A Surprise Sale, 280 Files, 10 Hours, and a Whole Lot of Heart

Hi friends,

Let’s talk about passive income—it might sound dreamy, but behind every “easy” digital download is a whole lot of work. Over the past week, I processed 280+ files for 14 baby animals, each in four colorways and five print sizes. That’s over 280 images carefully formatted, color-checked, and uploaded, all in the tiny window of 10 hours a week (at best) I get to focus on my art.

So while the tablecloth design has had a prolonged start, I’m reminding myself that slow and steady really does add up. Four commissions and 280+ files in a month? That counts as momentum.

Inside My Studio

Speaking of 280 new files…

The digital safari animals are finally live! 🐘🦓🦒
If you love instant downloads and curating your own wall art, they’re ready for you—zebras, elephants, giraffes, and more all offered in 4 different color versions carefully selected to jive with your vision.

I’m also putting together bundles! First up: elephant, zebra, giraffe. Let me know your dream trio—I’d love to expand to 6 and 9 print packs for effortless gallery walls.

What I'm Cooking

How I meal plan:

1. Check the grocery ad for what protein and produce is on sale.
   
2. Build meals around those finds.
   
3. Rotate between beef, chicken, fish, vegetarian—then layer in a pasta, a rice dish, a taco night, and one make-ahead meal.
   

This week’s make-ahead: a savory, egg-free breakfast casserole with a surprise addition of farmers market sautéed chard. It’s holiday-tested and kid-questionable (re: chard, Bonnie loves the regular recipe version). We’ll see what Bonnie thinks…

Creative Sparks

My daughter’s nightly ritual: a bubble bath + bowl of fruit. From my perspective it's a luxury but to her, it is simply an everyday guarantee. May we all find our version of strawberries in the tub.

What I'm Reading

📚 Just finished Things We Never Got Over—4.5 stars for storyline and spice. The ending got a little wild, but I’m in for book two.

📖 And if you haven’t listened to Project Hail Mary, it’s a must. The storytelling and narration is incredible—go in blind and thank me later. (Even if audiobooks aren’t usually your thing.)

What's Next

Up next: The ABC Series is officially in prep mode. Look for a summer release—prints and digital downloads!

And yes, the dinner party tablecloth is still on my radar—I’m playing with mix-and-match patterns inspired by recipe ingredients.

If you’re looking for a fun Mother’s Day activity, try my YouTube tutorial on drawing a tomato-basil recipe! It’s beginner-friendly and makes for a sweet creative afternoon. (Grab supplies this week if you don’t have them!)

Thanks for being here,
Katie

P.S. After I drafted this email, we ate the casserole.  Bonnie declared it was "not macaroni and cheese" and therefore wouldn't touch it.  We will try it another day :D She then proceeded to eat an entire fruit bowl in the bath.