Hello, Subscriber First Name,

happy July to you!

Have you been noticing the little delights of summer (or winter if you’re on the other side of the planet from me)? As I’m writing this I glanced out the window beside my computer and saw two sweet fawns frolicking in our front yard. Oh, their speckles and long legs! Their sweet faces! Here are a few other things I’ve been noticing:

• part of a shed snakeskin

• fireflies

• the first jewelweed flower

• buds on the lilies

• so many clematis flowers.

Something shifted for me last week. I’m finally beginning to feel as if I’ve found my footing. The first stage of my new garden is built and planted. The summer’s first round of deconstruction and repair projects on our house are finished. The Winding Roads Art Tour came and went. Summer houseguests came and went. And now I’m feeling energized to dive into art-making again.

Big life transitions are hard. Harder than we usually allow for in our society. It’s been just over a year since Matthias and I began moving into our country home. The change is wonderful, something I dreamed about and yearned for my entire life. But it’s also been a lot.

Additionally, I was burned out creatively. It had been building for a few years. I knew I needed a break, but in the past my attempts at taking one weren’t very successful. I needed to unplug — truly unplug — and this spring, I actually did. Joining Lori for The Analog Life Project lit a spark for me. My goal was to slow down and be present. And eventually I began to realize that in order to fully do that, I needed to make some big changes.

If you’re going through a life transition or other challenges and finding it difficult, I hope you’ll give yourself some grace. Allow time for the process. To deconstruct. To feel your feelings and think your thoughts and sometimes just to BE. Then take your time to rebuild on your terms and your schedule. Life isn’t a race. If you take a detour or make an unexpected stop, you won’t get left behind. In fact, the journey will be even better for it.

a bit behind the scenes

You might have noticed that my garden journaling class is on hold. In April, in my last blog post, I mentioned it was coming out “later this month.” That didn’t happen. Creating my garden took precedence. I couldn’t juggle filming and building beds, chipping branches and hauling soil. But I did use my garden journal throughout the process which means I have a lot more to share about garden journaling. I’m waiting for the plants to mature a bit so I can film in a (hopefully) lush garden. Don’t worry. The class is coming. Just not quite yet.

a little secret

There’s another quietly tabled project you might be wondering about: my book. I wrote a yearlong journal of my observations in nature, the garden and my studio. Illustrated books like that are some of my favorites and creating my own is something I’ve always dreamed about doing. But the more I worked on editing and the beginnings of designing layouts, the more I realized it didn’t feel right. The reasons are complicated, but it comes down to the fact that it wasn’t the book I truly wanted to create. I’m grateful for the experience of following through with a longterm project like that, but I’m also ok with letting it go.

I have other projects simmering, including the book I’ve always imagined, which is in the beginning stages. But I’m also dreaming up something a little smaller. I’m still ironing out the details, but this project — and creating something beautiful to share from my hands to yours — feels so exciting to me.

These last few months I’ve been unplugging and slowing down and I’m hoping what I’m creating will be an invitation for you to welcome some slowness (and some JOY) into your days, too.

Some inspiration:

• I love seeing an artist get carried away with an idea. Michelle’s cardboard obsession is delightful.

• You can’t help but be inspired by Erin Lee Gafill being inspired by her uncle, Kaffe Fassett.

• Have you seen Ann Wood’s finished stitch book from this year?

• Beautiful mending inspiration.

• This is an inspiring series of artist features.

• I’m not rushing the summer, but I am planning ahead for corn season and want to make this recipe when I hit the farmstand.

• I have a small piece in the most recent issue of UPPERCASE Magazine and I was recently profiled in Wisconsin Cooperative Energy News (only part of the magazine is available online, but you can read the article about me).

That’s all for now. I’ve spent more than enough time at the computer today (after hours at my painting table!!) and now I’m ready to head outside. I hope you’re making time for things that fill you up, too.

Until next time, wishing you joy,

Hi, I'm Anne Butera, the artist behind My Giant Strawberry. 

Know someone who'd like to receive my newsletter? Share the joy by forwarding this email to a friend.