Hello to you!
I got up and looked out the window one day this week and heard it: Spring! There were still patches of snow on the ground but the birds sounded like spring - excited, happy, and busy. There's still plenty of cold to come (and maybe even more snow), but it's coming. The birds know and are singing that truth.
A funny little birdie…
Does Your Art Need to "Look Right" or Feel Right?
I hear this a lot: people are unhappy with their art when it doesn't "look right" - meaning what they pictured in their heads or thought it should look like. But, know this: what your art feels like - the emotion, the liveliness, the verve - matters so much more than technical perfection.
A stiff, static work that checks all the "right" boxes? It leaves me cold. But something evocative and emotional, something with actual life in it? That's what stops me in my tracks every time. You don't need permission to make art that feels wild and alive instead of polished and perfect. (That's your birthright, remember?)
Walk With Me
One thing I've been enjoying SO much lately is the direct connection and correspondence with members - hearing what they're doing, sharing what I'm working on (the real behind-the-scenes stuff that doesn't go anywhere else). I want more of this, which is why I'm inviting you to join me.
The "Walk With Me" membership isn't a course or a teaching thing. It's companionship on the path. You get:
Casual studio emails when I'm working on something (photos, thoughts, process notes - not scheduled, just when the work is happening, often weekly)
Direct correspondence - write to me and I'll write back
Behind-the-scenes access to product development and works-in-progress
First look and early access to new collections before public release
Members-only products and discounts
This isn't about learning techniques or following a system. It's about permission to be yourself, encouragement when you need it, and the companionship of someone who wandered off the prescribed path and found joy there. The fairy light in the forest, proving the way forward exists.
There are 3 spaces left: https://ko-fi.com/shinydesigns/tiers
Coming Soon: Amber Haze Scarves + Happy Birds
The sample for my Amber Haze Scarf Collection should arrive any day now, and I'm excited to share it with you soon! Members will see it first (with a generous discount), then it'll be available more widely.
Also - I've been making fun little paintings of birds in bright colors and funny shapes. Members have already seen all four of them, but I had to share at least one with you too... He’s that bright fellow at the top.
What Are You Making?
What's alive in your studio right now? What are you noticing in The Creation lately? Reply and tell me - I read and respond to every message.
You Are the Light,
Monette
P.S. Members get first access to the Amber Haze collection (launching soon!) plus a special discount. If you've been thinking about joining, now's a good time - only 3 spaces left, click here to join.
P.P.S. The birds have been "talking" to me all week - not literally (or maybe literally, who knows), but in that way where you just know what they're saying. They're telling secrets about what's buried under the snow, what's getting ready to push through. I've been listening. Spring knows we're waiting, and it's almost here.
P.P.P.S. It's Valentine's Day - so here's what I love: the spark in a crow's eye. The way frost patterns look like glittering needles. Marks on paper that surprise you. Wild and unruly things that don't ask permission to be beautiful. That's my kind of love. I hope yours is equally untamed today.