If you’re a retailer, blogger, or a visitor to this year’s National Stationery Show – please add our booth to your list of places to stop by!  Letter & Lark is sharing a booth with Parrott Design Studio at Booth no. 2168 – it’s our debut year for both studios and we’ve both got lots of beautiful, new letterpress things to share.  We really hope to meet you at the show!

May 19-22nd, 2013 at the Javitz Center in New York City

I’m alive, I promise!  I hate that I haven’t blogged in well over a month (!!) but I had to stop in briefly to tell you that I’m here, I haven’t deserted the blog, but I have been literally non-stop busy for weeks now.

Pretty much since I decided to sign on the studio space, everything all happened at once.  In no particular order, here are some wonderful things that have happened since we spoke last: I got a press (a Vandercook SP-15), I moved into my studio space, I’ve been printing & designing like mad for NSS, I’ve been doing lots of custom work.  Not so great things: I got the dreaded norovirus (twice in one week, no less), haven’t slept much, eaten much, exercised, or been able to see family & friends for weeks because of my schedule.  I don’t even want to count the days till NSS, but I know it’s in less than two weeks!  Holy cannoli, where did the time go?!

There’s so much I want to share (the press move, setting up the studio, NSS stuff) so since I have a mountain of work to do, to be continued!  For now, here’s a few snippets of the past few weeks via Instagram (still the best way to see what I’m up to).

Hope you’ve all been well!
– Colleen

{images shown via my Instagram @letterandlark}

I can’t believe it… something I’ve wanted for such a long time is actually happening – today I signed a lease on a studio space for Letter & Lark!  I had an amazing opportunity to get a spot in the newly created Mother Brook Arts and Community Center in Dedham, MA; it’s a retired 1920′s elementary school that is being turned into studio spaces for artists and workshops.  I was able to go their first open house night and instantly fell in love with the building, the organization, and a particular space.  I’ve been thinking of doing this for a while now and it never really seemed like the right time or the right space – this time it just all fell into place.  I’m moving in on April 1st (of course a month before NSS!  No time like the present, right?) and it’ll be a while till I’m fully settled and have all the equipment I need.  Just trying to take a moment to realize this is really happening… for now, it’s time to celebrate!

Stay tuned, I’m hoping to have an open house sometime this summer to welcome everyone to the new space!

{image shown via my Instagram @letterandlark}

Lately I’ve been a very bad blogger as of late, but in the meantime I’ve become a wonderful Instagramer – and so many of my photos I want to print and frame.  And now, you can!  With Origrami, you’re able to pick 36 of your favorite prints and have them printed on satin stock for $19.95 Australian (or just over $20 American) with free shipping worldwide!  And of course, they come in a lovely little Instagram box to boot.

Yes please!  Now to go choose 36… (or maybe I’ll order two sets…)

{images shown belong to Origrami}

This morning I woke up to sunshine and opened my window to hear the birds chirping and chattering away.  Now after looking at Geninne’s blog and her recent paintings, I’m definitely feeling like I’m in spring state of mind today!

{images shown belong to Geninne Zlatkis}

Recently came across the work of Julie Song Ink.  Really loving her calligraphy and texture from the brush work.  Not to mention those delicious colors – they’re getting me so excited for spring!

{images shown belong to Julie Song Ink}

Wow, two weeks apparently flies by, eh?  I’m back at home, getting caught up on laundry, emails, bills, and all the lovely things that come with “reality.”  I started writing this post on Monday and keep coming back to it, but haven’t really been able to articulate what my time away meant until today.

My two weeks away with the Turkey Land Cove Foundation were such a gift, personally and professionally.  I knew the experience would be wonderful as well as challenging, especially since I haven’t been away from my husband for more than a week at a time (and realized I’ve never been alone for more than a weekend).  I went with a purpose of designing an ambitious amount of work to prepare for the National Stationery Show – and hoped to be like a designing machine: getting struck by a creative lightning bolt and being able to churn out new product designs, a new wholesale catalog, show give-aways, and the like.  When I arrived, I didn’t even realize how burnt out I was from a week’s worth of bookkeeping, found myself creatively stuck in the mud at the beginning, and still dealing with personal issues at home while I was still there.  I also didn’t realize how much loneliness can affect your ability to do work, and at times I missed conversation and being able to hug my husband (or my cats!) so badly that it hurt.  However, I could feel that I was in a moment of huge personal growth and knew I was there for a reason.

Lately, I’ve approached my work like the way I approach my runs.  When it gets tough and you think you can’t keep going, you dig deep and you keep on running.  When work piles up and I think I can’t get it all done, I dig deep and put in long days and long hours and get it done.  I’ve assumed this is basically the only way to work.  However, I realized something important when I was there – that’s not always the right thing to do.  When you push yourself again and again, for months and months, to the point where you’re pretty depleted, it’s going to be difficult to get something worthwhile out of your head.  I arrived the first night in shock that there was this gorgeous home all to myself, and felt guilty for accepting it.  It took me two hours just to sit down in a chair.  Once I did, I got straight to work even though both my husband and the director of the program told me to take the first night to settle in.  But I felt guilty that I wasn’t “working” and I certainly wasn’t there to vacation – I was there to work!  But by the 2nd or 3rd day, I had a bit of a meltdown and after talking to my husband on the phone, he pointed out that I really needed to take a step back.  I was second guessing the work that I had already accomplished and wondering if any of my ideas where “good enough,” and he stopped me and made a really good point… When else are you going to have the opportunity to focus on being creative?  Just drawing, exploring, and seeing what comes of it?  Yes, you have to get a ton of work accomplished, but why not stop worrying and just focus on the quality of work instead of quantity?

The next day, I went out for a bike ride to a local market to pick up a few things.  I apparently went past the building I was looking for and way too far into town.  I felt like a tourist, silly in my helmet and awkward on a bicycle when I haven’t ridden one in almost 10 years, then had to walk back up to the top of a hill that I had just been flying down.  But I composed myself, went back to where I started, and realized the market I was looking for was closed for the winter season.  Ha!  The entire biking excursion seemed pointless… but it wasn’t.  Instead, I then decided to head out towards the ocean and when I got there, I was rewarded with a gorgeous sun low in the sky and the entire beach all to myself to enjoy.  When else do you get an entire Martha’s Vineyard beach all to yourself?  And why the heck I am telling this story?  Because I learned something about how I need to approach my work from now on.  By giving myself the chance to mess up and make a mistake, or to be able to step away from my work and enjoy a life experience – it actually allowed me to do more work.  It helped to clear the creative road block and the self doubt that I started my retreat with, and I was then more productive.  Yes, you always have to dig deep when things get tough, but sometimes that’s not always the only approach – sometimes you have to stop and take a step back and remember you’re not a designing machine, you’re a person and you have to take care of yourself first in order to do good work.

That night and for the rest of my time there, I accomplished so much work.  It was like the creative lightning bolt finally struck.  My husband was right, and by not worrying so much about getting everything done, I was still able to get a lot of good work done.  When I needed feedback on my progress, I called or Skyped with good friends.  When I was too distracted, I shut off my cell phone.  I took the time to rest and do yoga everyday, but I also worked for hours and hours at a time and accomplished so much there than I would have at home.  When the end of my two weeks had finally happened, I had created a wonderful working rhythm and routine.  My biggest regret was not asking for three weeks away instead of two, but life happens and you can’t stay away for that long.  I feel so blessed to be given that experience, it was amazing and life changing, empowering, and encouraging.  To be alone with myself – completely alone for two weeks (I’m still in shock by it) and know what I’m made of and accomplish a lot makes me really happy and really proud.  I’ve had a tough time coming back down to reality this week, but I’ll find that flow again.  I’ve got a lot of work to accomplish in the next few months for NSS, and I’m really excited to see where all of my original ideas from my grant stay with the Turkey Land Cove Foundation go.

For any information about applying for the TLCF grant, please visit their website.  It was an incredible experience and I definitely encourage it if you can go!

{images shown are either from my Instagram or my camera}

I’m currently typing on a ferry see-sawing it’s way through the Atlantic to Martha’s Vineyard – there’s the beginnings of a blizzard right now.  I caught one of the last ferries out (phew!) and the water is PRETTY darn choppy.  Why in the world go out in this?  Because I’m finally on my way to spend two weeks alone to work my you-know-what-off, designing and planning for this year’s NSS (Booth no. 2168 , sharing with Parrott Design Studio!).  Nothing is going to stop me from using every day being productive, not even a blizzard!

I’ve never been alone for this long before, and also haven’t been away from my husband for this long either… it’s a little bit scary, but at the same I’m tremendously excited.  Work has also been very busy lately with “businessy” things: quotes, bookkeeping, studio planning, project management; so the opportunity to take a mental break from everything and truly focus 100% on doing creative work is the biggest gift I could be given right now.

I’m guessing I’ll continue to be fairly quiet in here, but you never know – I might just post some photos or an update.  I promise I’ll have lots to share in the weeks to come!
~ Colleen

Don’t forget, I’ll be leaving this Friday to go away for two weeks (preparing and designing new product for NSS!) so this Friday will be the last day for me to ship out shop orders before I leave.  If you’ve been on the fence on whether or not to get some Valentine’s Day goodies, get them now while you can!

{image shown is of the Lovers Coupons gift set}

Started following Jon Duenas on Instagram and fell in love with these prints from his shop.  Love the layering of portraits and landscapes.

{images shown belong to Jon Duenas}