Let your pile of good things grow

December 2024

‘So, what if, instead of thinking of solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.’ ~ Rainbow Rowell

Hi! How are you? I’m so glad you’re here.

It’s that time of year. We busy ourselves with making resolutions, buying new planners, seeking meaning and goals for the days ahead, while looking back at the path we’ve taken to get here.

It was in the looking back that I found some clarity. Often in my day to day I lament not having enough time to make art. As I go about my busy life, it feels like I’m not making art, but as I scroll my camera roll I see that’s not true. It may not have always been paint to paper, but it’s been there in the moments, the meals, the memories being created. I’m sharing here as a reminder to myself, with hope that you’ll look back on your year and be pleasantly surprised as well.

From my house to yours, wishing you all the blessings the new year can provide.

With gratitude, Lisa

December

• Birthday pavlovas

• Charcuterie boards

• Otters holding hands

• Coco Moon art kid gatherings

• Buying small art

• Making big art

• Fancy wax stamps

• Slightly inappropriate gingerbread houses

• Giant black eyed Susans

• Mending beloved shirts

• Inspiring moments with a local art genius

November

• Pollinator collage workshop

• Glassblowing with my kid

• Art market filled with sunshine, friends, and the most delicious beer I’ve ever had courtesy of Jessica the brewer

• Birria tacos for Thanksgiving

October

• Tiny palettes for wearing

• Visits with besties and running around town dressed like Mrs. Roper

• Winter trees collage workshop with a bunch of lovelies

• The northern lights

• Owls doing yoga

• Dressing Frank up as a ghost

• Pollinator pieces

• Work of Art Facilitator training from Springboard for the Arts (!!!)

September

• Carving stamps out of erasers in the warmth of the glassblowing studio as my youngest blows glass

• Last swim of the season in the cold water of the mine pits, in the most golden autumn light

• Tiny collage jewelry pieces

• Frog puppets and the excitement of bringing an idea to fruition with the help of an amazing Friend

August

• A messy studio mean work is being done

• Pie from the Rustic Inn, eaten whilst overlooking Gooseberry Falls

• Pollinator garden full of life

• Teaching my son how to wet-felt part of his costume for the Renaissance Fair

• Twins night game and the crack of the bat reminding me of Brian Doyle’s prayer about baseball

July

• Reminiscing about making the sunflower mural with the crew at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds

• Painted turtle sculpture

• Seeing all the hard work that went into building a glassblowing studio and doing my small part

June

• Native plant studies

• Adopting Beans and welcoming chaos

• Teaching reproduction-focused felting at WeARE

• The pollinator garden turning green

• Finding a little handmade flag in my garden, courtesy of a sweet friend

• Visiting Great River Arts

• Absurd amounts of glue sticks

May

• Lots of planting and dirty hands

• Lawns to Legumes grant bringing new native plants to the garden, inspiration for my pollinator series

• Sonja’s nature printing show at the Watermark Art Center

• Watching two of my beloved children graduate

April

• Kokedama orchids and indoor fish ponds in my studio

• Felted moss garden and felted landscape workshops

• A 5th person adds my “winner” tattoo to their body (still not me)

• Felted pigs, chickens, and cats oh my

March

• Breadstick the Corgi, June the German Shepherd, and assorted felting projects

• Bonsai at the McNeely Conservatory and macarons at Cossetta

• the sweetest Spring Break with all the feels

February

• Frogs, hearts, and other felting kits

• Pop up markets with friends and handmade kombucha

• Bouquets that look like beer

• Hand-turned whisky smokers that also smoke iced tea

• Finding the perfect vintage cast iron stove for my studio, now restored and warming my toes

• Plantable paper hearts hanging at Therapeutic Touch Spa

January

• Building moulds and deckles and covering my table in handmade paper for weeks on end

• Making paper lanterns on date night

• Franconia Sculpture Park and St. Croix Chocolate Co. for my birthday, a dream come true

• Painting candles and binding books

• Birthday kidnapping by my favorite art kids

And how about you? Has your year been beautiful? Brutal? Brutiful? When you look back, do you see moments that are supporting the dreams you have for yourself? It’s okay if all you did was get through it, but it’s my hope you’ve had a little bit of magic too, and if not, wishes for lots of it in 2025.

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Thank you for reading. It means the world to me.

I’ll be back next month with more updates. In the meantime I’ll be posting on instagram and facebook. If you think someone else may enjoy my work, I’d be grateful if you’d share this with them or encourage them to visit my website where they can sign up for my newsletter, consider workshops, and peruse my work.

Thank you!

Have questions? Email me at lisa@lilfishstudios.com