Congrats Lian!!! I've loved following your adventures here. Even if it doesn't always feel like you know what you're doing, you're clearly doing something right! You and your work have been able to reach so many people through your ability to capture such complicated, relatable feelings and your killer sense of humor. Keep doing what you're doing 💖
A WHOLE YEAR ALREADY??? Time flies when you have such a fabulous substack to enjoy 🥂 Congrats cutie heres to 2k and rolling down this big hill called life
I discovered your newsletter through your Instagram. I'm also an artist who feels like a failure a lot and your newsletter is a huge and wonderful reminder of how commonly human that feeling is.
Thanks so much for everything you write about and all your work - both of my kids LOVE dragons and adore reading all the baby names in 100 Mighty Dragons!
Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your experiences and lessons learned with total strangers. That takes a lot of guts.Even though I’m older I still identify a lot with the ups and downs you describe. Unfortunately those don’t go away but you do have more experience to draw on to deal with them :)
I found you via the “how to draw dragons” post which was phenomenal. Really helpful for my own drawing practice (I’m a cartoonist)
Best of luck as you continue making your art and figuring things out.
Congrats Lian!!!! I found your newsletter from Instagram and it was obvi a must subscribe. Hilarious and heartfelt and vulnerable and brave -- here’s to your next year! (Also that poster looks sooo good!)
Lian!! This is Alicia Tsai, not sure if this will go through with my name bc I am struggling trying to figure out how to sign in to Substack whoops
Found the newsletter though your Insta posts and I actually made you a managed writer in our system for the reading app I work for (Matter) so that I can stay on top of all your posts. Love all your drawings and the vulnerability in your newsletters and I always read all your issues when they come out! I still think about that camera drawing you made me back in HS and think of how I was lucky to get a personalized drawing heh. You’re so talented and I can’t wait to see what else is in store!!
For me it was a recommendation from another blogger some time in the last few months... Don't ask me who! 🙂 Really enjoying the drawings so far, especially when you showed the process for the aunts book!
hi Lian! if I'm honest I have absolutely no memory of how I found your newsletter but I'm so glad I did!! your honest comedic approach to art making and the general anxieties of life really spoke to me as someone who is also not entirely sure what they are doing with their life (I recently made a big shift in what I'm studying in uni that threw my whole 'life plan' entirely off kilter). I also just really like your art style, the colours are top notch 😎👍 I'm currently trying to convince my boss to buy '100 dragons' for the children I work with (but also for me lol) love from Australia (ゝω・´★)
I discovered this newsletter by searching on Substack for ‘illustration’. So pleased to your newsletter that is so incredibly full of life and soul. I’m constantly inspired 🤩
I stumbled upon “It Began with Lemonade” while reading children’s books as research for my first children’s book illustration! I was in awe with your spreads and art and then followed you on IG and found your substack. I really resonated when I read your post about depression as I related to the feelings you expressed. I thought it was really brave of you to share your story and it helped me a lot. I look forward to reading (and re-reading) your newsletter and you really inspire me along my picture book illustration journey. Thanks, Lian and Congrats!!
I discovered you because I typed "how do I know if I am doing life right" and you appeared in the search result.
Very similarly to yourself, I still don't have a clue if I am doing this right, but at least I know it's only human to feel this way.
Would love the poster! (UK based, happy to pay shipping).
Congrats Lian!!! I've loved following your adventures here. Even if it doesn't always feel like you know what you're doing, you're clearly doing something right! You and your work have been able to reach so many people through your ability to capture such complicated, relatable feelings and your killer sense of humor. Keep doing what you're doing 💖
Also the "you go first" baby is so me HELP
A WHOLE YEAR ALREADY??? Time flies when you have such a fabulous substack to enjoy 🥂 Congrats cutie heres to 2k and rolling down this big hill called life
I discovered your newsletter through your Instagram. I'm also an artist who feels like a failure a lot and your newsletter is a huge and wonderful reminder of how commonly human that feeling is.
Thanks so much for everything you write about and all your work - both of my kids LOVE dragons and adore reading all the baby names in 100 Mighty Dragons!
Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your experiences and lessons learned with total strangers. That takes a lot of guts.Even though I’m older I still identify a lot with the ups and downs you describe. Unfortunately those don’t go away but you do have more experience to draw on to deal with them :)
I found you via the “how to draw dragons” post which was phenomenal. Really helpful for my own drawing practice (I’m a cartoonist)
Best of luck as you continue making your art and figuring things out.
I found my way here from your Instagram. I am inspired and humbled by your generosity.
Congrats Lian!!!! I found your newsletter from Instagram and it was obvi a must subscribe. Hilarious and heartfelt and vulnerable and brave -- here’s to your next year! (Also that poster looks sooo good!)
Lian!! This is Alicia Tsai, not sure if this will go through with my name bc I am struggling trying to figure out how to sign in to Substack whoops
Found the newsletter though your Insta posts and I actually made you a managed writer in our system for the reading app I work for (Matter) so that I can stay on top of all your posts. Love all your drawings and the vulnerability in your newsletters and I always read all your issues when they come out! I still think about that camera drawing you made me back in HS and think of how I was lucky to get a personalized drawing heh. You’re so talented and I can’t wait to see what else is in store!!
For me it was a recommendation from another blogger some time in the last few months... Don't ask me who! 🙂 Really enjoying the drawings so far, especially when you showed the process for the aunts book!
I found you today through Catherine Fortey's Substack, and I am so glad I did. This brightened my day and is sooo relatable!
hi Lian! if I'm honest I have absolutely no memory of how I found your newsletter but I'm so glad I did!! your honest comedic approach to art making and the general anxieties of life really spoke to me as someone who is also not entirely sure what they are doing with their life (I recently made a big shift in what I'm studying in uni that threw my whole 'life plan' entirely off kilter). I also just really like your art style, the colours are top notch 😎👍 I'm currently trying to convince my boss to buy '100 dragons' for the children I work with (but also for me lol) love from Australia (ゝω・´★)
I discovered this newsletter by searching on Substack for ‘illustration’. So pleased to your newsletter that is so incredibly full of life and soul. I’m constantly inspired 🤩
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ truly a mind-blowing accomplishment, happy 1 year!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Congrats on a year, Lian!! It Began With Lemonade was hilarious, same with many of your posts.
Also you didn't miss out, I stopped wearing heels in my mid twenties and my feet are grateful.
I stumbled upon “It Began with Lemonade” while reading children’s books as research for my first children’s book illustration! I was in awe with your spreads and art and then followed you on IG and found your substack. I really resonated when I read your post about depression as I related to the feelings you expressed. I thought it was really brave of you to share your story and it helped me a lot. I look forward to reading (and re-reading) your newsletter and you really inspire me along my picture book illustration journey. Thanks, Lian and Congrats!!
I discovered you because Chelsea Lin Wallace is my friend 😀