ART FOR EMOTION  |  BLOG

I’m excited to announce that I’ve officially reopened commissions! While I am still prioritizing my health and managing my chronic conditions, I now have the ability to create a limited number of commissions.

When dealing with undiagnosed chronic mental or physical illness, waiting for answers can lead to feeling like a ghost in purgatory. After months or years of appointments, tests, procedures, and treatments  - eventually we may find some relief from the unknown. But what happens when the answers lead to more questions, and there is no cure? Suddenly we’re left to fight a battle we didn’t sign up for, and wondering how we can possibly be expected to “fix” ourselves.

The holidays can bring up feelings of stress and overwhelm, especially when combined with challenging family dynamics or high expectations. Fortunately, we can choose to let go of things outside of our control and prioritize healing. We don’t have to carry negative emotions or memories into the present. Choosing to move forward from a place of empathy, forgiveness, and understanding allows us to heal.

When you ignore grief, it doesn’t go away. Your body and your subconscious hold onto it. It piles onto itself - until, eventually, it can’t be contained anymore.

My latest webcomic, "Confessions of a Full Time Artist" started in August of 2025. Confessions of a Freelance Artist is a webcomic detailing my experience as an artist - the struggles, successes, and everything in between. You can view all current parts of this comic in the "Projects" section of the menu. Comic Project: Confessions of a Full Time Artist This comic started off as a social experiment to determine what methods of communication best resonated with peo

Preparing for Life with Chronic Illness Seven years ago I found out I was at a very high risk for chronic illness and autoimmune disease. Since autoimmune disease was very prevalent in my family, disabling one parent and nearly killing the other, I was very apprehensive about it. I had myself tested for the genetic markers and I tested positive. This meant I held the genetic code that increased my possibility for developing these illnesses. This, the doctor noted, did not

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any long-form content - I’ve been MIA on my blog and YouTube as I am navigating some life changes. As I stated in this video, I was recently diagnosed with two chronic illnesses that have severely affected my ability to work. Because of this, I am currently reprioritizing my business ventures.

I'm excited to announce that I am officially a published illustrator - in digital form and upcoming in print! I have branched out into editorial illustration recently, and it has been a great experience. Read more to view some of my upcoming projects for publication.

I'm excited to share that my illustration was chosen for display as part of the Iowa City Downtown District Banner contest.

Hello and welcome to my new art and design blog! I'm Heather, a freelance graphic designer and illustrator based in Iowa City, Iowa.

Since I haven't had any time to work on my shop or create new products, I figured I'd post a few projects I've completed for my painting class lately. I realized that I've never taken a real painting class before, so this is my first formal instruction. I'm learning a lot and I really enjoy it. Hopefully I will be able to create new art for you all this summer!

I've always wanted to keep an art journal -- I even tried once or twice, but never got into the habit of it. Finally, I dedicated myself to one journal and managed to complete it.