I am certainly not full of resolutions. Resolutions can wait until there are at least 10 hours of daylight a day. Right now I am in my resting phase. I am a firm believer in hibernation, rest, renewal, and just generally reclining. I have been crocheting a blanket that is now big enough to cover my legs and crocheting under this cozy craft means I nap about as much as I stitch.

And work? Well let’s just say that I had to try multiple time to remember my login password today. My brain decided that taking 2 weeks off meant that it could dump all nonessential memory items in favour of analyzing the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle we had on the table.

At least this week is short - ridiculously short. A one day work week for me. And a work from home day to boot.

Like my friend above - my motivation is in low supply, but at least I have the weekend to rest up and recover from this week.

If you love the sticker in my photo you can have one (or more) of your very own at my store.

Have a great weekend! And see you next week with potentially more energy.

Kathleen

~possessed by goats, motivated by cheese

After 30 days of brainstorming and sketching sticker ideas, I am now switching into production mode. Getting ready a batch of family-friendly stickers…. Alas, this means that my Fancy AF sticker will most likely have to stay home - but I’m sure I can come up with a sticker to replace it at family-focused events.

Meanwhile, this is totally the season to be out there promoting one of my favourite stickers. Pumpkin Spite!

This sticker is really for a specific crowd, but it is one that makes me chuckle to myself on a regular basis. This is a great sticker regardless of whether you are anti or pro PSL. (A subject that is hotly debated in my office)

Both of these stickers are available in my store, so hop by and pick them up at 3 for $10. And, stay tuned for more wall art being added to the store in the next week or so. But only if you are a fan of book-hoarding dragons. ☺️

~Kathleen
Possessed by Goats, fuelled by spite.

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I was working with my home faculty, the Faculty of Arts, welcoming students getting them signed in and sorted into their groups.

I love students. I watch them, so full of energy, nervous, excited, the whole of their lives ahead of them and a world of possibilities. I observe them from the other end of the string. My life, optimistically, two thirds over. I will admit to a little jealousy at all the firsts they have in front of them. So much love ahead of them. So much discovery, of the world and of themselves.

There they were lined up, one of many lines they would be standing in for the next four or five years, hoping they had made the right choice. Or positive that they had. So many will change majors, change directions, change their minds, change their hearts. They will grow so much in their brief time with us. They will make friends that will be friends for life. They will overcome challenges they felt were insurmountable. They will learn how to navigate a complex institution. They will exit that same institution with a new perspective on the world, with their focus broadened, ready (hopefully) to take on the world.

It’s an exciting time. It brings a tremendous energy to campus. And it inspires me. Brings me hope for the future. During the summer the campus is indeed beautiful, but empty. It’s like a house, not a home. Sure the line ups at the food court are short, and tables easy to find. But there is a hollowness to a school that has only a few students in it. Next week when classes begin in earnest the campus will explode with energy and life. Happy chatter, students hugging friends they haven’t seen in months, nervous first years trying to navigate the halls, packed with hundreds of other students finding their way. And we staff and faculty members trying to plan our days around class changes so we don’t get caught in the wave of bodies. I will never tire of this energy. That’s why I took this job, because it isn’t hard to see the future, all I need to do is walk through campus to see it. And being a part of it is irresistible.

But first, I took a little break. I spent some time at home crocheting, baking, and hanging out with my people, because even drawing can get tiring, especially when you’re trying to keep up with 30 days of ideas!

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I never expected to have 30 fully finished stickers by the end of this challenge, but I did hope to walk away with a handful of designs I really loved. And I did! Back when I started, I posted a poll asking if anyone wanted to help vote on which stickers to make (with a chance to get some for free!) but no one took me up on it. So now you’re stuck with my picks for what will make a fun sticker set. Lucky you. 😉

In the meantime, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a few other things. My Book Hoarder (or Book Wyrm, if you will) design is nearly done, just a few more highlights, shadows, and maybe an Easter egg or two. I’ll be setting it up for print-on-demand very soon!

Thanks for coming along for the ride. If you have a favourite design from the past month, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear what made you smile.

So I made the choice to go print on demand (or POD for all you hip folks). Now I’m old, like really old, and I remember when print on demand meant self-publishing your book when no one else would. But my how the world has changed. Now best selling authors self-publish, and artists are using print-on-demand to send their art all over the world, on so many products that they could never stock themselves.

Here is a video of me unboxing a test print from my printer and I have to say it turned out so much better than I anticipated.

All of this is to say that prints are being added to the store weekly, so please stop in and have a look. Thanks

The Store!

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Thanks as always for your support

Kathleen

Possessed by Goats, unpacking awkwardly.

I noticed that social media had a short-lived trend about meeting your younger self. It made me pause and think for a while about what I would say to my younger self if I could. I have lived my life with very few regrets. I love my life, and I love who I am.

That being said, there are a few things I would love to say to my younger self.

1. You are far stronger and more powerful than you know. The fierceness that you have inside you will serve you so well in the future. Don’t ever let anyone try to take that strength away from you

2. You don’t have to diminish your light to be accepted. The brightness that shines through everything you do will intimidate some people, and that is their problem, not yours.

3. That crazy dream you have about telling stories through words and drawings - it’s not that crazy, and you shouldn’t wait so long to embrace it.

4. You shouldn’t spend your energy trying to fit yourself into the mould that society is trying to stuff you into. Listen to that quiet voice that is urging you to be your authentic self

   

5. Don’t stay anywhere where you aren’t appreciated. Not in jobs or relationships. You will burn up too much of your life accepting situations that aren’t lifting you up, and you only have one precious life. Don’t waste it on things, people, or situations that make you feel small or unappreciated.

6. Stop caring so much about what other people think. You can’t control who likes you and who doesn’t. Embrace the people who like you for who you are, and don't worry about the people who don’t. (Also, people think about you far less than you think they do)

7. Keep loving with your whole heart. The love that you share is noticed, and you are an example to others of what kindness and compassion can do. Your support of others is going to lift up so many people and encourage them to achieve their dreams. You don’t think you will ever be important, but you will be.

So yeah, if I could meet my young self for coffee, I would probably hug her and buy her a croissant (and tell her to enjoy these while she can still digest milk) and assure her that she is incredible and unstoppable.

I love my life and I really wouldn’t change anything, because it got me here. And honestly, young me was so stubborn, she probably wouldn’t listen to me anyway

What would you tell your young self if you could?

Enter my delightfully gremlin-like offspring who challenged me to a “30 Stickers in 30 Days” challenge with a punishment factor. If I didn’t get a sticker sketch or idea down each day, they would shoot me with a Nerf gun.

Toy violence aside, I embraced that idea because it gives me a daily drawing deadline and the chance to boost the offerings in my store.

June had too much chaos, so July/August is the time for my comeback story. I am hurling myself into this new challenge. It’s time to get sketching so I can avoid Nerf-based retribution.

You get to participate too - what do you want to do (but you only get one)?

There will be bonus sticker content on the Possessed by Goats Instagram as well so don’t forget to smash the follow button there.

Welcome to the “Summer of Stickers,” and let me know if you have ever done a time-based challenge like this and how it worked for you.

~Kathleen
Possessed by goats, terrified of sponge darts.

I’m on holiday this week, but before I disappear into my cottage-core dreams, I wanted to send out an update on what’s coming up.

The 30 Stickers in 30 Days Challenge (Take Two)

June got the best of me (convocation! catch-up! chaos!), so I hit pause on my 30 stickers project—because challenges like this are supposed to be challenging, not stressful.

But good news: I’m restarting the 30 Stickers in 30 Days challenge in July! Expect cozy robots, curious creatures, and maybe (okay, definitely) a few chaotic surprises.

I’ll be sharing the results as I go—some here on Substack, but most over on Instagram (aka: you should follow me there).

Posters Incoming!

I’m getting my art files prepped for print-on-demand posters, so some of your favourites, like The Second Breakfast Club, will be available as large prints soon. I’m testing a couple of Canadian suppliers to make sure the colour and coziness come through beautifully.

More art for your walls, less stress for me. Win-win!

A Little Treat for Paid Subscribers

July is almost here, and I’ve got something special planned: paid subscribers will receive an exclusive PDF copy of Snizard, the snail wizard zine—perfect for cozy reading this summer. If you missed out on the physical version, this is your chance to meet our favourite slow-moving spell-caster.

Thank you for sticking with me during the whirlwind of June. If you’d like to support my work or grab a few goodies for yourself, you can always check out what’s in the shop.

And now, back to vacation mode. (There may be crocheting. There may be Stardew Valley. There will definitely be snacks.)

Thanks for being here and being lovely.

– Kathleen

Possessed by goats, powered by sunshine

But I’ve been thinking about how we find peace, not by ignoring what’s happening, but by noticing the small, steady things that help us stay grounded.

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This morning, on my walk from the parking lot to work, I found a magpie feather. It was just there on the sidewalk, blue-black with a white spot, shimmering in the morning light. A tiny glint of magic on an otherwise ordinary day. I tucked it in my pocket like a little secret, and for a moment, the noise in my brain quieted down.

That kind of moment, so simple, but grounding, keeps finding me.

A work colleague’s mom started too many tomato plants, and she brought me two to add to my little container garden, leafy and hopeful and full of unknown potential. (She didn’t know what variety they were, so I also get a surprise as they grow!)

Yesterday, the sweet pea seeds in my container garden finally sprouted. Little green shoots breaking free from the soil like they knew exactly when to show up.

And the other day, I pulled out a tiny 4-inch watercolour sketchbook and began to draw. Just small shapes and washes of colour. No pressure. No expectations. Just a quiet kind of joy.

These things don’t fix the world. But they fix something in me—or at least, they remind me of who I am underneath all the worry.

I’m learning that noticing magic isn’t a distraction. It’s a way to stay in it—to keep showing up with an open heart.

So if the world feels heavy for you, too, maybe look for a feather. Or plant something. Or pick up a paintbrush for a few minutes. Not to escape, but to remember your softness. Your steadiness. Your spark.

Look for the little things.
The things that spark your heart.
The things that are worth fighting for.

~Kathleen
Possessed by goats, fed by sparks

So I stopped trying to make something and went for a hike instead.

We wandered through the mountains, up toward waterfalls. I let my brain go quiet while my feet crunched along the trail. There was cold spray from the falls, the tiniest bird I’ve ever seen, and a lot of glacier lilies. Slowly, quietly, the well started to fill again.

Not with finished ideas. Not with “content.” Just with life.

Creativity doesn’t come from nowhere

We sometimes forget that making art isn’t just about putting pen to paper or brush to canvas. It’s about translating what we’ve seen, heard, touched, felt. And if we haven’t been seeing or feeling much lately, because we’ve been stuck at a desk or endlessly doom-scrolling, it makes sense that the inspiration and ideas dry up.

You don’t get inspiration from forcing it.
You get it by living, then noticing.

How I refill the well

Here are a few small ways I’ve been reminding myself to re-engage with the world:

• Get outside – Walks, hikes, bike rides, road trips. Let the sun touch your skin and recharge you like a solar cell.

• Touch textures – Bark. River stones. Dandelion fluff. Grass. Your cat. Real life is full of sensory surprises.

• Let your brain wander – No podcasts. No input from your phone. No pressure to be productive. Just let your thoughts go where they want to. Being plugged in depletes your imagination

• Notice the little moments – Squirrels racing each other up trees. Mushrooms growing on a log. A particularly sassy magpie. These are the seeds of stories.

And then, I draw

Not because I forced myself to, but because I wanted to again.

So if your creative well feels empty, maybe the best thing you can do isn’t to push harder. Maybe it’s time to go outside. Sit under a tree. Let your senses take the lead.

The art will come. But first, you have to live.

~Kathleen
Possessed by Goats (fueled by sunshine and caffeine)

(ps. the store is now open if you are looking for a sticker - or two)

I’m prepping for the Panel One Comic Creator Festival at the Hillhust Sunnyside Community Association this Saturday, and I just received two brand-new stickers: a cozy robot reading under the stars, and a little alien book club member. They’re giving peak space-cozy.

Also in progress is a new piece featuring a sleepy dragon hoarding books instead of gold, snuggled up with a cat, and a good story. Because really, what’s more valuable than that? I feel like it’s a bit of a self-portrait.

🪄 And of course—Snizard lives.

Our snail wizard zine is printed, packed, and ready to make his big debut at the festival! If you’re in Calgary, come meet Snizard in person. He’s small, magical, and a little bit cranky, which—if we’re honest—is kind of the vibe around here this week.

The hustle has been soft, but real. Between wrangling the Shopify POS app, counting sticker stock, and remembering to eat vegetables, I forgot to write this post until today. But here it is: a little slice of my creative life in the crunch-time glow.

Not in Calgary? No worries. The cozy creatures are coming to a corner of the internet near you—soon.

Thanks for being here. Your support helps keep the drawing tablet glowing. 💛

—Kathleen
(Possessed by goats, tempted by dragons)

There once was a snail who was a wizard. Snizard, if you will.

Snizard wasn’t supposed to be a zine.

Snizard was a story my daughter Emily made up on weekends when we were visiting her grandpa at the care home. In a place where her grandpa was slowly losing his light, she bounced in with tales of a snail-wizard and his colleagues who had adventures, played with words, and turned bad guys into weasels and lizards.

Years later, her grandpa died, and we sat around remembering the good times. We remembered Snizard and the fun and laughter a little curmudgeon snail-wizard brought into our lives. And we thought that what the world needed (and we needed) was a little of that snail magic to help send grandpa on his way.

With a month to go before the Panel One Comic Crestor Festival, we collaborated on a little zine, to have it ready to debut at that event.

The Sprint (Snail-paced, obviously)

I’ve made a whopping two zines before Snizard. One died before printing because I missed the deadline, and one I printed on a Staples photocopier an hour before the show I was debuting it at.

So my past experience wasn’t going to set me up to succeed, but I was determined to succeed anyway.

First, Emily banged out a three-page story on a manual typewriter (literally banging), and I took it with me to PopCon YXE and read it several times. I transcribed it into Google Docs and broke it down into sections that would make a good page, and went to work.

My first step was making the cover and getting a feel for Snizard's world. I would show my progress to Emily, and she would guide me on what she imagined vs. what I made.

Then I made all the zine pages as separate files in Procreate and typeset them before drawing the story. Once I discovered the main topic of each page and the themes I wanted to carry through the zine, I began drawing the pages in 45-minute art sessions every day for eight days. What emerged was a sweet, funny, and engaging story about a tiny life in a big world.

While I was doing that, I sent out requests for printing quotes to local and not-so-local Canadian printers. I did some quick learning on how InDesign works, set up my file and sent it off to the printer of my choosing.

What Snizard Taught Me

I learned that pacing is good, and panicking is bad. I have been a last-minute creator for the last few years, and I have to tell you that setting aside dedicated time to pour a cup of coffee and just make stuff effectively moves the needle enough every day to make the process easier.

I learned that AI isn’t all bad. I used AI to help me set a reasonable work schedule to get all my tasks done with time to spare before P1CCF. And every time I veered off the path (which was often), my AI assistant would reassign the tasks to keep me moving forward, or remind me what the next big thing was. Giving the schedule management to my AI handler left my brain open to creating snail magic.

The Next Chapter (a.k.a. Please Come Say Hi 🐌)

Snizard may have started as a family story, but now he’s real, and he's coming with me to the Panel One Comic Creator Festival (P1CCF) on Saturday, May 31st in Calgary. If you’re local, I’d love for you to swing by, meet Snizard in person (well, in zine), and maybe adopt a sticker or two.

This whole project reminded me that we can do big things with small steps. And sometimes, with enough tea and tenacity, even a soft-hustler can summon a little magic.

Hope to see you there. 💜
Kathleen
(Possessed by Goats, accompanied by snails)

On Sunday, I stayed up way too late. Even though I knew it was fruitless, I tried to stretch the weekend a little longer by staying up, reading, and pretending Monday couldn’t find me. Some folks call this the Sunday Scaries, that anxious fretting over the last hours of freedom, worrying about what Monday has in store.

Recently, an executive praised employees who skipped family time or told their kids to wait to go to the park because they had one more email to send.

My dude, this is not the grind I signed up for.

But here I am, still working the side hustle to pay down debt and build a safety net for my family.

I’m juggling work life, side-hustle life, and life life.

So, how do I do all that… without the grind?

Nibble. Nibble. Nibble.

Reflecting, I always thought I’d be a professional artist.

But life happens to you sometimes, instead of you guiding your life.

Now my art is a side-hustle, especially in the spring when pop culture conventions and shows dominate my local scene, it feels like I should be doing more to grow my business. But I am committed to a sustainable “soft-hustle”. If I burn out and crash, I will have spent a lot of energy with little to show for it.

Also, the grind is, well, a grind. The soft-hustle protects my energy and my joy. No one is going to come up with a blockbuster like “The Second Breakfast Club” while they are sobbing in the corner, despairing their lack of time spent touching grass.

It looks like tiny bites.

It’s not glamorous. There will never be a “rise and grind” video of me at 5 a.m. showing off my secret to wild productivity.

Instead, it’s small, manageable actions that don’t crush my soul or my desire to create.

It’s giving myself space to breathe and think.

Nibbling at my to-do list rather than trying to down it in one gulp

.

It’s giving myself 30 minutes each morning to draw or paint. It’s sending out requests for printing quotes one at a time during a tea break or during lunch (but never forgetting to eat a good lunch or go for a walk). It’s letting my day get interrupted by cat snuggle demands or conversations with the Nerd-children. It’s setting up my online store, one or two products at a time.

It’s also knowing that life can be big and small at the same time. You can protect your joy and still make progress. You aren’t racing anyone - just your own expectations.

I’m not saying it’s easy.

There are days when the voice urging me to compare myself to artists running full speed ahead is loud.

But then I remember: I’m in this for the long game.

The cozy, snail-paced, cat-interrupted, joy-protecting, soft-hustle kind of long game.

~Kathleen

Possessed by Goats (and snails)

p.s. Online store is soft-launching soon. Stay tuned.

We started with Calgary Comic Expo in the new BMO Convention Centre where I saw old and new friends, and laughed enough to burn off the food truck fries (that were the best fries I’ve eaten, maybe). The 5-minute Bad Portraits were the big seller, as always, but poster and sticker sales are starting to give them a run for their money.

The new layout of the BMO centre took some getting used to. My neighbours were delightful. Blackwood Dice, Selkie Cove, Sketch Goblin and of course my best con buddy (and great friend) Hollohandcrafted participated in the madness that is Calgary Expo.

Expo is always a good time and we have become a bit of a destination for folks who want to be drawn badly time and time again. (I have one guy who has been drawn by me seven times)

My birthday was a low-key affair with a nice dinner and cake with the kids. Because my birthday is always hovering around the Expo weekend I normally celebrate on a later date and we will again this year too, but it was nice to spend time with my besties.

My step-dad’s celebration of life was what you would expect. Lot’s of love for those of us left behind, tears, laughter and an afternoon spent playing Exploding Kittens (which might be the unexpected thing, but seemed like the right thing).

Then we packed up and headed to Saskatoon for Pop Con. Saskatoon was new for us, so this was an adventure for sure. Luckily, I had my niece as both our hostess and as one of my booth babes to help out with sales. How much fun did we have? Way too much fun. Did we make money?… well we covered expenses and came up with a plan for next year (and for Possessed by Goats). So let’s put that one in the win column.

Now that I’m back home, the whirlwind is settling. There are prints to inventory, stickers to print, and sleep to catch up on. I’m shifting gears toward zine-making and summer projects, with a cup of tea nearby and maybe a cat or two supervising.

Thanks for sticking with me through the chaos. More art, more stories, and (hopefully) fewer funerals coming soon.

Stay weird, stay wonderful,

Kathleen
Possessed by Goats, fueled by fries

This week has been a lot, full of Calgary Expo awesomeness, logistics, emotions, family, and reflection. So much is going on behind the scenes, and my usual Substack post is on pause while I take care of life.

But this weekend, I’m packing up my prints, stickers, and Bad Portrait vibes and heading somewhere new: PopCon in Saskatoon! It’s my first time at this show, and I’m curious to see what kind of magic the Saskatchewan crowd brings.

If you’re in Saskatoon, swing by and say hi! I’ll have second breakfasts, tiny people in big worlds, and maybe even a surprise or two. You can find me at booth 243, caffeinated, slightly sleep-deprived, and surrounded by my typical brand of weirdness and whimsy.

More soon,

Kathleen
(Possessed by Goats, and holding it together)

Spring is Calgary Comic Expo (this upcoming weekend!) and I am frantically pulling together my supplies, getting my printing printed, realizing that I need new business cards, and discovering that the Square reader isn’t squaring anymore. The panic is an annual thing. I always wait too long to get my act together, and yet somehow, I always manage to pull it off in the end. I think that is a skill you learn as a mom—how to pull the bunny out of the hat at the last moment.

I’ve also been thinking about my newly widowed mom, who didn’t start her garden seeds this year. It’s a small thing, but it ripples. Change does that, it spills into every corner of life. Joy can be dampened by grief. But grief also has a strange way of making joy shine brighter when it does break through.

Everyone tells me grief is like a wave. It rises and falls with no particular rhythm. Sometimes it catches you off guard, like robins in a snowstorm. Or a flower blooming when the ground still feels cold.

So I’m going to keep sketching, keep printing, keep chasing down a new Square reader. And maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll get to watch a robin build her nest outside my window. Even if everything feels a bit wobbly right now, the season is shifting. The robins know. I’ll trust them.

~ Kathleen

p.s. if you are coming to Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, stop by my booth (A269) and get drawn - badly)

This past week, I saw my first spring flower.
Just a little bloom, quiet and stubborn. It caught me by surprise, growing out of a patch of crusty, dead leaves where winter was still trying to linger.

And my heart cracked open a bit.

Grief.

It wraps itself around time, slowing it down, stretching it out, folding it in strange directions. It can make the bright days feel heavy, and the quiet ones feel loud. I’ve been carrying the weight of loss lately—my step-dad passed not long ago, and in the wake of that, everything felt still. Or maybe I just stopped moving.

But this little flower. It was still growing.
And the world, somehow, was still turning.

Spring is like that. It doesn’t wait until you’re ready. It just begins again. The buds show up. The light shifts. The color creeps back in, even if your heart still feels grey around the edges.

Seeing that flower reminded me that there is space to be sad and hopeful at the same time. That life and grief can sit side by side. That beginnings don’t need announcements they just need space.

So this week, I’m letting that flower be my reminder: Start small.
Begin again. Let the color return, one petal at a time.

Thanks for being here with me while I find my path.

~Kathleen

I was ordering up the Costco-sized pack of tissues and reflecting on the last month and a bit. This has been a period of grief, sickness, and life throwing lemons like it’s trying out for the majors. I lost my stepdad recently, and between that and the family getting really sick, all the momentum I had going into spring just - well - ground to a halt.

But I’m still here. And I’m starting again - one more time with feeling.

With Comic Expo just a few weeks away, I’m not where I thought I’d be, at all, and I am reminding myself that people come to my booth for more than stickers (which is fortunate because I have no new stickers). Progress can be stumbling sometimes, but small steps forward are still steps.

This week, I’m making a hot cup of cocoa, dusting off my sketchbook, and sketching something, anything, just to find the spark again. Maybe a little robot, maybe a weird plant, or maybe just a scribble. That’s enough.

If you’re also feeling behind, overwhelmed, or sad, this is your online mom giving you permission to go at your own pace. We’ll get there. And we’ll bring the magic with us.

Thanks for being here while I regroup. More soon, hopefully with more art and more color.

~ Kathleen 

p.s. I’ve quietly opened up paid subscriptions in this space. If you’d like to support my art and get a few behind-the-scenes peeks, early previews, and tiny extras along the way, I’d be so grateful. No pressure, just a cozy little corner for those who want a bit more.

Last spring my good friend Heather and I collaborated on an illustrated chapbook that has all the good stuff you could want. And we are giving it to you for free in the download below. Download it, read it, print it, and share it! It’s all for you.

Sistermartinofthestars

72.3MB ∙ PDF file

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by Heather Clitheroe and Kathleen Ralph

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