New Year Reflections
Rethinking resolutions as we enter a chaotic new year
Happy New Year and almost Lunar New Year Sketchbugs! Winter is in full swing here in Philly, with bracing winds and salty streets. Our local heron has left for its yearly migration and Mo is showing off his thick winter coat.
I was originally going to make a HUGE post. One outlining all the ambitions I wanted for this newsletter and the resolutions I made for this year. After sketching draft after draft, I realized the post did not reflect where I am currently nor how I honestly feel about how the year is going so far. It’s very hard to exude positive “self help book logic” when your friends’ homes are on fire and your country’s leadership will be placed in the hands of people who could care less about said country. Nonetheless, I don’t want this blog to become too depressing either. Wallowing in misery is not how we confront the problems in our world. So please enjoy this ode to LA + how to help, some good news in Philly and a cool anthology promo.
LOS ANGELES, THE BEAUTIFUL
As many of you know from my trip post last year, I loved LA. I expected the worst when I flew out there from all the stereotypes floating around: too much driving, people are fake, etc. But I was pleasantly surprised by how vibrant the city was and by how welcoming the LA community was. It was lovely seeing my friends live their best lives under the bright sun and experiencing the thriving art scene of animators, painters, comic artists and more, all painting together outside like it was a normal Tuesday. Despite the fires and devastation, what Los Angeles has is magical. Thus, seeing all the mayoral mismanagement, billionaires hoarding water, and conspiracy theories regarding this natural disaster makes my blood boil. Besides offering links to those affected and those helping fight the fires, please enjoy some sketchbook pages from my LA travels. I could barely capture all the beauty this city has to offer.
If you know more places that need a shoutout, comment or email me and I’ll add them!
LA Wildfire Donation Links
A fund supporting relief and recovery efforts related to the wildfires burning in L.A. County by sending emergency relief grants of $1,000 each to individuals who have lost homes, loved ones and property due to the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires.
A fund that helps the LA Fire Department, CA Fire Foundation, World Central Kitchen and more to provide direct relief to those affected by the fires.
A list of people working in animation who have been directly affected by the fires and who’ve lost their homes
Eileen and Mark's Family Lost Everything in Fire Fund
Friend of the newsletter, Reiley had her uncle lose everything in the fires. This fund helps the family recover what they can.
Other Things
PHILLY NEWS - On a happier note, there are good things happening this year too. Here in Philly there has been a massive controversy regarding the 76ers, our not so good basketball team, building a new stadium in Central City (right next to Chinatown) after negotiations with Comcast, who owns their old stadium in South Philly, fell through. This created an uproar across the city with 70% of the city against the plan, as it would effectively kill Chinatown and make traffic unbearable, choking the city’s only Level 1 Trauma Center from getting patients to the building on time. Last month, the mayor and 12 of the city council members voted to allow the stadium to be built which was met with massive backlash from the Philly people and activist groups like Savechinatown, who were forcibly removed from the council chamber during a peaceful protest.
After almost 2 years of back and forth negotiations and stress about the legislation passing, the 76ers announced that they will be staying in South Philly, to the surprise of everyone, including the council members who voted for the stadium in the first place! It’s a win for Chinatown, the activists fighting the fight, and a win for the city. If you want to read more, I recommend reading the Philadelphia Inquirer, who has been following all of this closely.Death in the Mouth: Original Horror from the Margins Vol 2
I have an illustration in the amazing DEATH IN THE MOUTH: Original Horror from the Margins Vol 2! It is the second installment in the horror anthology series showcasing BIPOC and other ethnically marginalized writers and artists from around the world. The zine has already been listed in the 2024 Locus Recommended Reading List! Please check it out HERE!
Illustration for J.A.W. McCarthy’s “Yellow Girls”, one of the many stories in the anthology! That’s essentially it.
