“Mommy, I’m a real ballerina!” Mary delights in her ballet classes, and tippy-toes and twirls around with joy and abandon. I love being able to record these moments of her life in my sketchbook.
I started sharing my sketches on Instagram shortly after she was born. I felt very isolated, as many new moms do, and I needed a way to connect with the outside world and to re-connect with my creative calling. I challenged myself to do a drawing a day, taking no longer than 15-20 minutes. Of course, I couldn’t manage every day when I started, nor can I manage sketching every day now. At the beginning motherhood was very challenging and often absorbed every minute of the day. Now I’m busy with both motherhood and an illustration career. But I still relish my time sketching in my tiny notebooks.
When I started I never imagined that anyone would follow me, and I’m grateful for every one of you and all the fantastic friendships I’ve made through this journey. I also never imagined that any brands might reach out to me; that was something that only happened to “real” bloggers.
Last week my absolutely favourite pen company, Kuretake, contacted me and asked if they could send me some pens. I was delighted and honoured. I love their brush pens. Their nibs keep their flexible shape after extended usage. I use these pens all the time. Absolutely the best brush pens for illustration, in my experience (and I’ve tried them all). I thought Kuretake would send one or two pens, but they sent me a whole envelope full! I can’t wait to experiment with them and show my drawings to you in the next few days and weeks.
Thank-you again for being there for me every day, and following along on this journey of artistic discovery and motherhood. It means more to me than you know.