🦀 June Scuttlebutt

Welcome, shipmates, to June's Scuttlebutt roundup!

Three otters swimming in a watercolor painting. This email is a quick digest of everything I've published to my website and Patreon since I last wrote. The rapid proliferation of new platforms in the wake of Twitter's decline has this channel feeling more valuable than ever. Thank you for trusting me with some space in your inbox.

(If you’d rather just stick with my infrequent Bottleship essays, simply email me and let me know you’d like to opt out of Scuttlebutt. You’ll only receive Bottleships moving forward.)

On Patreon:

#40

July 6, 2023

🌊 Summer Bottleship

A hawk in flight with a deep blue sky, telephone wires, and a half moon visible behind it.

Caw caw!

(That’s “Hi, it’s me, Lucy Bellwood,” in Hawk.)

The Solstice has come and gone, leaving us awash in the tick-tick-tick of the burner before the gas catches. We’re due for our first 90º days at the end of this week after a gloomy May and June. Thankfully I’m back at a family friend’s funky house in the East End of Ojai, taking care of two cats, a sheep-shaped dog, and, most importantly, a pool. I’m doing a lot of reflecting on where things were a month, a season, a year ago; how my dad’s health continues to decline, how my creative practice is finding shaky legs, how death and creativity both ask us to sit in a space of discomfort for longer than we might like.

#39

June 27, 2023

🦀 May Scuttlebutt

Welcome, shipmates, to May's Scuttlebutt blog post roundup!

These emails are a short and sweet collection of everything I've published to my blog and Patreon in the past month. (If you'd rather just stick with my infrequent Bottleship essays, simply email me and let me know you’d like to opt out of Scuttlebutt. You’ll only receive Bottleships moving forward.)

Ready? Here's the latest ↴

Website

#38

May 5, 2023

🦀 April Scuttlebutt

Welcome, shipmates, to April’s Scuttlebutt blog post roundup!

If you missed the first installment at the beginning of March, this newsletter is an experiment. At the start of each month I’m generating a quick list of everything I’ve published to my website and Patreon in the past 30(ish) days. Hopefully this makes it easier to keep tabs on what I’m up to, even if the answer is “not very much right now”.

(If you’d rather just stick with my infrequent Bottleship essays, simply email me and let me know you’d like to opt out of Scuttlebutt. You’ll only receive Bottleships moving forward.)

Here’s the latest ↴

#37

April 4, 2023

🦀 March Scuttlebutt

Welcome, shipmates, to the very first Scuttlebutt Dispatch

As social media becomes increasingly fraught, there’s a widespread shift in my creative circles: people are cultivating their own personal websites! They’re returning to blogging! They’re starting their own newsletters!

We love to see it, but the seeing of it also remains something of a challenge.

How do we keep tabs on the people we love while moving away from the clutches of Big Social Media? I’m a big fan of using an RSS reader (some good intros to that here and here), but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Email remains stalwart for a reason. So: this monthly dispatch will be a quick digest of everything I’ve published to my website and Patreon, freeing me up to keep the main Bottleship space available for the irregular rambly essays and updates you know and love.

#36

March 6, 2023

🌊 Winter Bottleship, 2022/2023

A muddy torrent of river water.

We're standing at the edge of the bridge, my mother and I, drenched by horizontal rain and shouting to be heard over the wind. The Ventura river, normally a demure stream winding through the arroyo in winter, fills my entire field of vision. Brown floodwaters tear past laurel sumac and white sage. Uprooted trees whirl and bob. There are rapids and eddies and myriad channels converging from the foothills and storm drains to create a creature I haven't seen before in my lifetime. 19,000 cubic feet of water pounding past at every second, and rising fast. It takes my breath away.

#35

January 23, 2023

🌊 February Bottleship

Bottleshipmates!

It's me, Lucy Bellwood, delivering another infrequent missive to your inboxes. (If you'd like to disembark for any reason, there's an easy link to unsubscribe at the bottom of this message.)

Winter has been...well, it's been a lot. And everything is still a lot. I'm writing to you because connecting to this community reminds me that there are good people in the world who value art and tenderness and activism and joy. Just by being yourselves out there you do this. You give this gift. Thank you.

I'm getting close to releasing my 100 Day Project from 2020—the one I kept secret, and have been tinkering with for the last couple years. It's a spiritual successor to 100 Demon Dialogues, but it's also going to be very different in form and function. It makes it all exciting and terrifying and new.

#34

March 3, 2022

🌊 Autumnal Bottleship

Ahoy friends!

I hope you've all been keeping well since my last dispatch in May. (May?! May. Wow.) I'm Lucy Bellwood and this is my very intermittent newsletter. I'm so glad you're here! (If you're done with being here, that's fine too. You can unsubscribe at the bottom of this message with the click of a button. Easy as pie.)

#33

November 9, 2021

🌊 The Bottleship Resurfaces

Friends! Hello.

It’s me, Adventure Cartoonist Lucy Bellwood, back in your inboxes after a long spell of silence. Those of you who joined up more recently may not know that this channel has lain dormant since the summer of 2019—but it has! I’m opting to call it a deliberate choice rather than a shortcoming. (May we all get a little more permission to go silent for a long while and trust that people will be happy to hear from us when we emerge in 2021.)

I’m writing today to celebrate the launch of a new project on Kickstarter called Tell the Turning. It’s a collaborative effort between myself, poet Tara Shepersky, and micro-press publisher Stefan Lorenzutti. I’m providing illustrations to companion Tara’s lyrical, place-based work, and the whole object is just going to be a 160-page sandwich of delight. If you’re a wanderer, a birdwatcher, or a seasonal creature, I think you’ll love it.

#32

May 1, 2021

July Bottleship

Hello, friends—

It's so nice to be writing to you again! It's been a minute. Well, seven months of minutes. You're all so much taller and wiser and possess so many more interesting books than you did in December! I'm proud of you. And while my as-yet-untitled book project is still under wraps, I just got news that the brief comic I made about Jeanne Baret (a pioneering botanist and the first woman to sail around the globe) is going to be published in an anthology from Knopf Books for Young Readers! You can pre-order . (And if you're . I'll leave you with this lovely radio piece about . Till next time, L P.S. If you feel moved to do so, would you write and tell me about either a) a decision you've made this year that's changed you, could be big or small—anything will do, or b) how or why you ended up subscribing to this newsletter? It's just nice to know who else is out there in this fractious internet age.

#31

July 14, 2019

December Bottleship

I hope this belated Bottleship finds you well. It’s a rare, misty sort of day in my hometown of Ojai, California—a place that was very nearly wiped off the map by wildfires last December. In addition to the chaos that’s been plaguing our national news cycle, the last couple years have held a lot of tumult for my family and our home. The events of last Christmas got under my skin in ways I didn’t fully grasp until I was facing the prospect of returning for the holidays this year. I started dreaming of a wishful alternate reality every night: dementia, droubt, debt—all reversed. All gone. I’d wake and believe my own fantasy for hours before the truth caught up and the dread came down and I grew ever more twitchy about the visit. But then I arrived to find all our long-overdue renovations complete, and the influence of a more stable routine evident in my father’s behavior, and now I don’t know how to describe the lightness I feel. This deep, deep relief. There is no longer a gaping hole in the kitchen floor. No more black mold in the sitting room. No more cracks in the plaster, or water cascading out of the freezer at irregular intervals. The infestations—earwigs, rats, ants, you name it—have abated. I make it sound like a nightmare, but I love this house, even if (or perhaps because) we never had the money to keep it in good shape. One wet childhood winter, when rain poured through our shoddy kitchen ceiling into multiple pots and pans on the floor, I pirouetted in and out of each—delighted to be puddle-jumping indoors. We’ve always lived here with a loving, resigned sense of the absurd. How else could we endure? Admittedly, even as the house stands pristine and polished from its recent appraisal, my mother and I are still racing around placing puppy pads and wrestling with packs of Depends, guarding against the urinations of two geriatric cats and one incontinent, absent-minded dad. But instead of it being the final straw between us and total meltdown, it’s a hoot. We laugh a lot. We lie on the bed and waggle our legs in the air and collapse into helpless fits of giggles. We talk about how much we love each other. How grateful we are to be together. How miraculous it is to still have this house. The sudden release of so much anxiety is leaving me slack and giddy. I waver from room to room, struggling to believe that for the first time in three years my foundation isn’t undergoing some kind of radical upheaval. The sun still turns the That’s all from me in this final missive of 2018. It’s been a wild year, and I’m left feeling so grateful to all of you who’ve been in touch over the last twelve months. Whether you attended a tour event, purchased a book, or just reached out to say hi online, my career is so much richer (not to mention fundamentally feasible) for having you in my corner. Thank you. Wishing you all strength and love for the year ahead, L P.S. Here’s a holiday card.

#30

December 18, 2018

November Bottleship

Here are some things I've been appreciating now that I'm done traveling for the year: I get to hear the familiar harmonizing whistle of my teakettle every morning. I'm learning where the squirrels bury their chestnuts for winter. I run into people I know on the street

Until then I remain, Your fan, Lucy P.S. With the holidays approaching, I'm obligated to mention that there are, , many purchasable delights available in my shop. You can browse the whole bunch (but especially these ) . See you in December!

#29

November 14, 2018

October Bottleship

Hello, friends.

I hope this Bottleship finds you feeling nourished as the seasons change.

A diary comic about visiting Switzerland.

It's blazing with autumnal sunshine in Portland today. I arrived home from my final international tour leg to find that summer had fast-forwarded to fall. The leaves are already coming down. The air is sharper. I hardly know where I've been or how it happened.

So much of this year has felt fueled by inevitability. I set a series of events in motion at the start of 2018 that have carried me around the country and across the Atlantic. It has been nourishing and thrilling and exhausting and everything all at once. And of course, as often happens when we push ourselves to the brink, I've gotten sick.

So here I am, grappling with undeniable truth of the body. Resting.

This coming Tuesday I'll be in Seattle, WA for my final West Coast appearance of the year: Offbeat Ada's. After three trips full of of promoting, coordinating, and appearing at tour events, I am (perhaps not surprisingly) taking this one slow. Offbeat Ada's is a conversational series run by Ariel Meadow Stallings of Offbeat Empire. She's a very smart lady and I'm looking forward to approaching this discussion with some of the lessons I've learned from the past year. We'll be at Ada's Technical Books on Tuesday, October 16th. Doors at 6:30, event starts at 7.

Click the image for more details about this event!

It's dangerous to think we've ever reached a stopping point in the business of learning who we are and how we make our way through the world. During the tour I'd often say that I hadn't solved my relationship with my Inner Critic, but that we were coexisting on healthier terms. And then today a friend of mine said something about the personal work they'd been doing that stopped me cold:

"I only did enough work to make me feel good about doing the work, because my identity is based on being the one who’s good at doing the work."

Busted.

I’ve achieved so many of the goals I set out for myself this year—lots of them thanks to your support—but I’ve also re-learned the lesson that our challenges will continue to shadow us no matter how much we accomplish. It’s humbling. To quote my Hourly Comic Day entry from 2016:

Two panels of comics. Lucy unrolling a yoga mat with the narration "That's what makes it a practice." Lucy folded forward on a yoga mat, her forehead touching the floor with narration "You just keep showing up."

Here's a list of other noteworthy items and events for the remainder of 2018:

#28

October 12, 2018

August Bottleship

Hello from Ojai, friends far and wide!

I'm spending a week at home with my parents here in California before I launch into the next leg of my tour. It's honestly been a huge relief to step away from frantic event promotion for a few days to just be present, even if it's with difficult stuff. My family is weathering some major transitions right now, and I'm still trying to figure out how to talk about it. It's weird to be touring with such a vulnerable book while also navigating real-time challenges at home. I'm working on it.

Ultimately I'm just feeling very grateful to everyone who's hosted me on the road, attended an event, or cheered from the sidelines of social media. You make this work possible, and your kind words about the project keep me going. I'm so glad you're here.
A shelf-talker for 100 Demon Dialogues at Powell's Books on Hawthorne Since we last spoke, I've confirmed some new event dates, so here's the updated list of where you can find me for the rest of the summer (and some of the fall):

Bart’s Books – 7-9:30pm, August 3rd, Ojai, CA
Other Books – 6-8:30pm, August 12th, Los Angeles, CA
[San Diego Tour Stop - Venue TBA] – Evening of August 16th, San Diego, CA
San Diego Writers, Ink: Generative Demon Workshop – 6:30pm, August 17th, San Diego, CA
BookPeople – August 20th, 7pm, Austin, TX
Trident Booksellers & Cafe – August 22nd, 7pm, Boulder, CO
XOXO (Just attending—say hi if you see me!) — September 6th - 9th, Portland, OR
Thought Bubble Festival – September 22nd & 23rd, Leeds, England
MICE – October 20th & 21st, Cambridge, MA

I'll call out a particular entry on there because I'm excited about it: I'm teaching a workshop in San Diego! We'll be spending two hours doing generative writing and drawing exercises that will help you better understand (and live with) your own Inner Critic.

Flyer for workshop at San Diego Writers, Ink

Tickets are available here. I'll also be updating my website as soon as I confirm the venue for that open-to-all tour event in San Diego the day before.

I'm writing a post about how I planned this monster tour for my Patreon page, but here's a glimpse of my venue database (at least the bit for comic shops):

Screenshot of a database featuring many listings for comic shops

I've been using Airtable to build a record of comic shops, bookstores, event venues, and media/press contacts to be used on future tours. This is the most time and effort I've ever put into a resource like this, and it's definitely paying off. (Airtable also supports calendar views of spreadsheets, so I can turn a Tour Schedule sheet into a drag-and-drop calendar interface for planning stops and travel days. BLISS.)

🚨YES HELLO I AM A BIG NERD. 🚨

Here are some things to Read/Listen To/Otherwise Enjoy:

I can't shut up about Robin Sloan's tap essay, Fish.
I spoke with Calvin Bauer of Light Grey Art Lab about travel, attention, and boundaries for the LGAL Podcast.
Speaking of interviews, there's a BIG profile interview with me up on The Hollywood Reporter!
Indie publishing house Microcosm will not be renewing their distribution relationship with Amazon. (If you’re curious about how much money I make from 100 Demon Dialogues sales on different platforms, check out the “Buying the Book” section of this Kickstarter update.)
A flowchart to help you pay for sliding-scale art.
Singer-songwriter Rain Perry writes beautifully about performers, performances, and lies. I'm learning a lot from musicians lately. Here, Amanda Palmer writes at length about the same Springsteen show Rain saw, and what it changed about her approach to touring in 2019.
Nicole Brinkley breaks down How Authors Get Paid. (Her Patreon is great, too.)

If you have to be sure don't write.

Till next time, take care of yourselves.

Lucy

P.S. If you want send me a little extra support, leave a review for 100 Demon Dialogues on Goodreads, Powell’s, or Amazon! It’s a great way for new readers to find the book. Thank you so, so much for taking the time.

#27

August 2, 2018

July Bottleship

Hi friends!

I'm home in Portland, which feels surreal given the events of the past month. I read Tricia Lockwood's take on somewhere between Detroit and Long Island, and it rings painfully true: She's a beast. For the first leg of the 100 Demon Dialogues Tour, I was moving every two days to keep up with all the different hosts and events. My ability to keep five social media platforms informed about everything that was going on evaporated. Despite the loss of feeling in my tweeting fingers, I'm feeling so inspired and nurtured by all the good connections I made on the road. Being back this week finds me touching familiar things as if they couldn't possibly be mine. It's a blessing to be in my own bed. If you signed up for this mailing list during the tour, hello! Thank you for letting me be in your inbox! I promise not all of these monthly missives are as detail-heavy as what follows—it's just That Time of Year. Here are some fun statistics from Leg 1: I'm still collating the numbers, but I'd like to release a financial report once this is properly over so you can get an idea of how I structured the tour. I think I sold about 150 copies of the book, and halfway through the trip I got word that my distributor wanted 300 additional copies to meet pre-order demands, which was GREAT NEWS. This means the tour and your enthusiasm have led retailers to lay in a bigger supply. I'm so grateful. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about planning and executing the tour If you want to be a fly on the wall at a tour stop, m And now, since all my West Coast friends have been waiting so patiently, it's time for Leg 2. Here are all the places I'm planning to go (with some empty spots that could use assistance, so email me if you have venues, spare beds, or connections to local libraries): I'll leave you with a couple to cleanse the palate: Take heart. I'll see many of you real soon! <3 Lucy

#26

July 12, 2018

June Bottleship

Hello, wonderful humans—

This is a big one for me. I've spent the last month planning the first half of my 2018 tour, and it's finally kicking off this week. Tell your friends you're going "on tour" is always a little strange when you're an independent, self-published Internet Human, so I . It's a phrase most folks seem to associate with rock stars and penthouse suites. The reality is often a lot , but also (to my mind) a lot more fun. I've been so humbled by the friends who have volunteered couches and contacts as I've thrown this thing together, and I think every single one of these stops is going to hold something unique and magical. Imagine, just for a minute, being at a book event and realizing that everyone else there is just as scared as you are. And then knowing there's something you can do or say to put those other people at ease (and maybe even, in the process, ). I think there's a lot of power in that. Of course, this is all hypothetical right now. The thrill of doing something like this is not knowing exactly how every stop will go—so let's find out together. Without further ado, here's...

#25

June 2, 2018

May Bottleship

Every day I drink my tea barefoot on the porch and do the crossword.

I'm going to call it here because this is a heck of a lot of content for one monthly email. Those of you who made it all the way down: I salute you. If you'd like to keep making all this possible, you can support me monthly , pick up something good , or forward this email to a friend. Thank you <3 I hope you're all well. L

#24

May 9, 2018

April Bottleship

Hello, everyone!

It's wild to think that as a new wave of creators embark on the this year, I'm finally wrapping up the journey that started on April 3rd, 2017. It's changed my life in ways I really couldn't have anticipated, and this stage is only the beginning. Now the book heads out to Kickstarter backers, I'm taking a break from doing 100 Day Project this year (as much as it pains me to write that) to focus on getting my new book into the world as effectively and meaningfully as possible. Thank you all so much for following along in this wild hayride. The focus may be shifting as the new book comes out (fewer boats, more feelings maybe?), but the heart remains the same. Be well, and enjoy the spring— Lucy

#23

April 2, 2018

February Bottleship

Hello, friends! The most important update I have for you this month is that the daphne bushes in our neighborhood have finally started to bloom, which means the air is beginning to smell like spring. It feels like a miracle every single year. We're moving into the season where I get to go out into the world and meet a load of readers, which is always an exciting time. Here are the places you can find me over the next month:

This month's closing quote comes from , a massive tome by Carsten Jensen which follows the fortunes of a Danish seafaring village over the course of 100 years. I'm about halfway through and really loving it, but this quote in particular just grabbed me by the hair and wouldn't let go:

#22

February 2, 2018

January Bottleship

Hello, Ships and Bottles! WELP, it's a new year. Even though we're all carrying our fair share of scrapes and bruises from 2017, it's important to remember that there's a lot to fight for and be hopeful about. Here's a selection of delectables for you in this first month of 2018.

#21

January 9, 2018

December Bottleship

Hello, new readers and old. I can hardly believe we're almost at the end of another year. If you'd like to get straight to the links, feel free to scroll down. Otherwise: here is some seasonal rambling.

It's cold and clear in Portland this afternoon, and there's dirt under my fingernails. I had lunch with a landscaper friend yesterday and bemoaned the fact that I wanted to garden but felt I had left it too late in the season to plant. She briskly informed me that I was talking nonsense and so I scrambled off to the nursery to stock up on bulbs, shrubs, and creeping groundcover for the stretch of dirt at the side of our house. It's been one of those trash-attracting liminal spaces since we moved in three years ago, but the addition of new windows in the basement make the view a bit of an issue. I'm aiming to fix that. A couple poems came to mind while I was out there. Seamus Heaney's "," obviously, but also one of my very favorite poems: "" by Marge Piercy (which I've very likely mentioned here before). And that's it! You can expect another installment of this newsletter around January 1st. Until then, here's a thought from Kay Larson's biography of John Cage, :

#20

December 4, 2017

Autumn Bottleship

Greetings, friends and fans! (And a special hello to all you new folks joining us after the deluge of press for my Art of the Sailor posters on , , and elsewhere. .) Autumn is definitely happening here in Portland. I've been raking leaves, swearing at the wind, and then raking more leaves in an endless cycle this week. There's also been a lot to report on over the last chunk of time! Here's what's new, in 10 bullet points: 1. I spoke at about living a life that foregrounds curiosity and building a career from your weirdest childhood obsessions. I had a great time and got delightful feedback from people who devised their own dream job titles during the talk. If you end up giving it a shot, let me know what you come up with! You can watch the whole thing on YouTube . 2. I've been dying to see Derek DelGaudio's show ever since I read earlier this year—and I finally got the chance two weeks ago! It was . I've been thinking about it nonstop. The Creative Independent has a great interview with him . His point that we, as magicians/artists/humans "have the opportunity to transfer [a] moment of astonishment to others" feels very true to me. I'll be thinking about his call to "be the proxy for the amazing thing" as I approach future adventures and comics projects. 3. I spoke with the excellent folks at Anxy Magazine about the project and my experience getting to know my inner critic over three months of daily creative work. . (We're also just one month away from receiving the Demon Plushies! You can pre-order your own .) 4. Speaking of , I caved to popular demand and made some stickers. They're printed on clear vinyl and look extra swish on clear or light-colored surfaces. . 5. Nicole Dieker is one of my favorite freelance writers on the internet ( and everything). She recently wrote a lovely piece about , and has also just launched a new podcast called that I think you'll dig. 6. In Nautical Eye Candy this week: (YES, REALLY), , and . 7. I just finished , a collection short stories by Ken Liu that took my breath away. Like DelGaudio, he's utilizing the tropes of his genre to underscore and highlight fundamental truths of human nature. It's gorgeous and moving and deeply challenging. I also loved by Glynis Ridley. Baret was the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, traveling disguised as a man aboard a French vessel. Ridley's account of her journey is sensitively researched and totally captivating. (Can you tell I'm itching to adapt it?) 8. I FINISHED MY INKTOBER PROJECT FOR 2017! These watercolor and ink paintings are each 5.5" x 5.5". I tried to catch the sunrise or sunset every day for a month, documenting the skyline wherever I happened to be at the time. There'll be prints and original paintings for sale coming soon. I'll send an email update when they're live. 9. Coming up: you can catch me on November 12th at speaking on a panel about Funding Creative Work. The event is free, open to the public, and features talks by 29 badass women about podcasting, zinemaking, creative business, comics, activism, and more. See you there! 10. I'll leave you with this lovely quote from Rebecca Solnit's , which hit me right in the heart:

Make an alliance this week. <3 Lucy

#19

November 2, 2017

Summer Bottleship

#18

September 1, 2017

New Comics and Plushies Ahoy

Hello, Bottleshippers! One quick dispatch before the end of the month to let you know that is closing in ! If you haven't had a chance to check out , today's a great day to do so. (And if you've already pledged, a) THANK YOU and b) Perhaps you'd consider sharing a tweet or telling a friend? That would be amazing.) I'm exceedingly thrilled with how the campaign has gone so far, and totally over the moon about how the little plush demons turned out. JUST LOOK AT THIS GUY: Thanks to all of you for being so supportive and enthusiastic. I can't wait to make these new books with your help. Another couple items of note:

Okay, that's it for me! I'll leave you with this very entertaining quiz of . Talk to you next month, everyone! <3 Lucy

#17

July 28, 2017

July Bottleship: 100 Demon Dialogues Edition

Hello, friends!
This is an extra-special newsletter installment to let you know that...

#16

July 14, 2017

May/June Bottleship

Greetings, shipmates— I write this month with a double digest of new project announcements, recordings, and other sundry goods. I just got back from Festival of Sail Tacoma, where I got to meet a bunch of lovely sailor fans return to the to spend an evening hauling lines and shouting a lot out on the water. It was deeply good for my soul.

#15

June 19, 2017

April Bottleship

Ahoy friends! It's been a busy month for me, what with in New York, in Alaska, and now a week with my folks in California. (Didn't I say I'd travel in 2017?) I'm feeling a lot of things, and noticing a lot more. My communities are knitting themselves closer together and working hard to find solutions to the anxiety pervading the world at large. I see more and more people (especially independent creators) talking about money and vulnerability and success. It feels like a huge sea change within a very small and specific corner of the creative universe. On that note:

#14

April 28, 2017

March Bottleship

Greetings, shipmates! Spring is seriously here in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm going out my gourd with joy at all the new flowering plant action. The magnolias are thiiiiiiis close to exploding into bloom, and the daphne bush around the corner is scenting the house every time I open my window. It's a magical time to be back in Portland. Here's what I've been up to now that I'm home!

Thanks for all you do to keep the great ship Bellwood afloat! If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, consider or <3 Love and boats and comics, Lucy

#13

March 22, 2017

February Bottleship

Hey Shipmates,
Sneaking in under the wire here to give you an end-of-the-month update! The biggest news is that I'm thiiiiiis close to finishing my bonkers run of 2016/2017 travel and settling into Life in Portland No Really I Swear No More Travel Except Maybe That One Show I Love Okay Make it Two Shows, etc. But before then...

And I'm done! Keep being great out there. I hope to see some of you in person in Seattle next week. Love and boats and comics, Lucy

#12

February 26, 2017

January Bottleship

Hey friends, Long time no see! It's been a busy couple months—lots going on in the world, at home, and everywhere else. I hope you're all fighting the good fight and still finding ways to care for yourselves and each other. I've been on the road since December 2nd, and somehow my dedication to a less travel-ful 2017 isn't shaking out how I'd planned, but I'm feeling grounded and determined and nourished, even if I'm far from home. I just wanted to share some things real quick before I drop off the map for the next five days and catch a bit of a break to explore the island of Hawai'i proper. Here's what's up:

I'm sure there's a million more things to say, but I've gotta run to the airport! Sending you all lots of love and support from out here in the big wide world. I'll write again soon. <3 Lucy

#11

January 27, 2017

November Bottleship

Hi, friends. I'm so glad I get to write to you today. It's been a hell of a month. The world is a scary-feeling place right now. I've been wanting to write this email but struggling with what to say—the tone feels all wrong. The usual fire and joy that fuel my life took a hit on Election Day. I was far away in the UK, worried and hopeful and all motivated after a really lovely weekend at Thought Bubble, and when I woke up to the news this grey weight and sickening fear took root and drove me from place to place the rest of my time abroad, drifting around museums and looking for hope. These last few weeks I've seen friends in comics and elsewhere —even though everyone I've talked to took a similar hit, and we're all muzzy and slow with shock. Does what we do matter? Can it effect real, lasting change? People I meet up with over tea ask me these questions with anxiousness behind their eyes. I wonder, too. Here's what I believe: nourishing young readers with media that encourages kindness and bravery and empathy is part of the fight. Showing our honest selves so that others can feel less alone is part of the fight. Fostering networks of supportive friends, pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones, and giving back to the communities that sustain us are all part of the fight. . I hope you do too. So with all that in mind, here's what I'm working on. Here are some things friends of mine are working on. Here are some things that have made the last few weeks less bleak.

#10

November 27, 2016

October Bottleship

Fall is here, Ships and Bottles! First off: if you'd like to see me in person, you've got one more chance in 2016. I'll be at the in Leeds, England on November 5th and 6th (Table 64 in Royal Armories Hall). In the meantime: I've been hoarding treats to send to you, so it's time to let loose with the goods.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you all in a couple weeks. Love and boats and comics, Lucy

#9

October 24, 2016

August Bottleship

Hello, Bottleshippers! ...Shipbottles? Shippy Botts? Perhaps I should take this back to the drawing board. HI. The excitement keeps on coming this month, so I figured I should write you all another quick update with some tasty morsels before September rushes by in a cloud of autumnal leaves and pencil shavings. Here's what's good:

Lotta news! Lotta excitement! If you can't make it to the release party tonight, but would like to snag a copy of , you can preorder it through Amazon , or get a special hardcover edition . That's all for now! See you at the party! Love and boats and comics, Lucy

#8

September 1, 2016

Summer Bottleship

Greetings, friends!

#7

August 15, 2016

May Bottleship

#6

May 31, 2016

April/May Bottleship

Hello, friends and shipmates! The summer convention season is beginning to pick up, and there's lots to share. Here are some choice morsels from the last few weeks:

#5

May 9, 2016

(Slightly Belated) March Bottleship

Sun! ! Oh my friends what a difference it makes. I've moved my bed back under the east-facing window in my room, and I slept with the window open for the first time this year on Wednesday. Drifting off with the smell of washing over me is just about the greatest thing ever. But there are other great things in the world! Let me tell you about some of them from the month of March:

#4

April 4, 2016

February Bottleship: The pitcher cries for water to carry

Hello, friends! The I planted last fall are thrusting up from the earth. Spring is coming, ever-so-slowly, to Portland. I find myself accumulating fascinating things at a rate that feels unsustainable for a once-a-month update—so perhaps you'll be seeing more of these in the near future. In the meantime, here are some things I love:

I think that's the end of this installment, but don't cry! There are other amazing newsletters out there, like from my pal , who will make you excited about so many things you might need a cup of something soothing on hand just to calm down. Keep showing up, keep being kind. It's a practice. <3 Lucy

#3

February 22, 2016

January Bottleship

Greetings, subscribers! I hope this finds you all facing down the coming months with clear eyes and excited notions about where you're headed in the 2016. To help you on your way, here's the first of my monthly tidbit-based missives. This is just a loose collection of things that I've made or found fascinating in recent memory—enjoy!

That's probably enough to kick off your third week in January, right? Sounds good. I'll be back next month with more tasty nibbles. Keep swimming, Lucy P.S. Thank you for being here!

#2

January 18, 2016

Welcome Aboard

Hello, friends! For some time now I've been toying with the idea of launching a monthly(ish) newsletter to collect details about my doings in the world. Maybe you don't have the time or inclination to keep up with me on social media, maybe you just love the convenience of getting some personal mail straight to your Inbox—whatever the reason, I'm so glad you're here. In addition to news of upcoming events or noteworthy happenings, I'd like for this newsletter to serve as a repository for a handful of choice links to things I've found inspiring or compelling each month. Maybe sometimes it'll be , maybe other times it's just a drawing of a morose, piratical bear. Either way, if you're game to receive a little something from me in your Inbox once a month, welcome! I'm excited to connect with you here. If you're looking for ways to support me and want to hear all the latest Bellwood News weekly rather than monthly, do check out . $2 a month over there will get you exclusive weekly posts delivered straight to your Inbox. For now, I'll leave you with a fan sent to me all about whalers' wives in Nantucket and the unusual (though perhaps not unsurprising) keepsakes they squirreled away in their homes. It's a

#1

November 18, 2015

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