Hey, it’s Berthelot 🌼

Berthelot’s pipit (Anthus berthelotii)

Hello everyone,
I hope you’re all doing well! 🌿

After a long break announced at the end of September, I’m picking up the pen (or rather, the keyboard) again for a slightly special issue… one that marks the final page of a chapter I’m a little sad to close. 😢

After our year in Lanzarote, my partner and I have now settled in Amsterdam. I’ve started a yoga teacher training (on weekends) and have even begun teaching my first donation-based classes every Tuesday evening — an experience that’s both amazing and, well… pretty nerve-wracking too! 😄 All of this while continuing my illustration contract remotely, of course.

In the meantime, there’s been Inktobreizh (one drawing a day throughout October — I almost made it to the end, and I’m quite proud of that!), the apartment hunt, the move, retrieving our belongings from Slovenia, and the never-ending Dutch paperwork… let’s just say, it’s been busy!

And since life in Amsterdam is (very) expensive — especially rent — I’m currently looking for a part-time job to help balance things out.

This new rhythm still needs some fine-tuning: finding the right balance between my passions, my projects, my “you have to’s,” and the very real limits of a 24-hour day 😅. But I also see it as a beautiful harmony in the making: illustration gives me a quiet, introspective space at home, while yoga brings a more social, lively, and outward flow. Together, they nourish my creativity in the best way!

The tricky part is that most of my past projects (including Berthelot) take a lot of time and, let’s be honest, don’t really pay the bills 😅 So, after a lot of reflection, I’ve had to make some choices...

It’s with a little pinch in my heart that I announce the end of Berthelot’s bi-monthly newsletters.
No panic! I’m not ending the project entirely. Maybe one day, when life feels a bit calmer, I’ll be able to give it more space again. But for now, the time and energy it requires are simply too much for my current rhythm… and, sadly, the balance no longer makes sense. 🥲

The birds I draw will still occasionally take flight through this newsletter, just without a fixed schedule or any pressure to keep up a rhythm. You can also find most of my drawings on Instagram, where I’ll share my creations more freely and spontaneously.

And a little new thing: I’m opening custom drawing commissions, in pay-what-you-want mode!
If you’d like your own bird, a personalized portrait, or any custom illustration, feel free to reach out to me directly on Instagram 🖋️

So yes, it’s the end of a chapter… but really, just the start of a new one.
A bit like the migration of our feathered friends: sometimes you have to fly away for a while to find your way back home 🕊️

Thank you again for your support and kindness throughout this journey 🙏

Wishing you all the very best,
Emma 🌸

PS: feel free to write me at: plantinemma@gmail.com

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