Last night was our opening reception for a group exhibition at Hatch Hollow, and let me just say… this place is cool. Like actually bad ass. The art in this show is gorgeous, the space feels inspiring, and the energy is the perfect blend of creative buzz and “I wonder if anyone else here feels as socially awkward as I feel right now… because they all look so awesome!” Spoiler: Some did.
We had a great time. We ran into people we knew, met some new creative humans, and did all the normal art-opening things. But our awkwardly introverted selves decided to flare up the moment before we walked through the door. You know that feeling where you suddenly forget how to greet another human? Yeah. That. I had to literally force myself to say hello to people. Like, mentally shove myself from behind. See if you can spot the fear in my eyes as I pose with my art.
And people who know us always look surprised when we talk about being introverted. They see the workshops, the music gigs, the livestreams, the art events. They see me talking on camera like I’ve got it all figured out and Klee rocking a room like the calmest badass ever. But just because we’ve gotten used to doing things doesn’t mean the introvert circuitry doesn’t sometimes spark, fizzle, trip a breaker, and leave us standing in the middle of a gallery like “Uhhh… hi?”
Thankfully, awkward attracts awkward, and we ended up running into friends who are just as introverted as we are. Before we knew it, we had formed a little roaming gang of awesomely shy creative weirdos. Strength in numbers. Safety in weirdness. It made the night even better.
Honestly, moments like that mean a lot to me. I try to push out of the comfort zone when I can, but I’ve also learned to embrace it when I can’t. Some days you’re a rogue social butterfly. Other days you’re a trembling mole person. Either way, it’s all part of the gig.
And awkward or not, we had a blast. Hatch Hollow is such a great place and this exhibit is worth seeing. If you happen to be in Meadville anytime before December 23rd, stop by and check it out. You won’t regret your life choices if you do.
In other news, today was officially Day One of painting the original art for the 2026 Love Is calendar. I’ve got designs laid out for each month, and something you might not know is that even though the Love Is series isn’t “us” specifically, when I’m designing the characters, I think of Klee and me. Truthfully, I do that with all my art, but this series really lets me lean into our little cartoon selves.
I showed the first sketches to Klee today and she cried, which (if you’ve been here awhile) you know is always a good sign. Happy tears mean the art is working.
Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered the calendar so far. I’m excited to show you more as we get closer to the release party, and I can’t wait for you to see what I’ve been brewing up in the studio. If you haven’t yet, I’ve got a sweet pre-order deal going on:
For now, I’ve got paintings to paint and calendars to design.
Onward, awesome humans.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ERICA!
