Happy Chinese New Year!

Hello all! I realized it has been a while since I’ve taken the time to post on my blog. For those of you who still follow, thank you for being here.

Work has been picking up, and it has been amazing seeing the new ideas coming my way from both returning clients and new ones! I’m already getting requests to book for May, even though I haven’t planned on thinking more than 8 weeks ahead. This is because I have a surgery coming up this year, and since it’s through the public hospital, I won’t know the exact date until it’s scheduled.

As 2025 came to an end, I reflected on all the hard work I’ve put into myself and what I want my future self to be. Looking back, I realized I had been constantly pushing to be the person I used to be, worrying that I was letting others down if I didn’t reach that goal. Typical perfectionist thinking, indeed. Knowing that there’s no growth if I hold myself back with unrealistic expectations, I decided to simplify my work schedule for this new year.

You’ll now find me at Winter Tattoo on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I’ve decided to take Thursdays off for myself so I can continue my loom weaving classes and make time to create for myself. It’s so easy to take on too much work and forget that I have limited energy levels—I’m not a computer! In this tech-driven world, it’s easy to forget that we’re not data banks, and the amount of information we take in daily can drain our energy. Over the past five years, I’ve been working on balancing my work-life routine and managing my energy levels day to day.

Now that we’re in the Chinese New Year of the Fire Horse, I’m so excited to celebrate by exploring new ways to share my art. I’ve quietly been using Ko-Fi to promote digital pet portraits for those who are interested. I’ve now decided that selling my art as digital prints is a fun and sustainable way to share my work without worrying about overprinting and creating waste.

The first of my digital prints is my “Year of the Fire Horse” digital painting, which is a limited release. You can find it in my Ko-Fi shop. There are only 26 files available, and each one will be sent to the buyer in the order they’re purchased.

Alternatively, for those of you who prefer physical prints, you can find an A6 version in my shop right here on my website:Year of the Fire Horse A6 Print

I hope you enjoy my new Ko-Fi page! For those interested in following me there, I plan to use this space to share more behind-the-scenes posts. It’s a place where I don’t have to worry about competing with algorithms and can connect with those who choose to be here with me.

x Aja