LOL So Apparently I'm Making a New Card Line (Patreon)

World Watercolor Month started so innocently. The absolute best of intentions. I own some of Charlie O'Shield's books, his watercolor collaboration with Da Vinci, why not try to get an easily influenced out during World Watercolor Month?

And spoiler- his books are great. I can't wait to share them with yall. I think yall will like them.

It was all going fine- the books are great, the paints are fantastic, and I decided to try and do SOME (not even all, SOME) of the prompts for this year and I opted to start early, so I can get that review out.

The road to hell is paved in good intentions, and this ADHD woman who struggles with being a bit too compulsive proves that.

So here I am, painting the prompts, generating even more ideas, and coming up with some cute ideas for a potential greeting card line based around local foods. The ideas just flow from my hands, filling Daiso sticky notes and covering my desk, piling up. All this while I am also juggling my regular recording work and painting my Louisiana foods series, because I refuse to let challenge months stop everything. I might have a dopamine addiction.

But I have to admit, these card designs are coming out REALLY cute. They're still watercolor, but a little different from what I usually do, and it'd be nice to have something in my lineup with slightly broader appeal, especially since I've been trying to get my work into shops. And they're fun to paint too. If I had picked a lane, I would be genuinely enjoying myself. But can Becca pick a lane? Absolutely not. And will Louisiana weather cooperate? Also absolutely not.

Am I complaining? Only about myself really, and my desire to do everything all the time all at once. No one told me to try and do some of the daily prompts in addition to my regular work. No one told me to record it. No one told me to get inspired and try to shoehorn extra illustrations in. I've never been good at self-editing- can you tell?

Before anyone thinks this sounds like a good idea or like something they should emulate (that hustle culture FOMO is harsh), let me warn you- this is how I burn myself out. Piling too many things on, too many ideas that I don't have the patience to plan out, trying to get things finished sooner rather than later, refusing to slow things down to a more reasonable pace, trying to shove in extra things before we leave for a family trip- I've always lived my life like I was running out of time.

Inspiration is a heckof a drug. I'm going to try to be better about pacing myself, but I'm also worried that I'll lose my window for working- Sjogren's has been really painful this summer, and I have limited energy. I know rest is important and helps you preserve what you have, but some opportunities only last for a limited time, and I feel like I'm just watching life pass me by.

Anyway, we'll see where this goes.