A few weeks ago, I walked into Letter Perfect in Palo Alto and saw a young woman thumbing through a stack of my cards while holding my Dim Sum cards and “Friends Pho-ever” stickers in her other hand.
The display of my cards when you enter Letter Perfect.
I tried my best to stay calm and collected and act professional with this perfect stranger, but I couldn’t contain my excitement.
I made those! Those are my cards and stickers!
She smiled so widely and touched my arm and said, “OMG! They're sooo cute! Look- I’m getting these too…I can’t wait to give these to my friends!”
I left the store GLOWING. It’s an incredible feeling to connect with the individuals who purchase your art and see the delight on their faces. I remember in 2017 I visited Dandelion Flower shop and spotted a customer buying a watercolored card I’d made. It was the first time I saw a stranger purchase my art.
I can only describe it as a warm, full feeling, where your heart feels like it’s doubled in size and your entire body is vibrating with energy. When I left Letter Perfect, I stood in the street and said, “This is one of my FAVORITE FEELINGS.”
Later that night, I thought about other “Favorite Feelings” I love, and this led to the creation of a side passion project. This experience made me curious to know what some of my friends’ favorite feelings are. In the past few weeks I’ve compiled some of their answers, and here’s what they’ve shared:
For this piece I gathered all my materials from my afternoon walk.
Alcohol ink on canvas. A contribution from my friend who is a hospice nurse and death doula.
While sitting at a bar in 2016, I met a chef who owned a restaurant across the street. We’ve kept in touch all these years. When COVID hit, he had to pivot and it’s been fascinating to follow his journey. This was his contribution, and one of my favorites. Hearing his voice describe when his knife sings was one of the highlights in compiling these answers.
This project has been an exciting creative container to try new art forms. I’ve experimented with creating my first stop motion animation, musical themes, and acrylic paintings, all around the theme of embodying and doing artistic justice to these beautiful answers I’ve collected from people I love.
What are some of your favorite feelings?