10. Simple joys
Because art doesn't need to be ~*deep*~ to be meaningful.
update: free forever!
After several weeks of writing Spirit, I decided it would be more in keeping with my intentions to remove the paid option and keep this newsletter entirely free.
If you are inclined to show financial support – which I would appreciate, as I put a couple hours into this each week – the best way would be to buy something on my Etsy. Or simply support any artistic small business you appreciate! Keep the “spirit” of art alive in our society :)
suggested reading method
To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork” section.
Once you’ve processed that to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only to share my own impressions and reasons for choosing this piece.
artwork
Everyday Delights zine, by Rachel Davidson, 2021. Hand-drawn, then coloured in Photoshop and assembled in InDesign.
interpretation
I made this, so it seems a bit inappropriate to interpret its artistic merit in the same way I analyze other pieces chosen for this newsletter. To me, this one was more about the creative process. Covid put a finer point on my desire to find joy in small routines, and so I crystallized those moments of fleeting appreciation and beauty in goofy drawings.
Art is present in sweeping statements about love and loss, yes – which I love to discuss ad infinitum! At the same time, I’d argue art is present in every day. The angle of light streaming through a window, or the love felt in a friend’s compassionate message, or the sweetness of a new taste washing over our tongue. It’s all there, if we care to look.
context
Yours truly is a lifelong artist – from drawing Pokemon characters as a kid, to painting digital portraits of my favourite music artists, to documenting travels in self-designed and self-published photo books, to painting watercolours and acrylics of landscapes, flowers and food.
This is the zine I would have made available to paid subscribers, before I decided to go the free route.
My dear Aunt Wendy often tells me I should do something with the “Rachel” caricature in my Substack and Instagram profile picture – and so here’s another take on me!
Maybe one day I will print this as a little 4x4’’ booklet to sell at craft fairs, as I’ve done with two other small works :)
Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing and telling your friends about Spirit :)