This Is What We Can Do
From the easel to activism, a month of grounded creativity and care.
From the Studio
This month, I’m exploring how to draw people, and I’m having a great time with it in my sketchbook. If you don’t draw, you might not realize how intimidating people can be as subjects. We carry such a strong image of what a person should look like, but honestly, every interpretation is valid. (Just don’t get me started on hands—they’re in a category of their own!)
Alongside sketching, I’m diving into two big collections: one focused on vessels, the other on landscapes. I’m aiming to complete at least 30 pieces, and it's been exciting to watch them take shape. For the landscapes, I’ve been practicing on paper and even asked a friend to send me travel photos with water, a feature I want to get better at painting. I’m planning to mail her the finished piece as a thank-you. I love how the process of learning and giving can intertwine.
You can watch my video where I talk about the new series here:
🏕 At Camp Wilder
It’s full-on summer here in the Ozarks—hot, hot, hot! I’ve been captivated by the flying insects this season. We have these magical double-winged dragonflies, and recently I spotted a Mydas Fly. Totally harmless and absolutely stunning.
I track these sightings on iNaturalist. It’s become a joyful ritual: snapping a photo, identifying what I see, and having it peer-reviewed. It feels like a living record of the biodiversity we experience at Camp Wilder each season.
What small wonders are you noticing where you are?
What Are We Doing?
Like many of you, I’ve been feeling the weight of what’s happening in Gaza, with ICE, and the slow erosion of our National Parks. In the face of it all, I’m always looking for tangible ways to make a difference.
Here’s one: consider donating directly to AID, a nonprofit law firm in Arkansas that works with refugee survivors of trafficking and child abuse. Their trauma-informed approach puts resources directly into the hands of those who need it most. Leo and his team are doing the deep work many of us can’t, but we can help fund it.
➡️ Support AID’s work here: https://aidarkansas.com
A Note to You
We’re all walking the line between burnout and becoming. I just want to remind you: you’re doing enough. Keep showing up in small, true ways. Keep choosing joy as resistance. - Jackie 💛