★ 2024 wrapped ★ drawing, yapping, art diary & new year resolutions <3

hello and welcome to my 2024 wrapped !!

let’s start with a mixtape of my 2024 faves <3

WHAT THIS YEAR MEANT FOR ME

2024 truly felt like a comeback year for me (and actually was?), especially after going through a lower period where I wasn’t sure if I’d ever share my art online again. To be honest, starting over has been both exciting and terrifying, especially with the nagging fear about how my work would be received, not to mention that persistent inner voice whispering that maybe I should just keep it all private instead. I’ve been trying to push past it and remind myself why I love creating in the first place and how much joy sharing my art always brought me and reconnecting with that feeling has made this year a turning point I’m genuinely proud of.

For the first half of the year I took things slow, focusing on rediscovering my voice as an artist while staying true to what I genuinely love to draw. I didn’t want to completely let go of the things that made me fall in love with art in the first place, but I also felt the pull to grow and experiment in ways that felt fresh and exciting. It was a bit of a balancing act, finding how to evolve my visual style into something more authentic to who I am now, while still holding onto the core elements that have always shaped my art: everyday life, friendship, storytelling and a touch of magic.

The second half of the year was all about actually building this fresh start. I refreshed my website and socials and I kicked off a new series of illustrations to move past the endless experimenting phase and start creating something tangible. Along the way, I began shaping this playful online persona, “girlfringe,” as a fun way to tie it all together and give myself room to just enjoy the process.

Overall I think this year has been about embracing the awkwardness of starting over, trusting my instincts and finding that sweet spot where growth and authenticity meet. A bit scary, but also very exciting and fun.

ART DIARY PROJECT

When I thought about things I’ve always wanted to do but never got around to, the first thing that popped into my head was “to start a blog!!!” So, without overthinking it, I decided to create the “Art Diary” section on my website. I’ve always felt this pull to share more about my process and all the behind the scenes moments, and it turns out, I have a lot to say, lol :-)) From the tiny sparks of inspiration that kick off an idea, to how I shape it into a finished piece, to the little details I sneak into my illustrations and the universe I’m trying to build through my work: it’s all stuff I’ve been dying to put into words.

Plus, as a retired 2013 tumblr gal, I’ve always dreamed of having my own girly blog, a space to ramble about everything I love while keeping everything together in one place. It’s like a cozy, virtual diary where I get to share my thoughts, creative journey & all the things that make me excited about making art.

OCTOBER ART DIARY SERIES

After putting everything together, I decided to kick things off by creating my own prompt list, a mix of words and ideas I wanted to draw and use as a starting point for my page. I knew from the get-go that 31 illustrations in a month was a bit ambitious (okay, VERY ambitious), but that wasn’t the point. I just wanted to have fun with it and make the process as exciting as possible.

More than just creating artworks, I wanted to build a little universe for each one. So, every piece has its own blog post where I mostly ramble but also show bits of the entire process, inspirations, moodboards and all the little details that went into it. And because I couldn’t resist, each one also has its own mixtape to match the vibe !!!!

Here are the 13 illustrations of the series & I’m honestly so proud of each one <3

OCTOBER ART DIARY SERIES: DETAILS

One thing I always aim for in my art (especially in my illustration series) is to make them feel like all the characters exist in the same universe. That was a big focus for this series and I brought it to life through colors, symbols, details, clothing, recurring elements and characters.

Colors: I leaned heavily into deep, intense pastels with lots of orange, red, and pink, balanced by pops of purple, green and blue for highlights.

Elements: Leopard print was the star of this series, alongside checkered patterns and celestial elements. I included a recurring star motif on the cheek, whimsical-meets-grunge outfits for the characters and of course, retro objects and decor.

Recurring Characters: For this series I focused on a “bestie duo” heavily inspired by me and my best friend. They’ve been up to all sorts of things: watching movies, grabbing coffee, cutting their fringe or even casting spells in true spooky season spirit.

Fun Details: Probably my favorite part of this series!! <3 I made sure every illustration included fun little twists, whether it was pop culture references, easter eggs or just playful details to make the artwork more interesting. I wanted to add notes of silliness to each piece, giving them that extra layer of fun.

VISUAL STYLE

I feel like my visual style has really started to come into its own this year and it’s noticeably different from my older illustrations.

To be completely honest, I’ve never put too much focus on the style. I’ve always believed it takes a lot of time to create something that feels distinctly yours: unique, recognizable and personal. Because of that, I never treated it as a priority. And while I still think developing a signature style is a gradual process, for the first time ever, I actually feel like I’m on the right path?? My illustrations no longer feel scattered or inconsistent, instead they’re packed with personality in a way that feels fresh and so me !!

If I had to describe it right now, I’d say it’s vibrant, fun and comics-oriented. It’s all about expressive characters, intricate storytelling, detailed linework and a lot of personality packed into every piece.

Can’t wait to see how it evolves as I experiment with it even more x

INSPIRATION

More than ever, I feel like my everyday life has become my biggest source of inspiration. This year was also the year I switched cities, so I’ve had this constant flow of inspiration from the place I live: a big city full of life, people, experiences and endless stories to get inspiration from. Beyond the outside world, my inspiration also comes from the media I consume, as I’m still very connected to the things I loved as a teenager, that mix of cute 2000s pop with the angsty, grungy pop-punk vibes. I try to pour everything I love (past and present) into my drawings.

Another thing I learned this year is that it’s not mandatory to follow a specific era, trend or aesthetic. In the past, I used to feel this pressure to fit into a single "aesthetic." If I liked retro things, I thought I had to draw only 70s-inspired scenes. If I felt nostalgic about my childhood, I felt like my characters had to live in pink, kitschy 2000s settings.

I’ve realized that approach is very limitating and my personality and tastes are way too layered and complex to box into one specific aesthetic. Now I’m way more relaxed and focused on creating my own aesthetic. Dare I say, the “girlfringe" aesthetic? ha.

SUBJECTS AND TOPICS

When it comes to the subjects and topics, I feel like I haven’t changed much compared to my older art. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved drawing things inspired by my life, people I meet, girls doing different activities, objects or scenes that I find interesting. Sometimes I’ll throw in a magical twist or pull something fun from a favorite movie, but overall, my preferences feel pretty set. I know what I love to draw, and honestly, I find a kind of comfort in that consistency.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move away from these themes completely, even tho one day I’d love to start create my own stories, maybe 2025 will be the year I really lean into making comics? we’ll see x

PERSONAL TOUCHES

One thing I realized while working on the October Art Diary series is that I really like my art to be fun. Beyond using bold colors, intricate details and expressive characters, I’ve noticed I always feel the need to add something fun (or even ridiculously dramatic) in my illustrations.

Since a lot of my inspiration comes from these unapologetically “girly” emotions, deeply sentimental moments or teenage memories when every little thing felt huge, I think that’s what I want to channel into my art. A few good examples are the details in my “Hex Ur Ex” and “Pixies” illustrations, the silly little text inserts that feel like real-life conversations you’d have with your friends. Plus, I also love to add fun things like the subtle “Let’s start a girl band!!” addition, which it’s part manifestation, part invitation for whoever’s looking at the piece. Then there are the more general nods, like posters of my favorite movies ( “Freaky Friday”, which is one of my all-time favorites).

This mix of storytelling, playful drama and personal easter eggs are my way of making each piece feel uniquely mine and I love leaning into that.

2025 RESOLUTIONS <3

I don’t have a lot of specific plans for 2025 when it comes to the subjects I’ll draw, but one thing I know for sure is that I’d love to continue with illustration series. I think I work best and feel the most in flow when I’m creating within a series, rather than coming up with totally different concepts for each piece. So, you can definitely expect more themed illustration series from me xx

Alongside illustrations, I’d also really like to experiment a bit with animation. I just got Procreate Dreams and I’m super excited to start creating some animated pieces and learning more than the basics I’ve been dabbling in so far. In Procreate, I’ve mostly just been redrawing frames, which ends up looking pretty unpolished and silly. Animation has always been something I’ve been curious about, but I’ve been hesitant to take it too seriously. Now, I feel ready to dive in a little deeper.

Another big goal is reopening my online shop, though I’d like to keep it very small, focusing on just prints. And, of course, something I’m absolutely continuing is my Art Diary!!! Writing blog posts to go along with my work has been such a fun way to document my process and inspirations and I’m excited to carry that energy into the new year.

If you’ve made it this far, congrats, you’re officially under the girlfringe rambling spell. Hope you enjoyed my endless yapping & I promise I’ll get better at writing in 2025 !!

See you next year, xox <3