Dear Kate, 
First of all, stop what you're doing right now and grab someone to film. I hope what you're about to experience is a joy-bomb -- all made up of gratitude and love from some of the Art Stewards. Start recording!!! You have been such a joy to this group since the beginning and a few of us wanted to offer our thanks in the best way we know how -- art. You carry yourself with courageousness, bravery, and grace, and by example encourage us to do the same. The Stew has more depth because of you and I have a feeling the spoon has yet to reach the bottom. We may not be able to send you a bed frame or mattress, but here's some love for your walls!
<3 Arielle

You've probably heard me talk about/fawn over the Art Stew (a collective of the most welcoming artists on Instagram) and if anything, this is the reason why I adore them so very much. Today I received a large package in the mail and I opened it to find the letter above in an envelope that said, "Read this first!!!"

After reading it, I realized that some of my sweet Steward friends had teamed up to send me a surprise package of love in form of their handiwork,. My heart overflowed before I even looked at the rest of the package. 

Each week, the Art Stew presents a new prompt. Week twelve was "Floral and Foliage" and the dearest Arielle Bacon had the idea of sending some of the artists' work from that week to me. In Rhea's (the Art Stew's fearless leader) words about me, "because she had just moved into a new apartment and was mentioning how empty her walls were. If you know Kate you know she loves flowers and it just made sense we send whatever we came up with for the prompt to her!"

I can't even quite put into words how loved I feel right now. So I'm going to show you the beautiful works my fellow Stewards sent me. Click their names to be directed to their Instagram feeds!

Bees & Floral Drawing by Alyssa Kinde.

Poem & Illustration by Arielle Bacon (the orchestrator of this package!!!)

Woodburning by Abby & Reagan of the Homebodies Co. 

Beautiful writing on top of a photograph of my own work by Sophie Wilkinson.

Crocheted wall hanging by Allison of Loopy Cat Crochet.

Poem & Illustration by Ashly Hilst.

And last but most DEFINITELY not least, watercolors by Lydia Daigle!  

Even more, Rhea told me there are a few more things on the way. 

Here's why I love the Art Stew and our community so very much. We are warm and inviting and inspired by each other. New people are always hugged and greeted to sit at our table. And on top of that, everyone's talents, styles and mediums are so unique and our work together make a big old pot of Art Stew. 

I'm in a pretty lonely season of life (the first year of a college graduate). I live alone and it's really, really hard to find intentional people sometimes in a world so driven by social media and competition.

In the midst of coming home to an quiet, white walled apartment, I somehow found myself nestled into a creative community that fills my heart every single day. I now have pieces of these creative souls to hang on the white walls amongst my dried flowers. My heart is going to be filled by them for the rest of my days. Grateful, grateful, grateful for these artists and friends who I have never even met in person before, yet they still love on me deeply and intentionally. 

Still crying out of happiness. Thank you, my dear sweet Art Stew friends. 

Love,
Kate