Hey friend! It’s been blazing hot in LA and while the morning surf sessions have been SO nice, it's been leaving me feeling like a melting blob for the rest of the day. 🫠 I suppose it’s given me a good excuse to drink a lot of smoothies and iced lattes…

  1. Speaking of summer treats, my artist showcase at Kansha Creamery is on display for 1 more week! I created my collection, “Sweet Escape”, combining my two favorite things: ice cream and surfing. The last day to see it in person is Monday 7/31. I also wrote up a post about my process of putting the showcase together here.

  2. I’ll be selling at Unique Markets on 8/5-8/6 in LA! - This will be my first market of 2023 and I’m stoked. I’m cooking up new products and will be sharing a booth with my lovely artist friend Wink & Wonder. Get your tickets here and come hang out with me!

1. ARTIST: Melanie Johnsson

Melanie is an illustrator and designer based in the UK who specializes in creating bright and colorful illustrations. She’s a strong advocate for empowering the creative community and hosts a podcast, pattern challenges, and support groups to inspire fellow artists. On top of all that, she loves to surf!

Check out her work here.

2. BOOK: The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga

I'm 2 months into my creative sabbatical and it’s been great! I feel a lot healthier and my creative output is through the roof. But every now and then I get caught up in worrying about what other people think or feeling a little directionless. This book helped me face those internal struggles and learn to let go.  

Check out the book here.

3. FILM: Elemental

Pixar’s latest film pushed boundaries in visuals, music, and storytelling. There's romance (new territory for Pixar), but it also touches on big topics about personal identity, immigration, and interracial relationships. I also loved this post that captures the origin story of the film, told by director Peter Sohn.

Check out the trailer here.

4. PODCAST: Kevin Kelly on The Daily Stoic

Kevin Kelly popularized the idea of “1000 True Fans”, and in this interview he shares loads of advice for creatives. Two that I loved were: 1) to “aim for the position where you are the only person that’s doing the thing” rather than being one of many, and 2) to treat new experiences as life experiments rather than irreversible changes.

Check out the interview here.

5. SMALL BIZ: The Woobles

I first learned about The Woobles in this interview with the founder, Justine Tiu, on Creativity School. They sell adorable kits that can help anyone learn to crochet with simple tools and tutorials. I purchased a few for myself as I was looking for new hobbies outside of my illustrations and I can’t wait to get started!

Check out the shop here.

Thanks for reading! If you got any value out of this, send me a message or forward it to a friend. You can also check out my previous newsletters on my website.

And here's a friendly reminder to slow down and take it easy. ✌️
 

Cheers,
Chie