March Newsletter

NO. 44 | March 2025

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, food, and more.

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I started painting and drawing again over the past month. For a long time, I wanted to paint and draw every day (or at least every week). I wanted to live in my sketchbook & maintain a constant connection to that side of my art practice. But it has never worked for me. Because my practice is made up of so many different styles of making, if I try to do them all at once, I find myself spread too thin, not really getting anything out of any of them. So, I have to compartmentalize.

I used to spend a lot of energy making systems that helped me do this, but over the past year, I have been much less official about things. In the vein of my 2025 creative planning, I follow my instincts and move from project to project in the path that comes about more naturally. And now, I’ve started in on a new illustration project.

Part of the reason I strove to have a daily sketchbook practice is because I used to have a lot of hang-ups around illustration (some of which still make an appearance on occasion). It was a scary thing to sit down and work at a piece. I didn’t have a lot of trust in my own abilities. I feared making something bad. I was out of rhythm whenever I spent more than a couple of days without drawing. And, finding that rhythm again could feel impossible.

So, when I sat down to pick up the pencil again after most of two months away, I was prepared to sit back down with those same obstacles. I took it slow, did random little warm-ups, tried not to startle myself with the big project I’d really like to be working on.

Little warm-up drawings

Then, I drew and painted more of something I feel very comfortable with: birds.

It was a successful easing-in. I practiced doing each of the three birds with a different set of primaries only (plus a black or sepia and white), which was an excellent color building exercise. It was absolutely a nice thing to do, good practice, and something that I enjoyed.

But, I realized that I didn’t have to do it if I didn’t want to. When I sat down, there wasn’t any fear at my side or on the page. I could have cracked the big project right away, and nothing bad would have happened.

I have loved illustration since I was a kid, but I don’t think I really started to create a serious practice until I was 22. Even though I got a visual arts degree in college before that, so much of what I did there (in a fine arts-focused program) ended up muddying the waters for me, obfuscating what I cared about making and wanted to do with my art.

Over the past 5-6 years, I have been slowly building a place for myself where illustration is exciting, comfortable, joyful, and driven by passion. And now I can say that I have finally shed the fear that the progress I’ve made will disappear. I won’t sit down at my desk and be at square one. That is a relief!

I’ve earned some faith and belief in myself. I have a technical backbone to keep me upright. I have a full creative practice that gives me the ability to move between projects without losing or abandoning any of them. That feels good.

The beginnings of a new Trading Card

I painted a trading card after that, inspired by my Saguaro trip, and then I started in on the big project: a picture book dummy). It’s going great (1/32 pieces complete 😂).

So, I’m here celebrating the fruits of my labor. Everything is perfect, and I’ll never have any troubles again! Here’s to March!

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February was very, very cold. I got some time outside in the snow, and some time in warmer weather. For the most part, I stayed snuggled inside with Otto and have made excellent progress knitting my sweater. I think it’ll make its appearance this month!

Felicita Sala is one of my favorite picture book illustrators. She builds very lively scenes, and I love the way she layers color and texture to make bold shapes and characters. She’s great at telling big-picture, big-idea stories, not just those that are primarily character or plot driven. (Though she’s good at those too.)

✷ I’m keeping my Threadloop profile up-to-date with everything I sew
✷ Trailer for a new musical movie (I love musicals)
✷ Faye Webster tiny desk concert
✷ A new substack I’m following about life in rural Japan