Hand Drawn (and Hiked) by McCall

Happy April, happy belated Easter, and most importantly, happy week after the Grand Traverse to all who celebrate.

Lately, I’ve been playing with the idea of renaming my business. I do taxes under a boring and bland LLC name, but at farmers markets and art shows I present as Hand Drawn by McCall, and that’s the name of my online store.

It feels like it makes more sense to turn this into a creative studio where everything nests under one, all-encompassing name. So many of my favorite artists and photographers have their art in their name under a studio like Tropicool Studio for example (amazing art, do yourself a favor and check it out).

With so much of my art and writing being influenced by the mountains and the backcountry, I’ve been noodling on a few ideas like Sluff Luck Design, something fun with another snow pun. Basically, this is my open call for studio names; if you think of anything fun, shoot it my way. I’ll love you forever and give you some art if it’s a winner!

Backcountry Chronicles

One of my favorite parts of this newsletter is that I can’t just write; I need to live the experiences to have something to write about. If I don’t draw, I don’t have art to show. If I don’t go touring, I don’t challenge myself or learn anything new — and therein, don’t have anything to write about.

Something I’ve been doing this year is setting goals per month. My new years resolution was to simply keep the promises I make to myself. Back in November after one too many snoozed alarms and “I’ll go to the gym after work” mumbles while half asleep, I realized that I couldn’t even trust myself to do the things I said I’d do for myself — like get up early, journal before work, or avoid processed sugar for the day.

And if I can’t keep the promises I make to myself, how can I expect myself to keep the promises I make to the people around me?

The last thing I want to be in life is a flake — someone whose word doesn’t mean anything and someone who cant be trusted to do the things they say they will. If there’s any muscle in life I want to make stronger, it’s the muscle to do things even when I really, really don’t want to. In other words: my discipline muscle.

With that, my new years resolution was born.

Each month, I write out a list of goals or promises for that month. You might notice so many of these goals involve getting out and into nature: skinning once a week, skiing 3x per week, going on a walk every day, selling more art and pushing myself to create more art.

The bottom line is if I don’t hold true to those goals, my life looks a lot different — and a lot less fun. I’ve gotten so much closer with people in my life this past quarter because I’ve put myself in a position to experience them in their entirety, and to get to know myself in my entirety. I may be biased, but I really don’t think there’s anything better than seeing someone do something they’re extremely passionate about. Ever watched your friend who paints for a living sit down and play with a canvas? Or how about watching your friend who comes alive in the backcountry hike up an unforgiving slope just to send it right back down? I can’t think of anything better.

When I moved, something I thought a lot about was how this would be a chance to really, truly get to know myself; to pick apart which parts of my personality I picked up along the way to acquiesce to New York culture, and which things were truly me. I’m absolutely certain I’ve picked up things along the way that are just a part of Colorado culture, but giving yourself the opportunity to ask those questions is a special experience that not everyone gives themselves.

So far, 2024 has been the year of trying out new hobbies and progressing with those hobbies. My goal has been to stick around with new hobbies long enough to say if I actually dislike something or if I’m just uncomfortable and need to push through it. (Spoiler alert: it’s more often the latter than the former).

The best part? Seeing what new parts of yourself come alive in those hobbies and getting to know those parts of yourself.

All in all? I have to live my life in order to have a life to write about. Thanks for being here and, in turn, pushing me to write and live a life worth writing about.

Artiste Break

We are so back. Another 18×24 drawing complete! This one was a surprise birthday gift for a friend and I’m so, so stoked about how it came out. In hindsight, I kiiiiinda wish I put a color on the back side of the matchbox instead of leaving it white, but these things have been eating up entire colored pencils — so we’re going with the minimalist approach. I had a show planned for 5/11, but we’ve got some other (see: big, but unrelated to art) plans that weekend. I’ll be posted up at the parking lot next to Denver Central Market on 6/8, which I’m sure will be here before we know it. Come say hi!

To Go Snacks

⛷️ Odds are, you already saw that Cody Townsend is calling quits on The Fifty — announced via this “prelude to the end”. It’s not surprising, given how much he’s talked about his values shift since having a kid, with priority #1 being: stay alive. Nonetheless, the final episode was nothing short of fantastic. I’m always a sucker for nostalgia, so the footage from 20+ years ago interspersed throughout was the perfect cherry on top.

📚 I finished “Everything Left To Remember” a few weeks ago, a gut-wrenching book the author’s camping trip to Montana with her mom who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s — more than likely their last trip together. It’s a beautiful search for meaning in the face of adversity and I couldn’t put this one down.

⛰️ “In the absence of strong convictions about what you want from life, you will always default to wanting more money.” Just do yourself a favor and read this article from Jack Raines.

🪕 Thanks to the Spotify Gods (see: algorithm) I stumbled upon Sumbuck a few weeks ago. I love Caamp and it turns out Sumbuck is the main singer’s side project! Caamp has such a unique and consistent sound across their entire discography so he uses this as a way to experiment and play around with different sounds and collaborations.

Jump scare alert: Tax Day is in two weeks and it’s officially Street Sweeping Season. File your taxes and move your cars.

See you next time!

- McCall 🌻

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