this hat-wearing character is asking "What did you do today to earn a living?" The lower panel is larger and is labeled "Cool Disabled Artist in 2050" the character depicted has a bob haircut and large rimmed glasses and is wearing a v-neck t-shirt, the artist appears to be sitting at a desk with their right hand gripping a cane. The artist responds to the visitor by simply stating "I woke up"

Here's a simple 10 minute comic I drew the other day as an art response to the prompt "it's 2050, we've won everything we have been fighting for; what does a typical day look like?"

Joy is rebellious. Hope is a habit.
I love you. You matter. This matters. Take care of your spirit, we need it.

I'm working on learning patching and mending techniques 🪡🧵
Sewing through canvas and denim is very difficult, especially with hypermobile joints. I'm quite pleased with my progress and how this patch job turned out.
What are some new skills you're working on?

Isn't it cute?! It's a true 3 string dulcimer & was hand made. I haven't gotten a chance to play it yet but I really adore the decoupage leaves and I'm excited to hear what a true 3 string sounds like 🤩

I will never betray my queer ancestors. I will never conform to what colonialism demands of us. Creator made me just as I am, no force can take that from me.
Gego booni' (don't quit) 🪶

Queer people have always, and will always, exist.
We are sacred. We are just as real and worthy as anyone else.
I will never let anyone's ignorance, fear, or hate deter me from sharing my medicine with the world. I will never be silenced.

Four Appalachian dulcimers and a mandolin lay flat on a blanket. The two dulcimers on the left are mass productions made of light colored wood, and the two dulcimers on the right are handmade with darker laquered wood. The Epiphone mandolin is in the middle.

I now have twice as many dulcimers ❤️ very excited to try this new small dulcimer because it's travel size 😅

I think of gouache as a step between watercolor and acrylic paint (not really the case but this helps me determine the amount of opacity I will achieve) - Also, acrylic gouache exists. So in terms of opacity, it would be watercolor ➡️ gouache ➡️ acrylic gouache ➡️ acrylic paint.

Gouache is very similar to water color but is generally more opaque, whereas water color is usually transparent. Watercolor and gouache are typically very similar in composition so they can be mixed fairly easily.

A small water color painting of flowers in a case is held by the corner by the artist

Random art posting. Toss me a few ideas on what I should do next, I have gouache that I'm itching to try.

A desk with a stack of books about various topics and genres (Think: World Religions, Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green, Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works, The Wind and the Drum, Shardik) sit on a desk that is cluttered with meeting agenda notes, a to do list notebook, pen, and the book We Will Not Cancel Us

How many books are too many books? My current reads + I'm listening to My Grandmother's Hands through my library

🎼we are but friends and family
we are the last of our kind
so hold my hand
i'll lift your head up
and i promise we'll be fine🎶