March Week 3 and 4 recap
And on to the second half of the month! While I was fairly busy playing the third week of March, the last week was bed rest with suspected flu! So, this update won’t be as image-intense but rest assured, I still got a lot done, both work and play-wise.
I shipped out a package filled with bucket fillers and bookmarks from my Air and Water Series and made sure to customize the individual envelopes with my own version of “scrappy art.” It brings me so much joy to be able to use just about every bit of what would be discarded material to create something anew. There’s a different kind of thrill when one is able to challenge conventional notions of what is valuable and what is waste to create an imperfectly perfect work of art. I had shared a $5 course earlier in the month using some of these scraps to create a series. Did you take it? I’d love to see your scrappy art creations if you did!
Ollie helped me unpack an order for a glass cutting board a couple of weeks ago and I realized that not many people know about the line of printed products I offer. From stylish journals to practical home goods, my designs breathe life into everyday items, transforming them into unique statements of creativity. They are printed and shipped by external vendors but I’ve placed test orders for these products and can vouch for their quality. While you’ll not receive these items in custom handmade packaging like you would if you get something handmade directly from me, these make for great gifts at reasonable prices for your self and your loved ones. If you have a look at this diverse selection of products, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are there other products I should add? Specific designs you want more of? How can I make this section of my shop more appealing to you? Please reply to this email and let me know!
This video didn’t receive a whole lot of love on social media so I am sharing it here because I do think it carries an important message: Finding your own voice is a journey of self-discovery that demands experimentation, not imitation. It's easy to fall into the trap of copying the ideas of others you admire, hoping their success will rub off on you. But true authenticity shines brightest when it comes from within. Trying to be someone you're not breeds imposter syndrome, the nagging feeling that you're a fraud and a failure. I have learned that when I experiment with different ways of expressing myself, I uncover something deep inside of me … a voice that's not only original but also resonates with the world because it reflects a genuine, flawed, imperfect and broken part of me.
And then, of course, I hosted the monthly LIVE Zoom workshop for my membership community where I shared a TON of insights, tips, tricks and learnings from my own experiments using acrylic and alcohol inks on various different substrates, played with some cool new tools, collaged, and walked members through the various different ways they could create a cohesive body of work no matter what mediums they were using. All members get access to replays of these live sessions, so if they’re not able to make it every month, it’s ok. Also, anytime a new member joins, they have access to the archive vault where all the recordings reside! Just that alone is worth the monthly membership price, I think, but I’ll have you look at all the other perks and then decide for yourself if it’s something you might be interested in.
These bucket fillers are part of the series that I created in preparation for my LIVE Zoom workshop. I wanted to be able to showcase how similar elements or mediums can be used to create completely different sets of series. There is commonality amongst them but they are also distinctly different. These sets are great to have on hand if you’re running short on time but still want to share handmade kindness.
Since I lost a whole week to the flu, I’ll leave you with a glimpse at my Instagram feed that has lots of reminders to make your own bucket fillers and some encouraging/inspirational reels. If there’s anything here that piques your interest, certainly click to learn more.
That’s all for me this month. I’m looking forward to April and all the wonderful adventures it promises to bring! Take care.
XOXO
Mansi.
