Be the Artist-in-Residence of Your World

No application needed, just appoint yourself.

A few years ago, I appointed myself the artist-in-residence of the park near my house. For a year, I drew everything that happened in that park, from magnolias coming into bloom to a water reservoir construction project.

I took notes. I identified unfamiliar plants. I wrote down snippets of conversation I overheard from out-of-town visitors.

I didn’t ask anyone’s permission to be Washington Park’s artist in residence. There was no application process. I appointed myself, made my project, and shared it. Right here. It was wonderfully liberating to be accountable to no one but my own ideas and visions, and it was incredibly satisfying to finish the project and share it however I liked.

I’m the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen books. I’ve written about earthworms, the global flower industry, pioneering lady cops, obscure cocktails, botanical poisons, and tree collectors. In the pursuit of these stories I’ve gone around the world, behind the scenes, and deep into archives. My whole life is about following my curiosity and making art about it.

I’m encouraging you to do the same

Every week, I send out a free newsletter filled with ideas, observations, and inspiration. Use it to create your own self-appointed artist residency.

This doesn’t have to be a year-long project! Are you going to Yosemite for a week? Appoint yourself the artist-in-residence of Yosemite for one week. Make drawings, take notes, ask questions. Write poetry. Knit something. Take photographs. Write songs. You do you.

Be the artist in residence of autumn, and record everything you love about just one season. Or do what I’m doing, and be the artist in residence of the trees on your street.

Or it can be a long-term project: you could spend six months or a year as the artist-in-residence of a nearby river, your local public library, your favorite jazz club.

This can be anything, for any length of time. I’ll show you how, and I’ll give you fabulous examples of other artists who’ve done something wonderful with their residencies.

Supporters get even more

Curiosity fills a sketchbook. There’s no better way to observe the world than to carry a sketchbook and a pen. Whether you’re going around the globe or down the street, drawing and painting is a fantastic way to make new discoveries and fall in love with the world all over again.

• Art lessons: I make art tutorial videos that you can follow along with, often based on your requests and suggestions. And you’ll get access to the entire archive.

• Tips and tutorials for short or long-term projects: We also take a deeper dive into what it means to be the artist in residence of something. Should you announce it to anyone? How should you go about it? What should you make, and when, and where?

• Ideas and prompts for adding writing and other elements: I’ll be there to support you, post art lessons related to the subjects you’re working on, and offer ideas and prompts for adding writing and other elements like collage, photography, and so on.

• Chat: We’re using Substack’s chat feature to share what we’re working on.

• A public gallery for your completed projects! Supporters are invited to share their completed artist-in-residence project with the whole community! I’ll post it to my free newsletter, which goes out to almost 7000 people and it will live on the internet as a page you can share with anyone, anytime.

This is an artsy space for everyone! Beginners welcome! Also, there’s no such thing as talent. Drawing and painting are technical skills. Anyone can learn how. Join us! Try it out for a month and see what you think. I hope to see you there.

And there’s a Patron of the Arts option

If you become a supporter, there’s another tier called Patron of the Arts. I’ll do a custom drawing or painting based on your photos, send it out as an art lesson to the group, and send you the original artwork.

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About Me

I’m the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen books, including Wicked Plants, The Drunken Botanist, and Girl Waits with Gun. My books have sold over a million copies worldwide and have been translated into 18 languages.

I’ve appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition and Fresh Air, as well as CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, the PBS documentary The Botany of Desire, and–believe it or not– TLC’s Cake Boss. (The cake was delicious.) I’ve won a a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, the American Horticulture Society’s Book Award, and an International Association of Culinary Professionals Food Writing Award.

I’ve also been a painter and drawer of pictures for over twenty years. I teach both writing and art classes online right here. I live in Portland, OR with my husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer who has his own Substack right here.