I actually made a video vlog last year for my end-of-year look back.
In a nutshell though…
I made a coloring book
And brought it with me to a few vending events including Berkeley Library Comic Con, Peninsula Library Comic Art Fest, and a San Jose street fair that sucked. But I’m very proud of the book itself, which took a lot of thought and illustration design. The 12 Lunar Year Zodiacs coloring book is an educational coloring book that showcases the zodiac animals as East Asian or Southeast Asian women in the cultural attire of countries that follow the lunar calendar. I matched the countries to the animals based on cultural significance or historical folklore and wanted to convey a sense of pride for all Asia, while still honoring the origin of this calendar (China – which gets the 1st place in the calendar cycle).
You can purchase the book on my shop: 12 Lunar Year Zodiacs Coloring Book
I got married
And did a lot of DIY for my wedding which was the most fun part of wedding planning for me! But wedding planning took up the majority of my time in 2023.
I started my art exploration journey
doing some DTIYS, picking up a camera, trying random art supplies (even Ikea ones!)…. I also started doing the “Artist’s Way” program using her book, which is a book/process meant to help you reconnect with your art purpose.
I learned the ins and outs of solo-preneurship
which was like diving into the deep end of an ocean. Gone are the days of just setting up a table and selling your work. There’s a lot to know before you even get started including local laws about what constitutes a business (and therefore is required to pay business license fees). I miss the days of lemonade stands and simpler indie-seller structure. Blame the ones who abused it, I guess.
Anyways, that’s it for 2023.
