Dear friends,

How are you?

I hope it has been a lovely June so far.

Mine has been a very confusing month with many emotional swirls. In the last couple of months, my days were filled with finding a kindergarten for my son, getting him accustomed to this new environment without his mommy is physically there with him, (ah! this is actually a story of its own, maybe another time I will write about it), illnesses and important surgeries in our families, working and finalising on a very long-running, exciting project.

While in my own bubble things have been moving fastly, the world also became a burning place with many injustices. Around this whirlwind, I felt lost. I felt the world doesn’t need my drawings and my patterns, so I stopped sharing. What I also realized, I actually couldn’t hear my own thoughts because I was so busy filling it with others thoughts that appeared on my phone screen.

Time moves so fastly and I don’t have its’ remote control in my own hands but how I can help myself is shifting the way I am engaging with it. So, my intention in this summer to be like a turtle; slow, steady and consistent. I am choosing slowing down - even slowing down in this fast paced world requires effort by being present in the moment- to create and focus on what I have on my plate. 

Like many of my artist friends, Instagram is the place where I share my work and create meaningful, long lasting connections and attract new clients, but with the recent changes, I felt like without a real connection, without reaching to the right people that would be interested with what I do, the way I do, it became  pointless to share. I feel like I am chasing my own tail and I am tired.

My designs celebrate the handmade, color and the joy of pattern; my illustrations have soft feelings, innocence and playfulness. I will always keep them in the core of what I create. To be able to do this, I have to feed my soul and not a giant algorithm monster. And yet, life is about balance, not lack of missing. I will continue to show up on social media and show my followers ( I am so garetful to have them!) what I have in my hand, but as I already told you, in a turtle speed.

What I am up to:

• A couple of days ago I (half-way) participated to an online talk of Art Brand Alliance . I unfortunately had to leave the meeting early (coincided with the bedtime of my son:)) but luckily it was a recorded one and they shared a link to replay and I am looking forward to listening it.

• I have been addictively reading Gabrielle Zevin's books.

I finished  “The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry” almost in one sitting and now I am getting closer to the end of “Tomorrw Tomorrow Tomorrow”, I highly reccomment these beautifully crafted stories.

• I got myself Caran D'ache neocolors and  my sketchbook has filled with these yummy colours:)

Also if you are curious, the sketchbook is from Stillman & Birn.

• I will be exhibithing in the upcoming Bonnes Mines, an illustration and pattern show that will take place in Paris.This means a new collection Atelier Mave patterns are launching in September! And maybe we can meet in person, as well, what do you say friends?:)

• Shortly we are leaving for a holiday in Italy and I bought an Instax Mini Evo to record our memories. While I was toying with it, of course, the first photo I made was of my studio.

• Lastly, here is my last collection of cards, I created for the wonderful Halfpenny Postage.

For now, this is all from my side dear friends, thank you for being here with me and reading my thoughts.

Speak to you soon!

Berry x