New Book Deal Announcement! 🌱

A couple posts ago I mentioned to you that I had just finished up a new book and was waiting for some paperwork to go through on the book deal. I'm excited to announce that it's officially a real thing and my new book, called MY LIFE IN PLANTS, is going to be published next September! This will be my fourth book with Andrews McMeel Publishing and I'm feeling very lucky to get to continue working with a publisher that feels like a true home for my work!

MY LIFE IN PLANTS is an illustrated memoir told through the flowers and plants that bore witness to my journey to adulthood. From stumpy potted houseplants, to pretty flower arrangements on important occasions, to outdoor shrubs and gardens surrounding the homes I’ve lived in, flowers and plants have always been in the background of my life. In MY LIFE IN PLANTS, I tell the story of my life through thirty-nine plants that have played both leading and supporting roles, from my childhood to my wedding day, from a homegrown wildflower bouquet wrapped in duct tape that I carried on stage at age three, to a fragrant, potted basil plant that brought not only my kitchen but also myself back to life after grief. These are stories about the simplicity of home, the sharpness of loss, the lesson of learning to be present in the moment, and the journey of finding one’s own way in life.

This book is SO different from anything I've done before, which is making me feel super excited to share it with you, but also very vulnerable! It’s truly my most favorite thing I’ve worked on to date. I'm really looking forward to sharing much more about it over the coming months!💚🌱

A Holiday Hand-Lettering Workshop in Ithaca 🎄☃

I'm teaching a Holiday Hand-Lettering Workshop at Foundry in Ithaca, NY!

Saturday, November 16th (1:00–3:00pm)

FOUNDRY, 416 EAST STATE STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850

Join me for a fun holiday hand-lettering workshop where we'll make hand-lettered ornaments and gift tags to celebrate the upcoming festive season!

IN THIS WORKSHOP, YOU'LL:

• learn the basics of hand-lettering and typography

• learn how to add character and personality in letters

• practice fun hand-lettering styles, like faux calligraphy

• create decorative, hand-lettered holiday ornaments and gift tags

WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED:

• wood ornaments

• gift tags

• micron pens

• pencil + eraser

• worksheet with tips

• practice paper

You'll go home with 4 finished wood ornaments, 5 finished gift tags, a hand-lettering kit with the tools you used in the class, as well as an additional 3 blank ornaments to continue crafting at home!

To attend, make sure you reserve your spot here!

Listen to my Interview on the Rainy Day Diaries Podcast 🎧

I was recently a guest on the Rainy Day Diaries Podcast with host Jenipher Lyn, a super talented illustrator and also a sweet fellow introvert!

Her podcast is such an incredibly comforting, encouraging, and safe space for talking about how to live a fulfilling and creative life even if you struggle with mental wellness. Listen to the full episode here!

Tune in to hear us chat about:
-my book, The Escape Manual for Introverts
-self-care
-the crazy ride we call artist life
-how change is FREAKING SCARY
-adjusting to adulthood
-dealing with anxiety
-and lots of vulnerable sacredness

I love that the Rainy Day Diaries Podcast is a celebration of imperfection, a wonderful reminder that you're not alone, and that falling down does NOT mean you won't get back up again! There are so many inspiring episodes there I think you'll really enjoy 💜.

Interview on The Couragemakers Podcast

It’s been a busy fall! I know you haven’t heard too much from me lately, other than a few announcements about local events here and there, but I’ve been a busy little bee in the background. This fall I finished a new book AND accepted an offer for it! My current publisher loved the idea and graciously offered to publish it, making it my fourth book with them! I feel incredibly lucky to continue working with them because they have created a true home for my work. It’s such a creatively nurturing, supportive environment and having a team behind you that sincerely believes in your ideas, you really can’t ask for more as an artist.

I am SO excited to share more details about the book with you soon. It’s very different from anything I’ve done before, which is making me feel excited but very vulnerable! It’s truly my most favorite thing I’ve worked on to date. The book will probably be released next year, so once the paperwork is finalized very soon, I’ll be sharing more information then.

In addition to working like crazy on the new book, I’ve also been a guest on a couple of podcasts. One of my favorite interviews was with Meg Kissack of The Couragemakers Podcast. Working in this industry I have been able to meet some really incredible people with whom I have so much in common, and Meg is one of them. Have you ever experienced the magic of meeting someone and almost instantly you feel like you’ve been friends for years? This is exactly what happened during our Skype call and I’m so grateful to be able to call her a new friend of mine! We’ve even been meeting on Skype regularly now for fun friend chats! You can listen to my interview with her here, and I encourage you to check out the rest of her podcast episodes too. I will copy from her website the idea behind The Couragemakers Podcast because I don’t think I could summarize it better than this!

“I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.

The Couragemakers Podcast is the weekly podcast for creative and multi-passionate women. Creating a life you love takes a shitload of courage, but you don’t have to do it alone.

Join your host me, Meg Kissack every Monday as I talk to a different couragemaker as we speak all things courage, creativity and dream-chasing as they share vulnerably and honestly about their journey so far.”

— Meg Kissack, The Couragemakers Podcast

Watch My Interview on the American Real Talkshow 📺

I was recently interviewed by the American Real talkshow! The host Roger Brooks and I talk about my experience of being an introvert, how I've built a career around it, having a passion for traveling, and ramen Fridays with my dog. You can watch the episode below or on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/rtzeU6chLII

Being a naturally shy and anxious introvert, I must admit that I never thought I’d survive an in-person interview like this! At least not without a panic attack or sliding out of the seat from sweatiness. I’m happy to say that I was surprisingly comfortable, I maintained a reasonable heart rate and body temperature, and I even enjoyed it! Over the last couple of years I’ve started having to do more of this type of stuff, like podcast interviews, video tutorials, teaching workshops, etc. Each time I do something that I think is scary, it somehow makes the next thing slightly less scary. It becomes part of my arsenal of things to remember when I’m nervous, a reminder that I’ve already done scary things and I’m still fine. So I’ll do the next scary thing and I’ll be fine then, too.

Share your thoughts about my new book!

Hello friends! Hope your August is continuing to be lovely! I’m seeing pumpkin spice stuff starting to pop up everywhere and although I’m a fan, I’m so not ready for fall to be here. I’ve been enjoying this warm weather by going for walks everyday with our puppy, Tater. He’s such a good little buddy to have around and he really reminds me to take breaks often. I think I’m much healthier since he arrived :).

Anyway, I’m writing this post today to ask a favor of you—if you have read my latest book, The Escape Manual for Introverts, I would be so grateful if you could share your thoughts about it online at Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Barnes & Noble. More reviews will help my book’s ranking and in turn help it appear in front of more potential readers like you! It doesn’t even have to be a long review, something quick and honest is enough!

I’d also love to hear—have you tried out any of the escapes from the book yet? Do any remind you of ones currently in your own introvert repertoire? :D