What was one of the the things-to-have when you were a kid? Did you have that thing? Or did you find a creative way to make do with something similar? How did that work out for you, and how did you feel about it, either way? I'd love to hear those stories, if you're willing to share!
You can read the post that goes along with this on Patreon here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/remember-sticker-80456024
This memory comic is speed-sketched on the back of an index card. I have a little box of memory fragments like this so they're all in one place, in case any of them fit into something larger later on.
So what was the thing-to-have way-back-when, and what was your relationship to it? I wanna know! ❤😺❤

#artjournaling #comics #artmastodon #mastoart #comicsjournaling #journalcomic #copingskills #dailyart #straighttoink #indexcardcomics #patreon
#disabledartist #memories #wheniwasakid #stickers #stickeralbum #lettering #Havenot #makingdo #makedo #traditionalmedia #graphicmemoir

#illustration #catart #watercolor #catpictures #sketchbombing #patreon #supportthearts #disabledartist #lettering #tabbycat #mainecoon #petportraits #straighttoink #pentelsignpen #artjournaling #speedsketch #drawinganimals #sakurakoiwatercolors #uniballsigno #sakuramicron #cat #catlife #gratitude

Here's a cat drawing to (hopefully) improve your evening. No matter what else happens, we all need more cute cat pics, right?
If you're interested in process, art supplies used, etc., you can see the post that goes with this sketch here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/feline-sketch-78157448

In other news, the poetry comics chapbook is getting so close to done! I think I turned a corner with it this past week. But sometimes I just gotta draw cats, you know? There are no better teachers for how to pause, relax, and calm the hell down - and I am deeply grateful for my cats' unending patience with me. And I'm SUPER grateful for the humans who are patient with me, too - I should be sure to say that! I get wrapped around the axle a lot, but I am, nonetheless, an incredibly lucky person with much and many to be grateful for.

#shitmydadsaid #emotionalabuse #PTSD #toxicfamily #patreon #disabledartist #mentalhealth #cptsd #comics #graphicmemoir #childhoodtrauma #trauma #childhoodmemories #speedsketch #straighttoink

I had 3 minutes to draw a comic in a workshop yesterday, and this is what came out.
It wasn't what was supposed to come out - the exercise was supposed to be fiction. But I hadn't expected that. And suddenly I wasn't just caught off guard - I was triggered and in full-on panic.
I'm proud of myself for not fleeing the class, proud of myself for staying present & using the exercise to instead ask myself *why*.
The "why" matters. I know I'm not the only one with this awful screeching voice in my head sometimes. Kids are sponges. They soak up every single lesson you teach them - including the ones you don't intend. And those lessons, both good and bad, stick with us. Kinda like the Bumblebee Tuna jingle that was popular when I was a kid, and the commercial for Monchhichis. I still know every word! I'll spare you the earworms, but I'd love it if you'd read what I wrote about the messages we get as kids, and the ways they affect us still as adults. I hope you'll find the hope in it, too, that we can all do better by each other & the generations to come.
Here's the link:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/3-minute-memory-68070626
Also? I'm sending virtual hugs to anyone who needs one. ❤️
* * *

#cats #ArtJournaling #ArtistProblems #cats #comfort #ComicsJournaling #Patreon #PTSD #CPTSD #depression #hope #MentalHealth #MentalIllness #MakingComics #memory #sketch #sketchbook #StraightToInk #CatsAreTheBest #TraditionalMedia #wip

" — I can't help thinking about my Mom when I draw this, because if there was one thing she could be counted on for, it was to draw cats — and to find a way to add them in anywhere. Even in her professional work in interior drafting & design, she'd tuck sleeping cats into half-opened drawers, or peering out from not-quite-closed closets. She'd also sometimes draw a sock on the floor, or a discarded bra, or clothing caught & protruding from improperly-closed drawers & closets. I would laugh in delight, spotting these details. She'd grin, and then attempt to put on a serious face, explaining that she thought it was important to see what a room would actually look like when it was lived-in. I don't *think* clients ever saw these versions? But with my mom, you never know..."
I wrote about this on Patreon, and also about navigating the pull between honest art, which is sometimes dark, and cultivating a habit of always looking for the little bits of humor and beauty everywhere, even in the face of overwhelming awful - because they are always there. And sometimes, often, even the smallest reminders of beauty and goodness are enough to get us through. If you're interested, you can read more about that here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/when-in-doubt-62089123
In any case, have some cats! Love to all of you, & virtual hugs to anyone who wants one. ❤😺❤
* * *
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A rough cat-filled page of comics journaling in black ink on white paper. Across the top, "Where to (Maybe) Put a Cat for Comic Relief:" is written large letters imitating a typed serif font. Below that is a roughly sketched version the final panel of the poetry comic the artist is working on, with cats added everywhere in an attempt to decide where best to add just one cat to the final comic. A long-haired person is huddled in a loose fetal position on a couch, one arm tucked in a fist under their head, the other clutching a book to their chest. The word "Fix" is just barely legible on the cover. Behind the person, a cat leans down from the back of the couch, one paw resting tentatively on the person's left shoulder. To the right of this cat, a book lies open & face down on the back of the couch. Another cat sleeps curled in the crook of the sad person's knees. On the floor in front of the couch, a cat stands on their hind legs, batting gently at the sad person's dangling hand. Another cat crouches hidden in the dark under the couch such that all we see of this cat is their large glowing eyes. On the floor to the left is a stack of two books. The top book reads "OTRAUMA" on the spine. On top of these two books, a third book labeled "101" is leaning open against the edge of the couch. Above this, a cat sleeps peacefully along the arm of the couch. On the floor to the left, another cat stands on their hind legs with tail aloft and ears back, front paws determinedly engaged in shredding the upholstery. A little further back, another cat peers at us from under the shredding cat and over the stack of books. Even further back and to the left, one more cat lies crouched on the floor, ears back and front paws extended as if about to pounce. On the floor in front of this cat is a scattering of books. In the bottom left corner, a black book labeled "Llama" lies open atop another book labeled "Reindeer" with a roughly sketched reindeer head on the cover. To the right of this book, in front of the cat that's shredding the arm of the couch, lies another book with the word "Chameleon" written diagonally across the cover. Below all of this, sloppy handwriting reads: " — I can't help thinking about my Mom when I draw this, because if there was one thing she could be counted on for, it was to draw cats — and to find a way to add them in anywhere. Even in her professional work in interior drafting & design, she'd tuck sleeping cats into half-opened drawers, or peering out from not-quite-closed closets. She'd also sometimes draw a sock on the floor, or a discarded bra, or clothing caught & protruding from improperly-closed drawers & closets. I would laugh in delight, spotting these details. She'd grin, and then attempt to put on a serious face, explaining that she thought it was important to see what a room would actually look like when it was lived-in. I don't *think* clients ever saw these versions? But with my mom, you never know..." In the drawing, along the edge of the book labeled "Llama", the page of comics journaling is signed "Akire Bubar 1·31·2022" by the artist.]

Originally posted to FB 4/25/2021
#illustration #VisualPoetry #Patreon #ArtMeditation #HandLettering #CopingSkills #SettingPriorities #ArtJournaling #MentalHealth #StraightToInk
Sometimes it really helps to just post my priorities on the wall where I'll see them first thing. Added bonus: hand lettering interesting fonts is a great form of art meditation, and a wonderful way to manage anxiety (at least for me). Read on... 🥰
* * *
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Hand lettering in black ink on a white background that reads, "The best gift you can give yourself is to Start with ART". The lettering is done in a variety of fonts: Lust Script, Rosella Inline, LiebeDoni Outline, Scala Jewel Pro Saphyr, Summa Inline, and Scala Jewel Pro Diamond. The last word, "ART", is done in an illustrated font improvised by the artist, featuring fine lines for the arms, bowls, swashes, and serifs. Some of these fine lines are decorated with flowers. The stems are not outlined at all, but instead created with very wide areas of illustration filled with flowers and leaves. In much smaller lettering below this, the image is signed "Akire Bubar" by the artist, followed by "patreon.com/akirebubar" and "@akirebubar", her social media handle.]