Checked only back a year or two, but this seems to be my most popular piece here which is so bittersweet. People loved Seti, and he is still very missed

Jessica Elena@byjessicaelena.bsky.social · 5d ago

QRP with your most popular piece on bsky!! Love this one so much!! good colours hehe!! #art #illustration

My roommate hasn’t posted much about it, but her kitten Alexei has had some health issues from pretty early on. Things have been leveling out finally and quite a bit of money later. He seems to have had layered issues of coccidia (then a bacterial imbalance due to it) and possible feline coronavirus

Checked only back a year or two, but this seems to be my most popular piece here which is so bittersweet. People loved Seti, and he is still very missed

Jessica Elena@byjessicaelena.bsky.social · 5d ago

QRP with your most popular piece on bsky!! Love this one so much!! good colours hehe!! #art #illustration

My roommate hasn’t posted much about it, but her kitten Alexei has had some health issues from pretty early on. Things have been leveling out finally and quite a bit of money later. He seems to have had layered issues of coccidia (then a bacterial imbalance due to it) and possible feline coronavirus

All that being said yesterday, I had a fantastic day selling art. Not a single creepy person, no weird comments at all, and I sold out of multiple print designs People do still value creativity, and it is always nice to talk to folks who really connect with what I make🧡

And to be clear, I don’t think I saw anyone selling AI “art” today. However, a ton of businesses were using AI imagery and talking about about how they “made” it and it really was grating on my last nerve Making a real craft and then using AI to make packaging or other promo art is weird

At the Sellwood Street Fair from 10AM-5PM today!

The only thing I can return to whenever someone popular disappoints or worse is to not avoid liking something or someone, but to never define yourself by or create a whole existence around them or it

No one emotionally prepares you for how much paperwork you have to fill out, sign, or otherwise do with every job you have as a freelance illustrator No two jobs have the same requirements, forms or formats, and somehow you will always do them a little wrong

I’ve dealt with it all at my local coffee shops, seen the wildest of how people operate in public…but today someone was having a conversation on speakerphone with a AI chat bot

Trying to give myself weekends (only letting myself pack prints, fulfill orders, and answer emails) and then coming back to Monday (doing all that plus teaching prep, NDA client work, and trying to make personal work)

The amount of people who have asked me when I'm tabling as of late who packages my prints for me...bad news! Me! On my apartment floor. Cutting out all the chipboard, taping all the cello bags, literally thousands of them by hand at this point The idea that there is somewhere you can have this done

Last day to order work of mine as wholesale for your shop at Faire for their summer market sale! All my stock is 15% off, always excited to have some work head out into the world! This picture is of my last order on there from today Get a discount with my direct link samanthamash.faire.com

Finding out that multiple students have gotten jobs I wrote recs for them or got their first illustration gig post-grad because I recommended them to an AD has made me feel really happy lately Like actual tangible work is my goal for all my students, and if I can help with that I always will

It’s my birthday, and you know what that means! BIG BIRTHDAY SALE! kevinjaystanton.com/shop Use "BDAYSAL3FOR2026" at checkout for the 38% discount!

Gunna start putting “eldest daughter” on resumes and CVs instead of listing my skills, it speaks for itself

Roommate kitten update: he is still small Find more of him at www.instagram.com/orangecatale...

My friend said they can tell it is me walking in the distance because I "walk like an animal crossing character"

It is a devastating when one of your favorite local restaurants starts plastering AI all over their space

I don’t drink, but I couldn’t pass up getting this fish shaped bottle from Trader Joe’s I am sure I can pass the wine onto someone else so it doesn’t go to waste!

The new need of a lot of applications for various things requiring you to film yourself for a portion of it is understandable in the age of AI (and I’m sure these groups want video of you to use for social media too if you get in) You just can’t pay me to do it. I’d rather lose the grant, etc

Shifting my income from sales online to fans and Patreon to education, client work, and selling at markets has allowed me to feel less beholden to social media It is a full inverse, making what I used to make on Etsy from teaching, making what I used to make from Patreon at markets and so on now

Taurus, don’t let your adamant nature put you in harm’s way🐂

When people ask how I've made my illustration career last, I honestly didn't know what to say for a long time. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize working in the food industry and coming from that working class background is the root of knowing how to manage my illustration career

Getting asked if I am over fifty yet by one person, and then someone else saying I'm too young to know what it was like to watch commercials on cable TV by another really has my head spinning about how old people think I am

Come by and see me at the Mississippi Street Fair today from 10AM-8PM Lots of great vendors everywhere!

My family member who is dealing with cancer (caught early, stage 1, surgery is done, and now onto radiation) has /really/ good health insurance and yet still owes a few thousand to cover treatments. The US healthcare system is so awful

My new routine whenever I get too frustrated by the (wildly predictable, but still awful) news is that I pick up my roommate's still two pound kitten and walk around with him He loves to see things right higher up, and I love to hold a tiny overly warm creature to bring down my seething anger

Working on something for the Tauruses out there

Every time I've wrapped a project ever since the semester of teaching ended I am offered a new job. I'm not sure who broke my curse, but thank you