I used to do a photo every year of the sh... I carry around in my bag, but neh. You get a drawing instead.
© Anna Denise Floor
This week, I've been carrying around a screenprinting kit as well, put together by Femke from Windstilte. I took a screenprinting course over at Urlaub this weekend, and it was great big fun (see a small snapshot of my castle scarf here on Instagram).
Why is it still in my bag, you ask? Well, folks. Because I'm a pig. That's why.
Meneertje, by Katie Noonan!
One of my favorite things to do in life is to complain. Ah, a day without the sound of my own voice nagging is like a day without coffee (and we all know that leads to scary, dark things).
So the other day I was whining about how much I miss my cat. I know, right. Tragic. Thing is, when my ex and I broke up, we decided to leave Meneertje (the cat in question) with him in Brussels. The ex has a big apartment, which happens to be the place the cat has lived his entire life, and at the time wasn't sure where I'd go and where I'd be. It seemed like the best thing I could do for the furry beast.
Anyhow, since our current mansion is wonderful but not tremendously spacious, we've decided to hold off on the kitteh-front for now until we know where we'll be next. Look at us being all grown-up and rational and whatnot. Doesn't mean I don't miss the little loudmouth.
Some more cat portraits done by Katie!
To make a long story not much shorter but definitely not any longer: my friend and colleague Katie Noonan, crazy cat lady, self-made illustrator, and world traveler, is doing this wonderful thing where she decided to draw 300 cats on Instagram. And she drew Meneertje for me. Yay! Such a fun idea (and I wish I had come up with it). So, if you're interested in getting your furball set up with an Instagram portrait, make sure to tag her @afternoonan! Also, she sells amazing cat magnets on Etsy.
Be sure to check it out. Katie surely made my day.
'Aha-moments'. I don't really have them very often. I know there are people out there who do. People who have seen that proverbial lightbulb, but not me. For me, realizations come slowly - inklings, ideas, they unfold for me rather than pop up ('slow' is what my brother would say, probably). So when I say that picking up drawing again, was a life changing event for me, I don't mean there was a ray of light hitting me from the skies whilst dramatic music made all the animals in the forest perk up their fuzzy little ears.
When I picked up a pencil again in 2007 it was kind of slow and annoying. My hands wouldn't do what I wanted them to do and it stayed like that for a long time after that first day. They still won't listen to me, always, but taking that first step has changed my life in so many ways. I learned to listen to my passions again, I learned to express myself fearlessly, to find stillness in creating, and remembered what it feels like to be inspired again. But it came slowly and through continuous practice.
Through blogging, my work at Etsy, and the many courses I've taught online and in person, I've tried to help other people pick up a practice of their own. So when the Fantastic Mr. Floor showed me his paintings and drawings a little while back, but also mentioned he hadn't touched an easel in years, I knew I had a mission.
So we bought paint, canvas, brushes, sat down on our living room floor and got going. No singing cherubs to be seen here, but boy, that was fun! And fortunately, when you get sick of staring at your own drawings and paintings, you can always give them away to your parents. They're supposed to love everything you do. Use it.
Extensive studies have proven that this really is the only right way to ever consume raspberries. So glad we cleared that one up.
