Category: Creative Process

Any posts describing how I do things.

December in the laundry room

A black-and-white illustration of a woman standing in a laundry room, holding up a zine with a thoughtful expression as if examining a shirt. A laundry basket in front of her is filled with zines, short stories, and creative papers. Behind her, more artwork and small illustrations hang from a clothesline above a washing machine and dryer.

I’m in the creative laundry room this month, holding up projects like shirts and asking which ones still fit.

Inside my winter sticker sketchbook

Collage of four hand-drawn winter animal illustrations—bear with a bass, rabbit with a banjo, fox with a fiddle, and a Blue Ridge lettering design—surrounded by colored pencils and sketchbook tools.

A quiet return to drawing this week, working on winter animals and bluegrass charm in a behind-the-scenes peek at how this year’s sticker collection begins.

When a Story Tries to Turn Into Cinderella

Hands holding a small round mirror with a blurred face reflected inside, against a soft neutral background with warm light.

A short reflection on how a simple magical-hairdresser story tried to turn into Cinderella, and what it taught me about tropes, honest endings, and staying inside a character’s heart.

Return to the studio: dust, light and the first day back

A purple paint-splattered apron rests on a messy worktable beside pencils, a sketchbook, and paper scraps — the quiet evidence of my return to the studio after a long pause.

After weeks in hospital halls, I finally made it back down the basement stairs to my studio. The dust, the light, even the quiet felt like home. Between the hum of the printer and thoughts of a real meal again, I’m learning how healing can sound like paper shuffling and smell like dinner on the stove.

When a zine isn’t a zine…

Whimsical watercolor illustration of a zine and a chapbook personified as friendly characters sitting beneath a tree, holding hands while autumn leaves fall around them.

I recently discovered that some of my beloved “zines” aren’t zines at all—they’re chapbooks! What began as mild embarrassment turned into a delightful realization: I’ve accidentally been running a small press. In exploring the tangled history between zines and chapbooks, I found that their difference isn’t about rules—it’s about intent, and the shared joy of making stories personal again.

From No Imagination to Endless Ideas

A small notepad and pen rest on a bedside table beside a glasses case and lamp, waiting to capture ideas that come before sleep or upon waking.

Ten years ago, I thought I had no imagination. Now I keep pens in every room just to keep up with the ideas. Somewhere along the way, my creativity grew three sizes—like the Grinch’s heart—and started glowing like a jar of fireflies.

Realmscapes at one year: forging a creative path

A spread of handmade zines fanned out on a wooden table, with scissors, a pink pen, and a bone folder beside them.

A year into Realmscapes, I’ve discovered that the Free Fictional Frontier isn’t just a home for old short stories—it’s become the Dispatch for my zines. Fifteen booklets later, I’m realizing that what began as an experiment has turned into the creative path I’d been searching for all along.

Every Fall Begins Like a Story

Hand holding a sketchbook of zine illustrations with pencils on a patio table, while a small white dog rests on a chair nearby.

September brings stories, mishaps, and new beginnings—lost zines, moody computers, and plans for a bard’s wagon at Zine Fest.

A First Look at the Woodland Watchers

Digital illustration of an owl perched on a gnarled tree branch, with a large full moon rising behind it. The drawing shows dark, textured bark and simple line work outlining the owl.

This week brought hospital waiting rooms, cooler autumn days, and progress on my Woodland Watchers zine. One illustration is finished, a second is underway, and the owl beneath the Hunter’s Moon has already whispered his story into the night.

Making Waves

Making Waves explores life’s stages through six illustrated messages—pleas, regrets, and acceptance—drawing inspiration from Zen’s empty boat parable and the idea that we are the boats, always moving, always changing. The zine ends with a space for your own message, inviting you to join the journey and pass it along to someone else who might need it.

The myth of the perfect creative space

Artist at a cluttered drafting table, sketchbook open with simple line drawings, smiling slightly at the camera in a casual creative workspace.

This week’s zine didn’t make the deadline, but real life did. While catching my breath, I found myself pondering the YouTube myth of the perfect studio—and why creativity thrives in messy, real-life corners instead.

When Coffee and Computers Conspire

Laptop on a desk with a colorful abstract face design on the screen, next to a Norwegian Sky cruise souvenir coffee mug and a black wire organizer filled with papers.

Half‑caff mornings mean more time for journaling, art, and apparently talking to my laptop when it stages a dramatic shutdown. Between cold coffee runs to the microwave and a machine dreaming of retirement in Florida, it’s a wonder I get anything done. But hey, I call it a win. Sort of.

You Might Be a Hornblower If…

Young man with curly hair and mustache stands in front of a stone tavern, wearing a brown coat, wide-brimmed hat, and red scarf—evoking a historical fantasy rogue.

I don’t usually make fan zines—but then Mat Cauthon raised the Horn. This one’s for the reluctant heroes, the gamblers, and the ones who turn back.

The secret power of mini-projects

A hand holding a small illustrated zine titled “How to Catch a Story” in front of a larger unfinished oil pastel portrait of a male paladin in armor.

Sometimes the secret to finishing creative work isn’t more time or more discipline — it’s thinking smaller. Here’s why mini projects have helped me finish more in two months than I did in the last two years.

Barking at monsters

Anni holds up her mini zine titled “Barkyard Security: Unleashed & Unqualified” while smiling. Two small, curly-haired dogs rest in the background.

Dogs bark at rabbits. I bark at Elementor. A funny look at creative chaos, Barkyard Security, and how overreaction might just be our default setting.

How to make a zine habit: four in and still rolling

Open sketchbook showing grayscale illustrations of a cat in various relaxed or disinterested poses, including watching a circus train and ignoring dramatic news.

Online zine-making seems to have gotten easier after only four issues, maybe because I’ve streamlined the process (or at least stopped reinventing the wheel each time). The idea and draft It starts with the idea. Some weeks it comes fast, other times I spend a couple of hours thinking it through. The easiest ideas show […]

June Studio Dispatch

A smiling artist in a light shirt and blue tee paints a glowing firefly jar illustration in a sketchbook, seated at a desk with a paintbrush and a ceramic mug nearby.

A June update from the Realmscapes studio: a new zine, a new Realm, and a glimpse behind the scenes as sticker kits and tiny books come to life.

The Birth of a Zine Habit

Collage-style image featuring illustrated pages from a black-and-white zine titled Why Did We Let It Get Like This?, with large teal text overlay reading “My First Zine!”

A behind-the-scenes look at creating my first illustrated Substack zine — why I made it, what I learned, and why this might be the start of a new creative habit.

Interviewing characters for my new series

Two girls sit at a table for a lab experiment

Ever wondered how authors discover their characters? Join me behind the scenes as I use playful AI-powered interviews to bring Core and Nova—two hilarious, heartfelt characters—to life for my new sci-fi series, Realmspire.

Can AI replace creators? Not anytime soon.

An elven wizard holding a quill

AI has sparked fears of replacing human creativity, but true artistry stems from personal experience and metaphor—something AI can’t genuinely grasp. While AI is a useful tool for brainstorming and simplifying tasks, it lacks the depth of human perspective, ensuring that writers and artists remain irreplaceable in the creative process.

Behind the Scenes: Writing and Posting My First Novel Draft

A woman leans over her keyboard

Finishing a novel feels like stepping through one door and reaching for the next—equal parts triumph and anticipation. Sharing my draft online pushed me to keep going, even when the words wouldn’t come. Now, with Aliki Martin and the Chocolate Cartel complete, a new adventure is just beyond the door.

Thriving in the backwater of the online creator ecosystem

An underwater transition zone between shore and ocean

Feel like you’re drifting in the backwater of the digital creator ecosystem? You’re not alone. Join me in the backchannel—a space where creativity flows freely, beyond the noise of algorithms. Let’s set our lanterns adrift and see where the current takes us.

Aliki’s Next Mess: Chapter 4 is up!

Aliki thought managing a used spaceship dealership would be straightforward—at least as straightforward as it gets on Earth. In this chapter, she finds out otherwise. With the ever-watchful Mitch digging deeper and the enigmatic Zoron keeping his cards close, Aliki’s ability to stay under the radar is put to the test. Not to mention, just […]

How Storyteller Tools by M. Harold Page makes plotting addictive

Lost in the messy middle of your story? Storyteller Tools by M. Harold Page transforms planning into play. With conflict diagrams and clever QABNs, it’s like story sculpting on steroids. Fair warning: once you start, you might not want to stop plotting. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

The power of observation for artists and writers

On a recent trip to Japan, I left my laptop behind to focus on something different: pure observation. By immersing myself in unfamiliar sights, sounds, and routines, I discovered how these experiences can deepen creative work, enriching the worlds we build with authentic details and fresh inspiration.

Navigating the future of illustration (and my own)

I fell off the illustration bandwagon this week while working on a novel. But I did manage some drawing practice, learning “Weight Drawing,” and had a realization while reading Heller’s The Education of an Illustrator about how AI is just another evolution in the industry, much like photography and digital tools were.

Exciting beginnings: my self-taught art journey, week 1

My first week on a self-taught art journey has been filled with unexpected challenges, inspiring discoveries, and a renewed sense of creative freedom. Join me as I explore foundational skills, face new trials, and uncover what it means to truly learn the art of illustration.

How to make a good art composition: start the right way!

Before making thumbnails, even before making decisions about what you want to include in your drawing, the most important thing a beginner can do to improve a composition is to ensure that the drawing will be made in the same proportion as the reference or view that’s being drawn. A viewcatcher makes this easy.