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Emma Reynolds's avatar

So glad to hear you're taking a break! As a slightly older 30-something I learnt from bitter experience what happens when you don't look after that bod, so you're doing the right thing!

May I introduce you to the wonderful world of Geocaching? It's hidden little caches all around us you can find when out walking (and Pikmining as I am lately!) they're awesome and all over the world. My favourite one was shaped like a burger. You sign the logs and keep track of your finds in the app, and sometimes there are little trinkets you can take, and you can leave trinkets too.

Wishing you all the very best with your break! x

Lian Cho's avatar

haha holy crap just looked it up and this looks INSANE!! I just went on a long walk with Pikmin earlier this sounds like a nice thing to pair together. I can't believe there are just all of these everywhere omg!!

Emma Reynolds's avatar

Yeah they are the best heheh :D It's really fun when you're on holiday too - you get a little flag in your bio when you've found a Geocache in a new country!

Have fuuuuun :D X

xinwei's avatar

PLEASE REST, LIAN 🧡 (not to scare u with the caps lock but pls do) also! some book recs:

Station Eleven if you like a slow, slice of life kinda vibe about a travelling theatre troupe in a post-apocalyptic world.

Mary Oliver’s Upstream is a collection of her essays which i thoroughly enjoyed.

or for a book adaptation movie to read before you see the movie later this year, may i recommend Project Hail Mary, which is about one guy who wakes up with no memory in space. (sound familiar? it’s written by the same guy who wrote The Martian!!!)

Lian Cho's avatar

omg i LOVED Project Hail Mary, I was sooo obsessed with it when I read it. I'm so excited for the movie coming out soon!! I'll look into the other ones you suggested too, thank you!

Christina Chung's avatar

You've been working so hard for so long, you deserve the most restful break Lian!!!! ❤️‍🔥

Lian Cho's avatar

THANK YOU i love to be validated <3

Katie Gresham's avatar

As for books do you read graphic memoirs? There are a million cool ones. Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls won a Pulitzer last year and it’s so well deserved. Oh and The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton is an older novel, set in 18-1900s Australia I think and sort of a mystery. I remember enjoying it.

Lian Cho's avatar

Ooh!! I'll see if they have these at the library!

Katie Gresham's avatar

As for hobby ideas—do you like jigsaw puzzles? There are a million styles now so you may find one that interests you!

Lian Cho's avatar

Will look into this!

Inner Demon Crusher's avatar

Singing is a fantastic hobby that doesn’t demand use of your hands. It’s rewarding, energizing, and relaxing at the same time! 🎵

Lian Cho's avatar

Oh man... I am really really really bad at it haha!!

Sarah Wheeler's avatar

Oh man that is a ton of work!! You definitely deserve a nice break! Hope your hand heals up nicely!

Lian Cho's avatar

Thank you so much!

Mon's avatar

SO DESERVED!!!! Also it’s so weird but it’s sounding like everyone agrees that the number one way to have a restful break is to come stay with me in April???

Lian Cho's avatar

OH NO I GUESS THAT'S THE ONLY WAYYY

Abergale's avatar

New follower here!!! Came from your instagram :P

Betsy Bird's avatar

Adult book recommendations?? Put me in, coach!

I’m a weird nonfiction fanatic, so if you want something funny and disgusting (who doesn’t love funny and disgusting?) go get yourself some Mary Roach. I started with Replaceable You, which was phenomenal and now I’m working my way through her oeuvre. Her gross gross gross (and fascinating) oeuvre.

Lian Cho's avatar

Wait omg this looks amazing!!! I'm totally into this omg. Just placed it on hold on libby but it says 14 weeks wait!! I may have to just purchase it cause this sounds so fun haha

Julie Benbassat's avatar

Happy birthday again friend and I'm glad youre resting! I hope you get to watch tons of stuff and read tons of books and not think about art for a while!

Lian Cho's avatar

THANK YOU FRIEND!!!

Karen L Chew's avatar

Dear Lian,

I am an author/illustrator. I do figure drawing too. My right thrumb can get sore. So, I find icing and sometimes a cannabis rub helps alleviate the pain.

I enjoy my dance classes very much; it is a great outlet.

Karen Chew

Lian Cho's avatar

Thanks for the recommendations!!

K. Woodman-Maynard's avatar

Glad you're giving yourself a break, Lian! That's A LOT of books and illustrations!

Lian Cho's avatar

Thank you!!

Jessica Flemming's avatar

Congrats on taking a break! I'm currently in the second half of my "sabbatical" year and I love to see others taking time to heal and reevaluate.

I'm also in the process of reading Martyr! Another author I love is Hanif Abdurraqib (He's homies with Kaveh Akbar). A lot of his work is essay format and poetry and it is all so beautiful. Sometimes tinged with grief and nostalgia, but also a lot of heart and delight.

Lian Cho's avatar

Congrats on your sabbatical year! I hope it's providing you with the rest you need. I just finished Martyr and enjoyed it a lot. I'll look into getting some Hanif books on hold to check out. The covers themselves are beautiful!

Sarah Rebar's avatar

Lian, I feel you!!! Congrats on so many years of hard work! I'm also an illustrator, and just turned 40 last year -- and started having wrist problems in my drawing hand, as well. Rest is super super important. Take it! Your hand deserves it!! And as for dorky hobbies -- Astronomy! Tarot card reading! ... Improv!

Lian Cho's avatar

Ahh I hope you rest up too!!! These RSI are brutal :( Maybe this will be the year I finally get into astronomy... I was really into MBTI when I was younger so I imagine it's kind of adjacent. I'm not a spiritual person at all, but perhaps something will click! I fear I would die of embarrassment during improv, but perhaps it would be some level of freeing haha!

Lorrie M Taylor's avatar

Please have a good rest. It is definitely deserved. While I agree with bird watching, I was thinking about photography. Still creative with less demand on your hand. Keeps that creative mind going! Hope everything goes smoothly!

Lian Cho's avatar

Ooh yes I will look into photography! I just never know what to do with all the photos I take.