There are children's stories that hit differently when you read them again as an adult. Sentences suddenly make sense. Dialogues become relatable. Storylines become as vivid as reality. These are the kind of stories that grow with you.

I have an album full of beautiful skies on my phone (and my digicam). I don’t share it nowadays after lessening my social media interactions. I don’t even look back at it. I guess it’s just the habit of “sharing moments” so we capture them on our phone. Or maybe we subconsciously fear that we won’t have any concrete thing to remind us of that memory.

I am reminded again what it felt like mindlessly staring at the beauty God made — focusing and just letting it sink in.

Sometimes we take it for granted. So much to unlearn. :)

It’s Friday afternoon.

My shift has just ended.

The neighbor has sung five songs in the karaoke — and is still singing.

The sky is gray.

The rain is drizzling.

The cool breeze is blowing.

Weekend is here.

I drew this cute T-Rex years back. It's pretty handy for when you're moving sites.

I once sold it as a sticker in an art market. It was the year 2022. Very few people bought. What can I say... either the internet's more accessible now, or the internet's still bad but Google search is not a thing anymore. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

How people find things online nowadays, I don't know. All I know is I had to google "ifykyk" just to be sure. :))

I’ve been contemplating about my shop and my creative “career” overall — writing my ideas/plans/checklists on my idea dump notebook. And one of those plans (not concrete yet) is joining bazaars or art markets.

So, here’s what I did. I made a directory of some sort — a list of art markets/bazaars/events, whatever you call it. It’s for me to have a one-page reference of what’s out there. And hopefully it will help other creatives who might come across my site, too.

Head on to the menu and you’ll find it under Resources. I trust that you’ll find your way. :)

P.S.

I was supposed to add a rating scale for different areas like foot traffic, booth fee (value for money), etc. But it seems that I need to go dev mode on my site to do that. My brain cells cannot do it yet.

Should I join bazaars again? My first art market was fun, but I wasn't able to sustain the design-making. What could happen if I start again?

This is a question that struck me years ago when I was navigating my 20s. It was when I was just starting out with my creative path alongside my day job.

I’ll be a full-time artist. That was my answer before.

Now that I’m older and got a taste of reality, I’m thinking…

I’ll be a full-time artist.

I’ll live in a homestead with my family. We’ll grow our own food and own livestock.

We’ll live life slowly as if the earth is not rotating fast.

Until then, I’ll make the best of my days — illustrating children’s books after my shift, growing food in pots, taking a break and…simply being. :)

For some reason, I Googled "studio ghibli children's books" and I'm surprised to know that they really have one! Actually, not just one!

I've been a fan of Studio Ghibli ever since I watched Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. I must say that I didn't grow up watching Studio Ghibli movies, rather, I'm more of the typical anime and Western cartoon kid (thanks to cable network). Dragon Ball, Ghost Fighter, Ranma 1/2, Zenki, Slam Dunk, Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls. Enough, let's not give away my age. Haha!

Studio Ghibli basically didn't exist in my young world back then. If I remember it correctly, it was one of my Sunday School teachers who introduced me to Studio Ghibli. (Thank you, Ate Len!)

Now that I'm in the world of children's books as an illustrator, I am ecstatic about Miyazaki's films turned into picture books. I so love the films, but make it a picture book? That's a whole different game.

It's probably not available yet in our local bookstores (I'll have to check). Maybe I can order in Amazon when I have the fund. For now, I only have one art book, which is a gem, too. ♡

Let’s cook up a tasty burger! The first book series I illustrated, starring Hamburger Harriet, is now out on Amazon!

If you’re looking for a fun way to teach kids how to write better, then these books are for you. Stroll down Burger Boulevard or Pickle Plain Lane, and get to know Harriet’s friends, too!

Written by AnnA Gomez, Published by Paraklesis Press.

My illustrations always start with the linework. If I can choose only one favorite step in making art, it's this. I guess, all those coloring books I had as a kid made a huge impact. The negative spaces that embody every page wait to be filled, and yet each page is beautiful as it is.

Some studies I did using wet media. I tried watercolor, “watery” gouache, and poster colour (the latter being my favorite among my limited supplies). I was proud of that last page. Haha

And oh, I made this watercolor sketchbook, too! :D

Found a fun way to show road photos. :D Here's my view from the back seat during our trip to Batangas, Philippines two weeks ago.

With so many sharing platforms available now, I wonder if my words can find their home anywhere in the internet.

It would be nice to have it all in one place. A single space where curious people can see both my works AND what I'm up to these days. No distractions. No algorithm to beat. No platform-hopping.

And... here we are!

I'm thinking this news feed will be a journal of some sort, which can range from a simple note to a blog post, where I can talk about what I'm working on, what I'm currently thinking, or things that have sparked my wonder and what-not.

It’s not meant to send new posts to your inbox yet (I have my Substack for that), nor is it meant to be reacted or commented to.

This might sound a bit counter-intuitive, but let me quote from Seth Werkheiser:

Now, when and where to buy a domain?

(Inspired by Seth Werkheiser's post on the Social Media Escape Club. I may or may not have copied his layout. I just realized now that having the title in all caps makes it easier for my perfectionist brain.)