Hello, 2026!

Issue #7: Setting the scene for a new season...

Jan 01, 2026

Well, although I did not get the chance to eat 12 grapes for New Year, I did doodle them for this issue’s cover image so hopefully that counts towards some good fortune for the year.

(If you’d like to learn about the story behind the 12 grapes, click here)

The New Year according to the Gregorian calendar never held SO much importance in my mind over the years; it was simply a nice festive and family-focused time. But the realisation now hits that it’s forever going to be a particular moment for reflection compared to usual, as it marks the anniversary of my career switch to being an independent creative.

Last year I was taking the time to plan, prep and get myself into the mindset of “I can do this!” and now I can look back on those goals, and compare them to my notes of how the past 12 months of work and life was balanced, what I got right, what didn’t go to plan… and how to improve moving forward.

2025 Wins

Got into the groove with my new daily and weekly schedule
Had the flexibility to travel A LOT
Learned a lot more about the children’s book publishing world
Built stronger friendships with my artist peers
Stayed in touch with and nurtured my existing network and client base
Made new connections through word of mouth or networking
Worked on some great projects that suited my art style and skillset
Tracked all of my spending habits and finances (insightful and a little scary)
Made enough to cover my rent for 2026!

What didn’t go to plan…

Didn’t make the time to market myself to enough dream clients
Was so caught up in client work, that I did not set aside time to develop my craft
Learning that sickness (whether myself or loved ones) really does set my productivity back more than I would like to admit
Did not finish as many personal projects as I intended to
Earnings are nowhere near enough to fully sustain my ideal lifestyle… yet!

Favourite Project of 2025

I would have to say, the work for Titter Totter wins this award. It was a project that brought together all the creative challenges that I find most satisfying; identifying and executing just the right style that complements the client’s brand; illustrating animals and plants; simplifying shapes and lines into a clear & consistent visual language.

Favourite Digital Artwork

Particularly proud of how my digital food illustration style has been shaping up. I like the balance between capturing a hint of realism so the food is recognisable, yet the artwork is still very obviously a stylised interpretation and is not trying to be photo-realistic in any way.

Favourite Traditional Drawing of the Year

Everything about the making of this observational sketch was great. I never usually spend this long on a brush pen drawing - 45 minutes, a record! The time just flew, I was in my absolute happiest place… standing on a street corner of Tokyo, perfect weather, good lighting, doodling away without a care in the world.

Next steps

As mentioned in the November issue of The Drawing Diaries, I am extremely grateful for how the year has played out. There’s definitely improvements or changes to make. I feel that I need to take some more strategic risks and say “No” more often to projects and make sure to focus on my bigger goals in terms of the kind of work I wish to produce, be known for and thereby be commissioned for.

Am also really feeling the pull of wanting to push my art styles further and giving myself time to get more experimental.

Illustration is a visual language, and if the right visual examples are not shown, how will I ever be commissioned for the jobs that I want - it’s great to be making money, I’m so happy that opportunities have come by way - but if the outcome won’t show off my skills to the right audience, is that project worth spending my time on or not?

There’s a growing feeling that I need to take more risks in 2026. So, I will report back at the start of 2027 to tell you all if my gambles have paid off ;)

Inspiration for the year ahead

I’ve pulled together a moodboard of other artists’ work that will serve as my visual inspiration for 2026. This is a great exercise to do every so often as it helps identify what you’re attracted to as an artist, and may show up things you currently lack or wish for in your own work! Tastes also change throughout one’s life and career so it’s always great to take the time to sit, admire the artwork you love and understand why.

These are three areas in which I want to experiment with and push in my creative process that I think will really benefit my work.

Artists featured (left to right)

Leah Gardner, Gabe Benzur, Matias Bergara, Justin Parpan, Satoshi Kawamata, FeeBee, Marcel Mosqi

I hope this has given you an interesting look into my practice, mindset and approach for the coming seasons, if you have any questions at all whether you’re on your own creative journey, have a project in mind or are simply curious…. drop me a comment!

The Drawing Diaries

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