Look, I know it’s technically only just the middle of December, but calendar be damned, it’s pretty much over! With what’s been an interesting, odd, intense year and the final race up to the silly season upon us, I predict a small drop-off of Substack correspondence from yours truly.
So what better way to salute 2023 and get ready for the big reset of 2024 than a roundup of joyful things.
Okidoki… first up…
1 ~ Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared Season 2
Who doesn’t love some existential dread? I was a massive fan of the original series, and although initially skeptical about the longer episodes, less catchy songs, and narrative arc, I was blown away by the creativity! The amount of sheer craftsmanship in this show is gobsmacking and a testament to some of the most messed-up puppeteers on the block.
2 ~ Junji Ito
Junji Ito’s unsettling world of horror is something I’ve never been brave enough to enter, but after seeing an anthology of his grotesque creatures in a recent streaming series, I’m now ready to dive in. A great sample of this manga illustrator’s greatest hits for the uninitiated.
3 ~ Little gallery
There's something very cathartic about giving stuff away rather than running the capitalist treadmill - video link. A beautiful community-run pop-up gallery where you contribute and get to explore other artists' work. So wholesome! 👈
4 ~ Drops of God
Another manga TV adaptation that gave me satisfying Sideways meets Franco/Japanese vibes. Although I’m quite happy with my “not the cheapest, but the next one down the list, thank you very much” ALDI cask wine, this satisfying tournament arc series made me feel very grown up and aesthete.
5 ~ Adrian Bliss
The king of beautifully awkward looks to the camera. Ridiculous shenanigans with awkward characters and wonderfully low-key shonky costumes. 👈
6 ~ Our robot overlords
Ha! Just, kinda sorta joking, but this year has been awash with some of the best types of artificial intelligence. And they aren’t scary at all! I’ve had a fun play around with MidJourney 1, ChatGPT has saved my grammatical bacon time and time again, and Goblin.Tools is the perfect to-do list for my overstimulated brain! Thanks, robots - just remember how nice I was to you when you revolt! 😬
7 ~ My street trash rice cooker
Where have you been all my life? Please continue to make me mountains of warm Japanese rice!
8 ~ Buziness Learning
This year’s been a big one for the learning of business, and I’ve accumulated some great brains who have helped these many learnings to be easily understood. Shout out to –
– – Paul Jarvis – Creative Pep Talk – Stitch Strategy – Life Admin Life Hacks – Suz Chadwick 🙌9 ~ Kids' drawings
This year's chaos has not allowed as many art clubs as I would like, but their interest in drawing remains strong. And as their parent, I have every right to steal their good ideas be proud and inspired.
10 ~ My partner ❤️
And lastly, but certainly not least, the most patient, smartest, and wonderful lady in the whole world. Not only am I the luckiest person, but also blessed with her ability to coordinate my hectic brain, help me with a bazillion Banana on cat-related things while also running her own successful graphic design business 👈 AND being one half of a child-rearing partnership! Amazing! Thank you, love! 😻
Things I’m looking forward to in 2024 👀
Working on my business, baby
It’s been a great year getting to grips with the ‘how’ of running my small business, but I do feel that a slight deviation from what I’ve been doing the last two years is required. As much as I love creating, it currently doesn’t pay the bills, so I need more experience applying my craft to ease creative pain points for others.
Good ship illo business course
Aaaaaaaand what better way to get my business in order than with some nuanced direction from these guys. I owe a lot of what I’ve created on their flagship Fly your Freak Flag course - which I did over 2 years ago (and still have the last 3 modules to finish 😓). So I was super excited to hear they had a business course in the works and did not hesitate to sign up for the pilot program! 👈
Procreate Dreams
I love me some lowkey, shonky animation, and with this new bit of software from the makers of Procreate - iPad drawing mainstays - I think it might be worth spending some time and seeing if this works well for me.
Cricut machine
A machine that can cut things into fun shapes and make stickers! Err, yes, please. A bit of a cheeky Black Friday purchase, my yet-unnamed Cricut machine – name suggestions in the comments please 2 – is looking like a great way to expand my illustrated product offerings. I do need to have a look at offsetting some of the sustainability questions I have about some of its products, but I am looking forward to experimenting with it.
Mentoring & building more community.
If my brief foray into mentoring was any indication, helping people out that are on the same creative trajectory feels great. Plus more community building à la Little gallery, accountability sessions, SubStack3 and other social events please. 🙌
Arcane Season 2?
Perhaps? I don’t think I’ll hold my breath 😮💨
Thanks all, If I have indeed predicted this being my last post for the year, I appreciate your patronage and look forward to another year of creative thinking/doing! Have a great silly season and New Year's break and bring on a creative 2024!
Oh one more thing. With some mindful considerations and a big gulp, I have turned on pledge subscriptions 🎉🙈☺️
I love creating in this wonderful community, which has given me back much more in six months than my two-year dalliance in Instagram,It would be great to generate passive income from an activity that I hope brings you enjoyment and, in turn, supports future creative endeavors.
For the time being, this SubStack will remain free, and I look forward to creating some creative content in 2024! ❤️☺️ ~~~ 🍌❤️🐈⬛
"Cutty McCutface" seems an obvious choice, but maybe we’ve moved away from that as a society.. oh we haven’t? Good.
Oh, and an extra ❤️ shout out to these Substackers who have been cheerleaders over the past 6 months ~
What an excellent round up! Have a great 2024 ✏️✨
You should be super proud of BoC's growth this year. I'm booking you in 2024 for fun website times, but lets holiday first. Enjoy your rest and reset over the holidays.