How can it be April already, my dear readers? The first quarter of the year is over and a new month begins. Let me first share some good news! Two collages of mine were published in Coffee People, a zine about coffee, creativity, and community. I happen to stumble upon the call for art late last year which the publisher, Kat Melheim, opened to other artists outside the coffee community. I took a chance and sent her a few collages from the Coffee series1. I was happy to hear that she included them in the current Issue 20 entitled Earth. If any of you are coffee lovers or looking for a gift for your favorite barista, copies are available here. Or, if you happen to know a local owner of a coffee shop, perhaps they might be interested in offering this publication to their customers.
In addition to this wonderful news, I’m also offering throughout the month of April a rare 20% discount on my collage art prints from the Coffee series. Proceeds will help maintain the quality of this newsletter and keep it open and accessible to everyone. Enter the code: SPRING23 at checkout. The sale ends on April 30th.
The two images below are the ones that appeared in the publication. They are available on my online store.
Thank you in advance for your support!
This week's news of endless violence and climate catastrophes left me feeling exhausted. It's hard to put into words, but sometimes art speaks for me in ways I cannot. This was my response to the current creative challenge.
My first instinct is always photographic resulting in this blue-themed imagery. The thought process came from a series I've been cultivating for a few years. I seemed to have been on auto-pilot. I was pleased with the results but it felt out of place in the collage genre. So, I pulled back and restored the original colors for each element and the outcome was equally stunning.
Collage art has helped me recognize my biases. It’s not easy. I’m still a work in progress. Past experiences shape our default choices. A dose of self-awareness and a momentary pause to recognize this can make a difference in the outcome. I’ve also learned to not be hard on myself if I encountered a setback even with the best intentions. Sometimes, decisions are made based on the limited knowledge available to me at a certain point in time. The important thing is to discern when to course correct. I don’t always get it right but I’m willing to remain open, to learn, and to keep moving forward.
A good friend once shared a profound truth with me: "Life is about making choices, and you make the choice." These words empowered me to take control of my life. I also realized that indecision is also a choice, which reinforced the importance of being mindful and intentional about it.
So, let this week’s post be an invitation to contemplate biases and decisions. If we are to make progress in the world around us, we must first examine our inner world. It all starts with the choices we make even the small ones.
For those of you who would like to share your thoughts, feel free to leave a message in the comments below. You can also reach me directly at stellakalaw@substack.com. Send me a note if you have any questions about the collage art prints. Even a short and simple hello is definitely welcomed!
See you all next Sunday.
Coffee Series Video + Additional work