Library Trips, Comfort Recipes, and Finishing the Fruit Art Collection
It has been a slow albeit busy week at home and in the studio. I picked up a few novels from the library to read in the evenings before bed and found myself leaning into comfort, familiar books, go-to recipes, and cozy creative routines.
While I’d planned to make bagels from scratch for the first time (still on the list!), I decided to focus my energy on wrapping up something big: the Cute Fruit Wall Art Collection. This has been my largest collection to date, and I can’t wait for you to see it!
Simple Meals & Small Wins
After my day job, I kept things simple. A favorite dinner combo lately: steamed broccoli and baked fish with Everything Bagel seasoning. There’s something comforting about sticking to easy, familiar meals while pouring energy into a creative launch. Post-dinner usually meant a quick kitchen cleanup, followed by a few hours at my desk working on the collection.
Behind the Scenes: Prepping Artwork for Print
Each night, I tackled a few illustrations from the collection. Every piece needed to be scanned, cleaned up, and resized into five printable sizes.
Here’s what my process looked like:
Remove the paper background and scanner dust
Clean up any small painting mistakes
Adjust the brightness and colors
Add a new background texture
Export into 5 print-ready sizes
To keep it manageable, I committed to finishing two prints a night. I also kept an open notebook by my desk with a checklist under each fruit print title:
Example: Blueberries Art Print
Digitize and cleanup
Make prints
Create mockups
Compress images
Add to landing page
Create Etsy listing
This kept everything clear, organized, and helped me avoid burnout, even on busy evenings after work.
Creative Routine: Managing Big Projects With a Full-Time Job
Balancing a creative business with a 9-to-5 is a challenge, but having a steady, flexible routine makes all the difference. I’ve learned that giving myself grace and breaking big goals into little tasks really helps.
A two-print limit each night meant I stayed consistent without overwhelming myself. If you’re working on a big personal project alongside your day job, I highly recommend doing the same—it’s all about building momentum gently and sustainably.
My Favorite Prints from the Collection
It’s hard to choose, but these are the ones I keep coming back to:
Bananas: I love how the speckled texture turned out!
Grapes: The bright punchy greens are full of personality
Watermelon slice: The layered reds make it look so juicy and the seeds sets it off
If you’re building a little kitchen gallery wall, these four make a really joyful mix, great for adding a pop of color to your breakfast nook or countertop corner.
This is the biggest collection I’ve released yet, and I’m so proud of how it’s come together. If you’d like a peek at the final collection, you can view it here.