Drawing Instead of Drawing

Doodling my favorite 2025 albums instead of my dead dog.

I’m working on a book proposal, and the pitch includes a lot of stuff about Daisy. I started on it months ago, and when reworking the pitch, a photograph of Daisy has become a 12-panel comic about Daisy being around for so many huge milestones. And I just keep not drawing it.

Part of the pain that my style feels so stiff. Even with scratchy (digital) tools, I feel so nit-picky about my lines being perfect and making sure that everything is balanced. Drawing stopped being fun for me somewhere along the way, and knowing that what I “need” to draw is the greatest dog who ever lived… woof.

SO! I thought of a way to both procrastinate my huge task AND (hopefully) get loosened up and excited about drawing again.

I made a list of my favorite albums that came out this year, and I gave myself 3-5 minutes to draw each cover.

(On my iPad. Relax.) Anyway, here they are in no particular order.

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Headlights - Alex G
Fav. tracks: Oranges, Real Thing, June Guitar
Great for: crying in the car

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LUX - Rosalía
Fav. tracks: Divinize, Sexo, Violencia y Llantas, Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti
Great for: crying on airplanes

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Welcome to My Blue Sky - Momma
Fav tracks: Ohio All The Time, My Old Street, I Want You (Fever)
Great for: crying in a record store

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Bleeds - Wednesday
Fav. tracks: Reality TV Argument Bleeds, Elderberry Wine, Bitter Everyday
Great for: crying in your hometown

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Double Infinity - Big Thief
Fav. tracks: Los Angeles, Double Infinity, Words
Great for: crying in a different city

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the theory of you - ivri
Fav. tracks: FUZZY, slip & let go, DMT
Great for: crying in Bushwick

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Body Mess - Alyse Dreamhouse
Fav. tracks: Cream Body, Bubble Muscles, Puff Puff
Great for: crying in the kitchen

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Manning Fireworks - MJ Lenderman
Fav. tracks: Rudolph, Wristwatch, On My Knees
Great for: crying in a garage

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Emotion (10th Anniversary Edition) - Carly Rae Jepsen
Fav. tracks: Black Heart, Never Get to Hold You, Run Away With Me
Great for: crying in the living room

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Sorry About the Party, Troy - Lovers Turn to Monsters
Fav tracks: Thunderbird 5, Max Brod, a rejection of a total philosophical shift
Great for: crying in the bath

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Try To Have A Little Fun - Sadlands
Fav. tracks: Die Young, Wrong Idea, Stranger
Great for: crying in the waiting room

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I Urinated on a Butterfly - Jim E. Brown
Fav. tracks: I Opened My Mouth Too Wide Today (And It Hurts), Rat in Bin, Every Time I Speak I Regret It Immensely
Great for: crying in the street

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Straight Line Was A Lie - The Beths
Fav. tracks: Best Laid Plans, Metal, Til My Heart Stops
Great for: crying in the shower (please note the distinction from bath)

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2026 is on its way, and if Instagram astrologers are right, it’s gonna be so huge. I hope they’re right about you in all of the best ways and total quacks when they say anything less than great.

Okay. Time to go see if I fixed myself. OH! If you’re in NYC, I have three clown shows in January that are GREAT for crying (and laughing) next to other people with big, juicy hearts:

Idiot’s Hour - Baker Falls (192 Allen St. in Manhattan)
Wednesday, Jan 7 @8pm

Clown & Puppet Slam - Rainbow Den Studio (195 Plymouth St. #605 in Brooklyn)
Sunday, Jan 11 @6pm

Slumber Party (performing with Leon Masin) - Pine Box Rock Shop (12 Grattan St. in Brooklyn)
Friday, Jan 16 @10:30pm (GOOD LORD!)