Because sometimes we need to write our feelings out, and sometimes we just need to scribble them away. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about taking care of my mental health, it’s that self-care doesn’t always look the same. Some days, I need to journal. Other days, I need to pick up a pencil, draw something completely random, and let my creativity take over. And sometimes? I just need a cute little animal reminding me that I’m doing my best-ish. That’s part of why I created Cozy Critter Studio, my growing collection of cozy self-care and creative wellness apps. I’m an artist, a mental health advocate, and someone who believes…

From traditional art and Polaroid cameras to digital creativity, artificial intelligence, and the internet — being an artist means learning to evolve without losing yourself. I’ve been thinking about how much the art world has changed. There was a time when creating art meant picking up a pencil, a paintbrush, or a camera and physically creating something with your hands. Photography meant film, Polaroids, darkrooms, and waiting to see how your pictures turned out. Graphic design meant working with physical materials, cutting, pasting, and carefully putting everything together. And if you wanted someone to see your artwork? You needed a gallery, a local exhibition, or someone willing to give your…

How creativity found me in my darkest moments and became the way I learned to express what I couldn’t say out loud. I’ve always said that I didn’t choose art. Art chose me. And I don’t mean that in some magical, everything-fell-into-place kind of way. I mean that art found me when I was in a really dark place. When I didn’t have the words to explain what was happening inside my head. When I was desperately trying to hide parts of myself that were slowly finding their way to the surface. Before I started creating self-care resources, writing mental health reflections, designing things, or building my own little creative…

30-something, overthinking, creating, and still figuring out this whole internet thing. I’ve been blogging for years. I’ve created websites, redesigned them, changed my mind about layouts approximately a million times, and spent way too many hours trying to figure out SEO. And guess what? I still haven’t figured it all out. I have my main blog, AbbyJuli.com, where I share mental wellness resources, personal experiences, creative projects, and longer blog posts. And I’m keeping it! But lately, I’ve wanted to get back to something a little simpler. Something that feels more like the old days of blogging, when people shared their thoughts without worrying about keywords, algorithms, or whether their content…

When creativity becomes another thing you feel like you have to be perfect at. Here’s something funny about being a creative person with anxiety. I absolutely love creating things. Drawing, designing, photography, writing, digital art… you name it. My brain is constantly coming up with new ideas. But you know what else my brain is really good at? Convincing me that whatever I’m creating isn’t good enough. 🙃 I’ll sit down with an idea I’m genuinely excited about, and suddenly that little voice starts chiming in. That doesn’t look right. Someone else could make that better. Why doesn’t it look like the picture in my head? And before I know it,…