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, The design of the next issue of UPPERCASE magazine is nearly complete! I've only got the cover pattern, Snippets, Abecedary and table of contents left to design for issue #70. It feels good to be close to done since this issue goes to the printer early next week. Then, while this issue is at the printer, I will transition back into Jot! book curating and writing. I'm not ready to reveal any spoilers from the next issue, so I'm sharing Finley's creativity today. His art class...

Hello Reader, Not all the tulips have come up this year, so the spring display at UPPERCASE HQ is a bit sparse—at least compared to the swaths of colour I had envisioned when I planted dozens of bulbs. I could be disappointed, thinking about the no-show blooms and lamenting the bare spots. But when I shift my perspective... Lovely! These tulips understood the assignment. What a glorious display! 🌷 🌷 🌷 Thank you to everyone who submitted to the Jot book auditions. There are a couple of hundred...

Hello Reader, It has only been a few weeks since I announced the next volume of the UPPERCASE Encyclopedia of Inspiration, and I have been overwhelmed in the best possible way. Jot! has really resonated with a lot of you... over 900 books have been pre-ordered, which is absolutely amazing. I am grateful for your enthusiastic support and vote of confidence. For those of you who missed the announcement or are new to UPPERCASE (thank you to Sketchbook Revival!), I've included all the updates in...

Anna Bencic Hello Reader, It has been a snowy spring here in Calgary, but I'm looking forward to planting my garden in the weeks ahead. Here are some vegetable dreams by Croatia-based artist Anna Bencic. She writes: "I was inspired to create this collection by my mom, who absolutely loves her vegetable garden and growing her own produce. And I’ve always been drawn to the bright, juicy colours and organic shapes of ripe fruits and vegetables, which became the foundation for this collection....

Hello Reader, Just a short newsletter today. Yesterday, I got the second round of my shingles vaccine (very worthwhile—getting this vaccine significantly lowers your risk of dementia). This morning, I was at the orthodontist with my son—his braces are off, hooray! We celebrated with poutine for lunch. This afternoon, I really needed a nap... and I slept until 4:30. oops! Sometimes a nap is the most productive thing you can do. This past week, I have been working on UPPERCASE #70, nearly 20...

Hello Reader, Would you like to be featured in an All About YOU newsletter? It's easy! Simply submit your work here. In case you missed it, there's a new discount code for subscriptions: Use the code creativeself for $10 off subscriptions or renewals. And, thank you for the continued excitement for Jot!, the next book in the UPPERCASE Encyclopedia of Inspiration. Have a good weekend, A few more ways to be in issue #70 Nearly all the content for the next issue is in, and I've started designing...

Hello Reader, Today's the last day of newly released Sketchbook Revival sessions! You can still sign up for free and watch my session and others for a few more days. The option to upgrade to a VIP will be presented to you during that process. Once you're a VIP, you retain access to the videos and can watch them at your own pace. I am grateful to Karen Abend for inviting me to be an instructor. The opportunity pushed me into new creative directions. It was a learning experience—presenting...

This cover mockup uses scanned pages from my notebook, where I listed ideas for this vert book. I've layered them to represent the brainstorming process—ideas overlapping, intermingling and multiplying. I typed "jot!" on my typewriter, scanned it at high resolution and enlarged it to create the wordmark for the book. It was fun to create an entire cover with my own thoughts handwritten and typed on paper, then brought into the computer. Dear Reader, Thank you for an incredible week—the...