From the Desk of Madison Moore
is a monthly newsletter of friendly writing on living a creative life. Here, we celebrate the joy and magic of making things! And by reveling in the expansive definition of making, we acknowledge that we make things everyday. More concretely, I write about the process for all the kinds of things I make (books, clothes, illustrations, quilts, paintings, ceramics, baked goods, flowers…).
But, creativity is also more than an isolated craft—it’s a life practice. So you will find me writing about life, the natural world, home in the northeast, food, and more.
If you’d like to learn more about me, check out my website or @_madmakes.
More formally, I am the published author of two picture books: Bonnie’s New Old Outfit and More Than Just a Game: The Black Origins of Basketball. I was a 2023 Tofte Lake Center Artist-in-Residence, and a 2025 Milkwood Artist-in-Residence. I work full time as a craft book editor.
Writing and illustration have always been my bread and butter, and I am currently spending much of my time on a picture book and middle grade fantasy novel. But, I like to think of myself as a Jack-of-All-Trades maker, who celebrates how inspiration across mediums makes me a more creative and happy person. To that end, I am often sewing, dyeing, knitting, gardening, baking, throwing clay, filling sketchbooks, and writing this newsletter.
You can shop my sewing patterns here:
Why is there a paid option?
At this time, I’m not interested in providing regular paid content to a group of subscribers. It makes me happy to write this newsletter and connect to a community, and I plan for it to remain free forever.
That being said, if you want to pay me for the content I am already providing in order to support me, I welcome you to do so! I may (1-2x a year) send an additional newsletter to paid subscribers, but you will be signing on to pay for the same monthly content that is available free. If you’d like to switch between the paid and free option, that’s great. If you want to stay a free subscriber forever, please do!
I’m honored that you want to receive missives from my desk. If you like being a subscriber, tell a friend!
