February

Sitting with a cup of tea this morning (11:53 am counts as morning!). I took a class in 2020 from Sue Bryce on CreativeLive online about how to run a photography business. I’m remembering her blogging strategy: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The idea was to do one each week; but I’ve decided to try that for a monthly newsletter.
​
​

Something Old

What I got up to this month. There were 4 videos this month! That’s about one a week. That’s great!
​

Video: A Gallo Watercolor Dot Card Swatching Earth Colors (First Half)

A Gallo Watercolor Dot Card Swatching Earth Colors (Second Half and the Yellow Binder)

Video: Unboxing Rosa from Jackson’s!
​
Video: My New Travel Medicines for a Month! A New Cute Smaller System.

I managed to finish swatching the A Gallo dot card. I’ll tell you a secret since you’re on my email list: I just got the DaVinci dot card palettes. I’ve had fun swatching the first couple palettes, yellows, oranges, reds, and purples. So pretty.
​

I also redid the thumbnails for them. I found a new font for the thumbnails: Tc Milo. It’s so fun.
​

The box arrived from Jackson’s of Rosa Gallery Watercolors. The package arrived so damaged but everything was there and intact. Whew. Jackson’s did a great job of packaging it up.
​

There was also Khadi paper in there and I’ve been having fun trying it out. As cotton, it’s been absorbing the water and needing more water as I paint, and when it’s drying it forms this interesting paint texture. I’m also enjoying the square format and rough edges book format. It feels different to paint in something that’s just a bunch of paper bound together without a proper cover. It’s really fun. I’ll have to make a video on it at some point. (And the front of the book now has a sticker on it; I got stickers for Christmas :) )

​

I got excited about this new medicines set up, I had been using the other one for years and it took up so much room in my suitcase. Now I have more room for art supplies! Yay!
​

Something New

I’ve been sketching with a pen. Yeah. Even with wrist strength issues. I use the Pigma Micron (it tried to auto correct to muffin) Graphic 1. It doesn’t change line shape when you use it, so I don’t end up using my wrist in a weird way and hurting it to get specific line sizes and widths. I use my left hand and loosely hold it and use broad strokes, and let it be wobbly and sketch out a composition.
​

I’ve also managed to make hearts with Museum Aquarelle pencils from Caran D’ache. Probably couldn’t do more than one pencil thing in a day, nor every day in a row, but I did manage to do that without hurting my wrist. I did film it so I’ll have to see if it makes a good video.

​

Something Borrowed

Something that inspires you from someone else; something you watched, someone you follow, something you read.

Reading list time.
I finished reading Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work in January. Now I’m sending you an email newsletter. I think it worked pretty well. Re-reading the book will be a challenge because so much of it is highlighted on my kindle (paperwhite, it’s from like 12 years ago).

I would tell you what I’m in the middle of reading now, but I have jumped books three times this week. I do that til something sticks then I finish it in a week. If I finish something this month I’ll have to tell you about it next time.

​

Anything else new? I got several nail polishes on clearance at the grocery store. My watercolor pencils are currently in my ceramic water container on my desk.

​

Something Blue

I believe this category was used for something like a story from the heart or something personal.
​“Blue is from the heart…It’s when I write something personal.” -Sue Bryce

It snowed this in January a lot, and got down to like 19°F. And I walked everyday except one, where I walked inside in a store. It’s hard but it’s worth it. Partly for the circulation, partly for the building of leg muscle and strength to do things cause you’re doing things, and partly for the get-outside-ness. Seeing nature is invaluable. So even if you aren’t able to walk, get outside and see different things, sit in the car and see the park, look out your window, sit somewhere different in your house, listen to a new audiobook with a sleep mask if you have a migraine, or nature sounds. Something different, preferably outside as you can.
​

I walked in my pjs many times last month, but did manage to get fully dressed for the day one warm spring-like day we had which was such a gift. That day had a beautiful sunset.
​

Thank you

Thanks for reading this today. It’s a really great exercise to go back through your pictures from the month, and put together a journal entry or something of what you did last month. You just might find you did more than you thought, and enjoy looking back at some of the fun things you did and at things you created.

Megan :)

Hello and Welcome! I’m Megan. I’m a photographer and watercolor artist with chronic health challenges, POTS and wrist strength issues. I want to encourage you, and for you to see what is possible.

​https://youtube.com/@styleandbeautydirect​

​https://styleandbeautydirect.com​

The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. [See the full disclaimer]. I am part of affiliate program(s), and may receive a small commission from purchases you make through my links, at no additional cost to you. It’s a great way to support me, so thank you! [See the full disclosure].

Imagine Framed Photography LLC DBA Style and Beauty Direct

🙂