work in progress Brainstorming Fortune Messages for Fire Horses I may be shifting directions on my Kakuji project—because these fire-wielding horses are just too cute (and perfect for 2026)!
work in progress Sketching Out Fire Horse Ideas A playful sketch session for the Fire Horse illustration! I let my imagination run wild with all kinds of silly, fiery horse ideas.
work in progress Brainstorming for Fire Horse Warming up for the Fire Horse illustration by writing down every little thought—because even the silly ones might spark something useful!
work in progress Researching Horsey Facts for My Omikuji Zine Gathering fun facts about horses, donkeys, and zebras for my new zine project—perfect for the Year of the Horse!
work in progress Kicking Off January Projects! Starting January with two horse-themed projects: a “horse omikuji” and a submission for RISO POP’s Fire Horse illustration competition!
news Back at Quimby’s to Spot My Zine! Returned to Quimby’s to see our zines on the shelf—one of mine had already sold!
work in progress Sketching at My Favorite Cafe I asked my husband to take me to a café today so I could break free from my lazy YouTube habits and get some sketching done.
inspiration More Pigeons and Some Color Magic I continued reading the pigeon zine today and found myself moved by the stories—plus totally charmed by the riso color chart on the last page!
work in progress Warming Up My Creative Muscles Still not feeling 100%, but I’ve been doodling little by little—warming up for bigger creative bursts when the time is right.
work in progress Researching Riso—and Rethinking Pigeons Started some riso research today using zines my husband and I have collected—one about pigeons really stood out.
inspiration First Street Art Forage of 2026! Stumbled across a utility pole full of stickers today—and just like that, my first Street Art Forage of 2026 was on!
work in progress Getting Back into Drawing Mode After a holiday season full of TV, LEGO, and piano, I’m easing back into drawing mode with some sketchbook rehab!
Finishing the Wicked LEGO Set! Before the holidays end, I finally completed the Wicked LEGO set I got for my birthday. So fun to build over winter break!
work in progress Back to the Keys: Rediscovering My Love for Piano Lately I’ve been hooked on something other than drawing or building Lego—playing piano! It’s a return to an old love, sparked by a lucky thrift find and some new sheet music.
Second Day Vibes Taking it slow on January 2nd with cozy vibes, cute slippers, and a hilariously unexpected gift for my husband.
work in progress Galloping into 2026 with My First Riso Print of the Year I started 2026 with a riso version of kakizome, the traditional Japanese New Year’s calligraphy! A horse leaping over Mt. Fuji marks the first print of the year.
monthly recap Monthly Charlie’s Playground: December 2025 From snowmen to zine fests, December was packed! Here’s a roundup of my favorite posts, drawings, and milestones—including blog post #300!
work in progress Getting Ready for 2026 So many ideas are bubbling up for the new year—art fairs, new zines, Osusowake Club plans! I think I’m ready to jump in.
Switching from Christmas to Oshogatsu Mode! Only 3 days left in 2025! Today we packed away the Christmas stuff and brought out our Japanese New Year decorations—ready for 2026!
inspiration Balloon Museum We visited the new Balloon Museum in Chicago and honestly? Way more fun than expected. Ball pits, bubbles, and lots of floating fun.
news Wrapping Up the Year at Quimby’s To close out 2025, I visited Quimby’s with my husband to check on my zines—and we found out Something Long had completely sold out!?
inspiration Finding The Snowman Again I stumbled across The Snowman animation on YouTube—and just like that, I was transported back to my childhood. Soft, quiet, and full of magic.
news 300 Blog Posts—on Christmas Day! It’s Christmas—but even more exciting, today is my 300th blog post! I missed one day, so it’s not a perfect streak, but still… I did it!
work in progress Christmas Eve = Cat Drawing + Holiday Movies I spent Christmas Eve drawing cats while watching Home Alone and Elf. There’s something so cozy about multitasking with movies you’ve seen a hundred times!
inspiration Street Art Forage in December Even in cold December, I’m still walking around and spotting street art! Here are some of my favorite finds from the neighborhood.
