(I only somewhat apologize for the title pun — I’m wired for sound today… You’ll only get it after reading the post!) Hey all! Long-time lurker turned first-time poster here. I’ve been an artist for over a decade — honestly, since middle school, and I’m 30 now. Professionally, I’ve been on-and-off for about four years leading up to 2024–2025. Life happened, then COVID happened, then life happened again… and somewhere along the way, I stopped drawing. But recently, I found a new creative outlet: writing. It started with journaling, then fanfiction (yes, I can hear the gasps already), and now I’m actively working on a book. My love for drawing hasn’t disappeared — it’s just quieter. I still doodle, imagine, and dream of pieces I’ll eventually create. Here’s where I’m at: I want to combine my love of writing and art into something unique. Ideally, I’d like it to grow into a modest side-income, but more importantly, I want it to feel authentic. My creative niches overlap nicely: - Animals & Nature - Mental Health & Disability Advocacy - The Occasional Personal Storytime My art is mostly traditional — colored pencils, pens, markers, pastel pencils, and even chalk. I’ve used digital before, but my heart belongs to the tactile feel of pencils and paper. Stylistically, I love drawing animals framed with natural, floral elements, almost like borders. And every piece has at least one rainbow detail — whether it’s the animal itself, fruit, or flowers, there’s always a rainbow touch. I just love rainbows~ The challenge? I’m a serial flip-flopper. I can’t decide whether to lean into writing or art, and I don’t want to abandon either. So I’m hoping to find ways to combine them — maybe through stories paired with illustrations, or advocacy projects that use both words and images. And yes, the name of my business will be "The Wild & The Weary." The vision is to merge the magic of animals and nature with mental health themes, while also highlighting conservation. Every animal I draw will be an endangered species, which is where the advocacy part comes in.

Tried the water color effect with my calligraphy quote today.. Share what makes you think that you are strong 💪

I’ve been off for a few weeks, but I’m back and doubling down on what this space is really for: helping you turn your art into income, confidence, and real opportunities. For the next 12 weeks, this community is going to be focused on one simple idea: MAKE YOUR FIRST DOLLAR (and then your next ones) from your art. Here’s how this will work: - I’ll post here every day with a simple prompt or tiny mission. - We’ll focus on small, doable actions that move you closer to paid art work. - You can share your progress in the comments and get feedback/support. Today’s question so I can see where everyone’s at: 1. What kind of art do you do? (murals, digital, painting, tattoos, etc.) 2. Have you ever been paid for your art before? Yes or no. 3. What would be a dream way to make money from your art? 4. Drop your answers below so I can shape everything around YOU. 5. https://youtu.be/X6WpUwL47bs?si=eitpuVZ6BWKXAIil

Trying to do every type of art at once makes it way harder to make money. For the next 30 days, let’s pick ONE main lane to focus on. Examples: - Murals - Commissions (portraits, pets, fan art, etc.) - Prints / stickers / merch - Digital design (logos, covers, thumbnails) - Content creator (YouTube, TikTok, etc.) Today’s mission: 1 Comment your ONE main lane for the next 30 days. 2 In one sentence, describe what you’d love to be known for in that lane. I’ll be focusing on murals as my main lane. What’s yours? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HA6Xmn2WIcM&pp=4gcMEgpwZXJwbGV4aXR5

1. Say hi: name + what kind of art you love 2. Drop a pic of something you made or your setup (optional) 3. Check out the Weekly Challenge (pinned) and jump in!Need help? DM me anytime.