Making the most while navigating bad days

Hi, how are you?

January is always a blue month for me, but as I said on the last post, I’ve got a sort of anticipation in November-December, so Jan gone by with a renewed energy even if I had to accept to navigate bad days making the most I can without complain, and it goes well.

I didn’t any big resolution for the new year, my life is very complicated actually and without going in deep to the focal point of those issues, I can say that I feel brave enough to continue to pursue my own little step goals, one to another, just because I won’t throw the sponge yet.

So, between one washing machine and another, between some thoughts and a constant job that keeps me busy 9 hours a day to keep things going, I found the time to pursue my goal to apply to some big illustration awards for this year, and so it was that in January I sent my application to 2 important competitions.

I cannot show you any of them yet, and sincerely I cannot wait. Those two projects I’ve entered are very personal and I felt very involved, so couldn’t share them is hitching, but you know, everything that calls for a wait is a good one.

I’ve also decided to keep all my art material recorded in a sketchbook to get a reference every time I’m going to choose a color palette or a medium for an illustration, I want to be more organized and conscious about what I’m doing.

Talking about drawing, this month I ended up with two postcards, I’ve got the Valentine one on Etsy for about ten days before shut down the shop yesterday, cause I’ll not be able to ship anything in February.

The Bear and the Owl is an illustration that was enriched after a chat talk with two member of SCBWI-Italy group, and if you want to know more about the vantage of joining a critique group,I wrote a post on my Substack titled "Are You Stuck? Join a Critique Group." In it, I discuss the benefits of participating in a critique group for writers looking to improve their craft and find support within a community. If you're interested in exploring what a critique group can offer you, check it out for insights and tips on getting started.

Talking about small step goals, in February and March I want to improve my digital coloring skills, I gear my Ipad Pro with a Sketchboard Pro 2, so will see if this helps to work better.

For now I’m lost into my sketchbook, grabbing it when I have a few minutes to be creative (and believe me, in this time of my life, it’s very rare finding the time to draw), I like to share those instant sketches on Instagram and now also on Bluesky.

See you there and here monthly, and if you want to boost my drawing and support my dreams, consider to sign up to my Patreon.

Thanks a lot for reading this, I really appreciate your interest. So, that’s all for now, since next time, xoxo, G. aka Jdeebella at Soulfulcrane, the Creative Nest in Italy

December 2022 - wrapping up a thoughtful year

Hi there!

What is your favourite festivity time? Mine is Christmas for sure.

This is a bittersweet time of the year for me: I love the magic you can feel in the air, the preparation of the Advent, the calendar, the Christmas tree and home decoration, the sweets you can eat almost without control *yes! But for contrast you know that day 25 will come very soon, this year I feel the pressure of living this period at my very best every single day from 1 to the end of Christmas time.

I spent the last days of November in coziness and sofa after dinner, watching Netflix series while knitting.

I can’t recommend enough you to watch WEDNESDAY directed by Tim Burton and THE SANDMAN from a novel of the genius Neal Gaiman.

All that had an impact on my creativity and I couldn't resist to draw a fan art / non fiction illustration card.

I appreciated Jenna Ortega role playing so much, and if you, as me, have a teen or a pre-teen at home, probably you have recognised her as the shop a holic friend in the TV series Richy Rich.

Christmas is also a wonderful inspiration time for picture books. Have you some favourite novels on this time of the year?

I do love some very classics, and my most loved novel is “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens and also “The Taylor of Gloucester” by Beatrix Potter.

I wish to draw more Xmas scenes this year, so I joined the Advent Challenge held by Ema Malyauka on Instagram. For the first week of December I did the following illustration. I love so much how it turned out and the vintage feeling it took.

I draw first a sketch in graphite and then I redraw it digitally on procreate, finishing the colour laying on photoshop.

Since I haven’t holiday for Christmas as always, I will make the most from those magical days and this year I’ll write intentions and wishes out loud that I hope became true in 2023.

So, since next post I wish you all the best and if you would like to tell me how do you’re going to spend this advent time let me know down below or drop me a line. I’ll be happy to read and write you back.

Xoxo Jdeebella

November BLUES

Dear Reader,

How are you?

For some aspects this Autumn is really glorious to me: warm weather was going on, but today the air is finally much more crisp and I am indulging in Autumnal/Wintery outfits dreams.

You know, fashion is something I really love, but for me wearing has to be very personal and colliding with my own style, my feelings, so I could say I do love STYLE over TRENDS.

On my research lately I’ve discovered more about what my style looks, It seems I stick over three styles:

• Dark/white Academia

• Classical/Balmoral

• Woodland/Cottage Academia

Yes, In winter I love to live in tweed and wool garments, reading, drawing, writing and sipping hot milk, tea, coffee, eating comfort food and watching tv series on Netflix and co., I also love meet curious people and go to theatre.

All this, You may say, it’s a bit Girly, but it’s really what I TRULY feel I belong too. (Not the only one, it’s what the lovely last Queen Elizabeth wore).

I could probably say that I belong to those who love reading classical or modern books with a sophisticated individualism savour (currently I am immersed in Donna Tartt’s #thesecrethistory book, I’m adoring it!)

So, I also got the opportunity of watching the HARRY POTTER saga again, (thanks to Massimo Battista new book that make me want to go deeper at Hogwarts).

Which house you belong to?

As I did my test on the official website, I was happy to discover that I am a Ravenclaw member, my patronus is a deerhound and my wand is a very special one since is made with Acacia wood that I adore and Unicorn core (love them a lot!). And if you’re asking me, yes I am a fan of Luna Lovegood.

So, speaking on Art & Crafts, this month I create some magical icons you’ll be see very soon on my Patreon Page, the course at The Goodship Illustration is wonderful, Thanks to it I wrote a story, I need time to put it in pictures, since I hope it will become a real book on the next year! (This sound extremely scary to me, but that’s it!)

And as crispy weather comes, I’ve got my knitting mojo set in, so I’m making a new sweater for the new year.

Ok, that’s all for now from me, wishing you a magical Autumn’s end.

Xoxo, Jdeebella

La primavera non esiste, l’estate avvilisce, ma andiamo avanti lo stesso.

Lo scenario di questi anni ‘20 pare essere ancora una volta segno di catastrofi e degenerazione. Come il precedente. Ma qua non é solo guerra, carestia e pandemia, (che già non sono sciocchezze, né robe leggere), facciamo anche i conti con il cambio climatico e non so tu, ma io torno a cercare su “Conoscere” alla voce “Come si sono estinti i dinosauri”. Ma tanto c’è quel garrulo di Elon Mask che ci salverà da morte certa con i suoi voli interspaziali, (Giu, comincia a risparmiare per pagarti la corsa… te lo consiglio, perché non sarà come volare in Economy).

Scherzi a parte, fa davvero troppo caldo questa estate ed io faccio i conti anche con il climaterio che si avvicina, ho momenti in cui mi sento bollire la faccia e comincio a diventare fastidiosa. La primavera non esiste più, l’estate dura sei mesi e questo è stato per eccellenza l’anno in cui mi sono sentita meno creativa di tutti.

Nonostante tutto sono contenta, non faccio salti di gioia, e anzi non racconto quasi mai sui social e qui le frustrazioni o le sfighe con cui lotto quotidianamente, ma come dicevo, tutto sommato sono contenta.

Ho fatto vacanza a Giugno, erano anni che non mi muovevo da qui, ed è stato un momento per riprendere fiato, lontano da tutto. Poteva andare meglio perché l’hotel non ha superato lo standard qualitativo che cerco, ma dicono chi si accontenta gode (solo a metà, cantava però Ligabue).

In questi mesi mi sono barcamenata tra famiglia e lavoro in un 49% x 49%, quel 2% rimanente ho cercato di suddividerlo millimetricamente tra amiche, disegno e maglia.

Se guardo invece il mio Monthly Report su Google viene da piangere, perché ho visitato praticamente solo pasticcerie e supermercati, ed ho camminato poco rispetto agli 81 km di Aprile, ma su Instagram mi sono anche divertita a giocare con il mio “Mylovelook”, ovvero uno stile tutto mio, senza seguire mode, ma solo il mio gusto personale.

Infine, come avrai intuito, non vedo l’ora che arrivi l’autunno, perché questo caldo non mi fa fare granché, tranne che sognare le lande scozzesi, come meta dove prender casa e cittadinanza per la vecchiaia. Nel frattempo continuo a fare progetti per l’illustrazione dell’infanzia, entro fine anno voglio aggiornare il mio portfolio, il mio sketchbook è un fido alleato, ma di questo parleremo la prossima volta.

Mentre concludo questo post si avvicina un temporale, e speriamo rinfreschi un po’.

Till next time, xoxo, Giusy aka Jdeebella

Vlog #3

Ciao Bellezza! Oggi ti accolgo così:

Wild Boys!! E' tempo di rock 'n roll babyyyy!!

Si, sono felice! Perchè mi sono rilassata tantissimo durante le ferie, ma ora torniamo a pensare già alla produttività a settembre ed alle novità. Intanto beccatevi questo nuovo Vlog, girato di mattina presto, dove mostro le evoluzioni dei miei disegni nel tempo e che anticipa (verso la fine) un progetto che mi sta facendo venire le farfalle allo stomaco, qualche bloopers, e la ME giocherellona.

Xoxo a presto! Giusy

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAQFo2ZiZBc&w=560&h=315]