I first met
at a Substack event about a year ago, and ever since, we tend to seek each other out whenever another NYC gathering pops up. At the last one, I made a beeline for him, and we ended up chatting for a while—wandering around, introducing ourselves to others. I’m usually pretty shy when attending events alone, so I’m extra grateful to have someone I can buddy up with to make it all a bit easier.Yesterday, I had the pleasure of talking and drawing with Jason live on Substack for his Draw Me Anything series, and it was both inspiring and calming—like catching up with a friend for an hour. A friend who speaks my language.
Thank you, Jason, for having me on and for the lovely post you shared this morning. It’s available to his paid subscribers, but I pulled a few of my favorite parts to share here:
One of the most honest parts of our conversation was when Sam talked about working around constant interruptions. Her artistic practice developed not in some pristine studio, but in the margins of motherhood—quick sketches between playground emergencies, continuous line drawings because she might have to stop mid-pencil stroke.
“I was constantly being interrupted,” she said. “So my process, I've learned to work in stages.”
This resonated deeply. How I often wait for the “perfect” time to create—the uninterrupted afternoon, the ideal lighting, the moment when inspiration strikes like lightning? Sam’s work is proof that creativity thrives on constraint, that the most meaningful art often happens in the spaces between other obligations.
and this part:
Adventure isn't necessarily about passport stamps or mountain peaks—it's about approaching the world with the curiosity of someone who might want to draw it.
When you're carrying a sketchbook, you notice differently. You see the baroque curve of a fire escape, the precise way someone holds their coffee, the particular quality of light filtering through a bodega window. The tool changes the observation, which changes the experience, which changes the memory.
“It’s choosing the choices of what to draw when you're on an adventure,” she said. Whether that adventure is crossing Brooklyn on a bus or crossing continents on a plane.
If you’re not already following Jason, I highly recommend it. His work is wonderful, relevant and inspiring, he is incredibly generous and often shares his platform with other creatives. He’s also a comedian—something I might normally find intimidating since I’m not always quick with jokes—but he’s just kind, fun, and so talented. His latest book, You’re Not a Real Dog Owner Until… can be found here.
We have a mutual affection for a good old fashioned pencil (one that you have to sharpen), as we discussed in the live session. Here is Jason’s post called, “In Praise of The Humble Pencil” And here is a post I wrote a while back called “The Great Pencil and Eraser Debate”
Naturally we drew dogs together. Here is the finished drawing that I was working on:
Draw Your Adventures comes out on July 15th! You can preorder signed copies from Books Are Magic, support your local bookstore, or order from wherever books are sold!
My in-person book launch party is on July 15th in Brooklyn, NY. If you bring your copy of Draw Your Adventures, or proof of your order you will get a second copy for free! RSVP here.
I am hosting a virtual book party on Zoom as well - stay tuned for that invitation!
Thank you
, , , , , and many others for tuning into my live video with ! Join me for my next live video in the app.
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