#The Lisa Congdon Sessions

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HOLDING BOUNDARIES WITHOUT GUILT

credits in image

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The Dandelion Wish Factory

Hey all! 

Ooh la la, welcome to the first post! Nothing like that little blinking cursor on a blank page to start us off on a new adventure, right? I’ll do an introduction to myself a little later on, but I wanted to start this collection of curiosities off right. 

As many great things do, it starts with a string of words. 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had Mary Oliver’s advice for life pinned to my wall. It was there in high school, but if we’re being honest here, it was definitely half-covered with a Teen Beat poster of Keanu Reeves. (Funny how some things are always in style.) It was there in university, crumpled a bit and affixed with blue washi tape that I stole (borrowed?) from my vegan housemate at the time. And now, it’s got a place of honor next to my office sketchbook shelf, where I’ll be sure to see it every day. Here’s the reason I became a zoologist, chasing the fascinating creatures and truths of the planet. Here’s the reason I became an author and speaker, sharing the curious things I love about the world with anyone who will listen. 

And here’s the reason I’m starting this little online notebook to share curious and creative things with you.

As an author, I’m no stranger to the writer’s notebook. I take notes and make doodles every day of things that inspire me. I’m paying attention. I’m astonished daily. It’s a great way to fill a notebook, for sure. 

But keeping these astonishing, amazing things locked away in my notebooks doesn’t feel right anymore. I’d like to tell about it, just a little bit more. And if you’re game, I’d love to share them with you here, from my desk to yours.

The world is full of astonishing things. The funny thing about sharing astonishing things is that you never really know how they’ll change someone’s life. Maybe one of these things will make you smile. Maybe it will prompt you to write a whole book. Maybe it will help lighten your load, or even open your eyes to something else astonishing that’s close by, unseen but waiting right there for you. 

Whatever momentum these amazing things gain, my hope is that they spark something wonderful in your life. 

Without further adieu, let’s get cracking. Here are ten things I loved this week: 

1. The Dandelion Wish Factory is real (and it’s waiting to be a picture book, if there are any picture book authors out there ready to tackle it!) 

2. We spend a lot of time hunched over computers, sketchbooks, and our phones. Here’s a short but sweet yoga session to show your upper back some love. 

3. Margaret Fuller is someone you should know about. Here she is, talking about why artists ought to be paid. 

4. Do we have exploding stars to thank for being able to walk upright on two legs? Looks like it. 

5. Looking to dive deeper into a creative career yourself? Check out Lisa Congdon’s book Art Inc. It’s a game changer. 

6. The most painful way to get stung, according to a dude who gets stung professionally.

7. Here’s a (mental) exercise that can help you with big and scary life changes. 

8. I absolutely loved this video and interview with Marie Forleo and Rick Hanson on building inner strength. 

9. Reimagining the Notre Dame Cathedral as a sustainable greenhouse. (I think this would be a great way to honor cultural history with natural history!)

10. Does the idea of logging amazing and astonishing things resonate with you? I’ve got an oldie but a goodie post here for you (particularly for you creatives out there!)

Enjoy! 

If you like these notes and want to keep reading them, you can follow this account on tumblr, or connect with me on Twitter, where I’ll share roundups periodically. (Or you can just say hi!) You can also support curious and creative things by preordering one of my next books --  you can find more info here!

Have a lovely week!

-Jess

[goope-jp-tenmei]

Online Art Classes We Can All Do At Home

Image via Wildfield Paper Co.

Hi friends. How are you all holding up? Hopefully everyone is safe and quarantining at home, and during these uncertain times I know some of us are looking to the arts to help us de-stress and pass the time at home. So for those of you looking for online art classes we can all do at home – primarily calligraphy, painting, illustration, and printmaking classes – I thought I’d share a few of my faves for you!

  Image via Written Word Calligraphy

CALLIGRAPHY

Calligraphy is so meditative and therapeutic – and there’s so much you can do with it once you master the skill! After teaching more than a thousand students through sold-out in person workshops, Karla Lim from Written Word Calligraphy just launched her first online workshop! Karla worked really hard to make her in-person workshops completely virtual, with printable worksheets, notes for troubleshooting, group live sessions, private Facebook groups, and feedback from Karla to help students get where they want to be. Enrollment is only open until April 14 – sign up right here!

  Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls is another one of my favorite calligraphers and has a couple of calligraphy classes over on Creativebug! Her calligraphy on unconventional surfaces class covers techniques for writing with calligraphy on unconventional surfaces, like wood and chalkboard, using acrylic paint, gouache and chalk.

  For those of you looking for a full introduction into all things calligraphy, I highly recommend the Modern Calligraphy Summit! There are two installments so far – Modern Calligraphy Summit 1.0 and Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 –and the classes including brush lettering, invitation design, envelope layouts, basic copperplate, writing on non-traditional surfaces, digitizing watercolor illustrations, and so much more! And as much as an in-person workshop would be totally amazing, it’s just as incredible to be able to learn from so many talented calligraphers from the comfort of your own home. The Modern Calligraphy Summit also includes handy templates and handouts, a private Facebook community to support you as you learn, and lifetime access to all the amazing content so you can go back and watch the videos as many times as you need to practice and get the hang of things. Enroll right here!

  Image via Carolyn Gavin

PAINTING + ILLUSTRATION

For those of you who enjoy watercolor painting, the Watercolor Summit is right up your alley. Learn how to mix custom colors, paint landscapes and skies, florals of every variety, and even animals with layers and depth with over sixteen hours of instruction from teachers like Jenna Rainey and Annie Mertlich of Wildfield Paper Co. The Watercolor Summit includes a list of recommended supplies, a private Facebook community, and lifetime access to all the course materials. There’s also a bonus pack just focused on Annie’s botanical paintings and a full second installment of the Watercolor Summit focused on gouache painting coming on May 11! Enroll right here!

  If you already have all your supplies and want to learn how to paint specific kinds of flowers, a few of my favorite watercolor artists offer more detailed classes on their own channels. Watercolor artist Yao Cheng has several classes on Creativebug, while Jenna Rainey also has a ton of video tutorials on her YouTube channel, covering everything from anemones to peonies to leaves!

  If acrylics are more your speed, I’m intrigued by this Loose Floral Acrylic Painting class with Australian-based artist Claire Bremner. The colors are so fun, and the loose painting style is super accessible for beginners. She also has this Expressive Floral Artwork class!

  Speaking of bold, bright colors, I was absolutely delighted to discover this gouache and watercolor painting class from one of my favorite artists, Carolyn Gavin. It’s geared more towards intermediate level artists, with a focus on flowers, fruit, and natural objects. The class includes 31 days of video instruction and painting prompts – enough to keep you busy for a while! And for beginners, this gouache painting class from Heather Ross looks like fun!

  And since many of us are staying indoors these days, landscape painting could be a great way to remember our favorite places – or the places we plan to visit when it’s safe to travel! I’ve always been drawn to loose Impressionist-style landscapes. This landscape painting class uses oil paints, but you can totally follow along in acrylics or watercolor depending on your preference.

  If you’re looking to develop your line drawing skills, Lisa Congdon has a whole range of classes over on Creativebug, including a month-long daily drawing challenge and a4-part basic line drawing class.

  Image via Katharine Watson

PRINTMAKING

I took a printmaking class back in college and absolutely loved it – I’ve been wanting to get back into it ever since, and I would love to teach my girls when they’re a bit older! I’m definitely signing up for this linoleum block printing class from one of my favorite printmaking artists, Katharine Watson and this monoprinting class from Courtney Cerutti.

  I took a Suminagashi paper marbling class a couple years ago and it was SO fun – and incredibly meditative. My 6 year old took the class with me and also loved it, so it’s kid friendly for those of you with artistically-inclined kids! I was thrilled to find this online version that anyone can take at home. 

  Happy learning everyone!

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TRAILER—Lisa Congdon Sessions: Idea Generation from Lisa Congdon on Vimeo.