Friends,
Bom dia from our new home in Lisbon! 🌞
Can you tell that I’ve been waiting to say this for a long, long time?
It’s only been a week since we landed in Lisbon, and even though we don’t have any furniture in our apartment yet, hanging our laundry in the sunshine, enjoying a coffee at the local cafe, and catching a salty waft of grilled fish in the air… this all feels like home.
Moving to Portugal has been a dream of mine for over six years, and I can’t believe we are now
… here.
Finding sanctuary in art making
As you can imagine, it’s been a hectic couple of months filled with paperwork and cardboard boxes, where each day felt like taking a leap from one bouncy question mark to another.
With uncertainty being the constant, working on my art has become the anchor that keeps my heart and mind steady. I have found a happy home in the Arts & Leisure Section of The New York Times, where I have two new works:
Writing and drawing these stories has allowed me to further experiment with both pictures and prose, helping me become more comfortable with my identity as a poet-illustrator. I used to think I had to pick one or the other, but it seems I am happiest when I can weave and play with both.
Coming up: literary agents, artist residencies, and more comics!
In the next few months, I’ll be working on a dummy for my next picture book and submitting queries to literary agents. I’ve been tinkering with this manuscript for some time, and I finally feel like I can start sketching the characters and their world. I’m looking forward to finding a good home for this book.
Later this month, I’ll be back in the east coast for some readings and residencies! I received The Fine Arts Center Scholars Award and will be heading to Provincetown, Massachusetts to develop a zine under the guidance of visual artist and author Bishakh Som.
Later in summer, I’ll make my way to the Catskills to attend the author-illustrator residency at Milkwood, run by Sophie Blackall and Ed Schmidt. I’m looking forward to making new author-illustrator friends and spending time in the mountains.
And finally, I just sent my final files for a comic about keeping in touch with family. It will appear this weekend in one of my favorite publications. Keep your eyes peeled! 🍋
Soul spark ✨
What’s been inspiring me lately
The quiosques of Lisbon give me so much joy. They are little outdoor cafes that are scattered across the city, and they can have anything from port wines to Pastel de Nata to even seafood risotto. I know for sure that I will be spending a lot of time here with my notebook.
May we continue to follow our joy,
Haruka
love to see all the beautiful things happening for you and around you!