Jewel’s Blog
Insights into the creative processes of a Mindful Illustrator and Modern Doodler
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Chronically ill people hear a lot about what we should be doing differently. Chronically Ill & Still Existing offers something else: affirmations, reflection, creativity, and messages that honour us exactly where we are.
For this Sharing Saturday, I'm introducing Honolua Ukuleles, a Canadian company with a love of music and a mission to create more musicians. Because the world could always use a little more music and joy.
Straight Circles is a collection of detailed geometric mandalas created with crisp, precise line work.
Creative slumps happen to all of us. After months away from coloring, I finally picked up my pens again and finished a page I'd started weeks ago. Here's a reminder that taking a break from a hobby doesn't mean you've given it up forever.
What started as a social media connection became a reminder that small businesses are stronger when we support one another. Learn more about Traci, her mission to help entrepreneurs, and why I believe community is more important than competition.
How did Intricacy Unbound come to be? It all started with a challenge. After being told my "expert" mandalas weren't detailed enough, I leaned into my love of tiny patterns and intricate designs. This is the story behind the evolution of my most detailed mandala series yet.
Sharing Saturday is my small way of helping bring back the internet I remember, where we visited each other's websites, discovered creators through recommendations, and built genuine community. Here's the story behind why I started it.
New Rainbow Dopamine Hair Clip Bundles! Bright, sparkly, and full of cheerful colour, each bundle includes the exact four handmade clips shown.
Sometimes an illustration just begs to become a t-shirt. Meet my newest summer designs, inspired by beach days, camping, west coast memories, and a very cute crab.
Keep kids busy this summer with beach-themed coloring pages, camping icons, activity pages, digital stickers, and a free memory game.
Love planners, lists, and organizing? My new Build Your Own Planner system lets you mix and match planner packs and add-ons to create a planner that fits your life.
I'm shifting my focus to my own website and North Social, and my books will be available only on Lulu soon.
Part coloring book, part journal, and something entirely its own, Letters To My Body is a creative invitation to reflect on, and reconnect with, the parts of your body that support you every day.
Wondering why there are hair clips on a coloring book website? Here's the story behind my handmade Dopamine Hair Clips and why they fit perfectly alongside the rest of my creative projects.
A big July 1 release is on the way. Get a sneak peek at new planners, coloring books, activity books, sticker packs, freebies, and bundles arriving as part of Drawn By Jewel's first monthly release event.
Some adventures take us across oceans. Others take us down a trail we've never explored before, into a new bookstore, or around a corner in our own neighbourhood. Wander and Wonder celebrates curiosity, exploration, and the joy of discovering something new.
A free student planner in Grade 8 sparked a lifelong love of paper, lists, and organization. Here's how that planner eventually led to the creation of Drawn By Jewel's Build Your Own Planner.
Being an AuDHD artist means living with a brain that loves side quests. I stopped fighting my creative process and started embracing the unexpected ideas that appear along the way.
Ever wonder why some coloring books take longer to create than others? Here's a behind-the-scenes look at why Dark Mandalas Volume 5 is one of the most challenging and time-consuming projects on my drawing board.
The story of my mandala drawing journey in those early days is that I launched my first book, Mindful Mandalas Volume One, with a lot of excitement and no real trajectory. I launched Minute Mandalas soon after with a target audience of kiddos. It wasn't long before I realized there needed to be some middle ground. And so Medium Mandalas was born.
I never planned to become a coloring book artist. What started as doodling on a tablet while stuck in bed eventually grew into a catalog of more than 150 books, one drawing at a time.
Good news for digital planner and notebook users. All of my digital sticker packs now include organized PDF files alongside the original transparent PNG stickers.
Do coloring books have rules? I've heard heaps of suggestions over the years, but I think the best approach is the one that makes you happy.
Do you have unfinished creative projects? So do I. I've stopped feeling guilty about having multiple books, ideas, and works-in-progress happening at the same time.
Whether you're a seasoned artist or just dipping your toes into the world of adult coloring, we've got some tips to take your coloring game to the next level. Here are 10 handy tricks to enhance your coloring experience:
Some of my books were created for myself, my friends, or my family. I decide I want a specific book to exist, so I create it. And hey, why not leave it up on Amazon and see what happens?
I think part of the reason I'm fast is that I don't sketch out my plans for mandalas and doodles. I start with one or two shapes. Usually I'm trying for something unique. Then I look for interesting ways to connect those shapes and fill the space around and inside them.
I have drawn a few scene pages. One was for a coloring contest and two were for a friend. They take a lot of planning and execution time. There can be several iterations before I reach that magical "done" moment.
And that moment? That's where the dopamine is.
A Joyful Year: Cozy Escapes celebrates the little moments that can feel like an escape.