Running Out of Time (and Energy, Too)
With only 11 days left in October, I had to pause Peachtober—ouch. But I need to focus on the work that really matters right now.
Only 11 days left in October! When I started looking at all the things I still want to finish this month—like the Osusowake Club illustration and a thank-you card for a friend—I realized something: I don’t have enough time. Or energy.
I felt rushed from the moment I woke up today, so I pulled out my journal and wrote everything that was on my mind and in my heart. And... I think it’s time to reassess my priorities.
One of the things I’ve been working on this month is Peachtober, the daily Instagram art challenge where you draw something based on a prompt every day. I’ve managed to post for 19 days in a row, but it’s the lowest priority right now.
So… even though it hurts, today I’m letting it go. Quitting something is never easy, especially for someone as stubborn as me. But I know deep down that right now, what really matters is making the best illustrations I can for the people who are waiting for them—people who love what I do. That’s what I want to give my time and energy to.
That’s what leads to the future.
So today, I started sketching a thank-you card illustration for a friend who’s finishing her time in Texas and returning to Japan. She asked me to create something special to say thank you to all the people she loved while living there.
I’d been brainstorming ideas since last week, and today I settled on one: A cactus character saying goodbye by tipping their cowboy hat, surrounded by other cactus friends in Texas.
Tomorrow I’ll start coloring it and bringing that cactus personality to life even more!