It has been a hard month.

The recent ICE operations in my home state of Minnesota have had a devastating impact, creating fear and destabilizing families and communities. In times like these, it can be challenging to carry on as if everything is normal, including working on personal or creative projects. Engaging in creative activities is a healthy and necessary practice that helps me stay grounded during overwhelming times. However, the intensity of the situation makes it even more challenging to be creative. While I did manage to work on some things, the process was sluggish, and I don't have much to share.

As I said, progress was slow, but I did accomplish some things. For the dolls project, I did get some more tedious things done, like carving out some doll face sculpts and heads that were originally made in my old process and are now being modified for a new body design. I started trying different methods of articulating the dolls. I also refined a design for a new, moth-themed character concept. I'm really excited about this concept and will share more in a future newsletter.

Regarding progress, I don’t have anything to show for the dolls at the moment, but I have created some digital content for my website. For months, I’ve intended to work on this but hadn’t gotten around to it. My vision was to incorporate elements that would help my site resemble the look of an illuminated manuscript. Lacking motivation for some sculptural projects, I sat on the couch with my iPad, doodling elements and adding them to my site. This turned out to be a fun little project, and I’m excited to expand my digital content to align with the overall aesthetic of my dolls. You can check out the art on my site.

I hope to have more art to share next month. Take care and stay safe!