Greetings from Portugal

Finding peace in art while creating a new home

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? 

On a recent walk towards the river

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: 

The Acrobatics of Viewing Art, inspired by a visit to a very crowded Edward Hopper show at The Whitney, where I focused more on my fellow museum goers than the art on the walls. (Photo by my wonderful friend and artist Aubrey Nolan)

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.

A Night at the Opera was published in the annual Spring Preview issue, and as an operavore, sharing this story through illustration was a dream come true! 

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.

Oooo, ahhhh, it’s the library at Milkwood Farm! (Photo courtesy of Milkwood)

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! 🍋

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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.

This public quiosque was hidden in a museum! There were many peacocks walking and honking about.

May we continue to follow our joy, 

Haruka