23 Comments
Feb 4Liked by Amy Cowen

Prepping for an upcoming craft show in March.

I love a sandy shore, but cobblestone streets are just ans enticing. I like seeing glimpses of other peoples lives as I go past. Snippets of lives being lived completely separate from my own intrigue me.

I really enjoyed the repetitive background in my pages this week. Very meditative.

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I love that image of all those other lives….AND that you are someone who would think about and be curious about the snippets, Michelle. Your hatched background this week was awesome. I do love hatching. Good to see you today. Thanks for reading here AND drawing with me on Sundays.

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Feb 5Liked by Amy Cowen

It’s a pleasure to be part of the group! Thank you for all the inspiration you provide weekly!

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This reminds me of my city days and walking my dogs after dark. You could peer into a lot of living room dioramas.

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Feb 8Liked by Amy Cowen

LOVE the phrase "living room dioramas"!

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Good morning Amy. I found your words this week to be poetic, exampled by your answers to these two questions: Where does this trail lead? and Who am I to mark this trail and tend this light? Thank you for revving up my sleepy Sunday mind.

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Thanks so much for reading and commenting this week, Carol. I really appreciate this feedback. I hope you had a great Sunday!

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Happy one year anniversary. I for one, have found the year enlightening and a joy every Sunday. I also find myself smiling at the thought that it brings you comfort and that you’ve found a place to let yourself be you. Cheers to another year of that!

•February is usually the month that I notice the sun strengthening and the end of winter is here. It’s always an amazing feeling to me.

•Forest walks (especially pine forests with soft, loamy soil!)

• I’m really enjoying the ‘Sidewalk Oracles’ read along!

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Thank you, Rebecca. Your words mean a lot to me, and I appreciate your energy in all the spaces we hang out. I hope someday it works out for you to draw with us! But I know that may be years off. I always love seeing what people say in response to the multiple choice prompts. This is a beautiful line about forest walks….And, me, too, about Sidewalk Oracles. I think the discussions we’ve been having really add to the experience. I probably would have skimmed right through it otherwise. I’m glad a few of us are in for it. (Saw an interesting article on the artists’ shanties on the lake…. And the early warming…. Fascinating.)

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You're celebrating year one on 2/4, and I celebrated year two on 2/2. Another Substack friend is marking the anniversary of her launch now, too. I wonder if there is an algorithm driving this or if it's just the universe of connection working some magic. I'm going to say it's the latter.

I love that you've made the time to make lists of your posts. I did that once and have not returned to it, though I think it is a really good idea!

I feel the tenderness of humility and uncertainty in your second question about the trail, and find myself wishing to outline you in purple, with Harold's crayon, so you know how important you are to the scene. How SEEN you are to those of us here. What you've chosen to share is so much more alive, and relatable, with the floodgates open.

Dirt paths for me.

"I will let this chapter of my story be what it needs to be."

Thank you for writing and drawing Illustrated Life~

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Thank you, Elizabeth - and happy substack anniversary to you, too! That is, indeed, interesting about the timing. You have such a beautiful way of writing supportive and uplifting responses. I want to say thank you for that — as a writer, you know that the feedback, and being seen and heard, really matters. We may write even in the vacuum and silence, but how much bolder we may become when we see and hear echoes. I don’t know why exactly I presented the paths/roads, but I am loving seeing the answers.

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Feb 4Liked by Amy Cowen

Love seeing your prompts every week it has kept me going with my inky journal. Thank you so much for your weekly inspiration. Myself and a friend are hosting a junk journal workshop in March so doing lots of prep for that I love making junk journals but as yet have not filled one in I might use some of your prompts to inspire me to do that. Thank you again.xx

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Thank you so much, Fiona. I am glad to see you here, and I am happy to know the prompts have been helpful. Your junk journal workshop sounds awesome. I bet using the junk journal pages as a backdrop for your life journaling would be both beautiful and really rewarding!

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Feb 4Liked by Amy Cowen

February is a string of small, fun, events at school. I’m most looking forward to teaching about Lunar New Year, and an upcoming trip to see my parents. Dirt paths have led me to some awe inspiring views. I really enjoyed drawing a shoe last week, but also a rainbow after seeing The Wizard of Oz in the theater. It was magical.

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Oh, that’s good! I am glad that it is a month of fun things at school. I am sure some months are much more exciting than others. And I’m glad to hear Lunar New Year gets covered. I hope you all do something fun that is dragon or lion or lantern themed as part of it. Wonderful response about the dirt roads. Great drawing picks!

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Feb 5Liked by Amy Cowen

Congratulations on one year of substack! I came in a little late but I'm so glad I found you through your posts, art, and inspiration! I can't tell you how all of it has helped me through some very dark times, so your luminary imagery is so fitting. I'm truly thankful and inspired every week by your words and posts. I don't always get to comment but I always read! Thank you for being here and sharing your light. :-) Also, I can't choose just one path which is so typical of me. Haha The forest, sandy shore, and cobblestones all sound wonderful.

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Thank you, Susan. Every week I am reminded how glad I am that somehow the whole illustrate your week thing reached you…and that you started. I really appreciate your comments and that you also read here, too. It means a lot to me, and thank you for mentioning the luminaries. I had some strange hiccup when I was done and thought “they should have been paper bags.” But we always did milk jugs. I hope this year is evening out for you, that at least things are softening. In addition to the community and family around you, those of us who see your illustrated journal week to week all care. Believe that. Have a good week ahead. Oh, and I totally understand the difficulty making the choice. I’m that way, too.

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Feb 5Liked by Amy Cowen

Thank you, Amy, for another cozy weekend read. As always, almost too much to absorb and ponder.

Like you, I sometimes dip back into what I’ve written and wondered, did I really write that? But I’m too busy rushing forward to take much time to revisit past writing.

What I find incredible about everyone’s efforts on Substack is that we come up with so many ideas, and write at such length—and there is always more to say! Then we forget that we have said it.

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We are always all busy moving forwards. It is good sometimes when we slow down and take a look around!

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Hello! I’m reconstructing my missing commentary!

Happy anniversary! Week 5 is my one year anniversary for #illustrateyourweek!

February is the month of extreme birthdays for me. 2,3,7,13,14,16,18….

All of the paths sound amazing! I’ll travel down any and all. We have lots of dirt here, dirt paths, dirt roads. I like them, but I would love to add some cobblestones, forest, and beach to my life.

Last week I really enjoyed drawing all the dragons (and looking at all kinds of interesting inspiration photos).

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Thank you, Laura. That is a LOT of birthdays in the month! I hope some of them are fun, exciting, and maybe not super stressful for you. I'm so happy you just celebrated one year of doing Illustrate Your Week! That's awesome. I love the approach you take with your pages AND seeing them when you post them. I'm so happy you are continuing to do it and enjoy it. I love your dragons!

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Feb 9Liked by Amy Cowen

Happy one-year anniversary here Amy! You have compiled so much goodness and inspiration in this post. Thank you for continuing to light that lantern, and open a door or window. Untrodden forest paths, but all those paths and walkways hold some inviting mystery I think.

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Thank you, Erin. I appreciate your comment and that you visit each week to read. I think you live among beautiful forest paths, so that seems perfect!

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