Friendship, NSS, and Being awkward, Oh my!

I spent this past Monday walking the National Stationary Show and Surtex, and it started off as a super anxious day. You wouldn't think walking an INSPIRING show you might want to do some day would bring you anxiety, but as someone who always feels 'not good enough' and like a burden.. walking a show full of talented, driven people showing their colorfully incredible work is intimidating as heck!!!  

And at the beginning, i stayed scared, walking about, babbling about cats to anyone who would listen.. which HOLY CRAP, almost ALL of these photos are of cats, i just realized I'm INSANE. But alas, i found my friend Jennifer, or actually she found me... because of my cat shoes i instagram'd that morning [oh the irony!] And the day got a little better!

At one point I was walking through a row and someone calls out "I know you! You're an Instagram celebrity!" Low and behold, it's THIS stellar lady, @lovejaccards!! 

She found me last year on Instagram by reading the same magazine I read! Lol amazing right?? We chatted and then I continued down the row to be stopped TWO more times!! All starting the same way.. "Hey! I know you!" It was indeed crazy, and wonderful and I bet Jennifer thought I was quite popular even though I'm pretty much an introverted hibernating (in my studio) artist. 

After a few hours at the show, and a while at a tea house to decompress, i had dinner with 27 other incredibly talented women!!  And even though i'm pretty nuts, and have a cat obsession... I spent the evening being 100% myself. My weird, quirky, bouncy human self, and you know what? They liked me!!!! How AWESOME is that? 

So moral of the story is be yourself, and hopefully some people will like you... YAY!!

Happy Wednesday Friends!!

-Jenipher

Lets talk [book] PROGRESS friends!!

Goodness friends... i've wanted to write for ages, and I'm just SUPER crazy busy and haven't been able to!! I'm over the moon with how incredible and generous my friend Caitie is. I had the BEST copy writing session with her last Friday morning, and am SO stoked to have drawn some new doodles for my book. I just finished round TWO and THREE of edits! Only a couple more rounds! PHEW!!!

I think i've FOUND the printer i will be using. I'm still waiting for his e-mail about shipping costs but if he IS my future printer, then the books will potentially be ready, printed and shipped in four weeks time! Ahhh yay!! 

I'm also working on a journal to go with the book which i'm SUPER excited about!! I'm hoping that will be ready in the next month too! 

Ahhh soo many fun things!!

PS: For now, my eyes are PEELED looking for a suitable printing place... but please let me know if you have any suggestions!!

Mummies, DRY Humor and silly doodles, oh my!

Mike Lowery is super awesome, punny, creative illustrator! 

Never have i found another illustrator who seems to have the same ridiculous mind as me, and when i found Mike's work last year i was super stoked. 

The best part? 

When i took Lilla Roger's "Make Art That Sells" class a couple months ago, Mike was one of the 1st artists that was interviewed. And it was HILARIOUS. I wish i could share it with you! [...but alas i can not]

It's such a blessing to find artists who have similarities to your work because it gives you HOPE. 

And now i have a little more hope that one day, my time will come, and i'll be able to truly say, "oh my job? i'm an illustrator" and mean it 100%.

Have a creative day friends!!

-Jenipher