February 9, 2025
Good afternoon everyone! It is a beautiful, cold, and sunny day here, and I am so excited for this week’s Studio Notes. I was out of town last week, and now that I’m back home, I have a lot to talk about.
While out of town, I first traveled to Ohio, then on to New York City. It was an incredible trip, and it’s left me with the travel itch: I want to keep traveling, and I want to talk about traveling, specifically as an artist. So that’s what we’re covering today.
I start out with how I travel light, and what my essentials are that I bring for art and journaling. I’ve discovered that when I am creative on a trip, I find so much more fulfillment, am much more present, and remember the trip better.
I also talk about how I’ve changed from dreading plane flights to embracing them as opportunities for creativity and time for myself.
And finally, back to the real world: I lay out my plans for the rest of February and what I’ll be working on in my business.
So as always, settle in, take your time, and enjoy this set of Studio Notes.
As I’ve been traveling more and more this past year, I have fallen in love with traveling light. I spent three weeks in Scandinavia with just a carry-on sized backpack and a small daypack, and while it did have some challenges, the rewards were so great. From being able to pack up quickly, to feeling secure and free to move around with everything I need on my back with my hands free. (To be fair, for this trip I was just on, I did use a slightly larger checked suitcase, as it wasn’t international, I had to pack nicer outfits, and I had to prepare for cold weather.)
However, traveling light creates a slight drawback in what art supplies I am able to bring. I can’t bring everything I could possibly use. I’ve managed to narrow my art supplies down to contain within single pencil case, a sketchbook, a journal, and if I want, a small travel palette. I can pare it down further when I need to, for just a day trip, or I can get all set up to do an intricate sketchbook painting in a hotel or such.
At the end of the day, all I really need to create art is paper and a pen. I love my cheap fountain pen and whatever sketchbook I am currently working in. Or, I will just bring my journal and do any sketches I want in there. I’m working at combining both my journal and my sketchbook, but we’ll see how that goes. I want to first finish my current journal and sketchbook. However, this will work towards saving even more space for future trips.
Now, when I am traveling, I collect as many mementos as possible. This can be anything from promotional flyers, airline luggage tags, boarding passes, train passes, product labels, receipts, maps, and more. If it is paper and free (or attached to something I bought), I keep it. And a huge part of my creative practice is cutting down and gluing in all of these scraps. Through this “trash”, I tell a story. I journal as I go, sketch as I go, and at the end I have a work of art that tells the story of my adventures.
So, in summary, I have my essentials. A few different pens, basic watercolor supplies, and my sketchbook. For journaling, I have travel scissors, a glue stick, washi tape, and my travel journal. All of this is quite compact, perfect for taking out and creating anywhere I can!
I used to hate plane flights. I was really scared of them when I was young. I have since gotten over that fear, but I would still get very antsy and uncomfortable in the small seats for hours on end, so close to so many people. I also almost never can sleep on a plane, even if it’s the middle of the night. (The only time I’ve gotten actual sleep, I was in a row by myself with no one behind me. I leaned my seat all the way back, and after spending all night awake on the floor of an airport, I passed out. That was the only time, and honestly it was wonderful.) But, back to the point, I realized that plane flights are a given if I want to travel, and so there was no use dreading and hating them.
I have now embraced plane flights, and instead of seeing them as an obstacle to get through, I now see them as an opportunity. An opportunity for hours on end to slow down and dive into whatever brings me joy, without the world as a distraction. No internet, no social media, no notifications. Just me and whatever I want to work on.
I read a lot on planes. But I have also started drawing, journaling, and even getting some work done. I’ve fallen in love with sketching from references in my camera roll while listening to a podcast or music. Or while watching a familiar movie on the seatback monitor, if the plane has those. It is so relaxing and makes the time pass quickly and comfortably.
I used to be self-conscious of everyone being able to see what I’m doing, but I’ve let that go now. I don’t care, and honestly it’s led to some really fun conversations with people around me about art.
I still get antsy on the flights. When I start to feel myself getting agitated, I stand up and go to the little bathroom. I go slow, take my time, wipe my face and fix my hair. On some larger planes there is a little bit of room around the bathrooms, where I will do some simple stretching. I know some people probably think I’m weird, but I don’t care anymore. And then when I get back to my seat, I feel refreshed and ready to jump into a different activity.
I also love journaling. I can take the time to fill in blank spaces in my travel journal. Or, on this last flight, I was brainstorming ideas for these Studio Notes.
Now, while I am jealous of people who sleep for the entire flight, I’ve found that I feel good not “wasting” the opportunity for uninterrupted time to myself. Whether that’s through reading, drawing, or journaling. It can be challenging when it’s a deadeye flight, but honestly I just work in the dark. Usually there’s a little bit of light overhead. I don’t turn on the booklight overhead because I feel like it’s too bright for everyone around me trying to sleep. But if it is too dark, I just read on my kindle. And there’s something exciting about being awake while everyone else is sleeping.
So yes, that is how I’ve adjusted my mindset about plane rides, changing them from my least-favorite part of traveling to one I actually look forward to.
As I’ve come home to snow on the ground, below freezing temperatures all day and night, some beautiful sunshine, and my two cats, I find a deep comfort in routine and motivation to work on my business. It’s back to the real world: here are my main priorities for the remainder of February.
First things first, I amgoing to set up an outdoor booth and take pictures of it. This way, I can apply to the many outdoor art festivals this spring and summer. I have nearly everything I need, now I just need to set it all up. It’s a bit scary, as you need to be conscientious of how weather and being outdoors will affect the booth. However, for now, I just need to set it all up in order to apply, and I can figure out all the logistics later.
I am planning to release a big shop launch on March 1st! I am so excited to release some new prints and cards that I’ve only sold in-person. I still have a lot of details to iron out, but stay tuned for more information! It will be my debut online for my collection SEAK (standing for Southeast Alaska), as well as my three most recent paintings of the trees and waves.
I am so ready to have a studio space again. I need to finish deep-cleaning the floors (as it used to be a garage, there is a lot of dirt buildup), paint the walls white, and of course move all my supplies in. I would like to finish this ASAP so I can get back into painting. I really miss it.
I am also finishing up the design of a new section for my website for these Studio Notes! I want to have a backlog of all of them, and also allow for a reader to browse through different topics. I want to have that as a resource and also another way to show what I am doing creatively, right there on my website!
I am not sure when I will finish this up, but definitely before the end of the month. I will let you all know when that happens.
Well, I think that is just about all I have for you today! I am so happy to share some of my love for travel with you, and how I incorporate my creativity into it. I find that when I travel, afterwards I just want to travel more and more. I cannot wait to see where else my travels take me this year. (Back to Europe? Roadtripping around the Pacific Northwest? Something else entirely?)
But for now, I am ready to settle back into my routines here at home, and start putting in the hard work of growing my income as an artist. As always, thank you so much for being here, taking the time to read my Notes, and your support. It means so much to me.
If you have any thoughts about what I’ve said here, please reply to this email and let me know! Travel destination ideas? Packing light thoughts? Any art festivals you think I should be in? Let me know, I’d love to chat!
Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful, creative week ahead of you.
~Anna
