ink & adventure

I’m a designer currently living in South Korea who loves travel, tea, and illustrating what I learn. This is my sketchblog. katingalls.com →

[katingalls]

Just wanted to draw a little froggy dude 🐸 - #inktober Day 2

[katingalls]

A few years ago, I stopped reading fiction. Because it wasn't "productive." At first it was pushed back for other "more important" things (this was around the time I started college and was flooded with engineering homework). But over time I started seeing fiction-reading as something not-worth-doing. Only this past year have I realized how sad this is - how sad it's making me - because growing up some of my favorite times were times spent with books. (ahem #potterhead) This hyper-pragmatic mentality had crept into so many other areas of my life. I started telling myself that everything I do needed to be FOR something. Purposeful. Productive. It's like I'd forgotten to have fun. To play: to do something simply for the sake of it being enjoyable. It's weird that I'm actively working to allow fun in my life. It seems like something that should come naturally. But I think somewhere along the way I forgot that play IS important. Just as important as work. I'm currently on the third book of the Expanse series and so happy to be making time for my old love of reading. For no reason other than it makes my heart happy. THAT is its "usefulness." Hope you're having a lovely Sunday. Give yourself permission to do something just for the joy of it. ✨ #workhardplayharder #designedlife #designyourmind #playiswork #happinessproject #engineerproblems #mindfulness #bookworm #expanse #kindle (at Columbia , South Carolina)

[katingalls]

For the entire election, I kept my non-designy views close. But I've finally reached the point where I can't *not* speak up. This. Is. Wrong. Politically. Morally. Logically. Banning Muslims isn't American. It's just hateful. Is that what we stand for now? Spreading some light with an Egyptian-inspired heron from awhile back. #muslimban #lovenothate #illustration #bennu #letthemin #nobannowall

[katingalls]

More sketchnotes on finding focus when you're feeling #inspirationoverload . Loved the idea to do your hardcore focus work before lunch. Being able to let got of the stress of "scary work" (and just crank out some tasky chore or creative stuff in the afternoon) is definitely motivation to get hyper-focused in the morning. ☀️☕️ And let's be honest, a big part of the reason work for myself is for the afternoon naps. 🐈

[katingalls]

Who else? (I looked fabulous today.) #dailydrawing #inauguration #sketchnotes #workfromhome #solopreneur #risingtidesociety

[katingalls]

When it comes to planning my day, I love digital tools - like #Trello and Google Calendar. But if I don't physically write out my tasks and a rough timeline, I just end up aimlessly reading articles for hours. 🙈 Part of a sketchnote about morning routines. #wip #sketchnotes #morningroutine #bulletjournal #solopreneur #creativepreneur #illustration #risingtidesociety

[katingalls]

I'm cuddling my cat making sketchnotes about cuddling my cat. 💕🐈

[katingalls]

I like big books and I cannot lie. 📚 Found this incredible old book shop and totally lost track of time. We found books from the early 1700s. Guys. These books are older than our country. And you can HOLD them while you read the 300 year old pages. 😍 #katgoestoengland #bibliophile #anglophile #bigdorktinybody (at Bath Old Books)

[katingalls]

Cambridge felt like how I'd always envisioned Hogwarts. Nerd heaven. ⚡🐉️🖋✨🇬🇧 #katgoestoengland #potterhead #hogwarts #cambridge (at University of Cambridge)

[katingalls]

Guys! I'm in London!! 🇬🇧💂🏼☕️Been wanting to come here since I was a little girl, reading Peter Pan, then Harry Potter, then Price and Prejudice. Didn't realize how beautiful the flight in would be. You can see everything 😍 #anglophile #london #childhooddream (at Big Ben)

[katingalls]

One of my favorite things about working for myself is indulging in an afternoon nap. Oh yeah. No shame. 🤘🏻 I'm a morning person AND a night owl...but afternoons I'm a useless zombie. I work at about 10% what I know I'm capable of. And naps? Naps fix everything. - It's one of those days where I'd love to just curl up and nap with this little guy allll day. 💕🐈 But client projects to finish, suitcases to pack, and dreams to reach for. What gets you out of bed (or would!) when you'd rather nap all day? - #catlady #naptime #bossbabe #applepencil #sketchaday #solopreneur #sketchbook

[katingalls]

Practicing portraits while playing Assassin's Creed with Ravi. We're playing video games in preparation for London 👾🎮🖋🇬🇧 #couplegoals accomplishment unlocked! - #illustration #applepencil #sketchaday #createexplore (at Songtan,Korea)

[katingalls]

Day 40: Ginseng. Super important to both Korean and Chinese traditional medicine. You can use it in tea or 삼계탕 (Samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup). - Also: Have decided this will be the end of this series. Yep, I'm quitting the #100dayproject. Shame, shame. I'll still be posting illustrations! But the pressure to post a "finished" illustration every day has become more of a chore than fun. And if you're not having fun any more - especially for what started as a passion project - what's the point? - Basically, I think I set my expectations too high for my first #100dayproject. The illustrations I want to make aren't quick enough that I can do them on really busy days. And the stuff I'm sharing isn't work that I'm proud of - because I'm always trying to "catch up." It's an awkward middle ground where I'm not growing, and that I'm just really not interested in pursuing. - I'm excited to get back the energy I've been spending feeling guilty about being behind on this project. Like pruning, sometimes quitting (cutting off what isn't working) really is the best thing you can do to grow. - #letitgo #quitter #prune #shameshame #100daysofplantillustrations 🖋🇰🇷#10daysofkoreanplants #100dayproject #illustration #digitalpainting #sketchbookpro #digitalnomad #creativepreneur #bossbabe #instaartist #artcollective #beingboss #seoul #koreanfood #ginseng #삼 (at Seoul, South Korea)

[katingalls]

Pretty much sums up my day 😊 Quick little illustration break - made this on an iPhone! #weliveinthefuture

[katingalls]

Day 39/100: Mung bean. These make a yummy fried Korean food called 빈대떡 ("Bindaetteok" or Mung Bean Pancake). Street vendors grinding these beans into a batter is a common sight here in Korea! It may be fried, but because it's mostly bean, I like telling myself it's almost healthy 😜 . Tomorrow is the last day of #10daysofkoreanplants ! 🇰🇷 Thinking of doing a series of berries for the next 10 days!🍓

[katingalls]

Day 38/100: Rice. Because #10daysofkoreanplants would be nonsense without some 밥! 🇰🇷 #100daysofplantillustrations 🖋 . . . #100dayproject #illustration #digitalpainting #sketchbookpro #digitalnomad #creativepreneur #bossbabe #instaartist #artcollective #korea #koreanfood #rice #밥 #쌀

[katingalls]

Day 37/100: Soy. Guys, Koreans know how to do tofu. That boxed stuff you get at the grocery store? Flavorless. But fresh? Ohmygosh. I could eat fresh tofu all day, err day. My number one choice when eating out in Korea is Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개 ) or “Soft tofu stew.” Yummm! 🤗 . #100daysofplantillustrations 🖋🇰🇷#10daysofkoreanplants