Welcome to November in The Creative Flock
Folktale Week, Indie Makers Gift Guide + Sketching Autumn in the Kitchen
Hello! And if this is the first post you’re reading, welcome! You may like to read this welcome post which tells you more about the membership and what to expect from being part of The Creative Flock.
Below is my regular monthly audio message and links to things I mention:
What’s coming up in The Creative Flock this month, at-a-glance:
Folktale Week 2024 - Process and development of new work in response to the Folktale week prompts (Paid members)
Indie Makers Christmas Gift Guide - including a new print from my online shop. (all subscribers)
Co-sketching sessions - Friday 8th November, 11am-12pm GMT & Monday 11th November, 7-8pm GMT. (all subscribers)
Monthly drawing session - Wednesday 20th November, 7-8.30pm GMT. Includes replay and image references. (paid members)
#fridaygoodness chat threads for all subscribers and monthly #tootyourhorn for paid members.
All the dates and links for the live sessions are in the calendar post, updated each month:
Folktale Week 2024
It’s that time of year again and Folktale Week is almost upon us.
If you haven’t heard of Folktale Week, it’s a 7-day art and story writing challenge which takes place in November on Instagram. It’s free to join and anyone can take part. Set up by a group of artists and illustrators who love folktales and visual storytelling, the seven different word prompts are released on the Folktale Week Instagram account in October so participants have time to create something in time for the week-long showcase in November. Even if you don’t take part, it's worth checking out the #folktaleweek hashtag, the challenge has a world-wide following and so much beautiful, inspiring work is shared.
The official dates for Folktale Week 2024 are 18-24th November and the word prompts are:
1. Mist
2. Gate
3. Blight
4. Trail
5. Depth
6. Bone
7. Blossom
I’ll be sharing the journey of making my Folktale Week pieces (including all the bad sketches and mistakes!) here for my paid members. If you would like to follow along with me and see the full process and development, you can upgrade your membership any time and stay for as long as you need.
As mentioned in my audio note, I’m making last year’s Folktale Week posts available to all subscribers for the whole of this month.
In these posts, I share my process behind the creation of a folktale story, The Island of Echoes.
If you like to listen to music while you draw or write, here’s a link to my Folktale-inspired playlist:
What do you think of the prompts this year?
If you’re joining in with Folktale Week this year, drop a comment with your IG handle so we can follow each other.
Indie Makers Christmas Gift Guide
I’ve been storing away shop links and product details of some of my favourite artists, authors, illustrators and crafters, to include in my first Indie Makers Christmas Gift Guide.
I’ve been curating lists on Instagram for a few years but this is the first time I’ve done this on Substack. I hope it’ll be a great way to share and celebrate independent makers, in time for Christmas.
In this guide, I’ll share details of a new print, Spirit Fox, coming soon to my shop. Substack subscribers and members receive an exclusive discount in my shop, details are at the end of this post and in your welcome email.
This month’s live drawing session - Autumn in the Kitchen (paid members)
To celebrate the abundance autumn brings to our dinner table, this months drawing session will feature cosy kitchen scenes, displays of colourful autumn produce and celebratory meals with all the trimmings.
Co-sketching sessions this month.
There’ll be two co-sketching sessions this month, open to all subscribers.
I’ve found these one-hour periods of concentrated drawing time so useful and they force me to focus on creativity instead of admin or my ‘to-do’ list. Thank you to Emma Carlisle for introducing me to virtual co-working!
Details are below, sign up via luma.com to get these sessions in your time zone and receive handy email reminders.
All subscribers co-sketching:
Friday 8th November, 11am-12pm (GMT) https://lu.ma/4rxkud3o
Monday 11th November, 7-8pm (GMT) https://lu.ma/ayv8hohi
These co-sketching sessions are not recorded, all participants will be muted on entry, but you are welcome to switch your microphone on at the beginning to share what you plan to use the hour for, or you can use the text chat function.
I look forward to sharing a golden hour of creativity with you! 💛
Chat Threads
If you’re unfamiliar with the chat function on Substack, it’s like a group chat or live hangout. I love this space as it’s a great way for us to get to know each other and encourage supportive conversation among The Creative Flock members. Chat works best in the app, but you can join in on desktop too.
I have two threads:
Every Friday: Share Good Stuff from your Week (all subscribers)
Beginning of the month: A general creative chat thread (paid members)
I’ve not been doing enough to encourage conversation here, so from this month i’m going to try something different and use it as a place for you to ‘Toot your horn’ 📣 and share your wins, passion projects or anything that deserves a big ol’ pat on the back. I know a lot of us are bad at cheerleading ourselves, so let this be a place for that.
Paid members are also able to start new chat threads to kick off community conversations, ask questions or even share a brilliant new art material you feel we all need to know about.
I’ll kick off a ‘Toot Your Horn’ chat thread and look forward to joining in these chats with you 😊
Discounts on art materials and my print store
If you’re new to The Flock you may not be aware of the discounts I share with my subscribers and paid members, details below and in your welcome email.
Deep Deep Light - 10-15% off site wide:
All Creative Flock subscribers receive 10% off at the Deep Deep Light store, and paid members receive 15% off. Use code emmacarpendale10 for 10% off, paid members will receive their discount code in their welcome email after upgrading.
I’ve created two swatching videos of Deep Light Watercolours, available to all subscribers. If there are any in particular you’d like to see swatched, please feel free to drop me a message.
Deep Forest Palette: https://thecreativeflock.substack.com/p/swatching-of-deep-forest-palette
Florals Palette: https://thecreativeflock.substack.com/p/swatching-of-florals-palette-from
Coming next.. Winter Birds palette.
Cult Pens 10% discount:
Cult Pens is my preferred online store for pens and inks due to its wide range of products. Click this referral link for 10% off your order at Cult Pens.
My online print store:
https://www.emmacarpendale.co.uk/shop
Free subscribers receive 10% off my giclee prints, paid members receive 20% off. Use code printshop10 for 10% off, paid members will receive their discount code in their welcome email after upgrading.
I’m looking forward to a new month of creativity, I hope you will join me!
Just catching up! Thanks so much for the share!
Also I thought I'd mention - in case you don't get to Highgate (its quite a trek) this place in Islington is also really worth checking out if you're in the area : https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/city-gardens/find-a-garden/bunhill-fields-burial-ground
It used to be near where I worked, and its a little quiet space, with some significant people buried there. You may find it interesting!