Welcome back, I am so happy you are here.

If you missed last week’s newsletter, fear not! You can read every previous edition on my website.

Table of Contents

1. A Quick Thank You! | Personal Note

2. If the Wind Could Speak | Poetry

3. The Literary Sketchbook | Writing

4. A Little Less Saturation, A Little More Action | Illustration

5. Bi-Weekly Recommendations | Closing Thoughts

A Quick Thank You!

I just wanted to recognize and appreciate the kind words I’ve received over the last couple weeks about my piece “What I Learned From Spiders”. It means the world that it resonated with a number of you, and I have loved hearing your thoughts and sharing the conversations that followed. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, but would like to, you can check it out here:

“What I Learned From Spiders”

Also, don’t forget to check out the official “What a Wonderful Wednesday!” Playlist on Spotify, which is updated with the release of every newsletter. It’s been so great hearing everyone’s feedback and favorite songs!

“What a Wonderful Wednesday!” Official Playlist!

If the Wind Could Speak

~

If the wind could speak,

Would it confess that momentum,

No longer feels like liberty?

Following currents,

Laid out like conversations,

It never agreed to have.

A thousand hands, hidden,

Pressing against something,

That has none of its own…

Perhaps movement,

Has always looked like freedom,

From a distance.

And direction is something,

Only those rooted to the ground,

Are obsessed with.

For the wind is not lost.

It simply becomes what the world asks of it.

And though it once may have wandered,

It can no longer tell the difference,

Between instinct,

And inheritance.

A powerful force,

So accustomed to being carried,

It has forgotten what it feels like,

To fly without,

The weight,

Of influence. 

~

The Literary Sketchbook

7/8/2026

Much like drawing in a sketchbook, I’ve found writing can be a bit more fluid if I give myself the space to practice, specify, or fail without the ever-looming pit of perfectionism. As a way to balance the big days with the small, I have been trying to write one or two unassociated paragraphs a week with a lot of intention. Just enough time and effort to stretch the creative muscles, without any risk of burnout or hyper-focus. Sometimes I have a goal, be it exploring character, setting, color, emotion, and beyond. Sometimes I just write whatever comes up, and refine it until I’m happy with the result. This is something I would love to come back to in the future, and eventually see what a few paragraphs can do when they begin working in tandem .

Here is today’s entry, one that started as a visual exercise, and became a bit more. The name of the character is Áine, which is pronounced “Anya” in Gaelic.

~

On the coast of Whitehaven, where the water shone blue, light danced atop the crest of every unborn wave. Flecks of afternoon sun twisted in rhythm, tying themselves together like a patchwork of broken glass, carried in the wind. Sea grass pleated silver as the surf’s edge shuttered and smoothed, before it’s place was taken on the shore once again. Áine dug her toes further into the sand. Colder still as they sank. From her seat, the horizon looked endlessly close, and distant just the same. Bitter was the current that skipped off the water, a golden staccato playing in its wake, threatening to loose the letter clutched tightly in her hand. As she watched the surface settle, Áine pulled her arms close, bracing against a storm that was yet to come.

~

A Little Less Saturation, A Little More Action

Occasionally, I find it beneficial to sketch the way I did as a kid. Using nothing more than the tones available to me with a pencil and some notebook paper.

As someone who has always been drawn to color, at least when it was available, taking a step back to focus on value, action, and composition allows me to approach my usual style with a bit more intention, and less fear of producing artwork that feels flat or unreadable when I do have a full palette.

Here are a couple exercises I did using greyscale, in an attempt to work on lighting, contrast, and posture. For each piece, I limited myself to about an hour to keep it loose and free-flowing, and wanted to attempt one high contrast, and one low contrast artwork.

Picture One:

Here is my high contrast piece! It’s probably no surprise that I had just watched Kung Fu Panda when I drew this, and wanted to lean into an atmospheric, action oriented space, relying on shadows, posing, and a gritty feel to communicate the overall effect. As someone who tends to draw gentle, thoughtful, or funny interactions between characters, I had to figure out the action as I went, but regardless of the discomfort, I had a ton of fun trying something new. In the end, I think it was the bounce light from the moon that helped shape this one!

Next up, my low-contrast exercise!:

I set out to create something a bit softer and more subtle this time around. A simple background as before, with readable action, but an added layer of sentiment. Whether our friend is playing in a grand orchestra, or simply day dreaming in their bedroom, I wanted to communicate the feeling of joy without color to lean on.

During this practice, black and white movies were on the forefront of my mind, a medium where performance drives the emotion more than anything else. Not to mention they leave you with such a specific flavor of nostalgia which is part of what I wanted to capture.

With less saturation and fewer tools in the toolbox, I think the importance of visual storytelling tends to increase. As artists, there is always more than one way to tell a story, and being deliberate in as many areas as you can when sharing said story creates meaning that can exceed even that which you set out to achieve. Challenging yourself, and working on areas of weakness teaches you to fill in the gaps when the full palette is available.

Though I don’t think I will be a greyscale artist any time soon, I enjoyed the exercise and have been appreciating my vibrant color-wheel a little extra lately.

Bi-Weekly Recommendations

• If there is something you’ve been wanting to do or try, but it feels overwhelming, break it down into smaller pieces and focus on enjoying the process of learning. You will begin to look forward to those moments, no matter how small, and from there it can build.

• A few songs that feel like floating:

  • Newer:

  • “A Couple Minutes” by Olivia Dean

  • “The Universe” by Gregory Alan Isakov

  • “River” by Leon Bridges

Support My Work!

If you enjoy what I do, please consider a donation! Not only does it support the time and effort I put into my work, but it also allows me to create more. Anything is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for being here.

Not subscribed yet?

Never miss a future newsletter!