Miller October 2026 Monthly Update
October marks the month when our S.A.D. hits. This means Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is a depression influenced by the season. The days get shorter, they get colder, there's less light, and time adjusts. These are pretty big hits on our psyche and physical bodies that are difficult to adjust to. Even though each year is getting easier, this used to completely debilitate us for weeks. Many times, when the temperature hits 75 at home, John will shut down and stop moving. Not realizing that just ONE degree dropped and that is the exact line between functioning and staring at a wall for hours. So far, this past week, I’ve just been so burnt out that I’ve just been sitting and staring, trying to muster energy or willpower to do something, or just sleeping. Almost half the time I’m awake, I’m either crying or on the verge of crying. It’s been ROUGH.
We are adjusting to our winter phase, where we have about 2–4 hours (if lucky) of functionality to get things done. These DO include chores around the house, self-care/awareness, eating, drinking water, sleeping, showering, etc. Not including any work or play. I’m hoping to create some artworks this next year portraying what we go through, because I know my words are not enough to show. It’s heavy stuff but not uncommon. If you didn’t know I was on a new medication… I am, for the past few months. I wish I could explain what an odd landscape inside of my mind I have now. The severe debilitating issues I used to live with and was subjected to have lessened enough to have this odd, open, airy space I can move and think in. Still a struggle with memory, but I’m not controlled by intense reactions to stimuli! Exciting release!
Everything on our website has been slowed down until our calendar can match how much energy we have. We have a lot of plans we are excited to announce; we just need time to complete and put them up.
Such as we are both going to start a Snail Mail Club!
I have two. One will be simple:
From My Crafting Table
This has little items from what I’ve created, with a one-of-a-kind art piece from me to you, and a little note that goes with it monthly. For people who love to create with materials others have handmade. Please check it out and sign up before the time runs out for this month!
My second one is more of a world-building and story-building journey. I can’t go into that one too much. =) But explore a world I’ve created and help unfold the lives of the characters that live there. I'll be trying to release that next month for the beginning of the new year.
Hint here!
John’s is going to be focused on paper crafting and different designs for each season. Oh wait, I think he had a second one too. That one focuses on his postage stamp designs! You’ll get a sticker, a print, a note from him, AND a related recipe! I can't go into his too much, he is still in the building phase and making sure what he wants in it is possible.
Highly recommend you sign up for one of our snail mail clubs. We would love to get more into slow snail mail correspondence. It just has more of a human touch to it that we adore. =) We will even be writing back to those who want to have some person-to-person correspondence.
Last month's events went well and went by quickly! We’ve been burnt out for a few weeks, so our memory of what's going on is a little… broken. Our first day ‘off’ (still had a quick meeting phone call), I mostly crashed and slept. Got, at most, 3 hours of functional work done. It’s now 2:30 a.m., and I have the energy and focus I need to get this done.
I snapped awake and was able to do things at about 1:50 a.m. Which is kind of how this insomnia pattern works. Depression has pulled the times longer, with more tears. But yeah, this has always been the pattern. I work when I’m literally functional enough to. Which in the winter… will be much more sparse.
Man, I’m taking so long with updates that we already had our 1) Art Swap with Who Gives a Scrap! And 2) had our 1st monthly ATC get-together already. Both went so well.
The Art Swap, still hosted by Who Gives a SCRAP!, had one of the largest art supply craft swaps of the year! Also the last one of 2026. They announced that next year, a nonprofit will be taking over to host at the 3 largest libraries: 21C, East, and Penrose in the Pikes Peak Library District. Something also about them starting to collect office supplies for teachers to have access to for FREE. Once a month, they will get to go in and pick any items they need for free! Isn’t that wonderful?!
We had our monthly event at Rainy Day Anime! This time, we had a focus: laminated ATCs and shaker inserts for some binder sensory fun. I managed to make one (yeah, I should’ve made a sample prior to this, but like I said… this week has been rough!), and I love how it turned out. I also made it as a gift for my husband (see image below). I also announced that I had been doing some national and international trades for our participants to choose from! Some even coming from Australia! Lovely ladies donating cards for our group to trade for and appreciate. It was a lot of fun to provide these for participants in our groups. But the Rainy Day Anime group with Crafter’s Clique gets first dibs. So if you WANT to see any brand-new cards being put up for trade… this would be the group to visit. And wait, there’s more! I have been in contact with a librarian at a Texas library that also has ATC groups there. We were going to swap cards so that we each have a refresh of new art cards to trade for! I’m excited about that too, as is our group.
Here are some pictures of the cards I put up for trade in October:
I was collecting cards for the group and searching specifically for Fish cards. We still have a lot of these cards so if you wanted to trade, stop by our studio at Who Gives a SCRAP! or come to the 4th Friday ATC craft from 11am-1pm!
Vs. Here are some of the cards I got back!
I made about 25 trades? So got quite a few amazing cards over the month.
I did do some trades for myself, as I am collecting cards for my sister and husband’s collections too. But generally, the other dozens of cards went into the community binder.
I also wanted to mention a HUGE thank you to someone named Garrity, who generously donated over 110+ cards to us and our group! So make sure to stop by next month’s Rainy Day Anime ATC day to get first dibs on trades for these! Many of the old cards will also be cycled out and sent to Texas next month, so swing by our Studio or visit us 4th Friday from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. to trade in the binder!
Oh, if I’m going to cover the first week of activities, I did want to mention that John has his art up at Rogue Gallery, and I recommend people go see it! He worked really hard on his designs and was hunched over for HOURS getting those fine details cut by hand. Here is the information to where it is and if you can, let's craft together Wednesday nights! We try to show up when we can. =)
Side Bar: We are helping start a craft market at Rogue Gallery for Sundays for end of this month to all of next year. If you would like to sign up and be a part of this rotating market, please sign the interest form! No payment required until you are approved.
----
My art didn’t manage to get in this month, but I’ll be displaying my art in December. John will have another 3 artworks most likely going up next month, so every month there will be a reason to check back and see what everyone has been making.
It looks like I’ll be bringing my Small Arts, which are over 50 now. Then I have my other 15 artworks that aren’t from that series… I hope to have enough to fill up a section at Rogue Gallery and have enough to fill our wall in our Studio. First Friday and then our Craft Fair is the next day, so we want to have enough to be seen for these key days.
For December coming up:
Hope you stop by First Fridays (12/4) at Rogue Gallery from 5 p.m.–9 p.m. and
Saturday (12/5) at Who Gives a SCRAP! from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
We will have a mind-boggling amount of new artwork to show you. =)
So, going now back to the beginning of October and what we’ve been doing… I was doing drawing in early October, which is the ‘Art Month,’ apparently, per the signs being put up. We didn’t know about anything outside of ‘Inktober’ or the variations of it. Basically, monthly art challenges that pop up every October. For the past few years, I have been wanting to complete one or make my own. I started a drawing one but only got to day 7… and I didn’t even do one a day. Those were all from one day, hoping I’d have enough time and energy to pick it back up again. My interest waned as I was distracted by ATC trades.
I did draw some cards I really liked of other people’s OCs, or Original Characters. Here they are:
I’d like to say I can draw like this normally… but don’t expect it. A crazy experience I’ve had my whole life is that my skills ROTATE and SHIFT. I don’t always have access to the same ability at all times. There are just some skills that rotate through more often than others (i.e., brainstorming, taking care of logistics, creativity in general but not related to specific projects). It’s an odd cycle that I do think is related to CPTSD and dissociation. But I will have to observe and study it a bit more before I can pinpoint this down. But it fits with what research says can happen and more and more with what’s coming out in recent discoveries. More on that as time goes on.
----
There was a day that John was busy with his activities that left me some time in the Studio to clean up and organize. There are a few places that are still a mess, but overall, how does it look!?
---
Ok, this next thing is both a NEW art and an OLD art that I completed. These felt skull keychains were actually started in about 2011–2012 during a family trip to Kauai. They have rolled around and ‘vanished,’ usually before October… for over 10 years. Even John has been trying to help me find and keep them out so I can finish them for YEARS!
I finally managed to complete 9 of the 16 I had. Not bad! The story is that I brought these on the trip… after I broke away from my abusive ex. This was one of the PTSD symptoms I had experienced: the insatiable hunger. The empty pit that has you shaking from hunger… only to find out that you can eat the normal amount and start feeling sick from eating too much… just for moments of that struggle to disappear, replaced with ravenous hunger again. Craving anything to fill the void you internally carry. It was sickening and terrifying.
(Have a quick Sherlock break because her adorableness should soothe your soul~)
Also, memories are what hits my depression pretty often. Having to review how my childhood went (up until even a few years after meeting John… my memories just make me break down crying immediately). Since I’m a lot more susceptible to this, I’m hit with more catatonic moments of just blankly sitting and staring at a wall to the other side of the range of constantly breaking down crying. I’ve been working through my past traumas and keep wondering how I found enough interest in the world to drag myself along to stay alive. Every day (currently), I’m living the joys and love I lacked and missed so severely for almost 25 years of my life. To have the comparison and realization that I did not have everything I needed growing up: emotional safety is HUGE. I may have had a big house, parents had money, clothes, vacations… but none of that money was mine. And how my parents treated me behind closed doors… was quite different from what others saw outside the home. And also quite different from how they treat my siblings.
I only get contacted when they need something.
Which is why I also have issues contacting and staying in contact with anyone. Even people I like and care for. I’m not USED to being reached out to and contacted, kept up with, or asked about. It’s just WEIRD for me. Though I crave and need it for my well-being… my inconsistency in experiencing this only equals anxiety and abandonment. So I seek being alone for most of my time. John is the ONLY person I can work with and not feel the drain… as often. I still crave so much time on my own in silence.
They went on a vacation. Not once did they ask how I’m doing. Which has been the same for the past couple of years and the past dozen vacations. Though I think ONCE my mom did ask how I was doing. But once isn’t great… considering it’s about 1 out of at least 12 trips. But I'll still acknowledge that one, It was honestly surprising.
I say all this to help give a look into my humble beginnings. A dysfunctional family posed as functional. I absolutely HATED the Chinese tradition of ‘Keeping Face,’ so I tend to drip into heavy realities that I had lived through. Much to my family’s uninterest or hidden disdain. But keeping silent has caused me to be so dissociated and disconnected from my body that I stopped feeling real. As if I was actually invisible with how often people would overlook and ignore what I said. For how often it happened, I questioned my own existence.
I went into all that to summarize my experience with my sewn artwork. I used art as a means to stay connected with life, to stay alive, to feel real, to feel like I can make an impact. These may seem like something as minor as a keychain… but to me, they are also a memory of what I survived and had to endure as a CHILD up through my YOUNG ADULT years. Crazy stuff.
---
To change this downer part of the blog around… I do want to share an exciting teacher’s display tool that I took and changed for ATC display!
I'm quite pleased with this and get to see it every time we walk down the hall of our home! I hope to get more and line them up on these doors since we have so many.
---
Late last month, we also stopped by our friend’s art studio/gallery she has in her home! Take a look at her gorgeous art:
Highly recommend that if you are interested in her art or viewing it, you please look up Leyna Bencomo or message us so you can get in contact. She is such a lovely, bright person who enjoys art and people who love to appreciate/create art! One of her newest techniques she’s trying is called “Ink Resist” and has caught our attention. Both with how beautifully it turned out and how fun it looked to try! John and I are researching it more so we can give it a shot.
---
Oh! Last month was also the month I made 21 Felted cards in a day and had to make 7 more because of how popular they were. I made some Crow and Cat cards that people desperately wanted to trade for! They ended up looking really cute, so I turned some into ACEOs: framed and ready to hang! Aren’t they adorable?
All of our art will be for sale next month during the two designated events. Though depending on our health… we were invited to be a part of something called the Gobble Squabble? I think that was what it was called. But it’s basically a robot fighting competition. We are a little confused but will try to make the best of it. We will work on a few items that hopefully complement the crowd and see how well we can adapt our items to the market. It’ll be a great test (if our health will keep up with us).
We do enjoy some artistic challenges!
---
Forgot to mention we had a PPLD Makes event! The Pikes Peak Library District Maker’s Faire went pretty well for us. Had quite a few kids enjoying making and trading cards. We made decent sales and got some great dinner that night.
----
Ooh, sneak peek! I’ve been working on making a new logo for us. It’s been on the back burner for a few years, but I’ve finally made it! With John’s help, of course. Here is what it looks like!
I won’t be releasing it fully until 2027. Still testing out some manufacturers to see how well it looks on stickers.
----
Also! Our friend went to the Zinefest last month and brought some of our zines. I wanted to do a hand-drawn one with this idea I’ve had for a while. My little sister is getting a degree in Fish Conservation and shared with me some funny fish facts I had to add. So I started one called “Fish Conversations about Fish Conservations” with Jimmy and Jay.
[[INSERT DOWNLOADABLE HERE]]
(will have to come back and add after today)
----
Before I end the blog, I have a GREAT food recommendation for you:
Oh my, just realized we don't have a name for this dish...would you help us name it after you've tried it?
Gather the ingredients:
-Shredded cheese (I recommend Mexican Style, but John says Mozzarella would be better).
-Kalamata Olive bread (from Safeway bakery).
-Tomato Basil spaghetti sauce!
John butters the bread (sprinkles on top of the butter some garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and parsley on it).
Sprinkles shredded cheese.
Toasts the bread until the cheese has melted.
Sauce is for dipping or spreading on top.
This is SO good that we tend to eat the loaf of bread in one day. Half together in the morning and half together in the evening. You can switch around other flavors, but FIRST try this combination. The olives help turn this bread into more of a high-class pizza base. Here are the photos of what we used. Feel free to swap for the brands you like best.
----
I’m also still doing commissions!
Handmade Paper and Gelli Print versions. Here are the Gelli Print full-body artworks I made of myself. =) I was hoping to use the figure in more ad-type pictures, but I’ve been busy, and the one time I used it… John’s appointment with the Plasma donation center didn’t go well, and we had to rush home. So that was a bust.
---
Lastly! I want to share some interesting video recommendations!
Why Is Egyptian Art Always Sideways? By Unframed
This was a fascinating step into ancient art history. This video made it much more exciting than I’ve ever found Art History to be. Basically, they are explaining the key details as to why they did their art this way, and yes, it makes SO MUCH SENSE! Highly recommend it if you have even the slightest interest in Art, Egypt, or Ancient History.
Fantasy Races Are Just Humans in Costumes by Atticus King
I actually really appreciate this video and what it covers. I have noticed this issue quite a bit in the media I consume, to the point where I am working carefully on building my world to avoid these gaps. Especially the fact that the ‘peak’ figure is always a human. Even in stories where the main characters are NOT human or are trying to NOT be human… they end up having so many human characteristics that it basically is a human, just with a different look. Great video.
Rejection Sensitivity and Social Anxiety w/ADHD Expert Dr. Sharon Saline by Therapy in a Nutshell and Therapy in a Nutshell Deep Dive
This one is rough. Because now, watching it, I realize that THIS is me. I have huge issues with RSD, which ties in more with my default self-isolating but also desperate need for alone time to process and be myself. This is such a heavy experience that impacts even the words I say to myself. I have extremely quick processing for emotional tags… generally ones that would lead to abandonment or rejection. Which, I guess, abandonment is a form of rejection. This also deeply impacts my relationship with John on a daily basis. If you have ADHD, are interested in mental health, or want to get a step inside our heads, this would be a great video for you.
Managing the Chaos of Many Interests by A Life in Multiplicity
This video is amazing!! Something John and I definitely needed. I’m going to be using her idea to help us organize and plan our next steps. We have so many skills and interests, far beyond one or two lifetimes' worth, that we want to explore. How do we do that when we easily get overwhelmed by just the general list of what we would like to do? Her method is great, and I hope to prep some of these pages to use this month. Would you try this?
How to Tell and Value Paintings When Thrifting | Secrets from the Expert Dr. Lori by Dr. Lori
This brilliant and funny lady has SKILL. I had a lot of fun one afternoon just binge-watching her videos. I learned so much from her; it was exciting. I want to take this knowledge and test it out during the next thrift store visit! So far, I’ve researched searching for knives/scissors, cups, artwork/frames, clothes, books, etc. I’m not great at it, but it’s fun to pick up facts here and there to increase your chances of coming across something valuable. Highly recommend you watch her videos if you enjoy thrift store shopping at any time.
The Backrooms Is 3,000 Years Old by _CHAOSKAMPF
Ok, this video I wasn’t thinking would be serious, but I enjoyed it. It does tie together things that I briefly thought about over a decade ago but that are now resurfacing. Quite fascinating and got my mind running on so many possibilities and ways we have adapted this knowledge to our modern understanding of it. It’s not a long video, so even if you don’t care for the Backrooms, it’s a great juxtaposition for a human experience addressed in ancient times.
Why Americans Are So Friendly (A French Woman's Perspective) by Léa Martin
This was a beautiful little video from a lady who has lived in the US for about 3 years now and her experience with American people vs. people in France. And it tracks with what I’ve heard from others, both foreigners and Americans who have visited other countries. Keeping in mind Hanaya and Ina from North Korea and their videos… Americans are GENEROUS! (Also, take into account the donation I got of over 110 cards from someone in Minnesota who paid $11 to mail me something without even letting me know! As a fun surprise!
The kindness Americans have, on top of the generosity people have with their taxes. I.e., Americans are usually ok with paying taxes if they know it’s going to the roads and repairs AND to those in poverty or in need. Then, on TOP of that, many Americans STILL take whatever they have left and donate it: schools, churches, charities, events, etc. You name it, Americans will back it with their money to help others.
This lady addresses just the interactions: the look, the quick chats in line, asking strangers for help… minimal encounters and how drastically different they are in the two countries. If you need a reason to feel some hope in humanity, just know that many foreigners are feeling so blessed to be allowed to step foot in our country. Their gratefulness is heartwarming.
---
I think that’s all I got for now. I’m hoping to get this up and finish working on my other blog post I meant to have up in August. We shall see if I have the energy, but with winter season coming around, I may be more in the mental writing mood and less of the “up and about” type mood. Only time will tell!
Thanks for reading our update!
Enjoy an adorable picture of our baby Sherlock. <3
Comments