mini comic: 013
burning the candle from both ends
Hi there! It’s been awhile since I’ve made an appearance here. But I think we all knew my attempt at a semi-monthly newsletter would quickly fizzle. Juggling multiple jobs really made posting on any kind of social media a low priority this year too.
I want to keep creating posts about my favorite authors/illustrators, things about publishing, short comics about me & the studio manager, my love of sweets… but there’s not enough hours in a day… sigh. It’s time to officially say out loud that this newsletter will be very sporadic with less structure and organization. My goal is to be in this (the publishing industry) for the long game—not to burn out mentally and physically!
Now for this post, let’s start with my random numbers of the year!
Hospital Visits: The bills from a couple of unplanned hospital visits this year makes me incredibly grateful for a job with health insurance. But also unbelievably frustrated at the stupid system in this country… smh
Average daily steps: Last year’s step count was too high to maintain! But I reached an ultimate record of flights when I visited Portugal and took a day trip to Sintra. With the high elevations, I climbed 139 flights!
Library books borrowed: Libraries are THE. BEST. Access to so many books without breaking the bank or my bookshelves. Thank you librarians!!
Books published/created: This is my first year since I’ve started publishing without a book release. BUT! I was hard at work on my next 2 books that will publish next year. Stay tuned~
Trips to NY: With my new job back at Dial, I’ve been giving myself more excuses to travel to the city for work and seeing friends. If anyone wants to meet up, send me a message :)
Studio Manager’s road trip: The manager even joined me on one of my trips to NY! And was diligent as ever to keep me on top of my deadlines.
To-do list: My list won’t ever get any shorter, but I’m hoping to be nicer with myself next year and be just a tiny bit more reasonable.
Next… some exciting publishing related news.
This happened over the summer!
When I first started in publishing, I never thought I would climb to an art director level. And when I returned, I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to while balancing my illustrator career. But since coming back to Dial, the opportunity presented itself, and I realized I was excited for what the role would entail. I’m still floundering and figuring things out, but am grateful for my mentors and role models that I look up to.
Then…
It’s been 1 year since little Mole took a brave step on a little journey. We received a nice little surprise of a Mass Book Awards Honor. 4 foreign editions published this year too (with 2 more forthcoming)!
Thanks to the friends and readers who’ve stuck around.
Goodbye 2024~
See you in 2025!
Happy New Year Maya! ❤️