Hi friends,
This is just a howdy e-mail, nothing for sale.
I wanted to show you the 2026 calendar and tell you about my move to Chicago.
Itās hard to believe, but almost exactly a year ago I boarded a plane to Chicago for a first date. Iād matched with a guy while he was visiting LA, but we never met up. I didnāt think anything of it.
When his trip ended though, he kept texting me. I was laying in the grass at a park when he asked how my weekend was going. I considered ignoring it; what was the point? He lived 2,000 miles away and weād only texted briefly. But I liked him, and talking turned out to be easy.
Two weeks later, he invited me to Chicago for a real date. I said yes.
I landed in OāHare and walked to the pickup curb. My toes were cold, and I realized I didnāt have any idea what car he drove. It occured to me that I was meeting a stranger. Youād think that realization would have happened sometime before standing on the arrivals curb in a new city, but it didnāt. I started guessing how much it would cost to change my return flight.
He pulled up a second later. When he hugged me, it didnāt feel like a new hug. It felt familiar and warm. I exhaled and thought, āOkay, this was a good idea.ā
A year later, itās funny to see how rapidly and completely my life changed. Thank God; I was miserable.
Now getting settled in Chicago, Iām trying to figure out what the hell Iām doing. I have so many dreams, and only a rough idea of how to reach them. There is so much to learn.
Fortunately, I am persistent and insane. Iāll figure it out eventually. So for now Iām just trying to be patient with myself, asking for help, and trusting that good things are coming.
One thing that made Los Angeles especially challenging was that I couldnāt afford a separate workspace. My room was an art studio with a bed and TV installation. It was functional-ish for my business, but it was awful for my quality of life.
So the first thing I did when I got to Chicago was rent a studio.
I found one thatās a 15 minute drive from my house. I painted it pink and I love it.
Here it is:
Can you believe I had all that shit in one small bedroom? Plus a bed, all my clothes, and a cat. Honestly unbelievable.
This studio is still very new, just like the rest of my life. It feels like a big responsiblity to have so much space for my art. Iām excited to feel myself grow into it, but right now it feels like a pot that my roots are too small for.
To settle in and get going, the first project Iām working on here is the 2026 calendar.
Iāll be squawking about it plenty on Instagram and Facebook, but for now hereās a peek:
Some things will shift around, but itās coming together.
Making this calendar each year is becoming a little ritual I look forward to. Iām excited for this one, and right now itās especially nice to have something tangible to work on. And Iām open to feedback! Let me know what you think.
Preorders will open Nov 1st and stay open for the first week of November. I will order a few extras, but not many. Definitely donāt count on that if you know you want one! Theyāll be $30 each.
Thatās all for this letter. If you made it this far, thank you.
Iāll send out an e-mail in a couple weeks when the calendars are ready.
Until then,
Janie
Oh, P.S. If you have any good Chicago recs, please let me know! I want to explore my new city and find the gems. Please share if you know any, I would love that.