Pretty light hearted today.
Inktober 19: a few of my favorite things - solitude
I've talked before about my gratitude for my family, because they save me from complete solitude. But I do need occasional alone time to recharge.
Inktober day 18: a few of my favorite things
Tea. Self explanatory
Inktober day 17: favorite things edition
I love to travel. I love it I think more than is reasonable. When travelling I behave like Kristin wiig in the surprise party SNL sketch. I just think it's incredible. This makes me socially awkward and manic when I'm somewhere new or interesting. As my normal companions may be unpacking or working out dinner I'll find myself on the balcony of our hotel heaving in awe at the very fact that I'm there at all.
It just feels like a miracle that I'm in another culture and I don't fully understand how it isn't miraculous to everyone.
Inktober day 16
Joe's been helping me. I went out alone yesterday. Kate bush's cloudbusting came on my playlist and gave me a little boost. My melancholy has reached critical mass with the funeral today so something must be done I think. So maybe a little “a few of my favorite things” version of my inktober theme is needed, in an effort to cloudbust a little.
Inktober catch-up day 15
I got a haircut. It's my first one since January. I'm strained today and the hair appointment was welcome. Just getting out the door was a struggle. Sometimes momhood makes me want to scream into a pillow.
VOTE.
Don't forget to vote people.
Inktober catch-up day 13
I've been drifting a little lately
Inktober catch-up day 12
My grandfather died Friday. I've been a little low, and haven't drawn in a few days. Even before the formality of his passing I was mourning the end of his life. He was a gentle man, he loved me very much. I still remember what his hugs felt like, and a thousand other things about him. I'm not going to Louisiana, which is hard and confusing.
And also, I'm terrible at drawing my grandparents. I tried.
Inktober day 11
I'm a little behind with these now, which is consistent with how I always do inktober ha.
I'm cajun, wanted to do a little piece about my home state and culture.
Inktober day 10
I am a very solitary person. I enjoy time to myself and would definitely call myself an introvert. Even when I was a kid my grandpa said I was the easiest baby because I'd just sit in my crib quietly playing for hours. What can I say. I like my own headspace.
My husband is very accepting of this and will give me time alone when I need it. I feel like meeting Joe at a young age and having kids saved me from becoming a true loner. I really got lucky with them.
My favorite type of solitude is one surrounded by company, which probably comes from wandering the woods at my grandpa's farm while the house was lit with smoke came from the chimney and I could hear laughter from the creek.
I often have good dreams of a huge house filled with activity, people hustling in the kitchen and playing games, and finding a reading nook away from the house to settle in for a while before going back out to the gathering.
Inktober day 9
I have an obsession with lavender. There are lavender farms here that I frequent in the spring and summer, and I have become a collector of all things related to this purple flower. I've planted it in the garden, I use it as perfume, I drink it, I eat it. I put it in chocolate, coffee and ice cream. I use it as decoration and have pressed lavender as art in my kitchen.
There is something about the taste and smell of lavender that makes me feel like the buildings are made of clean sheets flapping in the breeze. It makes me feel calm and airy and light. It has such a strong emotional effect on me that I've ended up surrounding myself with it, and I never seem to get tired of it.
Inktober day 8
I'm a pretty messy person. It's a typical trait of creative people but it gets me in trouble sometimes, especially at the in laws haha. I'm much cleaner than I used to be, but I often find myself throwing things to the side or onto the floor, especially when I'm in the middle of a project. It's been a journey in acceptance, but I do have the occasional day (like today!) Where I get tired of it and go on a massive cleaning spree on a mission to make my house sparkle.
Inktober day 7
I think most creative people battle with mental health. I've learned over time that the unique way my brain operates can be not only dark and challenging but also suited well to new ideas and visual storytelling. I also think I'm a very hopeful person in general.
Ive been diagnosed with panic disorder, anxiety, depression, and even the early signs of bipolar disorder… but I think I'm pretty normal especially for an artist. I cannot stress enough how helpful therapy is. Everyone I know I think would benefit from therapy. It's really helped me understand my mind better and made me more selfless and kinder to those around me.
Inktober day 5
Im overweight. Obese actually. I'm 5’2” and weigh 201.6 lbs. A month ago it was 206. I've been struggling with my weight since I was 21 years old and had recently gotten to a point where I was literally starving myself while still gaining weight because crash diets aren't maintainable. It affects my comfort, it's tangled in my mental health (a subject for another day) and finally about a month ago I hired a nutritionist. Then I learned that I wasn't eating enough.
Funny how these things work. Anyway I've lost 5 pounds so far. In a week or two I'll be back under 200. Turns out I just needed to admit that I didn't have to do it alone, that I could ask for help.
Inktober day 4
I am a Buddhist. I like to think I was taught to be one as a child without realizing it. As an adult I found out a few family members considered themselves buddhists and even my catholic grandmother certainly acted like one.
Eventually somewhere in my twenties I accepted that I probably identified as a Buddhist.
Sometimes people ask me if I'm a therevada, mahayana or Vajrayana Buddhist and I tend to get a blank look on my face. I'm probably a deeply flawed zen Buddhist, although I think many american buddhists probably have trouble labeling themselves.
I sometimes hesitate to tell people I'm a Buddhist because I've encountered wildly different interpretations of what that means, and often there is an assumption that I like the idea of the psychology of compassion and the label or buddhism is convenient, although to be honest I think those people are also buddhists. It's a fluid word. But meditation, discipline, mindfulness and the eightfold path have been an important part of my life, and especially this year.
Inktober day 3
My kids. We adopted Temoc back in 2012, and the story is a dramatic one, with a fallout of torn relationships and closer relationships with others. In spite of my commitment to open a bit this month I'm hesitant to share too much out of respect for some involved, but long story short, I love that boy. He's sharp and articulate and loves school. He's orderly and precise and funny.
My youngest, Ronin is the opposite in a lot of ways. Wild and creative and a tiny harbenger of chaos and joy. His got a talent for music and is as messy a kid as they come, and is often naked around the house.
They're a little yin and yang, left brain and right brain, and they're pretty great.
Inktober day 2
I love cooking. I would consider it my main hobby, since illustration is more of a career. I am pretty sure I’m quite good at it at this point and I’ve perfected many recipes and know how to make good meals using whatever is around, as well as find really nice recipes. I might be good enough to pursue it professionally if I chose to do so but I don’t have that desire.
I love it so much, that the book I’m writing and illustrating (which I have been keeping under secrecy for now) involves the main character pursuing cooking seriously and it becomes a big part of the plot. My dream is to write this fantasy novel that would include actual recipes from the story.
Inktober day 1
Happy October everyone! I would like to do a little “get to know me” theme this month since I avoid getting too personal online and find the exposure on social media slightly uncomfortable. I do enjoy when other artists pull back the curtain a little, so I'd like to contribute to that a little more.
My name is Lauren and I live in the Pacific Northwest. I've been an illustrator for 9 years and I've been drawing for 23 years. Happy inktober everyone!
