I was supposed to wake up at 4am to chat with the
, but I overslept so bad it took a second to realise where I was. In my morning journal I wondered where it makes sense to place our attention, then I went on to notice where attention goes..
I think that’s why my kid draws a tree…
Which is why she draws a house…
I really enjoyed drawing with her, and I she enjoyed drawing with me. She wanted to make a book together, this was as far as we got. I came to the conclusion that artists have a lower threshold for what they need in terms of survival, and protection… they just get on with the play, with the creating.
For us, safety and protection, come as much from playing as it does from adulting.
I’m trying to come up for a blurb to describe, Ten Minute Artist, here’s what one reader recently said.
Every time I step into this cozy space of illustration I feel the warmth of familiarity and simplicity. Adam is a children’s book illustrator whose work layers colorful, playful textures that invite you to linger on the page. It’s like art for a good hanging out. 🎨☕️
But the newsletter is less about finished pieces and more about process: you can almost hear the click of the clock and the whir of creative wheels turning as each prompt kicks in. What I love most: Adam shares not just the art but how he goes about it—and I appreciate that all the more from someone who found their passion later in life (like me!). Adam is also a Southeast Asia–based artist/writer (very underrepresented here on Substack) which creates a bit more of a sense of connection for me. 👯
I’m a free subscriber, so sometimes I only catch a glimpse—a sketch, a thought—but it’s always enough to pull me back. 🫶
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So here’s what I came up with about where to place our attention..
(Plus the conversation I missed with my critique group)