Ooops I've done it again - I overbooked myself on freelance work and am finding it hard to stay motivated as this last quarter of the year becomes insanely busy with my full time job as well. On top of that we're moving homes in a week. Yikes! Will I survive the last month of 2021 and make it into 2022 without letting any clients down? Stay tuned......

Half way through 2021... oh my! How can it be that midsummer is a little over a week away?! I landed my second cover story with Sidelines Magazine. My work for them has taken a bit of a backseat to APHA's assignments, but once my last 2 APHA articles for 2021 are finished in August, I will be focusing more on my drawing freelance and picking up a couple more articles for Sidelines to round out my 2021 work done.

No jokes here this April Fool's day. Inevitably I fall off the wagon on keeping this space updated. Last year it was due to a major slowdown in freelance work. This year I was just surprisingly busy and continue to keep myself occupied. My first profiles for American Paint Horse Journal were published and have been added to the portfolio section. I've also been taking programming classes to see if I can pivot my day job!

I still want to get back to comics at some point this year, especially my pet project '4'. Here's to hoping!

Happy New Year! (A tch late!) What's to say, 2020 the weirdest year in my (and most of our) lives is now over. I don't expect 2021 to get much less weird which I honestly think might be the better mindset to have right now. My resolution (because I cannot stop making goals for some reason) is to continue plugging away at writing, riding and drawing. In the past I'd get very frustrated with how slow my progress is in everything I do, but I now realize that maybe it's the better, more sustainable way. Regardless, I'm still here and I'll keep working at it.

Another months of ups and downs has just passed. I fell flat on the Drawlloween, my car started to give me some major trouble, my grandmother was given a terminal diagnoses and was actively dying. I spent a lot of time feeling frazzled, lost and anxious. I did sign up for a drawing class - Anatomy of the Hand. Very exciting and a much needed skill. My article on Jay Moore came out and it was much liked by all, especially those involved. Halloween is the pagan new year and it is a good time to mentally reset to finish out the calendar year on a more sure footing. The path forward in November is a bit clearer.

As a woman of color, it brings me a lot of joy to be able to write about other BIPOC riders and bring their stories to people who may not have heard of them and the work they are doing. It really helps give my writing a clear purpose, and it makes me feel good to use a skill I have to uplift and amplify. I've recently been approached to pitch to a couple other magazines, so I've been brainstorming what riders, trainers, non-profits and content creators that don't fit Sidelines Magazine's niche and could benefit from the amplification of my small platform that I am trying to grow. Opportunity is knocking, so I am opening the door!

After the controversy surrounding Jake Parker and Inktober, I will not be participating in the trademarked event. Instead I'll be participating with the hashtag Drawlloween and NoirLifestylePrompts (if they release them). This of course means dusting off the ol' art IG account which I've neglected for all of 2020.

And then like that July is out like a flash! Why is it that some months seem interminably long and others we are barely able to catch our breath? I currently am having a moment of crisis - or maybe that is too harsh of a word.. maybe what I'm feeling is doubt. This was brought on by my new boss asking me where I'd like my career to go. "I have a career?!?!?" Was what my brain shouted. I always just considered it a "job". My accidental career at the lab is comfortable and slightly more secure now that everyone is working from home, but I want to pursue creative work which is why I love working from home. No commute = more time to pursue other things outside my 9-5. So now I am doing some soul-searching and deep diving. What do I want my next 5-10 years to look like?

Yikes! Long time no write – the year really slipped by me I suppose. A lot has happened – I got married in August, I started working on new equestrian product branding, I also wrote several articles for Sidelines Magazine. Besides the wedding (which was pretty consuming in mental and design capacities) I was super excited to get a brand new printer! Looking forward to making art prints on this baby!