It Was Inevitable

And I don't think anyone is surprised...

In today’s newsletter, we have:

• My thoughts on how I got where I am

• A 60% off sticker sale!

• Buy from me at an upcoming winter market

Ready? 🐉

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Was it destiny that I turned out this way?

Have you ever wondered what I was like when I was a kid?

The weird thing is that I was basically exactly who I am now.

Or maybe that’s the opposite of weird. It’s really logical, I suppose, that the little girl who loved drawing animals, making up stories, and running around in nature would grow up to be an adult who loves drawing animals, making up stories, and running around in nature.

But I feel like I know a lot of people who were one way as a kid and are now quite different. In their goals. In where they ended up. In the media they enjoy. In the career they wound up choosing.

But for me… it feels like everything in my life now was all inevitable.

The more I look back, the more I think… what other way could this have turned out?

I grew up on a small family farm with my mom and dad, four siblings (I’m the second oldest), and my grandma. Across the street lived my other two grandparents. I have warm memories of my Grandpa Roger holding me on his lap and showing me how to milk the cow while listening to his favorite polka music.

I loved helping gather chicken eggs. I spent many afternoons searching for toads, bugs, and crawdads in the stream.

From my toddlerhood, my mom taught me how to draw and color little animal pictures. She instilled in me a love of nature as we explored our big backyard and surrounding hiking trails and wild nature. We learned about tiny life that lived in ponds. We studied the life/growth cycles of butterflies and frogs. I appreciated all precious forms of life. (see above to view the caterpillar cake I requested for my 4th birthday. 😆😊🐛)

I doodled all the time. I started out exclusively drawing animals. Look at these really early animal doodles. Clearly I was destined for greatness from the start. 😂😂😂😂

The stuff of greatness, right here. 🤣

I loved books. I have fond memories of my Grandma Karen siting with me and teaching me how to read. Stories were so important to me, and I spent a lot of time arranging my stuffed animals into villages, families, and teams, so I could create epic, multi-generational stories with them. 😆🐶😺

(I remember something about a cat vs dog war waged by the adult animals, and it was up to the kid animals to stop it and help everyone find peace. What the heck. I still tell YA fantasy stories with a premise not too different. 😂)

Later, my Aunt Celia helped deepen my love of amazing stories. She was a school teacher and always knew the best books. She helped me find so many wonderful novels to enjoy.

I remember when my father started bringing home VHS —and, later, DVD—collections of Pokémon episodes for us, and how the idea of a whole world where kids could go on adventures with magical creature companions delighted me and sparked something in my imagination that never, ever left.

I remember my parents later getting some of the games for me (Pokémon Crystal was my first. Same for any of you?) and how those games changed me forever. From then on out, I was creating awesome world maps of places adventurers could go and drawing art of all the creatures they could discover.

I basically created my own version of Pokémon and was occupied by building out that world for yeeears.

I remember when my parents brought home our first anime movie: Kiki’s Delivery Service. The anime style, and especially studio Ghibli, has informed my artistic style ever since.

Later in elementary school, I formed a club where other kids and I pretended to be wolves and magical creatures, traded Pokémon cards, and drew fun art together.

I wrote my first book, “GURDIANS OF THE MOUTAIN OF GOLD AND LIGHT,” (a wordy title, which isn’t surprising since I’m still a wordy writer 😂) in 5th grade. Unsurprisingly, it featured… can you guess it? Animal companions. 😜

In high school, I formed a creative writing group with my best friends. (One of them, Sarah, is still writing, too. 😊) I wrote books featuring animals, teenage protagonists, complex magic systems, and intriguing worlds. I dreamed of becoming one of those cool published teen authors. (This didn’t happen, but still. 😁) I dreamed of the day I’d become a bestseller.

I started thinking about selling my art. There was a high school event where students could set up and sell their art to parents and teachers, and that was my first experience being a vendor. Photo from that event below.

I got really into comics as a teen and started publishing my own webcomic online. See art above. (Comment if you want me to show you more art from that comic sometime.)

My first job was at a library.

I studied art and creative writing in college.

And, it’s like… It all adds up and makes sense. All of it.

Everything.

My childhood, my warm family life, my interests, the way I spent my time, my aspirations…

Could I really have ever become anything else but the woman who creates art steeped in nature, writes stories of magic and adventure, builds expansive wondrous worlds, creates media experiences that go beyond just books and art prints, and has a brand that revolves around people going on adventures with animals and magical creature companions?

This is who I am. Everything I’ve experienced has led me to this place, this state of being.

It was inevitable.

And if everything has led me here so far… then where am I heading next?

Those dreams I had as a kid… Those dreams of being an author of many vast fantasy series, creating comics, video games, and board games, creating immersive interactive worlds that we can all get lost in and explore together, and working on those worlds with other people as a team…

Those dreams I still have now…

I have the feeling those things are inevitable too. 🩷

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60% off Sticker Sale

I can’t believe we’re already this far into December!

It can be hard to find stocking stuffers. (I’m actually kind of miffed about the need to buy stocking stuffers at all (besides chocolate, haha), and how companies market $20 items as stocking stuffers. Like... shouldn’t that just be a whole present...?)

But anyway, whether you’re interested in stocking stuffers or something small and inexpensive that can be a whole gift, I’ve got you covered.

I’ve got a sticker sale going right now for packs of either 10 or 20 mystery fantasy stickers. They’re 60% off, which is pretty big. I don’t ever do that, normally. You don’t know exactly which stickers you’ll get, but that’s part of the fun! They will be my fun fantasy art that I already know you all love, and each one will be unique from others in your set. No repeats.

I think this sort of gift is perfect for people you want to give something to, but can’t justify spending a lot on.

Book club friends, writing group buddies, coworkers, extended family, etc.

And if you want to make it feel suuuuper cute and fancy, (like a whole nice present, despite it being small!) you gift it to them in a handmade origami “box.” These can be super easy to make, and you can even make them out of scrap wrapping paper.

This video guide for making a bag is cute. And this video shows several different paper box and envelope ideas. Any of these would make for cute handmade packaging.

But, anyway, if you’d like some adorable fantasy stickers for either yourself or others, the time is now. I’m doing this sale for only a week, because I want to make sure they will get to you in time for Christmas.

And I do not plan to do 60% off like this again for a looong time.

I love you! Thanks for supporting me! Every time you get something from my shopify, that money goes straight back into my business, making it possible for me to make more cool things. 💗

I hope you all are having a great holiday season. ❄️🎄🎁

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One last announcement!

This Saturday, the 13th, I will be selling my art at a winter market at my local game store. If you’re local to Utah County, come see me! It will be worth your time. Kaya, the owner of GameCraft does such an phenomenal job of making her market events fun and immersive! Her store decorations alone are amazing. She, herself, is a fantastic artist.

This event will have giveaways, treats, crafts, Santa, and an immersive fantasy winter vibe.

Date: Saturday, December 13th

Time: 11am to 8pm

Address: 4315 N. Pony Express Parkway, Eagle Mountain, Utah 84005

I hope to see you there!

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Thank you for being here and reading these messages. It’s wonderful sharing my thoughts and stories and knowing people care.

All my love and gratitude,

Tanya