2024 Year in Review
2024: My year of rejuvenation, slow pace & building something big.
2024 was a slow travel year for me, but it was the pace and balance I needed, especially after the last eight years of full-time travel. I anchored into place in Thailand, which gave me the consistency and energy to pour into building The Art of Collections, the biggest endeavor I’ve ever attempted in my business.
In 2024, I didn’t bounce around the world to the same extent that I typically do. A big part of this change of pace was due to Adam’s knee injury at the end of 2023 and his subsequent surgery in Thailand a couple months later. We weren’t sure how long his recovery would take or how often he’d need to visit his surgeon for follow-ups and physical therapy. We planned conservatively and decided to prioritize healing over big travel adventures. So we stayed put and applied for Thai educational visas so we could settle into Thailand for the year.
This slower pace turned out to be a gift. It gave me the focus and time to create something I’d been dreaming about for the past few years. It’s called The Art of Collections. My driving vision was to build the definitive resource for artists seeking success in surface pattern design and art licensing. I poured every insight, strategy, and lesson learned from my decade-long journey into creating a roadmap that could guide others to achieve the same level of success I've found in these industries.
It took about year of planning, strategizing, filming, editing and fine-tuning. And that was just the work I put in before I launched The Art of Collections in September. When students began pouring in, the real work began. Luckily for me, this was the part I’d been looking forward to: engaging with my students and being a mentor to help them achieve their goals. The Art of Collections was a huge part of my year and I’m incredibly fulfilled with how it all came together.
But my year wasn’t only about living in Thailand and launching my program. I landed new product collaborations featuring my artwork (including my dream client, Crayola!). I presented to industry professionals and aspiring artists, spoke on podcasts, and created loads of resources and freebies for my audience, including my annual Trend Report. I attended entrepreneur conferences, reunited with old friends, and bawled my eyes out giving my maid of honor speech during my best friend’s wedding.
2024 gave me so much gratitude for my life, my family, my friends, my students, my neighborhood cats, and my business. 🖤
Back in 2017, I started writing these Year in Review blog posts as a sort of “highlight reel” in my professional and personal life. It was a way for me to look back on the year and reflect on my accomplishments, travels, challenges, and growth. This marks my 8th year of carrying on the tradition and paying homage to the previous twelve months.
Here’s a little peek into the past “Years in Review”:
2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017
This year, I decide to break my Year in Review into two sections: professional & personal.
🌞 Brand Collaborations 🌞
Retro Sunset “Be Happy Box” with The Happy Planner
This year, I teamed up The Happy Planner for a collection line of fun, bright products that just make you happy. Hands down, this has gotta be one of my favorite collabs of all time. It’s just so ME in terms of the juicy color palette, pops of patterns, and funky vibes. ✌🏼🌈🌻
In 2024, I had the joy of partnering with The Happy Planner for two special collections! In the spring, we launched the Retro Sunset "Be Happy Box," a curated collection filled with colorful stationery and travel accessories.
The box included planners with inserts and dividers, a sticker book, postcards, plus fun lifestyle items like a collapsible water bottle and embroidered sun patches – all featuring my signature retro-inspired artwork.
Following the success of our spring launch, we released a back-to-school collection in the fall. This line featured essential stationery items like notebooks, journals, pencil pouches, and sticker books, all adorned with my colorful illustrations and patterns.
What made these collaborations particularly special was Happy Planner's dedication to artist recognition. They included my signature on the products and even featured a full insert with my photo, biography, logo and signature – something I always advocate for in licensing deals.
Seeing my digital illustrations transformed with special touches like metallic gold foil and sparkle embellishments was incredible, and the collections maintained the integrity of my artistic style while serving The Happy Planner's audience perfectly.
Working with The Happy Planner on these collections was a dream. The products were carried in major retailers like Michaels and JOANNs, bringing my artwork to a wider audience while staying true to my creative vision. It was amazing to see my illustrations come to life in so many different ways!
Now that I’m back in the States visiting family for the holidays, I get to go shopping for my own products!
🖍️ Brand Collaborations 🖍️
Crayola Coloring Book @ Target Stores!
I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with Crayola on their first-ever Artist Series Coloring Book, exclusively sold at Target stores nationwide.
I teamed up with three other talented female artists – Mia Charro, Tania Garcia, and Alja Horvat – to create a unique coloring book featuring 40 coloring pages, nine of which showcase my illustrations.
The timing of the launch was particularly memorable because I was only in the USA for 48 hours when the books hit Target shelves! I managed to squeeze in a store visit to see my artwork (complete with my headshot and bio!) on display at one of the largest retailers in America. In true Target fashion, I went in for coloring books and left with colored pencils, a scented candle, Jolly Ranchers, and sparkly mint nail polish– some things never change! 😜
Here's a funny behind-the-scenes story:
When I needed to do an in-store photoshoot, I discovered my parents had bought all the coloring books from their local Target (talk about supportive family!). I had to bring my own copies into Target for photos – don't worry, I kept the receipt!
Collaborating with Crayola on this coloring book feels like the ultimate full-circle moment. Growing up with their iconic crayons in hand, I spent countless hours bringing blank pages to life. Never did I imagine that one day I'd transition from coloring inside the lines to actually creating them as a professional illustrator. Now, I'm designing images that will inspire the next generation of young artists to explore their creativity, just as Crayola inspired me all those years ago. 🖍️
This collaboration with Crayola and Target, brought to life by my agents at Jewel Branding, was truly a dream come true. There's something surreal about seeing your own artwork on Crayola products at Target– it's a milestone I'll never forget.
🩹 Brand Collaborations 🩹
Glucose Monitor Adhesives with ExpressionMed
I’m thrilled to finally showcase my line of fun & funky adhesives for wearable medical devices! When ExpressionMed reached out about a collaboration, I was pretty curious about the actual product.
I knew about glucose monitors and insulin infusion sets since some of my friends and family use them, but I never really stopped to consider the adhesives that held these devices in place.
Once I did some digging into the product, I was immediately on board. This brand does such an incredible job normalizing medical devices that both save lives & drastically increase quality of life. ✨
Rather than camouflaging medical devices with skin-toned adhesives, my collection is bright & bold. I love how this gives people an opportunity to express their own personal style through something as utilitarian & functional as a CGM (continuous glucose monitor). My goal is for people to feel more confident wearing their devices.
Having the option to wear beautifully-designed medical tape might sound trivial, but it’s so much deeper than that: it enables medical devices to represent the people wearing them and not the disease they live with. 💪
🍄 Brand Collaborations 🍄
Full product line of home decor, kitchen, and gifting with Transpac
I’m thrilled to announce my landmark licensing agreement with Transpac, a transformative partnership that's bringing my artwork to life across an extensive range of home and lifestyle products.
From aprons and tablecloths to rugs, dishware, picture frames, bird houses, tapestries, lighting fixtures, and wall art, my designs are being translated into beautiful, functional pieces for the home.
The collection made its debut at Atlanta Gift Market, where buyers got their first glimpse of how Transpac has thoughtfully interpreted my artwork across different mediums. With brand placement already being secured for 2025, this collaboration represents an exciting new chapter in my creative journey. I'm particularly grateful to Jewel Branding for orchestrating this partnership that allows my art to reach homes in so many meaningful ways.
🌼 Brand Collaborations 🌼
Gilded Notebooks & Pocket Planners w/ Lang
I'm thrilled to share my latest collaboration with my licenisng partners at Lang: a charming pocket planner for 2025 featuring my Retro Flower Power artwork!
This design holds a special place in my heart as it perfectly captures the resurgence of chinoiserie and ditsy floral patterns while adding my own retro twist. One of my favorite aspects of working with Lang is their attention to detail and additions of special process printing, like these shimmery gold foil accents on the linework of my illustration.
Since beginning my partnership with Lang in 2019, we've worked together to create stationery products that bring joy and organization to everyday life. What I love most about this particular collection is how it meshes with current design trends while maintaining that timeless quality that's essential for a year-long planner. The compact size makes it perfect for tucking into a purse or keeping on your desk, while the retro-inspired florals add that touch of whimsy and charm that's signature to my artistic style.
Seeing my artwork transformed into these beautiful, functional pieces is one of the most rewarding aspects of my creative journey. Lang has been incredible at maintaining the integrity of my original designs while adapting them perfectly for their stationery line. The fact that we can work together to create products that help people stay organized while surrounding themselves with art that makes them smile– that's what makes this collaboration so special. 🥰
☁️ Brand Collaborations ☁️
Cloud9 Fabrics
I'm beyond excited to share my latest fabric collection with Cloud9 Fabrics! They've beautifully translated two of my original artworks - Herringbone, which I originally created with India ink, and Tropical Leaves, which began as a watercolor piece.
What makes this collaboration extra special is Cloud9's commitment to supporting artists by allowing us to design our own selvedges. Being able to include my name and branding on the fabric itself means so much to me as an artist, and it's one of the many reasons why I cherish partners who truly value and showcase the creators behind the designs. 🖤
🥂 Brand Collaborations 🥂
New products with StudioOh!
I'm so excited to share these fun cocktail napkins from my newest collaboration with Orange Circle Studio / Studio Oh!
What started as a simple acrylic gouache illustration of wine glasses transformed into something even more special when I added the playful text "Let's Get Together and Wine."
It's such a great example of how small creative tweaks can make artwork more marketable - adding that punny quote turned this piece from a standalone illustration into a design that perfectly captures the spirit of gathering with friends.
I love seeing how Studio Oh! brought my artwork to life on these napkins, creating the perfect accessory for your next wine night or casual get-together!
Next up, Studio Oh! turned my “Blooms & Shrooms” illustration into these fab spiral notebooks, which we renamed “Midnight Mushrooms” for this collab.
Fun fact:
I originally illustrated this artwork as a tutorial for my class, Blooms & Shrooms: Draw Fun & Funky Art in Procreate. In that class, I explained to my students how choosing popular and on-trend motifs (like mushrooms) will increase your odds of getting your artwork licensed and sold. So when Studio Oh! selected this artwork for these notebooks, it was a full circle moment for sure. 🍄
In 2024, I launched my signature program, The Art of Collections.
This is single-handedly the most ambitious endeavor I’ve ever attempted in my business. It took me a year of planning, strategizing, and building this program before I launched it in September of this year.
My driving vision for The Art of Collections was to build the definitive resource for artists seeking success in surface pattern design and art licensing. I poured every insight, strategy, and lesson learned from my journey into creating a roadmap that could guide others to achieve the same level of success I've found in these industries.
Here’s my “why” behind The Art of Collections:
As artists, we are constantly growing and evolving. Which means my career as an artist, a teacher, a creative business owner, and really every aspect of my life needs to evolve as well. I’ve always enjoyed teaching through online platforms like Skillshare, which has connected me with so many amazing students around the world.
In fact, my students number over half a million. Thats a lot, and I’m so grateful for that. But, realistically, that’s also a lot of people to try and have a meaningful connection with.
Last year, I realized I was yearning for a deeper and closer connection with my students. I wanted to have conversations, answer questions, and most importantly, as any teacher would agree with, have the chance to watch those students grow as artists.
So, I asked myself the big question:
If my career was a class, what would be the best way to teach it? If I could equip my students with the best possible advice and resources, what would that look like?
This is why it took me a full year to create The Art of Collections. It was never going to be a single, simple class. This was my most robust program to date. I filmed seven and a half hours of video lessons, broken down into four modules. I also built an accompanying community called the CatCoq Collective, where AoC students can interact with each other and ask/answer questions, engage in discussions, share resources, receive/give feedback and discuss their wins/struggles. Essentially, the CatCoq Collective became a space where all of our collective knowledge pools together. Talk about priceless! 🤯
More resources I launched for my fellow artists in 2024:
CatCoq 2024 Trend Report
Every year, I publish a trend report based on up and coming trends I’ve identified in the art and surface pattern design space. Dive into the colorful and ever-evolving landscape trend forecasting with my 2025 trend report, where I share the latest and coolest trends just waiting to spark your creativity!
Retro Charms - Procreate Stamp Brushes
Create on-trend artwork faster. I use stamps like these in almost all of my Procreate illustrations. They help speed up my workflow and keep my artwork cohesive when I design in collections. With these stamps, you’ll be able to take a design that was drawn once, and use it over and over again to create consistent art using on-trend iconography!
See the collections that my agents are pitching for me right now.
Art directors love to see how your work will actually fit on their products. When you’re pitching to potential licensing partners in specific industries, it’s helpful to show your art on their product categories. My deck is centered around kitchen and tabletop items. This is a big art licensing category that I haven’t been focusing on in my portfolio. My agents noticed this and suggested that I put together some collections for the 2024 trade shows.
Mini collection template deck
Here are the exact Mini Collection Tear Sheets I use to present my small collections simply and professionally. In the world of surface design and art licensing, there is a common debate about how many pieces to include in your collections. The often touted “industry standard” of at least 12 pieces per collection is daunting, to say the least. But I have good news! You don’t have to design huge collections to be successful in art licensing. Enter, mini-collections! I put together these templates for you to use– for free!
Weekly drawing prompts– straight to your inbox!
The #CreateWithCatCoq challenge started back in May of 2021, and I’ve been sharing a drawing prompt with my email subscribers every week since. These free prompts are designed to help you build a portfolio of trend-forward work that you’ll feel proud to share with the world. I also like to pepper in art tutorials, tips, and free resources along the way.
Free mockups for my audience thanks to Creatsy
Exciting news! I've teamed up with my friends at Creatsy to provide three of the mockups I use in the Product Collections Deck to you for free! (I emailed them with a link to my Product Collections Deck and asked if they could put together a freebie bundle specifically for my audience and they agreed! Never hurts to ask, right?) Thanks, Creatsy!
#CreateWithCatCoq Challenge
As an extra perk to engage my creative community, I send out a weekly creative prompt in my Tuesday email newsletter. Behold– the #CreateWithCatCoq Challenge! I ran 52 challenges this year and netted out with over 5,000 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.
2024 speaking events:
Cozy Chat with Audra & Cat
To kick off 2024, Audra King and I co-hosted a free webinar to dive into business trends that directly impact creatives. During our candid chat, we covered two of the most polarizing and impactful topics in the surface design industry right now:
1. A frank discussion of the ethics around AI, upcoming legal challenges, and specific ways we both use it in our business.
2. Our opinions on all the recent changes in the print-on-demand (POD) space, including the “pay to play” model. Plus the role POD used to play in my own business vs. now.
Graphics Gang Expert Chat
In January ‘24, I spoke candidly with Carrie Cantwell for her Graphics Gang Community. We recorded our conversation and I decided to add it to my YouTube channel as well. During our chat, we dove pretty deep into our personal experiences in the surface design industry, plus advice for everyone else who is pursuing this career path. Here’s some of the nuggets:
⚡️ Ethics of AI in our industry and how we use AI in our businesses. ⚡️ How we both approach art licensing / surface design, especially when it comes to facing failure and dealing with rejections. ⚡️ Our advice for others who are pursuing this career path and helpful resources we recommend.
Art Licensing Q&A with Bonnie Christine
If you can’t tell from all these clips of us laughing, Bonnie and I had a pretty fun time discussing some super juicy surface design topics like:
💰 How much income you can realistically make in art licensing (plus we shared OUR art licensing income)
💸 How to get strategic with your your work so you can create income without a ceiling
✍🏼 Our best tip for working in collections
⚖️ Whether or not you need to copyright your artwork
🎨 How to actually start and create a career you love in surface design
Art Licensing Industry Chat with Gingiber
I sat down with my friend Stacie Bloomfield for an in-depth, hour-long call to chat about our industry aaaaaand we recorded the entire thing for my Youtube channel! Our goal was to have a candid conversation about what’s it’s actually like to be a full-time artist in the licensing industry. ✨
Maybe you’ve wondered how much income you can realistically expect to make, or how many pieces you actually need to create a collection, or what income streams are really working in 2024... Or maybe you want to know how to stand out and finally get your art noticed. 👀
Sit down, grab a notebook, pour yourself your favorite beverage, and watch this video on Youtube to catch our candid and value-packed conversation. 😊
Presenting at Immersion LIVE
I had the privilege of guest-presenting for Bonnie Christine's Immersion LIVE, a two-day virtual conference designed exclusively for alumni of her Immersion course. This inspiring event brought together surface pattern designers from around the world to deepen their knowledge and refine their craft.
My session, titled "Revitalize Your Portfolio: Repurpose Existing Artwork into Cohesive Collections that are Ready for Licensing," focused on empowering designers to transform their favorite older artwork into fresh, market-ready collections.
It was an incredible opportunity to share actionable strategies with such a talented and engaged audience, helping them take their portfolios to the next level.
Value-bomb packed chat with Mable Tan
I had a short & sweet Zoom call with the lovely Mable Tan and you can watch the replay to catch all of our juicy value bombs!
Some of the highlights from our 30-min chat: Tips for curating your pitch presentations. ✨ How I utilize A/B testing for cold pitch emails. ✨ How I build cohesive art collections for clients. ✨ Why you should start BEFORE you’re ready. ✨ How I deal with (and strategize) rejections.
Trend Forecasting presentation for Greeting Card America
In December ‘24, I had the opportunity to present to the Greeting Card Association. The GCA is comprised of both small indie artists + large established companies like Hallmark, American Greetings, Papyrus, Rifle Paper Co., Minted, and more.
My presentation was all about diving into the art of leveraging trends to create commercially-successful designs. I shared my experiences identifying rising trends and incorporating them into my artwork, all while staying true to my own artistic voice. I shared my trend projections for 2025 including motif, color, and pattern trends. I also shared techniques for spotting the next big trends before they break—allowing you to stay ahead of the curve and create work that resonates in today's dynamic market. 💪
CatCoq Collective – live Zoom calls
Every month, I host live calls with our CatCoq Collective community where we dive deep into surface pattern design and art licensing. These casual, intimate sessions are packed with industry insights, real-time artwork critiques, and authentic conversations about the creative journey.
I love highlighting our community's wins and sharing behind-the-scenes peeks at what's happening in our monthly collection challenges. Students often tell me these calls are one of their favorite parts of the program because of the mix of practical advice and supportive energy.
These like calls are like having coffee with creative friends while learning exactly what it takes to succeed in this art licensing and surface pattern design industry! ✨
Milestone Moments of 2024:
Real talk: it was a rocky start to 2024. ❤️🩹
Welp, it was not the start to the year I had envisioned. The end of 2023 landed me (and my 1-year old nephew) in the hospital with pneumonia, Adam was on crutches after tearing his ACL (he fell from a ladder while painting a mural), my brother found out he needed an ileostomy surgery sooner rather than later, aaaand my entire family was sick with a respiratory virus. Oh, and my dad got Covid. I started 2024 thinking “is this actually happening?” 🤦♀️
January cabin in the Colorado Rockies ❄️
January was a month of relaxing, recharging, and healing. I spent the month with my good friends in a log cabin tucked deep in the snowcapped Rocky Mountains. We filled our free time cozying up by the fireplace, hot tubbing under the stars, bundling up for winter walks, and roasting marshmallows over the bonfire. Our second week in, a blizzard wiped out the road access and we were 100% snowed in. This amplified the cozy vibes x 10.
My best friends got married! 🪩
In 2019, while we were living together in Bali, my best friend, Aga, went on a date with an American guy named Connor. Fast-forward five years: Connor is now also one of my closest friends, too. (Welcome to the fam, Connor!) In January, Aga & Connor exchanged vows in front of his family’s cabin in Colorado against a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Aga dazzled in a mirror-studded bodysuit that caught the sunlight, creating a mesmerizing dance of light as thousands of reflections sparkled against the pristine snow.
The ceremony was beautifully intimate– just the bride, groom, myself, Adam, and Zak, who officiated. As her Maid of Honor, I wore many hats that day: makeup artist, photoshoot art director, flower snow girl, fashion consultant, and most importantly, her ride-or-die best friend. We laughed, cried, changed outfits multiple times, and celebrated under the winter sky.
The day was pure magic– simple, authentic, and absolutely perfect. I’m so happy for you, Aga & Connor. 🖤
In February, we flew to Thailand for Adam’s knee surgery. ✈️
During our month in Colorado, we began formulating a plan for where Adam should have his surgery. Mexico City? New York? Bangkok? I went down several rabbit holes researching options and turns out, Chiang Mai checked a lot of boxes for us. It’s the closest place we have to a home base (we have an apartment there), we knew it well, the weather is warm, and the medical options are world-class. We arrived on Sunday, met with Dr. Chanakarn the next day, and he underwent a successful ACL and meniscus repair surgery six days later. Talk about a speedy turnaround!
I met and fell in love with Marshmallow. 🍥
Last year, I met a friendly grey tabby in the parking lot of my apartment complex. (I named him Marshmallow. “Merm” as a nickname.) Unlike the other parking lot cats, Merm isn’t a stray– his owner lives in an adjacent house. I’m not crazy about Marshmallow’s aggressive bullying to the other cats, but I still have a soft spot for him. When he spots me, he’ll start yowling as he runs over to jump in my lap. If I’m standing, Merm will do his signature “plop & flop” at my feet. My routine in 2024 included taking many “cat breaks” throughout the day and Marshmallow is my main squeeze.
Reunited with CornNut 🌽
CornNut was the first cat I fell for in Thailand. Even though she’s known me for years, she’s still very much a feral street cat. She’ll come when I call her, but she still won’t tolerate being pet. That’s okay, though– I still love her. Most mornings, she’s waiting for me (AKA waiting for her breakfast) in her usual spot. Ditto with dinnertime. I like to think I’m one of the good “constant”s in her life, because she certainly is in mine. I spend a lot of time traveling, so I’ve come to appreciate the familiar parts of returning “home”. My timid little CornNut has come to embody that.
We endured burning season in Chiang Mai 🔥
In Northern Thailand, farmers prepare their fields for the next harvest by burning their spent crops– a practice that blankets the region in smoke and turns the air hazardous. Usually, I'd escape to the beaches of Bali or Vietnam to protect my asthmatic lungs, but this year was different. Adam's recent surgery had anchored us in place, so we transformed our Chiang Mai apartment into a sanctuary, equipped with four top-quality air purifiers humming steadily against the haze outside. On the bright side, our apartment sanctuary became a cocoon of creativity and productivity. With very few distractions outside, I hunkered down and illustrated the bulk of my African Safari collection.
My first time in Da Nang, Vietnam! 🌊
As we approached 60 days in Thailand, we needed to leave the country before our visas expired. We had a few weeks to kill before we needed to be back in the States, so Adam and I decided to give Da Nang a whirl. It’s a hot spot for digital nomads and we quickly realized why– great beach, plenty of coworking spaces and cafes, plus all the amenities of city life. My days fell into a peaceful rhythm: I’d start my day with a Vietnamese iced coffee (it’s deliciously potent rocket fuel). I’d work on my laptop during the day, eat my favorite banh mi sandwich for lunch, and spent my evenings wandering the vibrant streets. It was a very chill couple weeks. ✌🏼
Eating goat uterus with Alayna & Ben in Da Nang 😜
I was lucky enough to overlap in Thailand and Vietnam with Alayna and her husband, Ben. Alayna was my first-ever team member who joined CatCoq back in 2021. We’re both nomadic artists and Alayna is the strategist / implementer / problem solver / wisdom offerer of my company. Between coworking sessions and dinners out – including one memorable meal where we all tried fried goat uterus – we got to connect beyond just work. Alayna's got a fearless spirit and sense of adventure. (And unbeatable taste when it comes to restaurant recommendations!) Having my key strategist nearby was exactly what I needed as I built The Art of Collections.
A whirlwind week in Saigon 🍜
Adam and I decided to swing through Ho Chi Minh City for a short and sweet visit. About a decade ago, Adam lived here and taught English to grade-schoolers. He’s painted countless murals around the city and cut his teeth performing stand up. Fast-forward to 2024: during our week in Saigon, Adam performed at a comedy club, which was a nice homecoming for him after being away for so long. Some of his former students (now college-aged!) even came out for the show! Finally he had the perfect audience members for his material about being a teacher in Vietnam.
Building a fairy house with my niece 🧚
Back in the US, I got to spend a few weeks with my family. One notable moment was building a fairy house with my niece, Aurora. (She loves fairies.) The day started at Michael’s craft store, where we shopped for the structural & embellishment materials. (I checked the stationery aisle for my products, but no dice. Never hurts to check, though!) When we got home, we got straight to work. She’d choose where she wanted a gem or tree to be placed, and I’d hot glue each piece to our diorama. I think she has a pretty good eye! The final project turned out perfectly. She had a strong creative vision for sure.
Playa del Carmen for an entrepreneur conference 🏝️
Adam and I spent a good chunk of 2020-2022 living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. When we returned in 2024 for a week-long entrepreneur conference, it turned into a blast-from-the-past week of nostalgia: We devoured our favorite street tacos for dinner almost every night, I got to reunite with my favorite Oxxo dessert (those Lego candies made out of pure sugar and artificial dye– yum!), and we hung out on the beach enjoying the salty ocean air. I also found out my Spanish had improved massively since my last time in Mexico.
Back in Thailand for 7 months! 🇹🇭
After our short visit to the USA and Mexico, Adam and I returned to our home in Chiang Mai for the rest of the year. We weren’t sure how much physical therapy Adam would need following his knee surgery in February, so we planned the rest of our year conservatively around that. At seven solid months, is was longest consecutive period of time I’ve ever spent in Thailand. We got to experience every season: Feb-March in burning season (do not recommend), May-September in monsoon season (the most dramatic stormy skies!), October-December in cool season (best time of year).
Evening walks through Cobra Temple to hear the monks chant and pet cats 🛕
This temple complex down the street from my apartment is called Wat Jed Yod, but I nicknamed it “Cobra Temple” on behalf of the hundreds of cobra statues and figurines adorning the complex. Cobra Temple is only about a 7-minute walk from my front door, so this became one of my favorite destinations for evening strolls. Even better– the monks begin their evening chants around 5pm, and the ancient chanting adds another layer of awe to the mystical temple surroundings. That cats that live on the grounds are friendly and well-fed by the monks. I enjoy peering into the spirit houses and spotting sleeping cats. (The striped cat that naps in the tiger spirt house is especially fitting.)
Hydrotherapy spa + sound bath massages 🔔
Real talk: I love a unique spa experience. And in my travels around the world, I’ve gotten to see some real gems. In 2019, while I was staying in Tbilisi, Georgia, I visited the centuries-old sulfur baths to get beaten exfoliated by a bathing attendant. (My skin has never been so polished.) I’ve swum through volcanic hot springs in Costa Rica, luxuriated in outdoor onsens in New Zealand, and in the Yucatán, I swam in cenotes (open-water caves in the jungle) and treated myself to saunas and steam rooms. Simply put, I love a good soak. In Chiang Mai, my favorite spa features a hydrotherapy pool and outdoor onsens carved from pumice stone - one filled with regular water, the other with carbonated soda water. (How perfectly Thai!) But what sets this spa apart is their sound bath therapy using traditional singing bowls. I melted in relaxation. While sound baths might not resonate with everyone, they've certainly struck a chord with me.
Mall dates 🪐
I’m not a big in-store shopper and I avoid malls like the plague in the US. But malls in Asia? They’ve become a regular date-night venue for us. Adam and I live near a bougie shopping mall in Chiang Mai and we find ourselves here nearly every other day for groceries, art supplies, cat food, you name it. We save our mall errands for the end of the day so we can fuse them with our date nights: Nothing says romance like picking up laundry detergent after a modeling stint in the photo booth. My other favorite mall activity is sinking into one of the coin-operated massage chairs while Adam shops for clothes at the Japanese department store. Malls in Asia seem to just be way more fun.
Modern art museum birthday! 🍰
For my birthday, Adam surprised me with a visit to the MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai. Even though I’ve been living off/on in Thailand since 2017, I never knew this museum exited until 2024! It’s one the best contemporary art museums I’ve ever visited. (And I’ve been to a lot.) The museum is a converted warehouse and it’s packed with art from both emerging and established Thai artists. 10/10 birthday. (Thanks, Adam!)
Pottery day! 🏺
For my birthday, Charly surprised me with an afternoon at the pottery studio in Chiang Mai. At first I thought, “oh, this will be quirky and fun!” And it was, but we also had fabulous conversations while making pinch pots and plates. It wasn’t so much about what we were creating as it was just about being goofy and enjoying time together while keeping our creative hands busy. The miniature coiled-clay bowl I made weighs about 20 pounds and holds about half a cup’s worth of trinkets. So my technique needs some improvement.
My parking lot kittens! 🐾
On the summer solstice, I spotted five little kittens (and their mama) in the parking lot of my apartment complex! They were feral and skitterish around humans, so my goal was to socialize them. Within a few months, they were all eating out of my hands and dozing in my lap. I introduced them to cat toys, creamy treats, and belly rubs. In early fall, I decided to take action and get the new kittens spayed and neutered. I contacted a local animal welfare group to help with the logistics and the staff at my apartment complex even gave me a spare room where the kittens could recover safely. It was a resounding success although I was incredibly stressed out and worried about them the whole time.
Chinese cemetery 🐉
On my walks to the gym last year, I discovered an unexpected treasure: a Chinese cemetery! The landscape unfolds like a scene straight out of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Except instead of Hobbiton, the grassy mounds here are graves with intricate stone carvings. What strikes me most is how this space defies the somber atmosphere typically associated with Western cemeteries. Instead, it's a celebration of artistry and remembrance. Each grave is a masterpiece, featuring beautifully manicured rounded mounds crowned with elaborate headstones. This cemetery has become one of my favorite destinations during my evening walks through Chiang Mai. It's a perfect example of how this city reveals its secrets to those who take time to explore their own neighborhood.
Hanging out with Charly 💅🏻
There's something magical about those friendships that feel effortless from day one. That's exactly what happened when I met Charly in Bangkok years ago. As fellow illustrators, online teachers, and expats in Thailand, we connected instantly. Our shared sense of humor sealed the deal - though our accents couldn't be more different (her British charm to my American newscaster). Since I spent so much of the year down the street from Charly in Chiang Mai, we got to hang out more than ever. Dinners, coworking, girls nights, evening walks, and random adventures that only seem to happen in Thailand. Living a nomadic lifestyle can be incredibly enriching, but it often means sacrificing the comfort of consistent friendships. That's why finding someone like Charly - who gets both my professional world and personal quirks - has been transformative. As I've grown older, I've come to realize that these authentic connections aren't just nice to have; they're essential to creating a fulfilling life abroad. Having a friend like Charly nearby this year elevated my laughter tenfold. Love you, Charly!
Back in the place we first met 7 years ago! 💚
In 2017, I attended my first DCBKK business conference in Bangkok. During a breakout session, I met Adam and we immediately bonded as the only two artists in a sea of entrepreneurs. Our friendship kept us connected and the following year, in 2018, Adam was hired to emcee the conference. In 2019, he introduced me to the ballroom as his “business crush” when I stepped onstage for my keynote presentation to an audience of 350 founders. The following year, the stars aligned and we finally started dating. Now, seven years after we first met, we were back in Bangkok at the same place we’d first met. Nothing says romance like breakout sessions, powerpoint slides, and business chats.
Bangkok tuk tuk motorcade 🛺
Here I am with two of my closest friends –wave to Kate & Charly 👋– tearing through the streets of Bangkok in a tuk tuk motorcade (with a police escort!) on our way from the cocktail hour to the DCBKK closing party. Like I said, not a typical conference. If you haven’t been in a tuk tuk, they are loud, a bit unstable, and very fun! Just like me and my friends. 😜 Vive la Bangkok!
Halloween 👻
If you know me in the slightest, you’re probably already familiar with my Halloween obsession. (Gotta love that blood & gore.) This year was pretty low-key and I pretty much phoned it in with my makeup/costume, but I had a fab time hanging out with Chiang Mai friends. (Adam’s efforts were even lazier than mine– he wrapped himself in Xmas lights called himself “the universe”.) We had a low-key sesh with charcuterie, cookies and Korean fried chicken. When I got home that night (at like 10 because I’m a millennial), I stopped in my parking lot for a nighttime petting sesh with Marshmallow. I smiled and waved at some of my neighbors as they walked past me, totally forgetting about my creepy makeup. I looked like a crazy foreigner crying off her mascara into a cat. Happy Halloween!
Crunchy Crouton 🥗
Crouton came into our lives in the autumn when she started hanging around our apartment building, which has an open-air lobby. She started out as skittish, but became incredibly affectionate after a few weeks. Adam started calling her Crouton because she “has a crispy lookin’ face”. After a few months, we noticed that she was looking pretty plump in her belly. Sure enough, she was preggo! About a week before I left Thailand to return home for the holidays, Crouton had a litter of kittens in the storage closet. My friend Aod works at the front desk of my apartment complex and he kept me updated with frequent video and photo updates of Crouton and the rest of the parking lot cats. (He’s another devout cat-lover. Aod’s been feeding the local street cats since I moved in eight years ago!) While in the States over the holidays, I’ve been hard at work using my network to find a forever home for the kittens and Crouton when I return. I’m sad that I’ll have to say goodbye to them pretty soon, but it's so nice to know that Crouton (and her Crumbs!) will be going to a loving home.
Weekend getaway in Krabi, Thailand 🌅
Our weekend escape to Krabi came as a welcome respite after the long rainy season. We found a perfect slice of paradise - an Airbnb perched right on the shoreline. Every twelve hours, the retreating tide revealed a natural land bridge to a nearby mangrove forest. At sunrise and sunset, we could walk the land bridge to the grove and watch tiny sea creatures flittering about in the shallow tide pools.
We spent most of the weekend on the wraparound deck, lazying between a hammock and the lounge chairs. I watched the tide slowly rise until noon, then recede to low tide at sunset.
When we mustered up the energy to leave our refuge, we hopped on a 20-minute ferry to the iconic Railay beach. I was dozing on the beach next to Adam when a woman approached us and started yelling to get our attention. I swung my head around to where she was pointing and saw a 6-foot monitor lizard meandering along the beach just behind my head. I scurried up and decided to follow him and see where he was going, which wasn’t far– the monitor lizard stopped at a spirit house at the entrance to a sea cave. The spirit house was decked out with the spirits’ favorites: pungent food and red Fanta. (The monitor lizard ate/spilled it all.) Oh, and the shrine itself was adorned with hundreds of giant wooden phalluses, creating one of those uniquely Thai moments that seem almost too peculiar to be real.
Our time in Krabi melted away in a perfect rhythm of mountain-silhouetted sunsets and peaceful moments in the hammock.
Chiang Mai Flower Festival 🪻
The evening before we left Thailand, Adam and I ventured to the Chiang Mai Flower Festival. It’s the perfect spot for me to gather inspiration for future paintings. There were so many gorgeous flowers that I couldn’t go five feet without stopping to get more photos, videos and so much inspo for the coming year. Pro tip: if you ever go, make sure to plan your visit so that you arrive at golden hour. It made for a glowing ambiance.
The Elms 🧖♀️
Kansas City can get a bit hectic over the holidays, so this year, Adam and I decided to carve out a little time for ourselves. I knew the perfect spot. Less than an hour drive from KC, The Elms is a 150 year old spa hotel in Excelsior Springs, MO. The healing spring waters have brought people from all over the world to relax in the spa. President Truman spent some time here, and so did the Al Capone during prohibition years. The Elms is also famously haunted, which is a big pro in my book. Although we didn’t see any ghosts, we had a relaxing couple days in the spa and hot tubs, amongst the leafless trees, grey skies and crows. It was eerie and perfect.
Nelson Atkins Art Museum 🏸
Back when I lived in Kansas City, I was fortunate enough to have an apartment just down the street from one of the city's crown jewels: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Fast-forward to today: Over the holidays, I returned to the Nelson and it felt like reuniting with an old friend. We only had about three hours before closing time, and we barely scratched the surface. (I could spend days in the Asian art wing– it’s my favorite.) What struck me most was how the Nelson hadn't lost any of its magic since my last visit years ago. Walking through those familiar halls, surrounded by masterpieces at every turn, I was once again reminded of why this museum remains one of my favorites in the world. Some places only get better with time.
Pet sitting Sparky & Juju over the holidays 🥂
Over the holidays, Adam and I were left in charge of the house while my brother, Kelley, and the kids visited Kelley’s family in Florida. Sparky is a huge half Pitbull, half German Sheppard rescue who is the sweetest big baby, and Juju is a newly-rescued fluffy orange ball of love. Kelley’s prediction was 100% correct: they both followed me throughout the house the entire time I was there. I had two orange shadows. When The Katies came over for a girls night, Juju decided Katie Cook was his favorite person ever and he wouldn’t leave her side. (That always seems to happen to the “I’m not a cat person” people.) I enjoyed cosplaying as a pet owner for a week, but my allergies reminded me everyday why this had to be a temporary treat for me. I already miss you Sparky and Juju!
Holiday festivities with the kiddos 🎊
On New Year’s Eve, my brother and I took his kids to KC’s historic Union Station for the holiday light exhibit + a trip to Science City (a kid-friendly & hands-on museum inside Union Station). It was packed and chaotic and the kids had an absolute blast. The only regret was giving Aurora a piece of my gum– it showed up in every. single. photo. (She would smile with it covering her top teeth. WHY, Aurora!?) Apollo had the time of his life running around the exhibits and forgetting that he had a family trying to keep up with him. Inside Science City, Aurora was very fascinated by the hissing cockroaches as well as the dinosaur display that showed dinosaurs destroying houses in a very dramatic scene. To be fair, I at her age, I would’ve loved those parts the best too. 😜
Quality time with the fam in Kansas City 🌻
Nothing beats dropping my bags, kicking off my shoes and seeing my family after a long plane ride halfway around the world. This year was a tough one away from family– I didn’t see them in person for seven months solid. The best part about staying at my brother’s house is that we are all under one roof, which means a lot of quality time with my family. My niece and nephew love to explore my room… probably because I had 7-months worth of gifts in there that I drip fed them throughout the month of December. (Gotta maintain my status as the favorite aunt!) In addition to showering Aurora and Apollo with souvenirs from Thailand, we also painted our nails, watched cartoons, made pancakes, went for walks to the park, and engineered pillow forts in the living room. These kiddos appreciate a lot of attention at their age and thankfully, the coffee pot is always full. But so is my heart. 🖤
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 the non-profits that I support and hope you will, too.
The non-profit I supported the most in 2024 is Hand to Paw.
In addition to monthly recurring donations to Hand to Paw, I also donated funds to get 90 stray cats sterilized this year. I'm grateful that I can spent my money on things that give me purpose and make an impact.
A few years ago, while I was in Chiang Mai, I attended a workshop led by Amandine of Hand to Paw, an organization that helps dogs and cats of Northern Thailand. During the event, she provided resources and advice to those of us who were interested in getting involved with helping the stray animals in and around Chiang Mai.
Immediately after that event, I set up automatic monthly donations to her organization to provide funding for mass spay and neuter events, vaccines, heart worm and tick medicine, and miscellaneous medical fees. For the past few years, I’ve been contributing monthly donations to help cover a fraction of these costs.
Last year, I donated additional funds to build a cattery for at-risk cats in a nearby village. This year, my donations stuck a bit closer to home when a mama cat gave birth to five kittens in the parking lot of my apartment complex. I spent a few months gaining their trust and once they were big enough, I contacted Amandine to help me get the whole litter vaccinated and sterilized. Unsterilized cats in Thailand live difficult lives: the males get in deadly territory fights with other males and the females endure litter after litter. It’s a hard life.
On a Saturday night, I secured the kittens in cages so I could make sure they didn’t eat or drink anything before their surgeries the following morning. On Sunday, my Amandine picked them up and drove them to the sterilization site. (It’s all outdoors and they spay/neuter up to 150 animals at a time, assembly-line style.) It may sound crude, but it’s the most effective way to make an impact and help so many animals.
Everything went well! When I got the kittens back, I made them comfortable in the bathroom for one more night before releasing them back into the parking lot this morning.
I’ll be honest: the whole “trap & release” process was incredibly stressful for me. I was a bit of an emotional wreck worrying if I was doing the right thing. I felt so guilty for putting them through all that. I barely slept in three nights, worrying if I made the right decision. I almost cancelled the whole thing on Saturday. I felt like I just couldn’t put them through this.
But I am SO glad I persevered, because as horrible as the experience probably was for these kittens, it’s all over now and they have amazing lives to look forward to. And there will be less suffering in their futures.
I just wanted to extend a massive thank you for everyone who DMed me with words of encouragement and advice! I didn’t have a chance to respond to everyone, but I read every message. It helped me so much.
If anyone else is contemplating a trap & release and experiencing any of the doubt / guilt / anxiety that I’ve just been through, please reach out! I can help you through this, too. ❤️
I’ve spent 13 years and lended 576 loans with Kiva
Kiva is a nonprofit that allows you to lend money to low-income entrepreneurs. Every month for the past thirteen 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.
9 years and with 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.
3 years with Kotor Kitties
I first visited Kotor, Montengro back in 2018 to visit my friend, Kate. Kate introduced me to the coastal town of Kotor, a medieval fortified port town in the Mediterranean. I fell in love with the Old City and returned only a few weeks after I left for more hiking trails, epic views, and cats.
I returned again in 2021, which is when I learned about Kotor Kitties, an organization that helps the homeless cats of Montenegro live healthier lives and reduces the homeless population through spaying and neutering.
2 years and 632 trees planted with 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.
2 years with Children of Medellín
While we were living in Medellín in 2023, Adam donated a mural to Children of Medellín. When he finished painting his mural and came back home, he told me about the organization and the incredible work they do for over 500 children and their families in the city center and in the barrios of Medellín.
I found their organization online and set up monthly donations through PayPal to contribute to their cause. I’m grateful for how easy it is for me to give back to the community in a place that I had the privilege of calling “home” for a couple months this year.
2 years with Thai Freedom House
Support refugees from Burma and minority peoples of Thailand. In the aftermath of 2021’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. Your donation will directly support displaced people who are struggling to survive.
3 years with 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
3 years with 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.
