For the last six months I have been writing Letters From My Art, a print and letter project, and sending them off into the world. These have been reflections from my studio, the narrative behind my paintings, recipes, family stories and lore… long-format writing that doesn’t fit Instagram and is quite different from my ‘new art, and what’s on’ newsletters.
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These letters have meant so much to me. They have felt like a gentle, heart to heart conversation with a friend. They are honest and vulnerable, less polished than the glitz of social media posts… and they have been analog. Yes, snail mail, sent to people’s letterboxes, with stamps and envelopes and handwritten addresses.
Unfortunately, this is where my letter project has started to come unstuck. Whilst the project is still in its infancy, with a small subscriber following, the logistics behind sending monthly packages of letters and a physical print have meant over-ordering the prints to allow for subscriber growth, navigating printer issues, and keeping everything within the confines of Australia Post weight and size limits. I can only imagine this would become more complicated as time went on.
These logistics have not been a great incentive for open and flowing creative writing. Some weeks I’ve wanted to write more than my C5 envelope will allow, and editing to trim everything back to an A4 format — while still retaining the meaning of the story — has taken away some of the enjoyment. I’ve had to market and advertise more than I’m comfortable with, and I cannot stand to do that any more than is absolutely necessary for the enjoyment of my small Instagram page. Travel plans have also added another layer of complexity.
I have no regrets about starting this project in an analog way. It’s been an incredible learning curve, and one I’m extremely proud of.
However, after many long pondering dog walks, I’ve decided to move my Letter project to a digital format…on Substack.
Why Substack? Why not just a regular email newsletter?
Because Substack is built for long-format writing and community, not just emailed newsletters. Community is what I’m needing as I work towards a bigger dream — an Australian art book/cookbook/memoir built slowly, one painting, one recipe, and one story at a time. Once a month, or when inspiration magically hits every few weeks, I’ll continue to share the stories behind my art, my family, my thoughts, and my inspirations.
Part of this is about gathering and collating this history as a legacy for my two beautiful daughters and nieces and nephews, and hopefully offering a little insight and encouragement to other creatives on their own journey. This was the whole reason I opened my Substack account ‘Life At The End Of A Paintbrush’ over a year ago… to inspire and support (though I’ve barely posted as I’ve focused on my Letter project. Ho.Hum.)
I’ve have also been a blog writer in the past. It’s a format that works for me. I had a WordPress website and blog for over twelve years and even had it printed into a physical book before moving my website over to Shopify. It’s a brick of a book — full of stories and photos from our family adventures and my art. I miss that open and unconstrained writing.
For now, the new and evolving digital Letters From My Art will remain free while I build rhythm and upload the first six letters. In time, I’ll add a paid section where I’ll share recipes, studio notes, mini art lessons, and the occasional extra that pops into my head. Paid subscribers will also receive a monthly discount code for use on my website, for originals and prints. There will be links to artwork and prints featured in the various letters.
I’m not doing this immediately, as I want to make sure it feels nourishing — for both me and you, the reader. It won’t be glossy, I’m sure there will be mistakes and changes needed. My writing desk is part of a working studio: paintings stacked nearby, creative thoughts scribbled on scraps of paper, birds outside the window, a dog (sometimes two) at my feet, spilt milk on a notebook that spends time in the kitchen. It’s real life….my life - that I’m trying to capture in words.
You can enjoy a browse around my website here.
If you have enjoyed the first six months of the analog letters, I hope you will stay for Gen 2, the digital reimagining of ‘Letters From My Art’. If you are just finding me…or finally reading a Letter after six months of hearing about them, I hope you will pour a cup of tea, pull up a chair, and spend some time here. If you’d like to stay a little longer and dig deeper into the conversation, I’ll let you know when that circle opens.
For now, welcome.
Mia x
