UPPERCASE { Janine Vangool }

Hello Reader, I am excited to announce that the next volume of the UPPERCASE Encyclopedia of Inspiration is called Jot! This uplifting volume will be about journaling, note-taking, sketching, book-making, handwriting, and other ways of jotting down our thoughts onto paper. This book concept is one I've been exploring for some time (you might see some similarities in theme with it and my Sketchbook Revival "text" book session). I am consciously and purposefully incorporating hands-on elements...

Hello Reader, I took a break over the summer from sending All About YOU weekend newsletters, but now that it is officially fall, I'm back! With the current open call deadline fast approaching (this Thursday), I thought I'd share some recent submissions to encourage YOU to enter the open calls... There are some amazing ones, as you will see below. The new issue is #71, Oct-Nov-December, and it's available in my shop and on its way to subscribers worldwide. Use the code 'creativepath' for CA$12...

Hello there, Reader, I am honoured to be invited by Jessica Swift to be part of Art Oasis: a free virtual creative retreat happening October 17-23. Jessica and I had a lovely, cozy conversation about creativity and art-making for self care which will air during the retreat. You can find out more about the free event at the link below: Art Oasis The free event includes workshops, lessons and conversations. It's a great way to discover new artists and to reconnect with your own creativity, too....

Dear Reader, I have been writing, writing, writing. Jot Jot Jot. Making lots of progress! But also, I've been fending off the robots. My webshop has been under attack by bots exploiting the Shopify checkout system to try out to run stolen credit card information. To be clear, nothing in my store or any UPPERCASE customer data is at risk. I have a fraud blocker app that works well to stop the majority of fraudulent orders from getting through.* However, before I noticed the attack, my...

Dear Reader, With AI stealing our written works and visual art to feed large language models and output AI-generated images, it is becoming harder and harder to know what's true. Genuine. Authentic. Human-made. Making art and craft and being creative—without any digital or technological mediation—is something we dearly need to hold on to. How do you explore your art/craft and express your creativity in a way that is completely authentic to you? How are you expressing your truth and...

Dear Reader, I'm immersed in the quiet* work of writing the Jot book. I wrote another 12,000 words this past week, which feels good. I don't have a grand word count in mind, but rather an overall tempo between words and images. I feel really connected to this subject matter and the people profiled within; my hope is that my readers will feel that kinship, too. Crafting a book from concept to writing through to design is such a fulfilling process. Having my own publishing company allows me to...

Dear Reader, In case you missed my message yesterday, I received preview copies of the next UPPERCASE (#71 Oct-Nov-Dec). Here are a few snapshots of what's inside! From cover to cover, it is 132 pages, so this is just a small sampling... Please subscribe, renew or give a gift subscription by the end of the day tomorrow, September 2, to be on the subscriber mailing list for this issue. Being on the subscriber mailing list is the most efficient way to get each new issue—it is mailed directly...

Dear Reader, I just received bound preview copies of the next UPPERCASE (#71 Oct-Nov-Dec) this morning, so I wanted to share them right away. It's also the last day of August—the perfect day to make plans for cozying up with a gorgeous magazine come October! Subscriber mailing data will be finalized in just a few days, so please subscribe, renew or give a gift subscription by September 2. Being on the subscriber mailing list is the most efficient way to get each new issue—it is mailed...

Correspondence from the 1990s Dear Reader, Greetings from my childhood home! I knew I had some old diaries and journals stashed in my cupboard, so it was convenient to retrieve them for reference in my Jot book while I'm visiting my parents. I had forgotten the extent of paper stuff I'd saved: my recess notebook from early elementary school; the letters I'd ghostwrite from my pretend penpal; the journal I kept after a friend died when I was 16; notes from friends passed during recess in grade...