CODI ANN THOMSEN

"Beginning is the hardest part because you have to surrender to what comes next, and what comes next..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:55:57 -0400

“Beginning is the hardest part because you have to surrender to what comes next, and what comes next is unknown.”

- Codi Ann Thomsen (via adelineania)

macedonianmess said: I’ve been following Todaysletter’s blog for several years now and they still...

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:35:39 -0400

macedonianmess said: I’ve been following Todaysletter’s blog for several years now and they still remain my biggest inspiration in more than a few different regions of my life.

I’m going to geek out for a second but when her and Bekah from A Well Traveled Woman post together, I swoon. Those two ladies are incredibly inspiring.

to the other anon: printing out photos and writing something about the moment/day they were taken on the back is a really nice gift :)

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:33:09 -0400

Yes! Absolutely! That’s such a good idea! Thank you so much for contributing! You can package them up or bundle them in jute twine/ribbon, too. That’d be remarkably sweet!

any suggestions for what to put in a care package for my boyfriend when we go off to our first year of college at separate schools this fall? so far i have things like his favorite snacks, a mix cd of songs we both love, a nice journal because he writes/draws a lot, a handwritten love letter but i want to do something a little more creative along with all that and am having trouble coming up with ideas.

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:18:04 -0400

How sweet of you! All of that sounds absolutely wonderful. He’s going to love it so much!

Depending on how much time you have to prepare it, you could work on a small scrapbook. Or, make him a book of a collection of letters, things you’ve said to one another, quotes, etc. You can frame a photograph of the two of you for him to have while he’s at college. I’m going to be advertising my old job for a second, but if you get things custom framed, they can do really neat things like mat the photograph and a small note that you’ve written for him underneath it, in the same frame. Mmm, it really all depends! You know him best - not me, so I can only throw out general suggestions! Continue thinking of the things that he likes, the things that symbolises your relationship with him, what he would enjoy to have around while he’s gone at college. Look at DIY craft blogs such as Design Sponge — they always have the neatest projects!

Whatever you do, he’s going to appreciate and love it, though! Good luck, dear!

Yesterday was Nathan’s sisters wedding and not only am I...

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:04:01 -0400

Yesterday was Nathan’s sisters wedding and not only am I absolutely honored that I was able to be apart of it but also, endlessly blessed and thankful for this remarkable man standing by my side who, for seven years now, has been apart of my life, teaching me what it means to love unconditionally and helping me to love myself, too. Every day, I’m inspired to be a better person and I have this one to thank for that.

favorite instagrams? favorite artists?

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:56:18 -0400

Hm! Some of my favorite Instagrams are of artists and their lives, so I’ll just list ‘em of!

todaysletters, woodandfaulk, michaelgiroux, folkfibers, shelterprojectsyou, lrmtnl, daylessday, knotandbow, jacklynbarber, parkerfitzhenry, arielealasko, stephanieschuster, iamrachelmorris, sarahjeanette_, kylesteed, apieceofcake82, anastasiamika, woodsmanswife.

Oh my goodness, there’s so much. Just go to my “following” bit on Instagram and follow them all; they’re all remarkable.

adelineania: Pages from my journal, dated May 2012 -...

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:47:26 -0400

adelineania:

Pages from my journal, dated May 2012 - Present.

Adeline, this made me SO happy! My drawing of you in Chicago by the CTA! Ahhhhhh! :)

What are your favourite plants and flowers?

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:27:30 -0400

Oh! Good question. I really like lilacs, wildflowers, daisies, baby’s breath, ivy plants, polka dot plants, etc. I’ve noticed that I’m not much of a rose-tulip-lily gal.

adelineania: At the start of this summer, I was given a...

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:23:40 -0400

adelineania:

At the start of this summer, I was given a wonderful opportunity - to intern for my best friend and the talented artist, Codi Ann Thomsen. It’s difficult to fully put into words the impact that watching her work will have on you. She approaches each project with passion and determination, and seeing her delve into her creative process is nothing short of an inspiration.

Currently, she is working on one of her biggest projects yet - a month-to-month book-making collective titled What’s Mine is Yours. May marks the halfway point of this project, and to make it even more special, Codi Ann has decided to create an edition of 12 personalized made-to-order books.

I have been lucky enough to watch her brainstorm, transition mere ideas into something tangible, and transform blank pages into works of art. Each book is handmade and hand-crafted, the result of countless hours of effort and patience, and each book is a unique interpretation of deeper ideas and questions, made with only the most genuine of intentions - to share, to connect, to find meaning.

This month is a perfect example of how much this project has already grown and developed, and at this rate, the future of this project (and its artist) is infinite.

(You can learn more about this edition of WMIY and pre-order it here.)

This is absolutely remarkable — the most honorable compliment and mention I’ve ever read. Adeline, I mean that; I’ve got tears in my eyes. Thank you so much for your support and your help. I certainly wouldn’t have the same sense of balance if I didn’t have your unconditional support and patience with me. Thank you for all of your help and I’m endlessly excited for all that’s going to be created between the two of us — together and individually — these upcoming months.

May or may not have finished this! I’m going back ‘n forth on...

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:13:00 -0400

May or may not have finished this! I’m going back ‘n forth on some last & final touches but I think I’ll set this down for now.

If someone could please tell me why in god’s name I ever stopped...

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:53:00 -0400

If someone could please tell me why in god’s name I ever stopped painting, that would be wonderful. I missed this so much.

“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless,...

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:38:00 -0400

“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”

It’s been so nice to have @adelineania helping out around the...

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:36:00 -0400

It’s been so nice to have @adelineania helping out around the studio! I’m thoroughly impressed with her ability to pick up on everything that I’m teaching her. It’s also just a complete breath of fresh air to have company & run ideas off of someone while I work.

throughendlessrevisions said: Saki Records?! (I love that place, but of course you may be speaking...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:20:06 -0400

throughendlessrevisions said: Saki Records?! (I love that place, but of course you may be speaking of a different place.) Is the show solely your exhibit or multiple artists? Either way, count on seeing me there, barring school conflict :) You are amazing, my dear.

Yes, Saki Records! After I develop a concrete idea, I’ll be solidifying a month! It’ll be a solo exhibit, I believe. I’ll be sure to post about it! Thank you so much for your support, Alyssa. I love you dearly.

What projects do you have coming up?

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:42:30 -0400

Man, oh man! Summer is going to be absolutely crazy.

Right now, I’m working on May’s series of What’s Mine is Yours; the details on it were just released. Throughout this week, I’m collecting and exploring the ideas given to me and next week, I’ll be in production. I’m also currently working on the album art & t-shirt design for the band that my boyfriend is in. However, otherwise, Adeline & I are currently planning a collaboration that we will be working on throughout the summer and releasing (potentially) sometime in September. I also have some already existing collaborative projects with Esperanza, Christopher and Tim that I still be working on. Alison Catherine and I are going to be working on a photo-shoot & video(s) pertaining to the What’s Mine is Yours project & my work in general; this’ll also serve as a collaboration between Nathan and I, as I want him to compose music for it. I will probably be researching and making work for a show that I’ll have sometime after September at Saki in Chicago.

I think that just about covers it, so long as I’m not forgetting anything!

Alright, folks! As this is my seventh month, marking officially...

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:15:24 -0400

Alright, folks! As this is my seventh month, marking officially my half-year-point doing the What’s Mine is Yours project, I wanted to do something especially special and something specifically for you.

What I’m looking to do is allowing up to twelve people to pre-order their own copy of May’s WMIY, however, here’s the exciting part! I want you to choose the topic of which I write about/make art/fill your book with. Below, I’m going to provide for you a list of topics to choose from and of course, if you have an idea of your own or something that you would like specifically, let me know! I’m completely open to suggestions, as I want this book to be made for you, no matter who you are or what you’re most interested in.

It’s important for me to hear from you because these books cannot be made/filled without you! Here is a list of topics that I’ve started out with, and as I said, if you have anything otherwise that you’d be interested in, I am open to suggestions! If you are providing a topic of your own, please make sure to keep it short & sweet; provide an idea so that I can work off of it! If you do not wish to contact me personally about your idea, or you are simply choosing from one of the topics listed below, simply write your topic in the message/note area provided when you make your order.

Topic ideas: belonging, home, vulnerability, courage, desire to travel/wanderlust, inspiration, story-telling, creating who you are, connection-(making), love/relationships; you can also choose for me to surprise you with something I’ve come up with on my own!

These books can be ordered on Greenhouse Blues, as always, under a made-to-order listing “Pre-Order What’s Mine is Yours May.” No matter what your topic, all of the books will be created the same, look the same and consist of the same effort, time and consideration and that is a promise.

Thank you again, as always, for all of your support with this project and in general. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to work with some of you, to hear your ideas and feedback and I absolutely, of course, cannot wait to see what this series will consist of when they are all done!

7:30 A.M., this morning; waking up to a sunroom filled with...

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:00 -0400

7:30 A.M., this morning; waking up to a sunroom filled with plants and my favorite man definitely put ease to this throbbing head I’ve been carrying around all day.

can you describe the relationships you have with some of your friends? is it different?

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:05:33 -0400

Each of the relationships that I have with my friends are pretty unique in their own, just because I’ve met a lot of my closest friends in different ways, at different points in time and there are different bonds that I share with each person that holds our friendship together. It’s really difficult to pinpoint their qualities collectively and generally at the same time.

What do you mean by different, though? Different from what?

Mountain studies for the sake of practice. I haven’t drawn like...

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:36:00 -0400

Mountain studies for the sake of practice. I haven’t drawn like this in forever.

Can you name some tumblrs you like to read & look at

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:54:55 -0400

Here you go: this & this!