I just participated in my first Saturday call in ACI! It's always so fun to reconnect with friends and just as special to meet new ones! Such a gift to meet you @Brenda M and @Maizi. Exe🥰 Saturday mornings are usually filled with rush, rush - getting my son to parkour / gymnastics class, but today was a wonderful, slow morning filled with art, drawing, learning again, and giggles about creative learning! I look forward to next time! Thank you @Hansheng Lee and @Christopher Foster opening space for us to play and share art! Such a blessing!

Let’s talk about commissions as artists for a second~ ^_^ Not every artist has to take on commissions~ and honestly, not every artist should. Commissions come with structure, expectations, revisions, and sometimes a level of direction that doesn’t fit how everyone likes to create. Some artists thrive in that space. Others feel completely boxed in by it. Both sides are understandable~ For me personally, I actually enjoy the play room within commissions. I like starting with an idea~ sometimes something small like a bookmark or a quick mockup~ and then letting it evolve into something bigger over time. There’s a bit of collaboration in it, but also a challenge in translating someone else’s vision through your own voice. That said, I’ve learned that the way you approach commissions matters just as much as whether you take them at all: - Setting clear expectations upfront - Leaving room for your own artistic interpretation - Knowing when to say yes… and when to say no Commissions can be a great way to build relationships, stretch your skills, and create work you might not have made otherwise~ but they should still feel aligned with you as an artist. Curious where everyone else stands~ do you enjoy commissions, avoid them, or are you somewhere in between?

What are you working on this week? Show us the messy middle, the almost-there, the “I have no idea if this is working, but I’m doing it anyway” stage~! Growth doesn't come from stagnancy but little steps forward~ ^_^ Whether it’s a sketch, a half-finished piece, a concept, or even just an idea you’re sitting with~ we want to see it. Drop your WIP below, share where you’re at, and if you want feedback or just a little encouragement 💛 Let’s build together ✨

Lifestyle photos matter more than you think. Not because they’re “pretty.” But because they answer a question your audience is already asking: “Where does this fit in my life?” A bookmark on a desk is a product. A bookmark inside a well-loved book, next to morning light and a cup of tea~ or dried flowers~ that’s a moment. That’s connection. You don’t need a full studio setup to do this well. Start simple: • Natural light (window > overhead lighting) • Real environments (your desk, your studio, your home) • Objects that support~ not distract • Let the work stay the focus Think in scenes, not just shots. Where would someone actually use this? What does it feel like to hold, use, or live with your work? Lifestyle photos aren’t about perfection. They’re about context. And context builds trust. If you’re up for it~ (no pressure) share one lifestyle shot below 👇 (or your first attempt—we’re building this together) Thank you @Christopher Foster for taking these~! They turned out great~!

Some pieces arrive with a plan. Others show up in the quiet. Tonight’s been one of those slower, steadier studio nights~ ink, gold, a few finished bookmarks, and a few still finding their footing. There’s something I still love about that in-between stage, where the work is half instinct, half listening. Not everything needs to be loud and extra to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s just brush to paper, a little (or maybe more than a little) gold catching the light, and the kind of gentle silence that helps things come into focus. A few finished, a few still in progress, and all of them part of the same conversation.