Hi! I’m Kayla Stark, an illustrator working primarily in the children’s publishing world. You’re reading “Odd Thoughts”, my blog/newsletter where I talk mostly about illustration, process, publishing, and anything else that’s tangentially related in my life. Join in! Everyone’s welcome!
Last Monday night I got hit with a really terrible and GROSS stomach bug. It sucked. And not only for the regular reasons (you know…thooose reasons…), but it forced me to sit and do nothing. And I don’t like being forced to face my own thoughts.
It was a 24 hour bug, but it still took a couple more days to rehydrate, eat enough, and start feeling like myself again. Wash your hands everyone!
I had big plans for a productive work week and while I didn’t get a lot done, I still managed to make some forward progress!
Schedule co-working! (it’s one way I keep my sanity while working as an artist/illustrator)
Illustrating is an isolating job (and The Warren, my old co working studio, lost our space). I learned this year that I NEED to plan co working days—in person and online. Even though I get more work done alone, if I don’t put effort into scheduling co working days, I quickly become sad and lonely. You wouldn’t want to live with me, it’s pitiful. (sorry Brad 😬)
Here are 3 I did last week: (I usually wigwag1 between these three types)
Online (Zoom) - I have a standing zoom co-working time scheduled with my friends Emily and Ava and I look forward to it every week! It’s usually on Mondays, but we did Wednesday this time.
Coffee Shop - Thursday I worked with a new friend, Sam, at Dose—one of my favorite local coffeeshops.
Friend’s House/My House - Friday afternoon I went to my friend Vivien’s place for a few hours to co work and catch up. This is my favorite of the three; I love being cozy at a house working with another artist/illustrator.
And we balance talking/catching up with setting work timers, so it’s equal parts productive and social. 😎
I set up my profile as a vendor for Nashville Metro Schools!
Now I can start doing school visits in 2024 and get PAID! (Note! If anyone else needs help setting up a vendor profile in this system, let me know, I can help. It was a bit confusing at first.)
Saturday evening a tornado barely missed our house. I had just finished making cookies; tornados always come when I’m baking something!
In the course of 5 minutes, I went from baking cookies in a bright kitchen to “sheltering in place” in the saferoom (aka the bathroom) with our 2 cats, our coats, shoes, wallets, flashlights and batteries to charge our phones.
Our power went out for a few hours and my old iPhone morphed into an expensive brick, but Brad’s didn’t. So we had a system. He checked the power outage map, and texted friends/family while I read a story. to him. out loud. with voices. (I was particularly proud of my griffin voice, worth the sore throat.)
The power came back just long enough to cook gyoza and and assemble a salad (both from Trader Joe’s). We were really lucky. Not everyone was. 😔 Tornados are scary and can pop up quickly.
This week I’m back to my regular, ambitious work plans. Let’s see out that plays out. I’m promising myself and saying to all of you that I WILL get the next draft of my picture dummy finished.
Hold me to it!
This is a real word! “move to and fro”
What a week you've had!!
I'm gonna try the co-working thing, sounds very interesting
What an intense week. After all that, you can totally get the next draft finished! I feel very behind schedule with my project and need to get my booty in a coworking group STAT.