Hello from the Sketchy Traveler, a mostly free, mostly biweekly newsletter on sketching, travel, and self-discovery. Paid subscribers make this newsletter sustainable while free subscribers inspire with their enthusiasm. Thanks to everyone for your support! Scroll past the fold for the latest drawings, adventures, and tips.

Hard to believe that it is new years eve on 2026. It is an old observation, but time really flies as you get older. While this year at times felt like it would never end, it has also seemed to fly by. Of course, they also say time flies when you are having fun:) My biggest hope for this year is that this newsletter brought a little fun into your life and made the burdens a little easier to carry. I am always amazed by how many people show up for this newsletter and the simple fun it can bring people. As we head into 2026, I have some big plans to help us all continue to have fun as the entry point to a more well rounded life, but first some observations on what to do with your art once you have a finished drawing.

Holiday Cards

Once you have created a great picture the next question is what to do with it. While I know people who create art for the simply joy of creating, I have always felt a desire to share my work once it is done. There is a variety of ways to do this, but one I have always enjoyed are creating cards to send to people. The holidays at the end of the year make for a convenient time to create these cards and send them. Though for me these cards often end up being January cards:)

My preferred method for creating holiday cards is with the online printing service VistaPrint. They have a nice format for 5.5” x 4.25” cards and they provide the ability to add text and other elements to the card in their layout tool. For creating a JPEG of my drawings, I usually scan my notebook with an old scanner I inherited, but the camera on a phone can work well too if you are in a rush. When using a phone camera it is best to use natural light and get the camera as parallel with the notebook as possible.

I have a large extended family that provides plenty of people to write to, but there are many other people who you might write as well. Friends and work colleagues are great people to send a card to. In this age of endless digital messages, a physical card you mail someone can really show how much you care for them. I also often write to my elected officials (state/providence and national) to thank them for their service and share my issue of concern for the next year. Writing to your elected officials has the added benefit of often receiving a formal letter back from them (or at least their intern;). Finally a card to your local coffee shop or local hang out spot is always a nice gesture.

Logan’s Updates

Heading into 2026, I am migrating over to a new newsletter service (Buttondown). This will help me as I begin to expand the newsletter content and will ensure you are receiving the posts you are interested in. Let me know if you have any questions.

The aim of Sketchy Traveler has always been to provide tips and ideas on drawing and living in the city in the tradition of the flaneur. Over the last two years the newsletter has mostly focused on the drawing part of that vision. As we start 2026, I am expanding the newsletter to a weekly schedule and beginning offering suggestions and tips on living a creative life with drawing as one dimension of a creative life. This expanded scope will bring in posts on other dimensions of a creative life like job searching and designing a life. Let me know if you are interested in receiving posts focused on job searching and I will add you to that section.

Thanks for Reading

Do you enjoy Sketchy Traveler and read it regularly? Become a newsletter patron and help cover the monthly cost of running the newsletter. Patrons receive quarterly updates and discounts on classes, groups and coaching.

Subscribe now