Make Weird Art with Me?

The Club I've Been Dreaming Up for Us

Last week, I ran a poll to see if you wanted more content centered around discovering your creativity/authenticity, and the response was overwhelming:

And honestly, I’m SO glad you feel this way! Because this is something that has been MAJORLY on my mind. In our increasingly digital times, many of us struggle with feeling more disconnected than ever before (from not just others, but ourselves!)

Prioritizing play and creativity is one of the things that makes me feel most like myself. It supports my mental health in ways nothing else can. Yet, it’s also the first thing to fall off the list when life gets busy (it’s also paradoxically one of the first things I let go of when my mental health is slipping).

Which is why this October, I’m going to start holding myself accountable for setting aside intentional time each week to sit and create. And I’m bringing my newsletter baddies along for the experiment!

One of my favorite things is hosting art dates, where I lay out some art supplies and a friend and I hang out while we create side-by-side and just let ourselves get…well…weird!

My dream would be is to have all of you over for one big art date around a huge communal table. Since that’s not possible right now (I don’t even have a dining table in my cottage 😭), I’ve come up with something to approximate that, and I hope you’ll join me!

I am SO excited to introduce:

What is the weird art club?

Weird art club is about prioritizing letting yourself create and getting in touch with your authenticity over making something “useful” or “good”.” You will not find step-by-step crafts here, but rather open-ended prompts that encourage you to well….get weird about it.

Why weird?
Because everyone has a little weirdo inside of them who is dying to come out and play, often this weirdo has been covered under layers of societal expectations, leaving us feeling detached and unhappy without really knowing why. Our mission with this practice is to excavate through the layers of BS and let our sweet little weirdo out to play.

Why do this together?

Because going solo is easy to abandon, with a group, you’ll have me nudging you along with weekly prompts, plus a running chat where we can share what we made (or just talk about what came up in the process).

What are my credentials?
Well, I’ve been making weird art professionally for a decade. I’ve also had plenty of run-ins with my own mental health, and this little practice has pulled me out of the muck more times than I can count. It’s too good to hoard, so I’m throwing it out into the world to share.

Why now?

Because most of us (myself very much included) are walking around like detached digital zombies, and nothing yanks me out of that state faster than creating something with my own hands.

Also, I want to weave in a seasonal focus. Paying attention to the little rhythms of the year makes me feel human again. And honestly, October is my favorite time of year, so this feels like the perfect moment to kick things off.

Here’s how it works:

• Each month, I’ll share an optional supply list, though you’re free to work with anything you already have.

• Each week, I’ll send out a new prompt or exercise. These won’t be step-by-step crafts, but more of an open invitation to sit down with your supplies, and let yourself be intuitive and playful. And weird, please get weird.

• Most prompts will be inspired by the season we’re in, because IMO that’s another great way to feel healthily connected.

• You’ll set aside one hour each week* (put it on your calendar and treat it like it matters!) where you cue up a playlist, pour your favorite bevy, spread out your art supplies on the table, and ban yourself from scrolling social media.

• There will be a running chat where we share what we made and talk about what came up in the process.

• At the end of the month, I’ll host a show-and-tell video chat where we talk about how the month went.

*Though the weekly practice is highly encouraged, you can also participate monthly, biweekly, or whenever works best for you. What matters most is carving out a little space to nurture your creative/intuitive side!

I’m thinking of it as an experiment for now, one that is subject to change and evolve. Your feedback and participation will shape what it becomes. (If October goes well, I’d love to keep it going!)

Art Hour Club is available to paid subscribers of this newsletter.
Which means for just $5/ month you can be a part of this creative self-care experiment!

In the next few days, I’ll be sending out the inaugural AHC email to paid subscribers, so be sure to look out for it!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments!

See you at Art Hour Club!

xoVC