The day your child finally turns their scribbles and misshapen art blobs into something recognizable is almost as miraculous as watching them take a few wobbly steps for the first time. One day they’re cruising around on the carpet like a hermit crab, and then voila! Magic! Bambi legs.

One day they’re incorrectly holding a crayon, pushing it haphazardly around a sheet of paper delighted by their own madness, and then voila! Magic! The scribbles are no longer scribbles. Any passerby can actually see it: that is a face (!). A rainbow (!). An exact replica of the exact doll sitting on the table (!).

HOLY CRAP MY KID CAN DRAW. 

To be clear: art is art. I’m not here to argue the merits between blobs and stick figures. But as a mother and artist, I have to admit it’s a pretty spectacular thing to watch your five-year-old sit at the dining room table every single day with the determination of Michelangelo and F I N A L L Y see progress.

I am happy to report this exact magic just happened in our home for one Presley Joy Gadd, who recently graduated from drawing lines and blobs to drawing actual things.

The other day I’m sitting in the backyard reading a book when she appears by my side with a piece of paper in her hands. 

“Oh mom, you’re not gonna like this!” she says with a chuckle, handing me her latest drawing.

I open it, and gasp.

“Presley!” I shriek, not able to hold in my laughter, “Are those your TEARS?!” 

“Yes!!” she laughs, “I drawed that when I felt sad!”1

Later on, she approaches me with another drawing and another sly grin on her face. 

“Mom, you’re definitely not going to like this one,” she says, passing me the paper. 

I gasp again, and then both of us burst out laughing.

Why is this so funny? (For me, it’s the eyebrows.)

Unlike my boys, Presley has always possessed what I would call a heightened sense of emotional awareness. She is Very In Tune with her emotions (and has no problem displaying them). On any given day, Presley walks through the world as the human version of an entire emoji keyboard. The girl’s got range. Not only does she feel her feelings, she also talks about her feelings with anyone who will listen. The words “upset” and “excited” and “nervous” have been in her daily vocabulary since age three. She is, arguably, better at communicating her emotions than I am.

It’s no wonder the second she learned how to draw, Presley began channeling her feelings straight into her art. (Same, girl, same.)

A few hours later, I walk into Presley’s room to put away some laundry, and I cannot help but laugh at the sign taped to the wall outside her door:

I gently peel the drawing off the wall and bring it to her.

“Presley, honey, what is this?”

“Oh that,” she says, laughing with a shrug, “I made that sign when I was sad because when I’m sad I don’t want anyone to come in my room.”

I ask follow-up questions about what made her sad (she couldn’t ride her bike because it was raining) and whether or not playing alone in her room made her feel better (it did).

“Maybe I need one of those signs,” I joke, “Sometimes when I feel sad, I want to be alone in my room, too.”

Her face lights up with opportunity.

“Mommy, I could make a sign for you!”  

In all those years I spent pining and praying for a daughter, I gotta be honest: I never pictured us bonding over emo art at ages 5 and 38.

Alas, here we are. 

She skips back to the dining room table to make me my very own Sad Girl Sign™️ for the bedroom door—a gift I’ll enjoy for many years to come.

And now, onto the links!

In California, we are officially seeing more sunny days than not, HALLELUJAH. Time for my yearly PSA about this face combo: my all-time favorite vitamin C serum + my all-time favorite sunscreen + my all-time favorite tinted SPF. I wear all three, in that order, every day—no foundation at all. (You can get the last two at hsastore.com which is one of my favorite life hacks).

A throwback essay related to Sad Girl Art.

Come learn with me! I’ve got two workshops coming up, both of which I am co-leading with friends: Curiosity as Creative Practice with Jenny Floyd (this is for anyone, not just photographers!) and Figurative Language Bootcamp with Katie Blackburn.  

Books I read last month: Yellowface (this book is haunting and memorable—great for book club!), Everybody Come Alive (5 stars, important read), Mrs. Quinn’s Rise To Fame (sweet, pun intended, loved it), Acts of Forgiveness (will be thinking about this for a long time), Once There Were Wolves (WOW), None of This is True (devoured in 48 hours), and Courageously Soft (still reading this one—beautiful, profound).

Up next: The Anxious Generation, Annie Bot, Somehow: Thoughts on Love

TMI: I am on what feels like year three of my search for the perfect strapless bra (hmu if you have suggestions), but in the meantime, after seeing these nipple covers on Shark Tank and hearing a rave review from a real friend, I am happy to report: I LOVE THEM.2

Speaking of Shark Tank (is ST the Millennial version of QVC?!)—these goggles look amazing. Gonna try them for Presley and will report back.

The C+C spring collection is live!

It has been a LONG time since I’ve framed art via a $5 download from Etsy but I can’t say enough good things about this one. (Scroll this post for a pic!)

A few good things I’ve read this month: How to Write Memoir that Makes Room For Your Reader, The Anatomy of a Family Meeting, The Counselor’s Couch, Creating Amidst the Machine

Cute spring stuff I’ve been wearing on repeat: these culottes, this top, and these sandals (30% off this week!!)

Happy poetry month.

The C+C podcast is back! It’s been a while; thanks for sticking with us. ❤️ Two new episodes in case you missed ‘em: That Doesn’t Bother Me Anymore, and Come to the Table. 

Speaking of the podcast, we recently interviewed Dr. Jean Twenge about kids and technology (ep comes out 4/16!) and I was quickly influenced to buy this Hatch alarm clock dupe upon her recommendation to get phones out of the bedroom ASAP. I’ve been using it for two weeks and am a happy convert!

Brett and I loved watching Mike Birbiglia perform in Berkeley a few years ago (for this show) so when my friend and fellow comedian lover, Molly, alerted me to his new documentary, I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. Watching him sort through his index cards brought me right back to the early days of working on Create Anyway. 

ICYMI // Shameless Plugs

Create Anyway is one year old (!). Thank you to all who have read, shared, reviewed, and celebrated with me over the past year. I am weepy and grateful. ❤️

“Watch what happens when you write with no boundaries / Watch what happens when you write like a wild horse, like untamed wisteria, like an artist who is finally free.” // in praise of writing on yellow legal pads

And finally, a little bonus essay for Coffee + Crumbs.

That’s all I’ve got. What are you reading? Wearing? Cooking? Watching? And most importantly, have you ever bought anything from Shark Tank?! Tell me everything!

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