2022 Year in Review
2022 = another year of art, education, and globe-trotting.
Like just about every year since I began living as a digital nomad, I have packed in a decade’s worth of experiences in the last twelve months. I traveled to two brand new countries and eight more that I’m already familiar with. I hiked up the Rock of Gibraltar, hosted an artist retreat in Spain, fostered my creative community more than ever before and partnered with brands I admire & respect for some pretty cool collaborations.
Here’s a little peek at the highlight reel:
I scored a handful of brand new clients, including household name brands Anthropologie and Disney.
I presented at five virtual workshops.
I ran 52 creative challenges this year and encouraged over 3,000 #CreateWithCatCoq posts on Instagram.
I became an aunt twice over.
2022 marks my 6th full year of living as a digital nomad.
I hosted a 4-week workshop. It sold out within days, so I ran a second workshop a couple months later and tripled the enrollment cap. The second one also sold out entirely.
In 2022, my students watched an accumulated 10 years worth of my classes.
My students submitted 1,400 class projects.
Of the 7,500+ classes published to Skillshare in 2022, my Blooms & Shrooms class was the 6th most popular class on the entire platform.
I co-hosted a (sold out) watercolor + entrepreneur retreat in Spain
I got laser beams in my eyes and now have perfect vision.
Jump to…
New Brand Collabs:
2022 was a fruitful year for partnerships and collaborations. I introduced new clients into the mix, and grew well-established relationships with existing licensors as well.
Brand Collaborations
Disney
In October, I aligned my brand with one of the most recognizable in the world: Disney! To commemorate the sequel of the cult classic film, Hocus Pocus, Disney chose three artists from Society6 (including yours truly) to create exclusive artwork for the S6 x Disney Hocus Pocus Collection.
Halloween is hands down my absolute favorite holiday. For me, Halloween sparks strong childhood nostalgia of growing up in 1990s suburbia. As a kid, I remember the giddy anticipation before it was time to go trick or treating, which meant free rein over the neighborhood. Once the sun finally set, I flew out the front door and ran amok with friends, collecting more candy than I could possibly carry.
I’m a professional artist now, but I’ve been a true creative at heart since childhood. As a kid, I’d plan my costume for weeks in advance. I’d be buzzing over ideas and inevitably entirely unable to decide between the front-runners, so I’d wind up weaving multiple costume ideas together. When the neighbors opened their doors to my “trick or treat”, they’d furrow their brows and ask what I was supposed to be. My answers throughout the years were variations of “kitten-Cleopatra”, “princess-witch”, or, my personal favorite & perhaps most puzzling, “zombie-princess-witch-kitten-with-Egyptian-jewelry”.
My vision for these designs is to conjure those same whimsical, fun, and mischievous vibes of Hocus Pocus. Through playful lettering and bubbly illustrative elements, I infused a little bit of magic into my artwork.
Brand Collaborations
Anthropologie
I've been dreaming of having my artwork in Anthro since I began my career in art licensing. This year, that actually became a reality. Thanks to my partners at East End Prints, I now have four of my watercolor art prints sold through Anthropologie!
The collection: Octopus • Magenta Jellyfish • Classic Cocktails • Champagne Collection
Story time: Six years ago, I turned down an opportunity to create a collection of phone cases sold through Anthro. The deal was through a middle party phone case company and they were adamant that my signature be stripped from the designs.
This felt incredibly wrong.
Offering to meet in the middle, I asked to include my brand name on the packaging instead, but they said absolutely not. I pushed back, but the phone case company wouldn't budge. I walked away from that deal.
I told myself that if I was going to get a placement in Anthro, it would be on my own terms with my integrity as an artist intact.
Welp, six years later, it finally happened. I'm over the moon that I can now finally claim that brand association with Anthropologie AND I have my signature right there to reinforce it!
It's been a loooooong wait since I first turned down that original licensing deal, but it's absolutely worth it. I'm glad I stood up for myself back in 2016, even though it meant losing that deal. This is such a better win.
Brand Collaborations
Contrado
In 2022, I launched my “Golden Hour” collection with Contrado. My designs for the collection are all intended to evoke an appreciation for a retro-inspired aesthetic mixed in with modern touches.
When Contrado reached out about partnering up for a CatCoq x Contrado artist collection, I was absolutely thrilled, to put it mildly. Contrado is a high-end, fashion-forward brand with an emphasize on sustainability and eco-friendliness. All of their items are made to order, which means products are not produced beyond need.
We tend to see trends reemerge over the decades and one of my favorite examples of this is the resurgence of 1960s fashion. I incorporated those iconic 60s colors: olive green, garnet, plum and ochre, and infused modern pops of color: bubble gum pink and mint, to create a blended retro/mod palette that feels vintage yet fresh.
When it comes to iconography, I peppered this collection with flower-power daisies, psychedelic swirls, retro patterns, and quotes of empowerment. The collection’s vibe is positive, quirky, and free-spirited.
Watch my Artist Q&A with Contrado:
Brand Collaborations
Target x Maker’s Collective
In February 2022, I made big waves by breaking into in-store placement with Target. I partnered up with Makers Collective to design a fresh new bedding line is inspired directly from my travels in Southeast Asia.
“Fan Palm” was the first thing I watercolored after a family hiking trip in Vietnam. “Retro Sunset” was inspired by the vibrant color palette of Bali that I encountered while living there.
Design #1: Fan Palm
Inspiration behind “Fan Palm”:
“Fan Palm” was the first thing I watercolored after a family hiking trip in Vietnam. I was was influenced by my first-hand experience in the wilderness of Sapa, Vietnam with my parents and aunt.
Throughout the excursion, my family and I trekked through dense jungle and expansive rice terraces, sleeping in villagers' homes each evening. I photographed the tropical plants growing along the trail and painted this ombré blue fan palm as a commemoration of my adventure.
The hiking trip that inspired my “Fan Palm” design:
Design #2: Retro Sunshine:
Inspiration behind “Retro Sunset”:
Surf's up! Inspired by the tropical sunsets of Bali, this Retro Sunset bedding will add a far-out, modern vibe to your bedroom. I pulled my color palette straight from nature: the fiery sky and blazing blue waters of the Pacific are characteristic of Bali's black sand beaches at sunset.
Fun fact: Back in 2019, my brother & sis-in-law visited me in Bali. During their visit, the three of us decided to get permanent souvenirs for ourselves: coordinating ankle tattoos!
The color palette of Bali inspired my “Retro Sunset” design:
Brand Collaborations
Fit + Fresh in Sam’s Club
I now officially have my own line of products available through Sam’s Club stores! I teamed up with Fit + Fresh to design a collection of cheerful & modern lunch bags.
My featured designs are bold and colorful with pops of pink and fresh minty tones. I illustrated the palm pattern design here in Mexico and the x-pattern while I was living in Chiang Mai, Thailand between 2016–2019.
Needless to say, it’s been pretty cool to see my original artwork bloom into a cohesive, quality product like these Fit + Fresh lunch bags. The brand’s curation team regularly attends fashion shows, keeps their eyes on the latest trends, and interviews thousands of women each year to better understand their needs. I’m honored to contribute my art to such a fashion-forward, charming company.
Brand Collaborations
Target placement through Lang
Lang has continued to be one of my most prolific licensing partners in the gifting + stationery space. In 2022, Lang embraced the retro-inspired designs in my portfolio and created a range of groovy stationery, planners, calendars and more. They even infused my artwork with shimmery metallic accents to make each product truly pop off the page.
Check out the Reel on Instagram!
In November, Lang announced that I was their “Artist of the Month” and I had the opportunity to watch my collection soar even further.
In 2022, I had several Lang products chosen for in-store placement with Target, which always provides a huge boost of brand visibility for both me and my partners.
Looking forward to yet another another year of profitable partnerships with Lang!
Brand Collaborations
Swaponz
This year, I teamed up with Swaponz to create a collection of CatCoq phone cases! I hand-selected the designs for each capsule, picking from not only my best-selling pieces, but also my personal faves.
One of the reasons I decided to work with Swaponz is because their product is so innovative and -let's be real- just plain cool! You don't need to purchase an entirely new phone case every time you want to switch things up.
With Swaponz, you receive a slim protective case and a collection of reusable "Swaps", so you can easily switch your phone case design on a whim. If you’re like me and you treat your phone case like a fashion accessory, this is a complete game changer!
Each set comes with a protective case + three Swaps, so you can switch up your phone case design on a whim. They’re ultra slim, anti-slip, and super durable.
Brand Collaborations
Roommates Decor at Target
In the three years since my wallpaper line with Roommates Decor launched back in 2019, it’s proven to be a prosperous partnership to say the least! In 2021, we added even more fun wall decals to the collection, as well as fresh new color wallpaper palettes for the historic best-sellers. Combined with my wallpaper series, this has landed me placement with Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and more.
CatCoq Wall Decals:
CatCoq Peel & Stick Wallpaper:
Herringbone Collection:
Eucalyptus Collection:
Split Leaf Philodendron Collection:
Brand Collaborations
Studio Oh for Barnes & Noble
It’s always a treat when I achieve an in-store design placement with a notable brand, and 2022 brought me yet another Barnes & Noble opportunity thanks to my partners at Orange Circle Studio!
Check out this incredible range of products featuring my “Pear Collection” artwork:
Brand Collaborations
Evite
I’m beyond excited to announce that my designs are now available as Evite cards!
Thanks to Evite, my artwork gets to be used in a such a positive and celebratory way. Whether it’s a casual get-together with friends or celebrating a monumental birthday, my artwork can be part of someone’s big occasion.
Brand Collaborations
Shop Graphique
I now have a stationery collection available through French company, Graphique de France! The collection features my petite daisies & “Self Love Club” artwork, all decked out in luxurious gold foil embellishments.
This partnership with Graphique represents my CatCoq brand expansion into Europe. I’m excited to see what the future brings in terms of more European licensing parterships!
Brand Collaborations
Maker’s Collective
After the success of last year’s wool-hooked throw pillows & rugs produced by my partners at Maker’s Collective, we decided to expand the collection this year with even more designs.
Brand Collaborations
Society6
This year marks my eight-year anniversary with Society6! Society6 was actually the catalyst for everything I’m able to do now in regards to my work and my lifestyle.
Back in 2014, I was working a full-time job as a designer in Kansas City. One evening after work, I decided on a whim to upload a few of my watercolor paintings to Society6. Surprise! People actually purchased my artwork!
The side income I earned through Society6 is what gave me the freedom to pursue self-employment and begin traveling the world full-time as a nomadic artist. I have so much gratitude for Society6 and the opportunities they gave me as an artist. The success I had selling my designs through their platform paved the way for everything I do now.
Sometimes, it just takes that one lucky break before your entire world changes.
Here’s a peek at some of my favorite Society6 products. Tap each photo to shop the design!
Brand Collaborations
Liix
I now officially have my own line of bicycle accessories available through Liix! I’m especially excited about this collaboration, since this is the first time CatCoq designs have ever been used on bicycle bells and seat covers.
I teamed up with Liix to design a collection of cheerful & modern bicycle accessories. This is also the biggest artist collaboration Liix has ever had to date! When I asked why, they responded with, “Because we simply couldn't decide between all the great designs!” Aw, shucks.
There is truly something for everyone in this collection. Needless to say, it’s been pretty cool to see my original artwork bloom into cohesive, quality products like these Liix bicycle accessories.
Online Education in 2022
This year marks my six-year anniversary teaching online classes through Skillshare. My enrollment soared up to half a million total students in my classes and 380,000 total hours of learning. Talk about impact!
In addition to creating art tutorial classes for Skillshare, in 2022, I decided to expand my creative education offerings:
In addition to hosting my classes through Skillshare, I also launched a new option for enrolling in my classes– you can now also purchase individual classes from me directly! I wanted to open this up to give you all an “a la carte” option. This means that once you’ve purchased an individual class, you’ll have lifetime access to it and can reference the material any time you need.
I hosted a 4-week workshop. It sold out within days, so I ran a second workshop a couple months later and tripled the enrollment cap. The second one also sold out entirely.
I posted weekly art tutorials on the CatCoq Blog.
Every Tuesday, I challenged my newsletter audience with a weekly creative prompt. Over 3,000 people contributed using the #CreateWithCatCoq hashtag on Instagram. Want to join in on the action? Join my newsletter here.
In 2022, my classes netted out with a total of 5,239,793 minutes watched by students. That is ten years of learning!
A whopping 1,400 class projects were submitted by my students!
Online Education: 4-Week Workshop
Chroma Courses
In January, I launched my very first immersive workshop (dubbed Chroma Course) through Skillshare. “Make & Sell Watercolor Art” sold out all 50 seats within days. A couple months later, I decided to run the workshop again and tripled the enrollment cap to 150 students. Again, the second round sold out entirely.
This was huge, as group-style learning with live components was a new venture for me. The idea was to curate a small group-learning experience that helps students make focused progress in four weeks. My Chroma Course helped my students learn how to paint, digitize, and sell their artwork professionally.
I packed my Chroma Course with live Q&As, exclusive content and tools, painting jam sessions, and personalized feedback from me all along the way. Essentially, I took everything I’ve lived & learned over the past decade as an artist and packing it into this four-week program.
The Chroma Course included:
Weekly live video calls
Small-group discussions
Pre-recorded daily lessons Assignments (think *fun* homework)
Critiques and personal feedback
Online Education: New Class
Blooms & Shrooms: Draw Fun & Funky Art in Procreate
Ready to learn how to create trending illustrations on your iPad that will sell well? This class is all about enjoying the process of creating fun and funky artwork while learning the fundamentals of Procreate and elevating your digital illustration workflow.
The goal isn’t just to create a groovy illustration, but also to draw something that will sell well. You’re going to learn how to key into what’s trending and how to infuse your own unique artistic voice into your artwork so whatever you create is uniquely you.
Side note: Of the 7,500+ classes published to Skillshare in 2022, my Blooms & Shrooms class was the 6th most popular class on the ENTIRE PLATFORM. 🎉
I filmed the entire class while I was living in Portugal over the summer. It all happened because I made a comment to Adam about how I wanted to teach something simple, fun, and massively trendy like florals & mushrooms. He blurted out, “…so blooms and shrooms, then?”
Aaaaaand at that moment, I knew I couldn’t pass up such a fabulous class name.
So I whipped up an outline, filmed, edited, and published all while staying in an Airbnb in Lisbon. If you’ve taken this class, thank you so much! I love seeing all the class projects roll in.
Online Education: New Class
Watercolor a Seamless Pattern
The essence of this class is learning how to take your rasterized artwork (paintings, drawings, even Procreate art) and turn it into a repeat pattern in Adobe Photoshop. You’re going to learn the entire process: from sketching your elements, to filling them in, then digitizing your artwork– either with your phone or a scanner if you have one.
We’ll kick off the class by painting our elements by hand with watercolor, but you can follow along with any medium of your choice (including Procreate). Then, you’ll digitize your artwork, bring it into Photoshop, and arrange a custom seamless pattern pattern.
Then, you’ll learn the steps for arranging your illustrations into a professional seamless pattern! We’re also going to explore fun stuff like creating new color palettes and infusing metallic accents into your artwork.
Bonus: I’ll even show you the exact steps I take to upload designs through online through print-on-demand websites like Spoonflower, Society6, and Redbubble.
Online Education: Artist Resources
Blog Post Tutorials
I introduced a whopping 36 new articles to the CatCoq Blog in 2022. Many of these are resources and step-by-step tutorials to complement the creative and business strategies that I also teach in my online classes.
Here are some of the most popular articles of 2022:
Online Education: Tutorials, Artist Q&As, and More
CatCoq on Youtube
2022 is the year I really dug deep into Youtube and began building out my channel. My content is a blended mixture of short art tutorials, travel & life updates, artist interviews & webinars and trailers for my classes.
Here are a few of the gems:
Online Education: Weekly Drawing Prompts
The #CreateWithCatCoq Challenge
As an extra perk to engage my creative community, I began sending out a weekly creative prompt in my weekly email. Behold– the #CreateWithCatCoq Challenge! I ran 52 challenges this year and netted out with over 3,000 submissions to date!
Want to join in on my weekly challenge? You can sign up to my email newsletter here and get weekly prompts straight to your inbox!
Every week you can follow along and share your work using the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq on Instagram! Throughout the week, I highlight select participants’ work on my IG Stories, so be sure to tag me @catcoq for the chance to be featured.
I’m a big believer in community over competition. As artists, it’s so important for us to support each other on our journeys. One of my favorite things to do with my friends is to meet up each week and paint together. Think of #CreateWithCatCoq as a weekly virtual art meetup– we’ll learn together, create together, share ideas, and support each other along the way.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as I’ve built my creative business is that the best way to reach your goals is by taking consistent action. Whether your goal is to start a creative business, to improve your skills, or just to have fun being creative, taking consistent action is going to take you there. No matter what your goals are, this weekly creativity challenge will help you stretch your creative muscles and grow as an artist.
Art Retreat in Andalucía, Spain
Our “Artrepreneur” retreat in Spain was a huge success! After nearly a year of planning, we were able to once again create an opportunity for a group of creatives to come together, make connections, build community, and learn from one other.
I truly love hosting these retreats. It's important to me to help foster a community that has been so valuable to artists just like me.
Our attendees this year came from all different experience levels, backgrounds, and countries. Some were still working full time jobs, others had already taken the plunge into pursuing creative passions, and a handful were just beginning to explore the possibilities the art world has to offer.
Everyone had something to contribute and one of the benefits of having such different attendees means a richer pool of knowledge to share.
Last year, during our retreat in France, it was obvious that magic really happens when artists of all levels and backgrounds come together with the intention of sharing and growing their creative business or art side hustle.
But that magic happens at a completely new level when that group comes together in a beautiful place. After all, artists are at their best when inspired!
Teaming up with the crew at UpTrek made this creative business retreat feel like more like a European vacation. UpTrek scouted the ideal location, arranged travel and excursions, did all the coordinating work to ensure that my cohosts and I were able to show up and do what we’re good at: hosting, teaching, and hanging out! (Shoutout to Logan Elliott and Adam Palmeter for joining me in becoming such a great hosting team!)
Our week in Andalucia, Spain was one for the books! The retreat was held in a historic farmhouse with charming villas, rolling wildflower-covered hills, five swimming pools, and the occasional passing herd of goats.
The retreat center is located in a protected national forest in the province of Cadiz, one of Spain’s most scenic and historic destinations. From the moment we arrived and took a look around the natural beauty of our surroundings, we realized this was going to be an incredible week.
Sometimes, you just know when a special moment will become a cherished memory. This week just had so many of those moments to offer. Between the stunning views, day trips, deep conversations, delicious food, and of course the famous Spanish wine, it's genuinely difficult to narrow down my favorites.
Read my recap of our retreat: Art Retreat in Southern Spain - 10 Most Memorable Moments
2022 Speaking Events, Workshops, and Interviews
2022 brought upon another year of digital events. Between speaking panels, IG Lives, Zoom workshops, and webinars, I had some pretty incredible opportunities to give back to my creative community this year.
Immersion LIVE - Keynote presentation in Bangkok
I was invited to give a keynote presentation during Immersion LIVE, an annual event hosted by industry powerhouse, Bonnie Christine. This is hands down the most impactful conference for aspiring creatives and surface designers.
It's three fully-packed days of speakers, virtual studio tours, community building, and resources to help creatives grow their passions & businesses. I feel so incredibly grateful that I had an opportunity to share my story and dish out my best advice for fellow artists who want to follow my same path.
Despite it being past 11pm in Bangkok during my post-talk Q&A, I was buzzing with energy & support for all 400+ live attendees. Their desire to grow & learn was invigorating & inspiring. It was such a visceral reminder of that same hunger & drive I felt at the beginning of my career in art licensing. Being able to pass on my knowledge to help other creatives is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career today.
Craft Friday with Spoonflower
Spoonflower’s Craft Friday is an event to celebrate crafting and connecting. It’s a day-long event of virtual creative workshops on November 25th and participating is completely free! This year’s lineup of 15 sessions are all geared at artists, crafters, and creatives of all types. And the kicker? This is an entirely free event!
My workshop is a mini version of my Blooms & Shrooms class where you’ll learn how to draw trendy mushrooms and flowers in Procreate. The focus is learning how to illustrate this year’s most on-trend motifs: mushrooms and florals! 🍄🌻
This tutorial is short and sweet: it’s all about enjoying the process of creating fun and funky artwork while learning the fundamentals of Procreate. This is a beginner-friendly tutorial, so even if you’ve never used Procreate before, you’re going to be able to follow along just fine and create a *magical* illustration.
Print-On-Demand Masterclass Panel
I had the absolute pleasure of joining a panel of incredibly talented artists for a POD masterclass, hosted by Mable Tan. I was joined by Leana Fischer of May We Fly and Kate Rhees, one of the top-selling artists on Spoonflower.
During the webinar, we enjoyed an open discussion about all things print on demand. Between the four of us, it was an incredibly informative session packed with juicy tips for succeeding in commercial art and print-on-demand.
You can watch the replay and score some extra bonus material on Mable Tan’s website here.
Follow the Fun Workshop with Audra King
Ever wished you could build a wildly successful business with time freedom and location independence? This was the workshop for you! I partnered up with Audra King (@shelovesherbiz) to guest-star in her Follow the Fun workshop series. Audra and I chatted about what it takes to shift your mindset around what it means to be a "responsible business owner" and Follow the Fun instead!
The Live version of this workshop happened in August 2022. If you missed it live, you can still purchase the replay for $7. The best part? All of the proceeds will be donated to Kiva, an organization that lends money to low-income entrepreneurs around the world. Kiva is near and dear to my heart, so a big thank you to everyone who signs up for the workshop!
Podcast Interview with 6-Figure Creative
I had the opportunity to chat with Brian Hood of 6-Figure Creative about how I’ve structured my creative business around my pillars of autonomy, creativity, and world travel. If you want a peek behind the curtain at how I run my creative business, this podcast is full of juicy details!
Showcase Artist Panel
In 2022, I had another opportunity to speak at Artonomo’s Showcase Bootcamp! I focused on the key things to consider when designing new artwork. If you've ever wondered how some designs get licensed over others or what the key is to creating collections that sell, this session covered it all.
Most Memorable Moments (AKA my personal highlight reel):
I became an aunt… again!
Apollo Coquillette joined the fam on September 20th this year. Aurora is thrilled with her new status as Big Sister. I’m looking forward to meeting my brand new nephew when I return to Kansas for Christmas. I’m still working on my status as “cool aunt Cat” and look forward to getting to know this little nugget as he grows.
Rocky Mountain National Park with my parents
Mom & Dad drove out to Estes Park to visit Adam and me for a long weekend of hiking, sight-seeing, and family time. I got to show my Dad some of my favorite trails in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Rain Gods were benevolent– the afternoon downpours always seemed to begin just as we’d finished our hike and were back in the car. Trip highlight: We came across about a hundred chirping marmots as we hiked along one of the highest-elevation ridgeline trails of RMNP.
Chilling on this rocky alcove above the clouds in the Swiss Alps
This was a an absolutely first for me: we took a little hiking break at this rocky overlook. Our 360° view was a bowl of mountaintops peeking through the cloudscape. Maybe it was the altitude getting to my brain, but I remember turning to Adam and wondering aloud, “Could you imagine anything more satisfying at this very moment than punting a giant beach ball right off this mountain and watching it sink into the clouds?” A girl can dream.
Majestic hikes in Switzerland
We made the most out of our time in the Swiss Alps and ventured out on daily hikes. Every trail held its own unique beauty, so every outing became a mind-blowing experience. Our longest day totaled to just over 17 miles and just as we were nearing our exhaustion limits, we came across a lone cheese and cured meat stand along the hiking trail. 🧀 (It’s essentially a small ice box with assortments of cheeses & meats along the side of the trail.) There’s a price list and cash box so you can self-select & pay for what you picked out. That became the fuel that got us through those last few miles of our hike back home. Big shoutout to the local cows who made this all possible. Confirmed: We live in a damn good simulation.
Surviving dive-bombing seagulls at Lagoa do Fogo
While researching the “Lagoa do Fogo” hike in advance, I read through some particularly disturbing reviews regarding how aggressive the gulls become during nesting season. A quick Google search informed me that nesting season ended last month, so Adam and I strolled up to the trail head with zero concerns. (Ha.)
The first seven miles of the ascent were lush and eerily silent. In retrospect, we should have been more concerned that we were the only hikers on the trail that morning. One we neared the cliffs surrounding the volcanic crater lake, it was like a switch flipped: Our serene hike exploded into dive-bombing seagulls and hellish screeches.
I held my backpack over my head with one hand and flailed my other arm around wildly to deter the swooping and screaming gulls as we sprinted a mile uphill in sheer panic.
Quote of the hike: “OH GOD. STAY TO THE TREES.” The Azores kept us on our toes.
Adam’s art exhibition in Mexico
What a wild & wonderful night. As a final tribute to our time living in Mexico, Adam put together an art show dedicated to all the artwork he’d produced in Playa del Carmen.
The show itself was a multi-faceted blend of mediums: acrylic-brushed canvases with his signature style of “palm fronds” brushstrokes, photography prints featuring many of the murals he’s painted in Mexico and beyond, and even a digital display– he projected his neon illustrations melting together and flowing down the walls in a trippy ambiance.
The venue was packed with our friends, a DJ, and full bartending staff. I’m so proud of him for showcasing all his creative work during such an unforgettable event.
Hiking the Rock of Gibraltar
Fun Gibraltar facts:
Even though Gibraltar is on the southern tip of Spain, it’s a British territory. We paid in £ and had to drive through passport control on our way in.
The only road into Gibraltar cuts across their airport’s runway. (Planes get the right of way.) Gibraltar is pretty tiny, so the length of the runway is pretty much the length of the territory’s border. I’m including a video here.
This is the only wild monkey population in Europe! The macaques were cool to watch, but the time I spent living in Bali absolutely burned me out when it comes to human/monkey interactions. I gave them a wide berth.
More monkey stuff: Our hotel employs a full-time monkey bouncer who is on call 24/7 to shoo monkeys away from guests. We were advised to keep our balcony doors closed as a precaution. I had many questions for the front desk woman regarding this employee. She made his work sound very professional and tidy. 🙄 This is the second hotel I’ve stayed at that had a monkey management person. (The other was in Ubud and their “monkey manager” was just a teenager with a slingshot and handful of pebbles. Unfortunately for the monkeys, he was utilized when a pack of monkeys barred my brother and sis-in-law from entering their room.)
Back to Gibraltar: We could see Africa from Gibraltar! (We gave a little wave to Morocco.)
There are miles of tunnels & cave systems throughout the Rock. During our hike, when we needed to cool down, we’d dip into one of the chilly cave entrances along the trials.
Back in Bangkok for DCBKK
I attended my first DCBKK conference in 2017 and it blew my mind. Never before had I met so many people who were charting their own business paths on their own terms. Between the main stage talks, masterminds, small-group meetups, and impromptu elevator conversations, I came away from that week brimming with energy, focus, and excitement about the future prospects of growing my business and leaning into newfound friendships.
I returned every year. In 2019, I was invited give a keynote presentation on the main stage. Before I stepped onstage, the event’s MC introduced me to the audience by naming my credentials and then threw in cheeky a line about how I’m also his “business crush”. (Spoiler alert– Adam and I have been dating ever since.)
After a two-year pandemic hiatus, DCBKK was back in action for 2022. This time, the energy felt even more supercharged. Entrepreneurs flew in from all corners of the world and 300 of us converged in Bangkok for a week of business-building and catching up with old friends.
Most memorable moment:
For the closing party, Dan & Ian (the DC founders) hired a hundred tuk tuks to escort us from the conference hotel to the rooftop venue 15 minutes away. I’ve seen a lot of crazy things in Asia, but being in a police-escorted motorcade of a hundred tuk tuks was an experience I’ll never forget: horns honking, music blaring, people high-fiving between tuk tuks, and tourists on the street filming the mad scene all combined to make this hands-down the most “extra” entrance I’ve ever made to a party.
Jungle bungalow hangouts in the Yucatan
Since Adam and I moved to Mexico in 2020, we’ve rented out this jungle bungalow a whopping eight times. Sometimes we hang out solo for some relaxing and recharging, but on other occasions, we get the whole crew together.
The bungalow is surrounded by dense jungle, has a fire pit where we grill shrimp and steak, and is built over a cave pool (cenote) for swimming. Monkeys swing from the treetops in the evenings (and look at us like we’re insane when we hoot and chirp at them).
This bungalow is our slice of jungle heaven.
Exploring Wat Pha Lat (the waterfall temple)
Here’s another little peek into my life in Thailand. During the two months I was in Chiang Mai, I managed to visit this waterfall temple on three separate occasions.
The trailhead is only a ten minute tuk tuk ride from my apartment, so this is a super accessible hike for me. The trail weaves up the mountain and leads you right Wat Pha Lat, a temple complex built over waterfalls on Doi Suthep mountain.
This place is most definitely a hidden gem of Chiang Mai- all noise is washed out by the rushing water, the sunlight filters through the palms and bamboo, monks meditate in the temples, and little critters claim this place as home. I’m digging these lush & peaceful jungle vibes.
Check out the video footage on my Instagram Reel.
Staying in the haunted Stanley Hotel
I’ve visited the famed Stanely Hotel a handful of times over the years, but this was my first time booking a room and staying a few nights. My parents were visiting me in Estes Park and we decided to add a level of spookiness to the trip. We sipped martinis in the haunted bar, snapped a few pics of Stephen King’s room 217, wandered around the 4th floor at night looking for any signs of (after)life, and toured the grounds with the rest of our official Ghost Tour group. It was a blast.
Sydnie visiting me in Chiang Mai
Eleven years ago, Sydnie and I met while interning together in Kansas City. In 2022, she flew to Thailand so we could hang out together on the other side of the world. Cheers to solid friendships that span the ages and continents. Looking forward to the next decade and adventure with my old roomie and good friend.
Cenote days in Mexico
Cenote Elvira is only a 30-minute drive from Playa del Carmen, so we’d often get a group of friends together for a day of swimming, hammocking, and relaxing in the jungle. We dubbed them our “mental health” days and they proved to be exactly that.
Meet CornNut
This is the feral cat I fell hopelessly in love with in Chiang Mai. In this case, videos tell the story better than words, so enjoy Encounter 1: Meeting Cornnut • Encounter 2: Earning CornNut’s trust • Encounter 3: CornNut brings me her baby
Getting lost in the hills of Bavaria
While in Munich, we decided we wanted to pack in an authentic Bavarian hike before we left Germany. Tegernsee was the perfect spot– it’s packed with hiking trials, forests, and panoramic views of the valleys and lake.
So Adam and I packed up our backpacks with energy bars and water and hopped on a train. An hour and a half later, we got off at the final stop (literally the end of the tracks) and realized we had absolutely no idea where we were. In that morning’s rush to catch the train, we chose the wrong one.
We decided to roll with the punches and just wing it– we spotted the nearest mountains and began walking in that direction. All-in-all, we made the most of a less-than-ideal situation. We didn’t see any panoramic views and spent more time trudging through bush trying to reorient ourselves than on the trail itself, but we did have some pretty good laughs about it.
Two days later, we gifted ourselves a re-do: we made extra sure we chose the correct train and enjoyed a day of what our original hike was supposed to be. You can’t win ‘em all, but you can go back and do it right the second time around.
I got Lasik eye surgery!
I was prescribed glasses for nearsightedness at 16, but did a terrible job actually remembering to wear them. So the past 19 years of my life have been a bit blurry to say the least. It was all mostly a minor inconvenience (not being able to see very clearly in movie theaters, missing out on the majestic landscapes during hikes), but every once in awhile, my forgetfulness turned into serious issues: Forgetting my glasses, but needing to drive home at night? Gotta call an Uber. Arriving at the airport and realizing I’d left my glasses back at home? I’d literally have to ask strangers to read the departure board for me and tell me my gate.
2022 became the year I bit the bullet and accepted the harsh reality that the only way my vision problems would improve was if I permitted a doctor to slice my cornea into a flap and inject laser beams into my eyes. (Can you tell what a calm, ideal patient I am?)
Awwwwwww moment: After my surgery, I wore sunglasses indoors for a few days. When I came into my niece’s room to read books with her, she ran over to her toy basket and grabbed her hot pink shutter shades out of solidarity. 🥲 Future empath over here for sure.
Places I lived & traveled in 2022:
2022 marks my 6th full year living out of a suitcase as an expat! The world is a big place & I feel incredibly grateful for being able to dip my toes into a small slice of it. Onwards & upwards!
Since the pandemic hit, I spent most of the last few years in one of the few countries that remained open: Mexico. As more and more places around the world began opening back up for tourism, I decided it was time to leave my little safety bubble of Playa del Carmen and get back out into the world.
I left Mexico on Cinco de Mayo and got right back in nomad mode: I spent more of the summer bouncing around Europe before reuniting with friends and family back in the USA. Once autumn hit, I headed back to my ol’ stomping grounds in Southeast Asia.
Over the winter, I bounced between the USA and Colombia: We spent Thanksgiving in Buffalo, New York with Adam’s family, then had a week off to chill in Colombia before it was my turn for holidays with the family in Kansas. After Christmas, we flew back down to Colombia, where we said goodbye to 2022 and welcomed in 2023 with a solid crew of friends by our side.
📍 Playa del Carmen, Mexico
While the world was reeling from the pandemic and countries were closing their borders to tourism, I came to one of the only places that would actually let me in: Mexico.
Over the past couple years, Playa del Carmen became my home base. We had a little community of friends, warm Caribbean weather, aligned time zones with the USA, and a solid routine: I sat at the same seat at the coworking space across the street, ate the same protein bowl for lunch every day and I had early morning sessions with the same personal trainer 5x a week. Playa is the place where I got to sink into a groove and get shit done– it was fabulous.
Now that the world has opened back up for the most part, I said a bittersweet goodbye to Playa back in May and am back to nomad mode.
📍 Malaga, Spain
Malaga was our jumping off point for our European travels this summer. It was also my first time back in Spain since I was a student twelve years go. As an American, I can’t help but romanticizing Europe: those cobblestone streets, medieval fortresses and hilltop castles, generous pours of house wine that’s often cheaper than bottled water.
In Malaga, I got into a fairly standard daily routine: I set up a work station at the kitchen table and plugged away on my laptop for most of the day. But once 6pm hit, Adam and I would meander through the old town and choose a nook & cranny restaurant patio to sip wine and nibble on olives, relax and chat, and (my favorite) people-watch.
Of all our evening strolls, my favorite was Alcazaba, a Moorish palace built over a Roman theatre and later converted into a fortress. Alcazaba was a short walk from our Airbnb, and the route took us through what we dubbed Alley Cat Alley, a street teaming with feral (but well fed) cats. Life is never boring.
📍 Gibraltar, British Overseas Territory
While staying in our Airbnb in Malaga, I realized that the Rock of Gibraltar was less than a 2-hour drive from us, just down the southern coast of Spain. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so I convinced Adam that we needed to immediately book a rental car and go embark on a whirlwind 24-hour getaway.
Roadtripping to Gibraltar was easily one of my favorite impulse decisions of 2022.
📍 Andalućia, Spain
Spanish desert vibes = sweatpants & sunglasses all day, baby. ✌🏼 Andalućia was a helluva destination to host our art + entrepreneur retreat. The retreat venue is positioned in the middle of a nature reserve. (Our sky views along the cliffs were peppered with vultures. How badass is that?)
2022 was my first time in the southern tip of Spain & I’m so glad I got to share all those “whoaaaaa” moments with my retreat guests nearly every time we stepped outside or rounded the corner to take in a new vista.
Teaching/learning art & business skills = cool. Teaching/learning art & business skills in Andalućia = absolutely epic.
📍 The Azores
After our retreat wrapped in Spain, Adam and I flew to the Azores for a couple weeks of R&R. The Azores are a volcanic archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic. The nearest land mass (Portugal) is nearly 900 miles due east, and what caught me off guard when I arrived was an eerie sense of isolation. Turns out, those undertones of solitude paved the way for a restful, low-key trip, which was the goal after a full-blown week hosting an art retreat.
Our daily hikes brought us to some of the most unique landscapes I’ve ever laid eyes on. Due to the rich volcanic soil and misty microclimates, the landscapes were lush and teeming with ferns, hydrangeas, dense forest, and rolling pastures.
In terms of strange and novel otherworldliness that I’ve experienced over the years during my travels, the Azores is right up there with Svalbard, Arctic Circle. The two couldn’t be more different in terms of climate and terrain, but both radiate a feeling of detachment and raw, natural beauty. Two weeks flew by and I hope to return again.
📍 Lisbon, Portugal
I spent the better part of a month in Lisbon over the summer. We visited art museums, sipped wine at outdoor bodegas, toned our calf muscles with all the rolling city hills, and fed grilled salmon to stray cats from our balcony. (The latter was mostly me.)
I celebrated my 35th birthday in Lisbon with Adam: we walked up to Castelo de S. Jorge and took in the glow of the city during the golden hour.
To be honest, Lisbon was hit and miss for me. Some days were wonderful, but others, allergies were out of control. At my worst, I spent four full days inside our apartment with the windows shut and an array of pill bottles and nasal sprays scattered on my desk as I plugged away at work.
The silver lining to being house-bound was that I had ample time to produce, film, and edit an entire class in the span of two weeks. Blooms & Shrooms became my most successful class launch to date. So even though I missed out on much of the city, my Lisbon souvinir is a rockstar class.
📍 Porto, Portugal
200 miles north of Lisbon solved my sinus troubles– whatever was triggering my allergies in Lisbon was absent in Porto. It was freeing. We went on evening walks, wined and dined al fresco, and Adam showed me around his favorite spots from the last time he was here several years ago. Porto was a 10/10 for me and I hope to return again in the future.
📍 Munich, Germany
Taste of Deutschland = bretzels, bier, and bratwurst. 🥨 It was probably a good thing we only had six days to eat our way through the delicious biergartens of Munich. This was my first time returning to Germany since I studied in Trier back in 2010. Back then, I was immersed in figure drawing, design, and typography classes. This time = illustrating & running my business. Same same, but different.
📍 Wengen, Switzerland
As we were riding the cable car up to the alpine village of Wengen, my mouth was probably hanging open. I’ve never seen views that measure up to the Swiss Alps. Simply put, it’s just overwhelming.
This was a friends trip for the books– eight of us stayed in a timber chalet in Wengen, a car-free village that is only accessible by cable car. Our front balcony offered killer views of glaciers wedged between mountain peaks. We ignored our dining room table entirely and dragged the chairs outside to the balcony every evening to eat dinner with plates balanced on our laps and glorious landscapes in front of us.
The region of alpine villages is connected by cable cars and hiking trails, with a train running down below in the valley. This blend of options made for creative hikes– we’d trek along an expansive ridgeline, follow a waterfall that took us down to the valley floor, then catch a cable car right back up to a different summit and start all over again.
In eight days, we got a tiny taste of what this region had to offer.
📍 Zurich, Switzerland
My time in Zurich was short and sweet. After a week of shrugging into grungy hiking clothes and reapplying sunscreen every other minute, it was a refreshing change of pace to slip on a dress, apply some lipstick, and go out on a double-date with our best friends and future next-door neighbors in Costa Rica. (Hello, Aga & Connor!)
Aga and I have a shared cheese history. To put it bluntly, we have no self-control around cheese. When we lived together in Tbilisi, Georgia, we went so far as to ban cheese from the house in an attempt to wean ourselves off the deliciously-addictive salty Georgian stringy cheese. (The ban lasted one day before I folded.)
Anyway, back to Zurich AKA the cheese fondue capitol of the world: Have you ever eaten so much melted cheese that your breathing became audibly laborious? Yeah, that was about my status after a 3-hour bottomless fondue dinner. I waddled home.
📍 Colorado
Colorado holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. Most notably, this is where Adam and I began dating. (Awwwwwww) We’d already been friends for years after we met in Bangkok back in 2017, but in May of 2020, I invited Adam out to Colorado to join my friends and me at the affectionately-dubbed “Quarantine Cabin”.
Back in those early days of the pandemic when the world seemed to be shutting down around us, my friends and I flew back to the USA and hunkered down in Connor’s family cabin. A few months in, we invited Adam to come join us. And so began the best relationship of my life.
This year, we decided to have a “Quarantine Cabin Crew Reunion”. The six of us spent a week and change back in Rocky Mountain paradise: we hiked, saw moose just about every day, roasted marshmallows over campfires, and rode ATVs through state parks. We celebrated Adam’s birthday with a home-made cake complete with personalized decorations.
📍 Kansas
Between all my travels, I still managed to squeeze in four separate trips back to Kansas this year. Life is so much sweeter with my little niece & nephew in the picture. Aurora turned two in October and I love watching her personality evolve as she grows. (Apollo turned zero in September.) We packed in a ton of family time, backyard BBQs, home-cooked dinners (thanks to my incredibly talented sister-in-law), and loads of catch-up time with my friends back home.
📍 Saigon, Vietnam
After a three-year hiatus, it felt incredible to return to Southeast Asia. Our flight into Saigon arrived around midnight and by the time we stepped out of the airport, it hit all at once: the noise, the heat and humidity, the chaos, all the smells in the air. (Some mouthwatering, others not so much.) Within that millisecond, I felt a profound rush of gratitude, reminiscence, and pure happiness. I’d missed this part of the world so much.
My first morning in, I ate a bánh mì for breakfast and washed it down with a Vietnamese iced coffee. I’d forgotten how the coffee hits you like a semi truck– the Arabica beans are essentially double the caffeination as “normal” coffee. I was quite literally buzzing well into the late afternoon. Bonus: starting each morning with rocket fuel coffee essentially meant that jetlag was a complete non-issue for us– we acclimated to the 12-hour time difference in the blink of an eye.
📍 Hội An, Vietnam
Hội An is the glittery gem of Vietnam. It’s an ancient port city along Vietnam’s central coast. The whole area is cut through with canals and winding streets, so it’s easy to get lost in Hội An’s Ancient Town, which is walking-streets only– no cars.
Because of its history as a trade post, the architecture is a blended mix of traditional Vietnamese homes, French colonial facades, Japanese pagodas, and Chinese wooden shophouses. The constant that holds the aesthetic together is the bamboo and silk lanterns that adorn just about every entryway, boat, and alleyway.
Adam and I arrived here to visit his cousin and his wife. We packed in some wholesome family time, played with their adorable cats (Flow & Vinny), and ate delicious home-cooked food.
📍 Chiang Mai, Thailand
Just under seven years ago, I arrived in Southeast Asia for the first time on a backpacking trip. I was so smitten that I returned the next winter for round two. Then round three, four, etc. After a looooong pandemic break, it felt so good to finally return to my home away from home: Chiang Mai. Three years later, it’s like I never left. Same apartment, same view, same habits.
📍 Medellín, Colombia
This makes country #45 for me! I arrived in Colombia in early December and Medellin will be my home base until next spring ‘23. I’ve barely scratched the surface of this majestic city, so I’m looking forward to the next few months here.
Giving back this year.
Alright, time to dial this back down to earth. Although I work very hard, I’ve also gotta admit that I live an incredibly privileged life and I have so much gratitude for that. I get to combine two of my passions, art and travel, and make a living as an artist.
So, I want to take a moment and, in the spirit of giving back, highlight a few organizations that are very dear to me. Here are eight non-profits that I support and hope you will, too.
Kiva
Kiva is a nonprofit that allows you to lend money to low-income entrepreneurs. Every month for the past eleven years, I choose a woman from a developing nation and contribute a small amount to help her grow her business.
Each micro loan is as small as $25 each, but with enough lenders pooling money together, these women can reach their larger business goals.
Kiva harnessed the power of micolending and made it accessible to everyone. Help someone help themselves, too. Lend here.
Unbound
Sponsor a child in need. Unbound allows you to sponsor a child anywhere in the world. At $40/month per child, you can help a family lift themselves out of poverty.
Your contribution directly benefits the specific individual you choose to sponsor and helps meet their basic needs.
Plus, you get to engage with your child through letters, photos, and birthday cards.
I’ve been able to watch my “kids” grow up over the years and pursue their dreams of higher education from India to the Philippines.
Animal Welfare Institute
Reduce Animal Suffering. Animal Welfare Institute seeks better treatment of animals everywhere— in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild. Here’s some of what your donation helps AWI accomplish:
Abolish factory farms, support high-welfare family farms, and achieve humane slaughter for animals raised for food
Improve the housing and handling of animals in research, and encourage alternatives to experimentation on live animals
Preserve species threatened with extinction, and protect wildlife from harmful exploitation and destruction of critical habitat
Wildlife Conservation Society
Save Wildlife & Wild Places. Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. WCS works with local people and governments in over 40 of the best wild places on the planet.
WCS's goal is to conserve the world's largest wild places in 14 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world's biodiversity.
Their goal is a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth.
Ecologi
Offset your carbon footprint. When you donate to Ecologi, you’re supporting a fairly broad range of projects geared at reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. One aspect that really resonates with me is the heavy emphasis on reforestation projects. It’s now common knowledge that one of the best tools to tackle the climate crisis and keep our temperatures from rising above 1.5C is to plant trees. They are also crucial in preventing ecological collapse. Ecologi supports partners who grow millions of trees per month.
Thai Freedom House
Support refugees from Burma and minority peoples of Thailand. In the aftermath of last year’s military coup d'état in Myanmar, Burmese refugees streaming over the Thai border need support now more than ever. Thai Freedom House is one of the only full resource centers that addresses the varied needs of Thailand’s population of refugees. Donations will directly support displaced people who are struggling to survive.
