I know, I knowwww. I skipped a couple months of Playground but it was intentional. We had a very busy summer full of delightful events and I’m wildly aware of how precious our inboxes are. So far that reason, I’m combining months. Let’s do a summer recap, shall we?
First, the biggest shoutout goes to all of YOU. Between Summer Creative Retreat and Sketchbook Party, we gathered, connected, made art, and most importantly, gave ourselves permission to play. Our inner child came alive and found the ultimate playground (like the kind we’d stumble upon as kids with swings made from that perfect rubber and wide enough to sit “spider” style with a friend 😆).
I’m endlessly touched that you’ve let me be part of your creative journey in such a personal way. So consider this a virtual BFF bracelet I made just for you, cuz you're my art pal!
And if you missed any of the summer workshops, not to worry. I want to invite you to hang out with me during Sketchbook Bootcamp - we start in just 10 days! Read all about it right here (pssst… I listened, and it’s a whole new format this year 😍). Okay okay, let’s get to the rambling (as if that wasn’t 😜).
During the summer, I pulled out my rickety handmade tufting frame and went to town on some new rugs. They’re the biggest I’ve done so far - I filled up the whole frame. So that was very fun (and I was very sore).
The sad part about the one I'm sharing is that it soon landed in the trash.
Storytime… I finally caved and got a Litter Robot after three years of debating. The cats were not impressed with it. For two weeks I thought it wasn’t filtering properly… until I realized one of my handmade rugs was the new litter box. RIP to my week of tufting.
I love it when I find a good ware. From essentials to splurges, these are my picks for wares this month…
- I dropped everything to add this kitty retractable claw cutter to my cart when Katie in our community made me aware of its existence 😻
- I snagged these scalloped frames that have interior storage for more art because I swap it out throughout the year and I just loved the shape of these! My office wall is about to have its biennial refresh, so once that’s done, I’ll definitely share how I’ll be using them.
- I have second-guessed sharing this. It’s completely unnecessary. But here we are, collectively looking at an ice cream vase.
I just learned that aphantasia is a thing and my brain did a full somersault.
It means some people can’t visualize images in their mind. Like, if you say “picture a red apple,” they might know what it looks like, but they don’t actually see it.
Meanwhile, some people can practically zoom in on the dew drops and adjust the lighting in their mind’s photo studio. That’s definitely not the case for every subject, though (like a donkey… IYKYK).
Here’s what’s so fascinating: creativity doesn’t depend on how clearly you can “see” things. Some artists create from vivid mental imagery, others from emotion, movement, sound, memory, or intuition. There’s no one right way.
Whether your brain paints in full technicolor or works more like an idea generator, you’re still creating from something beautifully unique, and that’s the whole point.
I’d love to know - where do you land on this scale? Do you see vivid visuals or more abstract ideas?
Another round of paint tubes is here …but not the kind you'd ever want to squeeze. These ones are permanent. Sculptural. A little bit haunted. 22k gold is involved. So is sleep deprivation and way too much black tea.
Last time I dropped a collection, it sold out in 58 minutes 🤯 This time, I made fewer pieces because I worked hard to ensure these were even more polished than before..
Each tube has its own personality some elegant, some mischievous, most definitely up to something.
Go. Fall in love. Add to cart before someone else does.
With my buzzing excitement about Sketchbook Bootcamp 2025 kicking off so soon, I’m featuring beautiful work from the community from previous Bootcamps:
“Find your style” is too much pressure. Following your interest is enough.
The advice to niche into a style always made me feel like I was supposed to stumble upon one single, glittering purpose that would instantly explain everything about my creative life. Like it would descend from the sky in a halo of watercolor light, whispering, “This is it.”
Now, if you’re thinking, uhhh Peggy, didn’t you literally make a workbook about finding your style? — you’re absolutely right. But if you’ve ever flipped through it, you know it’s less about boxing yourself into one “look” and more about uncovering your very human, very multi-layered interests. Because style isn’t a fixed destination. It’s an evolving mix of everything that lights you up.
Here’s the truth: most of us don’t find our style in one big cinematic moment. We follow breadcrumbs. A flicker of curiosity here, a random tutorial there, a hobby that turns into something surprisingly joyful.
You don’t have to know your thing to start. You just have to notice what sparks something and give it a little room to grow. Curiosity is the compass; style is what happens when you keep following where it leads.
So if you’ve been waiting for a grand revelation, consider this your permission slip to just… play. Follow your interest. That’s where the magic actually happens.
I could share a lot from the past few months, but I have to tell you about the birthday trip Laura surprised me with. She brought me to a fully renovated fire lookout tower in central Oregon. About a month earlier, we’d been outside when I noticed, for the first time, that the stars were actually twinkling. She couldn’t believe I never knew that (neither can I - did I know as a kid? is it buried in my memories?) So she researched the best place to see the clearest sky in our state.
We experienced alllll the weather which was very cool because we love a good stormy night. The first night was perfectly clear though, and we used a stellarscope that she got me so we could identify constellations.
This was important because, for reasons even I can’t explain, I’ve always referenced Orion’s Belt for no reason at all. Do you have anything like that? Just something so random? So we set an alarm for 4am, stepped outside, and there it was - shining bright.
Thank you for being the most incredible art besties, and I can't wait for what's to come this season!
