More of the same but different
2025
I think that was the best year of my life.
Olive was a great addition to the family (we’ll keep her around). Knox has become a curious, energetic, and hilarious little boy. Carly and I are starting to get the hang of this marriage thing. I have a great job teaching college students about design. Publishing this weekly newsletter has been the most creatively life-giving thing I’ve ever done.
But maybe that wasn’t the best year of your life. Maybe it was the worst. It seems like at least one insane, horrific, or violent thing happens every single week and every single week I struggle with writing about it or not. I assume you’re already consumed by that insane, horrific, or violent thing so I hope this little email can continue to be whatever it needs to be for you.
Below are some things I did last year I would like to keep doing this year
Making things with my family
Collaborating with my wife and kids has brought so much joy and spontaneity to my creative practice. Well, our creative practice. The animation above was made by all four of us.
Printing, printing, printing
There’s just something about ink on paper. For Christmas I bought a Provisional Press so I can properly print linoleum and we’ll obviously keep using our Prixel. Brandon says we won the unofficial “PRIXEL Family of the Year” award for 2024 and I couldn’t be more unofficially proud.
Making zines
The format is amazing: a loose suggestion of a container (also why I was drawn to email). It can be about whatever and appeal to whoever (whomever?) and be made whenever and be distributed however. What’s not to like?
Going to and participating in zine and comic events
I’ve enjoyed these events way more than I thought I would. I would describe myself as an introvert but somehow feel energized after eight hours of sitting behind a table talking to people. I break even financially but gain priceless connections, friends, and community. The photos above are from my table at Multiple Formats in Boston, MA.
Submitting art to shows
The two collages above were accepted to Midwest Salon Deux and the two prints below were accepted to Midwest Printmaking Showcase in Madison, WI, in February.
P.S. I submitted a bunch more work that didn’t get accepted so let’s just be honest about the submitted/accepted ratio and understand that our work isn’t for everyone or every show.
ALSO
Letting process be more important than product
Continuing to develop an online community of real, actual people
Supporting local artists (some Wisconsin friends: Kent Peterson, DIVERGENCY, FlakPhoto)
Posting every week, rain or shine
Enjoying every single minute and treasuring it all (spoiler alert: impossible but worth trying)
Here’s to hoping for a year like this one but also different!
*sitting quietly in his carseat* “So mom… how’s the driving up there?”
👋 M, C, K & O
You’ve just inspired me to look for a local zine convention and I’ve hopped into their Discord server. 💫
I loved this animation, and as always, it's inspiring to see how you are crafting your creativity and what inspires it. I'm very much in agreement that the process is more important than the product, or at least the process is why I enjoy creating and have certainly forgotten that in my past. Cheers to 2025, and thank you for sharing.