5 Things Inspiring Me This Month: January 2022

Happy new year! Excited to kick off my first newsletter of 2022.

Some updates from me: 1) The nomadic life of Chie continues with epic surf adventures in Hawaii and California. 2) I summarized my reflections of 2021 in my Year in Review blog post. 3) I’m planning on teaching lettering workshops again this spring. More updates to come in next month’s newsletter! 

January has felt strangely fast and long at the same time. If you’re in need of some uplifting music, take a listen to this live performance of Alicia Keys singing Underdog. Hang in there.

1. ARTIST: Scotty Gillespie

Scotty is a UK based illustrator and ceramicist who has a talent for making organic, joyful, uplifting art - all things I love. It’s fascinating to watch him transform his 2 dimensional ideas into simple, cute ceramic pieces that continue to evoke warm fuzzy feels. 

Check out his work here.

2. BOOK: 99% Invisible City

The creators of the design podcast 99% Invisible wrote this book to archive the hidden wonders of everyday things in the city. They cover an array of fascinating stories from street signs and building designs, and give you a newfound appreciation for the little things in life.

Check out the book here.

3. PODCAST: Wooden Wave on Secondary Colors

The Hawaii based artist/muralist duo Wooden Wave specializes in mind-blowing treehouse artwork. They did an interview with Nick Kuchar and shared their journey as a sculpture artist and animator, relationship and parenting advice, and secrets to their successful partnership.

Check out the interview here.

4. TALKS: Artist to Author

Loomier hosted a summit for creatives interested in learning about the publishing industry. They had a kickass lineup of artist/authors including Jessica Hische and Lisa Congdon to share their experiences of writing and illustrating books. It got my mind buzzing with ideas for future projects.

Check out their website here.

5. WRITING: Debbie Millman on Failing Safe

This essay by Debbie Millman is a reflection on the roads not taken. It’s strange to hear from one of the most successful designers of our time, the doubts and regret she experienced from taking the “safe” paths in life. If the visual essay is too hard to read, the audio recording is available here.

Check out the essay here.

 


Thanks for making it to the very end! If you got any value out of this, please consider forwarding it to a friend or family member to share the inspiration. You can also check out all my previous monthly newsletters on my website.

Have a great new year and stay safe!
 

Cheers,
Chie

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