I truly feel like I can’t go a day without being shouted at by weight loss commercials, apps, programs, and gyms. Movement you want to do is important, but shrinking and shrinking and shrinking is not. Letting go of the scale as the only metric of what we are worth is vital

I was drawn to this topic because I do feel that the hyper focus on living within the smallest body possible as of late (though let’s be honest this has always been a pretty present and toxic part of our culture), especially for girls, is omnipresent

Find your senators at reps.fyi or call 202-224-3121

Yeah! I’m returning to education soon and I’d never use it in that space (or any) because I want to set a good example for the students and I also fear having just horrific mistakes in the material or grading process

Sadly lots of artists I know have also suggested using AI

I’ll be super clear that none have been specifically illustrators, but folks who write, sculpt, painters, photographers, and educators in creative fields are among a few professions that have suggested I use AI to “streamline” part or all of my work

It is super disheartening! It really upsets me

Sadly a lot of the folks who have tried to push me to use AI in my work are folks who work with or are creatives

It seeps into many spaces

They were so fast to fall back on "personal responsibility" as what a life is worth. This thought that some people inherently deserve more due to amorphous virtues, while some deserve less for equally ever moving "bad choices"

Breaking through this mindset is the crux of so many things

This person would likely label themselves a progressive. They volunteered, they cared about their causes, they could talk circles around others on so many topics

But they lost all humanity when faced with something they couldn't understand, they hadn't had to do, that their family didn't live

A few years back when minimum wage was a big topic again, a person I went to school with made a flippant post about how minimum wage was only the concern of young people and those who didn't plan their lives better

My mother was a minimum to low wage waitress for my WHOLE childhood

This is the only therapy I can afford, being chosen by an old dog

Oh and I'm vaguely still trying to see if I want to get an agent to help with the freelancing part at least. Maybe that's the solution haha!

Agencies prepare to see my hopeful little emails in January

I don't know what to do after. I'll be an editorial/publishing/branding freelancer, a person who does wholesale/consignment, someone who tables, and newly again an educator. Something has to shift, I simply can't do it all!

But that being said, it really makes me sad to pause! I love my patrons!

Let’s not lose momentum, nor stop pushing for a better tomorrow. but let’s also remember to celebrate whatever wins we can find when they happen

For sure! There are lots of creatives out there that talk about their various methods with making more shape based art that I think could help! YouTube I am sure has some very useful talks and tutorials

I truly thought as I saw them, this is a very good Portland moment