23 Comments

Good grief BA-I needed to read this and see this today - so good to have you name it- there is so much to grieve at this very Fucked Up moment in this dimension/time... you, this newsletter and your art are so very on point every time you share.

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Thank you Annette, I appreciate that

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I love these faces so much. The maps plus tears. Please keep going! I am also going to quote this: “Is it evil or wrong to use my fear, grief and pain for creative purposes? To maybe even feel enlivened by it? NOPE.” Something I think about a lot. Also I need a grief donkey shirt and will be in touch.

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I imagine you would think about that, given your latest book. It's unfortunate that we even give this consideration a second thought! We're human and we're artists/writers and that's how we process shit. Not to mention what a gift to the world something like your graphic memoir is. Thank you Sarah ❤️

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🥹 I love you and this inspired me and I’m grateful for that. Can you come do a journal workshop at AC? Also are those crying paintings for sale? So many questions. God dammit Rhude

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Thank you and yes and yes and let's talk and I love you too!!!

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Very helpful advice here BA. Maybe you could set up a service to remind us to get out of our heads?

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Diallo and I were *just* discussing this. A daily email for $899.00 a month seems reasonable?

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"The more you spend the more you save!"

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Sign me up, I'm made of money!!

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Good to know! How would you like to pay?

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Love this one B.A. Whenever I start writing again, I find myself wondering if I’m feeling better because I’m finally writing again, or if I’m writing again because I’m finally feeling better. Ultimately it doesn’t matter, of course. You get there when you get there!

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Exactly. Thank you so much Kelsey!

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Seems to me that fear, grief and pain are the fertilizer (like, literally the actual shit) out of which many good things can grow given the opportunity. Also, while crying often it is important to stay hydrated. xxx

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Haha, new t-shirt idea: "Pain is the shit!"

And yes, very true of course. You can't have significant growth without the hard stuff.

Thanks Hermione XO

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Ripple effect. Yes! Your posts always bring me back to feeling rooted. There’s a relief in reading your words that connect some of my scattered thoughts, roping them in and whooshing them into a more malleable form. Thank you BA. And here’s to using all those tears to float you back up to the breathing surface. ❤️

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Thank you Kristine! Your comments are always a balm, no word of a lie 🥲

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Sending you a hug.

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I feel ya. All of it. I was actually going to start drawing last night (I, too, wanted to calm down my nervous system) just a tattoo idea, nothing big. But it did make me feel a bit better, and I plan on doing more drawing today. It's so hard to remember what makes us feel good when the world is such a dumpster fire.

I love your work and this newsletter, by the way. Thanks for sharing yourself. I hope you feel better soon 💜

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Thank you 🥲

I'm already much better than I was when I started this post, but this dumpster fire certainly does add an extra layer of difficulty no matter what, it seems. I definitely don't intend to be defeated by it, but boy, I've had my moments. Thank you for kind words!

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I had a reaction to these teary faced map portraits when I first saw them in your studio. I especially feel Viti Levu. Those red lines - something to do with water and rivers - like a network of bloody veins close to the surface. Climate grief indeed. Thanks for peddling my Grief Donkey merchandise!

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Viti Levu really struck me too

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Thanks Smit ❤️

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