In this email: ​
• ✏️ Get your free Sketch Scav Zine! I made this special guide to accompany you on your next outdoor, analog art adventure! Read on to learn how to get yours!

Remember how it felt when you were a kid playing outside with your friends? Imaginations ran wild with wondrous stories and adventures. Discovery and surprise at every turn. It was FUN.

As adults, the news of the world takes its toll on us. It's difficult to feel anything but dizzy and paralyzed. For me, life has been turned upside-down. Friends tell me they're going through the same.

But there's something interesting happening as well. I only noticed it when I decided to take my time and get lost in play. It's led me to build something I call The Eternal Order of The Prestigious Pencil. My hope is it'll help if you're experiencing some of the same.

Here's the story:

It all started with me feeling stuck. I wasn't doing well. As soon as I noticed what was happening, I knew I needed to slow down and take some time to just be. I've been exploring. The path I'm on now has led me to uncover wonderful surprises! Things that have helped substantially.

With a clean slate, slow state of mind, and taking every opportunity I had to play, the process to rediscover my own joy looked a little like this:

1. Spend as much time off screen as possible:

• I quit and deleted the big 3 socials (I call them ad platforms now cause well... you get it). This has been incredible for me. Highly recommend!

2. Slow down and explore analog creative activities:

• I took up knitting - so many hats ya'll. And so meditative.
• I do more analog sketching/drawing/painting.
• Taking my time in everything has been key to opening up the space to dream and explore.

3. Get outside and enjoy moments in nature as much as possible:

• Living in CNY, there are a TON of beautiful trails. I love hiking!
• Bring a sketch book and a pencil and lean into the magic.

Slowing down has been key in this process. It's helped remind me of all the good things there are in this world. It's shown me where I want to focus in this next phase of my life. I want to help people feel happy, relaxed, and connected in collaboration with art and nature.

Two questions have helped guide my next steps:

And so, my newest project was born. Introducing: The Eternal Order of The Prestigious Pencil (or EOPP). I'm so excited to share it with you, Reader!

For the past year or so, I've been working on EOPP – its presentation and the designed experience. Heavily inspired by secret societies of old with a sprinkle of modern creations (h/t to Jill Ivey from Work in Progress who asked me if I'd seen Dispatches From Elsewhere after learning about EOPP. I hadn't BUT I soon binged the entire series. She was right on with the vibes. Watch it. It's SO MUCH FUN!).

The crux of my idea is to create space and design experiences for people interested in slowing down, being in nature, and tapping into their creativity via analog exploration. All things I think we could use right about now. The Eternal Order of The Prestigious Pencil will house my work for these intentions.

I'll be creating secret puzzles and creative missions for adventurers to complete as I grow things out. Much of which will be distributed via analog means – I envision snail mail to be a big part of this effort. 🐌 I want people to enjoy quests offline and integrate as much of my love for the tangible as I can into these expeditions.

My first offering is my Sketch Scavs!

These are wanderings you can do solo, with a group, and/or via events I host, in-person, in Central New York.

I've designed a Sketch Scav Passport Zine for those interested in giving it a go. Take it with you on your next outdoor adventure. Use it as a guide to help you slow down and notice... to follow your curiosity, and see where your attention takes you. It's a free download, so please feel free to print and fold as many as you'd like for you and your friends' adventures outdoors with your Prestigious Pencil in tow.

I have lots of fun projects in mind to be produced under the umbrella of EOPP. As they're developed, I'll share more via email dispatches since I'm not on social media aside from BlueSky. So, if you'd like to stay in the loop, make sure to get on that list.

Additional ideas I've been playing with include:

• 📬 A letter/post card writing club - fully analog, of course.
• 🔍 A more tailored Sketch Scav series with riddle-specific clues, and other puzzles to solve, leading to various locales to explore and collect.

Everything I'm working on is guided by the following values:

Join me on this adventure by clicking the button below. Then, just keep your eyes on your inbox (and snail mail in the future as things grow 🐌) for incoming dispatches full of delightful curiosities.

Here's to letting curiosity lead. More soon!