Yeah I knowww. Playground went rogue. But it’s here now, at least! Honestly, since opening the Art Nest community in the fall and getting to hang out with so many of you in there on a daily basis, we’ve had a lot more chances to connect in real time, which has been really special.
But I love these little Playground catch ups, so it’s here! If you’re new, this is basically my life + studio roundup. The random stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else.
Alright… let’s get into it the rambling.
This is more of a personal note than my usual share, because I think it’s one of those things I learned about myself that will resonate with you, too.
It’s been a while since I’ve made a batch of ceramic palettes, and there’s actually a reason for that. It has zero to do productivity and everything to do with how my brain works as a creative person.
I believe that being a creative human means that we have “seasons.”
I don’t mean big dramatic reinventions. I just mean we have these stretches of time where one medium or craft takes over your whole heart for a while. You get a little obsessed. You think about it constantly. You accidentally acquire wayyy too many supplies. And then, eventually, something shifts and you wander toward something else.
I know a lot of us are like this.
While I love watercolor, gouache, Procreate, and ink sketching… I also drift into embroidery, sewing, rug tufting, and anything substantially tactile. Lately, that season has been clay again.
This batch is slow drying next to me right now and I’ll be finishing their surfaces tonight when they’re “leather-hard.”
Other seasons might be trying something totally new, like metalsmithing (I took two classes during the fall! Turns out that’s not for me… or my wrists). Or using yarn. Or collage. Or or or… Yet inevitably, something will shift. It might be our interest, attention span, a shiny new object, boredom from repetition, or even life just life-ing. This is normal and very much okay!
The funny part is, I didn’t plan on getting into ceramics in the first place. I saw a friend post about a local class during a late night scroll and impulsively responded “I’m in,” to which she shot me down in the sweetest way she could, saying that she teaches intermediate but thought I’d enjoy one of the beginner series from another instructor. At that point, I obviously couldn’t just back out because that would make me a big ol’ flake (how embarrassing)… So I did it. I signed up for a wheel throwing series.
During the time I spent practicing the pottery wheel, I started drifting over to the hand building tables and continually found myself there more and more. It wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy the wheel or that I was bad at it (I can totally make a respectable little mug ☕️), but because I loved how slow it felt. Every detail is intentional when it’s shaped slowly by hand. It felt meditative in a way I didn’t realize I needed.
At one point, I kept making paint palettes (of all things 🙃). I meant to just make one for myself, but then I just got so wrapped up in the process, I made nearly 40 😳
I eventually looked around my studio and realized I was basically hoarding them and it would be a shame if they didn’t ever get to see the light of day, so I put them up in my shop. They sold out immediately, which completely surprised me. And of course my first thought was, “Oh… I should make more. There’s clearly demand.”
But that’s where something felt off. For me, clay was never supposed to become a product line. It was supposed to stay play.
The second it started to feel like something I should produce, the magic thinned out a little. So I made myself a promise: I’d only make them when I genuinely wanted to, without pressure (even from myself), when that season rolled back around naturally.
That boundary changed everything. It kept the joy intact.
When the next wave hit, I started experimenting with 22k gold finishes and little paint tube bud vases you might’ve seen. Again, I made way too many, shared a few, and now they’re scattered in homes all over the world, which still feels surreal.
All this to say, I’ve learned that giving ourselves room to wander is one of the kindest things we can do for our creativity.
Sometimes the thing that unsticks you isn’t trying harder. It’s following curiosity somewhere random and unnecessary and seeing what happens. For me, that often looks like splitting time between 2D and 3D work. And when the clay season rests again, that’s okay too. I’ve stopped trying to force it to stay. She comes back around.
I love it when I find a good ware. From essentials to splurges, these are my picks for wares this month…
- I went down a very specific rabbit hole trying to find an ergonomic wrist rest for my computer mouse, which is not exactly a category known for being visually exciting. I ordered eight of them hoping one might be both comfy and cute… and somehow the aesthetic one ended up being the winner! It’s comfortable and also makes my desk look happier, which feels like a small but meaningful victory.
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A tiny precision tool I didn’t know I needed. It’s a compact electric mini(!!) screwdriver with a whole set of magnetic bits. I ordered it on a whim because why not, but I’ve surprised myself already with how much I’ve already used it.
- Magnetic holding-hands socks. Yes, I’m serious. I was shopping for a gift for a friend and stumbled on these. They literally have little magnets that make the socks hold hands? It made me laugh so hard because it’s truly so stupid. I immediately added it to cart.
I was “wisely” spending my time making a little fun facts video for my Zoom waiting room instead of doing literally anything on my to-do list… and now I have a fresh batch of random knowledge for you. Like this one:
I soft launched Lush & Loose Watercolor Florals! Which basically means… I haven’t promoted it at all yet. I’ve been working on this class off and on for over a year, building it little by little whenever I had time. It moves from materials → brush control → flower forms → texture → composition, because loose watercolor is much easier to approach when the foundations are there to support you.
I made sure to include everything I wish I’d known when I first started watercolor alongside a bunch of loose floral styles to explore and play with.
I haven’t really had a chance to talk about it yet with everything else going on, but as promised, it’s officially here!
> VIEW THE CLASS
1. It turns out our sweet Franny has allergies and she had to have a cone for two weeks because she was over-grooming and needed to heal. At first she absolutely hated having to wear a cone, but she got used to this plush flower one rather quickly (isn’t she the cutest lil flower you ever did see?!).
2. I took a week off work to take care of alllll the things I’ve been neglecting. ALL socks are matched. The returns have been shipped. The tupperware cabinet is impeccable. Art supplies are meticulously organized. I could go on. It’s so much weight lifted!
3. This is a little something small, but when I see one of my books in a curated gift shop vs. a big bookstore, it feels HUGE in my chest. I get real giddy because I know it was carefully selected. Seeing Mindful Sketching front and center when walking in the door was so special!
Alright, that’s the latest from my little corner of the studio.
Thanks for hanging out with me and letting me share the random, tiny, and slightly unhinged updates with you. Whether we chat inside Art Nest or just meet up here in your inbox every now and then, I’m really, really glad we get to share this creative space together 🫶
