Blessed Fun Life in the Here and Now

Dear Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

Happy Autumn to you all!

Please meet the Fairy of the Blessed Fun Life in the Here and Now:

She is reminding me to radiate joy, smile, and—most importantly—have some fun. This feels like a very good fairy to have around as I write about Art Hop!

Oh, Art Hop was such a fun experience.

For me and the fairies, opening the studio gives us a chance to live in our world and invite people in. Some people visit for the first time. Others return with stories about how the fairies have found their way into their lives and supported them along the way.

This year’s experience was just that. And… it also included the introduction of the Demon Card Deck, now available in our shop.

Twenty-seven demons are now cards, along with five antidote cards.

One thing I noticed during Art Hop was that I felt more balanced in my studio sharing both the fairies and the demons. These are the two main themes I explore through my own drawing practice, and it felt right to have them both living in the studio together.

We are really at the beginning of exploring what the Demon Deck can do.

The demons are simply doing their job: helping us notice our burdens so we can begin to release them.

The demons say:

“Something is too heavy here.”

Find the demon that connects with how you are feeling. Meet it. Then ask: What do you need?

Maybe it needs to be acknowledged. Maybe it needs a next step. Maybe it simply needs to be felt. Maybe it is ready to be transformed.

And this is where the fairies come in.

Demons help us notice what is getting in the way. Fairies help us remember who we are.

Demons are a heavy bag.
Fairies open the door.

Art Hop gave me my first little field study in how people are responding to the Demon Deck, and I learned a lot. There is much more I want to explore as the deck grows.

For those of you who indicated at Art Hop that you’d like to be part of a focus group, thank you! I’ll be in touch about that soon. And if you didn’t get a chance to indicate your interest but would like to participate, just write and let me know.

And to those of you with new Demon Decks: please let me know how the demons are living in your lives. What are they helping you notice? Have you found a fairy to help you along the way?

As for me, this Fairy of the Blessed Fun Life in the Here and Now is assisting me with addressing all the demons I’ve been feeling lately.

It’s very helpful.

On we go.

Emily

Meet the Demon of Dishes Waiting.
Sometimes a demon is very specific about what is weighing on us.

Winning Horse of Dreams

Dear Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

In just a few days, the South End Art Hop begins, and Bluebird Fairies is opening its studio doors wide and welcoming people in.

This is a very exciting year!

First, the Horse of Dreams—where people were invited to contribute their dreams—will be here in the hallway. There will also be a place to add new dreams that will be woven into a Magic Carpet.

This is how we’re beginning and ending the Year of the Horse!

And...12 years ago, during another Year of the Horse, Bluebird Fairies became itself after introducing our first Deck of Fairies.

What a life those fairies have created!

And now, though they came first in my life, the Fairies have made room for an introductory Deck of Demons, and I am so excited to share it with you.

So come on up to the 3rd floor at Howard and Pine and meet the Horse, the Flamingo, write your dream for the Magic Carpet, meet the Demons, and maybe even draw a Demon of your own.

We can’t wait to see you!

Emily, the Fairies & the Demons

Lilli-Kate and the Introductory Demon Card Deck

Hello, Friends of Bluebird Fairies

I hope you’re all doing well and finding ways to live your lives fully.

The Fairy of this Blog is:

the Lilli-Kate Way Fairy.

You’ll learn more about why as you read, but for now, think about the energy of Lilli-Kate’s way: being present, loving what is right in front of you, and finding joy in the small things.

That has been a big part of my summer.

I spent some of the summer back in my hometown of Rochester, reconnecting with women I have known for 44 years. We rented a house in Canada and had a wonderful time together. There is something very grounding about being with people who come from the same place you do—whose parents and grandparents also lived there.

One of the sweetest parts was having coffee with the teacher who, many years ago, suggested I check out Bread and Puppet Theater. That suggestion became a very big step in my life.

It made me think about how much our lives are shaped by little moments of connection.

Many of you know that introducing the Bluebird Fairies at Art Hop 12 years ago brought Brian into my life. We returned to Canada in August for our annual anniversary time, where we choose fairies to support us through the coming year.

This summer also brought my puppeteer friend, Damiano, with his family to the Bread and Puppet Theater and we hung out in person for the first time in 22 years!

Damiano, Emily, and Cristina in the Paper Mache Cathedral

And then there are the two things that have shaped this summer more than anything else:

Lilli-Kate and the Demon Deck.

We’ve spent the summer hoping our dear dog friend would feel better. Along the way, there have been many tender moments—sitting with her in the garden, taking care of her, and discovering new ways for her to show us that she is still taking care of us, too.

One of the things Lilli-Kate loves best is sitting beside me while I work.

This summer, she has spent quite a bit of time beside me while I worked on my demons.

I didn't start drawing demons for the Demon Deck. I’ve been drawing my demons for myself for about 13 years. This year, I went back through all those drawings and chose the ones that seem to belong in the deck. Now I’m taking those often very rough drawings and making them accessible by giving them color and making them easier to read.

At Burlington’s South End Art Hop on September 11, 12, and 13, you’ll be able to see the Introductory Demon Deck and share your thoughts about the 31 more demons and antidotes that will eventually become part of the complete deck.

I’ll be back with more about Art Hop soon. There will be quite a few things happening in the Bluebird Fairies studio and adjoining hallways.

Keep living the Lilli-Kate way,

Emily

and the Bluebird Fairies

Hello Summer- Here we come!!!

Hello Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

I hope you are all doing well as we shift seasons—some of us moving into warmer months and some into colder ones. I'm here in the warmer group, and I love it. I'm enjoying the ease of fewer layers, the return of green, and the growing abundance of color around us.

The last time I wrote, I spoke about the Year of the Fire Horse’s energy assisting my journey through thirteen years of fairy and demon drawings. Just two months later, it feels like a lifetime ago. The energy of the Fire Horse certainly isn't standing still. It seems to be asking many of us to keep moving, creating, and sharing our work with the world.

Here's a recent fairy to support us on that journey:

I'm happy to share a few of the ways the fairies—and their friends, the demons—are making their way out into the world.

For the second year in a row I have four fairies hanging in the Rochester Contemporary Art Center's annual 6x6 exhibition and fundraiser. Being included in a show in my beloved hometown always touches me deeply. I love seeing the incredible breadth of talent represented and discovering pieces that remind me of Rochester and all the things that make it special.

I created fairies for this year's show to celebrate some of the places and plants in Rochester that played an important role in my growth. One curator selected one of them to include in her "Pick of the Picks" and wrote:

"This artwork is one of several in a series that whimsically celebrates Rochester's natural assets. It's a fun series that makes the viewer think and smile."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The exhibition of thousands of 6x6 artworks remains on view through July 25 and can also be viewed and purchased online.

The Lilac Fairy has already sold. She was pretty cute.

I'm also delighted that the Demons poster Stephanie Salmon of Gotham City Graphics helped me create is currently hanging in SEABA's Creative Competition exhibition in Burlington through June 27 and can also be viewed and purchased online.

And in another small but meaningful example of Fire Horse energy at work, I stopped into Railyard Apothecary recently to check on the Fairy of the Day decks they carry. While I was there, Sachi asked whether they could have a Fire Horse poster. I was happy to bring one over, and now it hangs there above shelves filled with all sorts of plant allies and natural remedies.

It feels like the Fire Horse is encouraging all of us to share what we create, trust where our passions lead us, and allow our work to find its way into the world.

So let's keep moving. Let's keep creating. Let's keep finding new ways to bring our gifts forward.

With love,

Emily

What Happens Next?

Dear Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

When I last wrote, the Year of the Fire Horse had just begun. Now—we’re on the ride.

As I prepared to step into this year of movement, I found myself opening a box I hadn’t looked through in a long time. It was overflowing—old notebooks, 4x6 index cards, years of drawings.

I spread them out and began sorting them into two simple piles:
demons… and fairies.

There was so much life in them. Feelings that had once felt so strong, so immediate. And yet, with time—and maybe also with the act of drawing them—the sting of the harder ones had softened.

In the earliest notebooks, there were mostly demons.

But then, in a quiet and almost surprising way, the fairies began to appear. Barely formed at first… but there.

Like this one:

There’s something a little ominous about that question, especially right now, when so many difficult things are unfolding in our country and across the world.

And yet, when I look at this fairy, I don’t feel fear.

I feel curiosity. Even excitement.

Because we know what happened last time the fairies showed up.

They connected. They multiplied. They brought people together. They became the Fairy Deck—and so much more than I could have imagined.

And now, something new is emerging alongside them.

I’m beginning to create a Deck of Demons—images that give shape to the thoughts and patterns that get in our way. Some of you may have seen a glimpse of them at Art Hop. They’re not here to scare us—they’re here to be seen.

Named.
Understood.
Maybe even softened.

I’ll be sharing more soon. What you’re seeing here is just a beginning.

Before I go, I want to leave you with a small pause—

If a fairy were standing beside you right now,
what question would it ask?

And if a “demon” has been showing up lately… what might it be trying to tell you?

If you feel like sharing, I’d truly love to hear what’s showing up for you.

Wishing you great momentum as you continue clearing space and moving toward your dreams.

All the best,
Emily