Rose, Thorn, Bud of Climate Week 🌹

The real picture of my climate week

Climate week was intense! It would be easy to write up a normal climate week recap where I share only the rosy parts, but I wanted to give you a more honest picture of my week.

One of my favorite reflection prompts is “Rose, thorn, bud.” I have memories of being at summer camp and my cabin sharing our highlights of the day (rose), challenges (thorn), and something you’re looking forward to (bud). 

So here are mine for Climate Week! If you went, I’d love to hear yours. Just shoot me a note 👋

Rose 🌹

• Making live art in front of John Kerry + Alex Honnold for the Canary Media event

  

• Seeing Bill Nye the Science Guy and having this epic photo by Rolling Stone on their Instagram

  

• Running a workshop for Mothers Out Front with kids. This was the first kids-only art workshop I’ve done in person and it was so fun

  

• Having a coloring table at Marketplace of the Future and selling my new coloring book! You can buy a copy here 😊

  

• Seeing climate friends I only get to see once a year 💖

  

Thorns ☔️

• Light existential crisis about my career. Honestly, this year has been much slower with client work than last year. I’m doing some big picture thinking about how to run a sustainable art business because I love what I do more than anything. 

  • Note: I’m all ears if you have suggestions! I’m thinking of doing some graphic design/climate communications consulting or broadening my offerings. 

• Sheer exhaustion. I did too much. By the end of the day I was a walking zombie and I slept for 10 hours, 3 nights in a row to catch up on sleep.

  

  Didn’t expect this to blow up as much as it did! Clearly I wasn’t alone in doing too much

• Carrying art supplies for 12 hours a day. I was working in the evening so I lugged watercolor supplies and paintings around all day while going to 3+ events all around the city. 

  

  worth the schlep to have a little art show!

Buds 🌱

• Feeling very inspired by some of the talks and people I met. I want to get more involved with the election and this week gave me ideas on how to do that.

• Making more art. I’m feeling more creatively inspired than ever and can’t wait to transform ideas from the week into art. I just signed up for an art class at SVA about how to illustrate children’s books and it starts Thursday. It’s back to school season for me ✏️

• I want to make more live art of podcasts, events, and virtual conferences! This feels like a useful new skill to explore further. Shoot me a message if you want me to do this at your event!

Upcoming Events

YIKES I DO NOT WANT TO THINK PAST TODAY. But I have lots of fun stuff coming up

• Climate Week Decompression Art Workshop: This is a time to recharge your social battery and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of art-making. October 4 at 1pm EST. RSVP here.

• Paint & Snack: I co-hosted this event with amrūt last month and it was a hit so we’re doing it again! Join us for an evening of still life watercolor painting and delicious plant-based snacks. Oct 22 at 7pm in Manhattan. RSVP here. 

  

• Climate Changemakers Hour of Action x Nicole Kelner: I’m co-hosting this event with Climate Changemakers to write and draw on postcards that they’ll mail to voters! Art + activism, what’s not to love? October 16 at 8pm in Brooklyn. RSVP here. 

• Mothers out Front: Disaster Preparedness Art Workshop. This event is designed for mothers, caregivers, and their kids who want to transform their concerns about disaster readiness into empowering and artistic expression. October 15 at 5:30pm EST. RSVP here. 

Ok bye, going to go charge my social battery!