Pen shows, Launch Parties and Creative Retreats
The last two weeks in a nutshell!
Disclaimer : Bird Droppings does not pretend to be an expert in any of the topics mentioned below (except for somethings). Past performance is not indicative of future results. Bird Droppings does not take responsibility of any positive/negative side effects that may arise from the overload of positive creative inspiration below.
Consume at your own risk.
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Yesterday, I was chatting with my 17-year-old cousin, who’s an incredible artist looking to get into design school. We were talking about what to include in his portfolio when he mentioned how hard it is to find time to draw with all his schoolwork. He even wondered if the reason his hands shake every time he picks up a pencil is because he doesn’t draw often enough. I thought that was a little strange, so I asked, “But don’t you take notes in school?” and he said, “Oh no, we hardly take any notes. It’s all condensed, plus we just type it out now.”
Ah. That explains a lot. I’ve noticed people don’t write as much these days.
“There’s something so powerful about putting pen to paper. It’s the moment an idea leaves your mind and looks back at you for the first time. I’ve never been able to replicate that digitally. It’s like Skyping a close friend versus having them over for dinner.”
- Ryder Caroll
I remember my mom teaching me cursive. I don’t recall learning to print, but I vividly remember forming loops for the L’s, the tails of the Y’s, and connecting all the letters in between. My brother and I had handwriting practice sessions under my mom’s watchful eye, and dare I say, we got pretty good at 'drawing' letters.
Looking back, I’m convinced it helped sharpen my creativity. Learning cursive was my first connection between brain, pencil, and paper. It’s similar to drawing—training my little fingers in control, and my mind in focus. I fell in love with the haptic act of writing early on, and I still write almost every day.
Writing is such an important part of the creative process for illustrators and artists. It builds hand control, gets us comfortable with our tools, and strengthens the interaction between pencil and paper. It also boosts stability and confidence. So, for the generation of artists and designers who rely on digital tools like Photoshop and Procreate, I’d really recommend adding writing to your daily practice.
And if you’re not in a creative field but want to bring more creativity into your job, try brainstorming on paper.
San Francisco Pen Show
Speaking of which, I went to the San Francisco Pen Show recently—a delightful event where people showcase writing instruments and accessories (yes, it’s a thing!). This was my second year attending, and it was amazing, as usual. Tons of artists gathered to celebrate their love of penmanship, and I saw some stunning handmade pens. I picked up these little pocket sketchbooks from Ayush Papers and a leather reusable sketchbook from Gobi Designs.
Web Zine Launch Party
Last month, I also tried selling my handmade items at a pop-up table for the first time. It was hosted by a small community in San Francisco called "the web," and I set up a table with my handmade pouches and leather accessories. It was a huge learning experience!
Creative Retreat with SCBWI
Now, this was the highlight of the month—maybe even the year. In Northern California, there’s this charming little sanctuary where a group of children’s book writers and illustrators, including me, gathered for a three-day retreat. It was pure magic.
The morning of the second day, I had this whole plan to sketch outdoors in the garden—with a to-do list and everything. There was a gentle hum in the air, and I physically felt my body relax. I ended up sitting there for 45 minutes, doing absolutely nothing, and it was the most freeing experience. I can’t even put it into words.
I met some of the kindest, most supportive people. I spent hours working on my book. I ate the most delicious farm-to-table vegetarian food prepared by Buddhist monks. I even trekked to the beach one morning. Along the way, I passed apple trees and horses. Now that I’m writing this, it feels so dreamy, I’m not even sure it really happened.
Obviously I made an illustrated journal spread about it! I used the Travelers notebook accordion insert, since I wanted to paint and write some thoughts!
The format of the accordion journal was fun, it allowed me to think of creative ways to use a long spread - another way to think about story-telling.
As I started taking photos, I realized a video is so much easier to show how the illustrated accordion format looks and works together as a journal, so here goes!
I’m planning to upload a process video on how to make your own sketchbook, so stay tuned for that.
But until then, take good care.
