The Mullein Confided

The day my grandma died
Her flowers bowed their heads
And curled their dried-up leaves
To plead in faded yellow tones

They cried their little hearts
Into a lonely vase
Filling up the cleanest glasswork
Halfway to the brim

But when the next day came
They soaked up morning light
And smelled of smiles and yesteryear
As their golden petals spoke

Softly they confided
That even though the sun still rose
They would miss her, too

About This Special Collaboration

A few weeks ago, Mathijs Meeuwissen discovered this vivid flower painting by Christina | NebeliArt. It was the inspiration for a new, original poem called “The Mullein Confided.”

The pairing of this poem with the original painting really struck an emotional chord with both artists. So much so they decided to combine both the image and the text into the piece before you.

About the Author

Mathijs is a self-proclaimed discovery writer and poet. If you enjoyed this piece, feel free to explore more of his work at Mathijs Meeuwissen.

Then, something happened out of nowhere which I still think about.

A woman I didn’t know approached me and wanted to buy two of my paintings. The way she talked about my art and how excited she was about receiving them made me pick up my brushes that very night.

I was excited too! I felt so happy that I made someone else happy!

That night, I painted those figs.

I posted them here on Substack, and your response surprised me. You loved them. You left me so many beautiful comments, you touched my heart and you gave me so much joy and encouragement.

Since then, the number of people seeing my work has doubled in such a short amount of time. Making you feel something through my art is an indescribable feeling and I am so grateful for that.

From the day this lady approached me, the strength she gave me continues to this day, and it feels like the whole universe is signaling me to keep going!

Today I woke up to something new.

Two of my paintings sold on Etsy for the very first time! Yay!

I have been waiting for the day I would see that happen, and seeing those two sales this morning made me more than happy! (As you can tell, I started rambling in my notes while I was drinking coffee, because I wanted to share my enthusiasm with you.)

I have some paintings finished and waiting for me to be scanned and uploaded, and I also have some older paintings that I want to play with a bit more.

I'll be adding them to my Etsy shop, NebeliArt, this coming week, so keep an eye out! I'll make a post here to let you know as soon as they're available.

Of course, if you want to be notified as soon as they go up, you can already follow my NebeliArt Etsy shop.

And because so many of you have been following my little journey, I also decided to reopen paid subscriptions here on Substack.

A few months ago, I opened a mail club, but didn’t find its audience, so I eventually paused the paid subscriptions.

This time, I want to keep things simpler.

I am opening paid subscriptions for anyone who simply wants to support me and my work.

If you choose to support me, thank you! And if you don’t, that’s totally fine, because you already support me by looking at my work, leaving a comment or sharing.

Closing this post,

I’ve had some moments where I fell. I got disappointed, felt anxious and lost. But somehow, every time I get back with more energy and desire to create.

There are no ups without downs, right?

For now, I am painting. I am making things and putting them out into the world.

Thank you for looking at my work.

Ending this ramble with a little video of me enjoying life in front of this amazing sunrise.

NebeliArt,

Christina

Physically. Mentally. Artistically.

Consistency has become non negotiable for me, but the way I approach it is still evolving.

In December 2025 I joined a local weekly drawing class that meets for three hours each week. I will share more about that experience and the work I created there in a future post. For now I will just say that, like many classes, the main advice tends to be simply to draw more and paint more.

Which is true. But also easier said than done.

Yes, volume matters. Practice matters. Showing up matters.

But no one really talks about what that looks like day to day when you are alone in your space, managing your energy, your focus, your moods, and real life at the same time.

So I started building my own rhythm.

This is what my daily practice currently looks like when I am working on my own and trying to improve while still enjoying the process :

Starting the day with movement

Most mornings begin away from the desk.

I try to move my body first so that later, when I sit for long painting sessions, I do not carry that heavy feeling of being stuck in a chair all day. It helps my focus and my mood. When I finally sit down to work, I feel much more ready to stay there.

Then I enter my little creative chaos.

The very crowded desk situation

At this point I am surrounded by more art supplies than I ever expected to own. Over the past months I definitely leaned into collecting materials a bit too enthusiastically.

Lately oils have been my favorite medium and the one I return to most often.

At the same time, I get bored easily.

And honestly, I have stopped seeing that as a problem.

Some days I want oils. Other days I want crayons, collage, or to scan paper and experiment in Photoshop. I no longer try to force myself into one lane. Every day brings a different mood and usually a different kind of artwork. That unpredictability is part of what keeps me coming back.

What my daily practice actually looks like

On most days I try to do something art related. Not all of the following in one day of course. I rotate depending on my energy, time, and mood.

On a given day I might:

• do quick 30 to 60 second anatomy studies

• sketch my boyfriend

• draw one of my cats

• paint whatever is in front of me

• cut papers and scan them for digital experiments

• test color combinations

• open Photoshop and just explore without a strict plan

Not having a clear idea can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but it can also be very freeing. There are days when I simply let my hand move and see what happens. Those moments often lead to the most interesting surprises.

I am pushing for improvement, but I also want to enjoy the process and have fun.

What I do on low energy days

Not every day is productive in the same way.

When I feel tired, distracted, or uninspired, I still try to show up in a softer, more supportive way instead of forcing a finished piece.

On lower energy days I might:

• prepare canvases with gesso or underpainting

• clean my palettes

• organize the chaos around my desk

• scan recent drawings

• photograph older work

These days still count. They make the next studio session easier and help me maintain the habit of showing up.

Latest work

Monthly print for paid subscribers

If you enjoy my work and would like to support what I am building, I have turned on paid subscriptions.

Each month, paid subscribers will receive one physical 10 x 15 cm print of my original art, shipped worldwide.

Below are this month’s four print options. Paid subscribers can choose their favorite.

Subscribe now

Once subscribed, you’ll receive a welcome email with a short form to select your print and provide your shipping details.

Thank you for being here and for supporting a working artist in progress. It truly means more than you know.

See you very soon.

I want to begin by saying thank you for being here. Whether you’ve been following my work for some time or just arrived recently, it truly means a lot.

Sharing my paintings, studies, and experiments here has become an important part of my practice. It helps me stay focused and connected.

Recently, I decided to take this a little further: not only sharing work digitally but sending something physical from my studio into your space.

This is the start of the Nebeliart Print Club.

Each month, subscribers receive a small fine art print (A6: 10.5×14.8cm/4.1 x 5.8 inches 300gsm), signed by hand on the back and sent from my studio in Greece.

Below is a preview of this month’s print options:

I love the thought of these small works finding homes in different corners of the world.

How it works

• €10 per month, shipping included

• Each month you can choose your favorite print from a small curated selection

• Each print is signed and carefully packaged by me in the studio

If you’d like to join, here’s the next step:

Subscribe to the Nebeliart Print Club. Once subscribed, you’ll receive a welcome email with a short form to select your print and provide your shipping details.

If you choose to join the Nebeliart Print Club, please know how truly grateful I am for your support. It makes this work sustainable in a very real way.

As always, if you have questions or need anything, my DMs on Substack are open.

Thank you,
Christina
Nebeliart

That alone, made me feel lighter. Journaling grounded me. I felt lighter and less stuck.

Later in the day, I finally updated my gym membership, something I’d been postponing for far too long. (a small win)

I started two oil paintings that are now almost finished.

I bought a few art supplies I needed and wanted.

Small things shifted something inside me. I already feel more like myself again.

The dark little cloud I was in for the last couple of days feels thinner and lighter.

I am also sharing some photos I took recently and never posted. I’ve been experimenting with a more cinematic, film-like feeling.

I’m sharing this post as a reminder that writing can really help us pause, notice how our minds work, and lighten heavy days.

How do you treat yourself on your low days, and what helps you get back on track?

Leave a comment

Thank you for being here,
Christina / Nebeliart

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Lately, I’ve been thinking about beginnings. How we start without understanding anything at all. When I first started painting, I mixed watercolors and acrylics because I didn’t even know they were different. I was in my 20s, curious like a child, wondering why some parts of the painting dried so fast. I enjoyed every second of it.

Here’s one of my very first drawings. I believe I was around 24-25.

Later, I bought a Wacom tablet and moved into digital art. No chaos on my desk.

Here are some of my digital sketches. I also tried to paint my first drawing digitally. If I remember well, I was 27-28 at the time.

I returned to creating art this year, 33 year old now. I missed creating, painting and exploring.

Last week, I had my very first drawing class. The teacher asked me to sketch a few objects with pencil so she could see how I observe. My values were off. As homework, she encouraged me to spend this week sketching from life, larger and more confidently, to explore how light and shadows behave.

She also said I will be ready to explore color next time, which excites me!

So this week I’ve been painting in the mornings and drawing in the afternoons. Not everything is from life, most are from references I found, but I really pencil drawings right now. I even tried charcoal for the first time.

Here are some of my latest pencil drawings from this week.

I would really like to know:

When did you start creating?

What’s something you are learning right now?

Leave a comment

Thank you for reading this and sitting with me in these moments of learning. It means more than you know!

Till next time,

Christina / Nebeliart

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I wanted to share a little life update - it’s been a while since I last wrote to you (the last time was when I sent my first zine!), and I need to say a hello and a small catch-up. Some of you have been here since I started sharing my art and goals, and I really don’t want to disappear on you (no ghosting, I promise).

And for those who are new - hi! My name is Christina.

A few months ago, I made a big decision: I quit my job to take a break, rest and figure out what I truly want to do next. The first couple of months flew by. I slept more, relaxed, enjoyed small things that I have missed and took care of myself and my home. I also started walking more and taking photographs again - something I have studied and always loved.

But honestly, those first months were also full of stress and uncertainty. I didn’t have a clear plan - just one sure goal: to make a living doing something creative. So, I started sketching again, this time more intentionally and mindfully.

A few years ago, I was mostly drawing digitally, but I didn’t have much experience with traditional art. That changed quickly - I got completely hooked on ink sketches! Around that time, I also joined Substack and began posting my daily drawings, something I still love doing.

Since then, I’ve been teaching myself how to draw and paint. I’ll be honest with you, I am not the best student or teacher, but I keep showing up every day, spending hours creating and experimenting. I don’t have a “style” yet (and I am not really sure I ever will), because I can’t stop drawing different things. I love portraits, landscapes, still life – pretty much everything.

I’ve been trying all kinds of materials: ink pens, markers, colored pencils, acrylics, gouache, pastels, crayons... and now, I’ve finally bought some oil paints to try! I can’t stop myself from buying different art supplies. Every time I sit at my desk, I never know what I’ll end up creating - maybe I’ll love it, maybe not. But it always worth the try.

Some plans have started taking shape though, and I really want to make them happen because time flies and my goal is to become a full-time artist.

Here’s my little goal list:

• Create my second “Hand It Over” zine

• Build a website to introduce myself (and hopefully sell originals and prints)

• Start an art club on Patreon – where people who want to support me will receive a monthly envelope with one of my prints or my zines

• Record videos (Even if I never talk in them. Talking on camera, especially in English, is so scary! I deeply admire everyone who does it!)

• And most importantly: always keep creating!

P.S. My plan was to finish my second zine this month, but honestly, I am not even close! I couldn’t decide on a theme, so it might just be filled with random daily drawings. I promise it will look cute.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s been following, liking, sharing or commenting on my posts. It really means a lot.

And if you read all the way to the end... You are so cool!

Subscribe now

If you have any tips or advice for someone trying to build a creative career, I’d love to hear them.

Leave a comment

Till next time,

Christina / Nebeliart

It’s finally time to share the result of many hours of sketching and editing over the past month.

The name of my zine is “Hand It Over” Vol. 01. Hopefully, this will grow into a full zine series.

Inside, you’ll find sketches and studies straight from my sketchbook, along with some experimental graphic design elements. This first issue is all about hands. Why hands? Because I love the dynamism, energy, and emotion they can communicate.

Throughout this process I learned so much through trial and error, and I’ve become completely addicted to creating more and more art. Making art has turned into a beautiful, much-needed routine for me. I’m falling in love with everything new I’m learning and all the materials I get to experiment with.

Here’s the final A3 zine with 8 pages, ready for you to download and print at home. You can also print it at a smaller size if that’s more convenient. Add it to your zine collection, tuck it into a drawer, or share it with someone who’d appreciate it!

"Hand It Over" vol.01

37.8MB ∙ PDF file

Download

A free mini-zine created by Christina Kon/Nebeliart

Download

I would love to print and send copies myself, but for now that’s a little too costly since I don’t have an income yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to revisit this idea someday.

Here’s a gif showing how I folded it, along with step-by-step instructions as clearly and simply as possible.

1. Fold in half.

2. Fold in half again.

3. Fold in half again lol. (same direction)

4. Unfold completely - you’ll see 8 panels.

5. Fold in have once (long side) and cut along the center fold only to the middle.

6. Push the ends together - the slit opens into pages.

7. Press flat - ta da!

This mini zine is my first, and there’s plenty of room for progress and experimentation. My head is exploding with ideas already!

Be sure to subscribe — there’s more to come, and I think you’ll enjoy it. Plus, it’s free!

Thank you to everyone who has liked, commented on, or shared my art since I joined Substack. I don’t want to sound cliché, but your support really helps and motivates me to keep creating and connecting with people who share the same passion for art.

Question for you: What theme would you love to see for the next issue of my zine? I am waiting for your comments!

Thanks again!

Peace and love,

Christina Kon / Nebeliart

I have an announcement to make!

I am creating something for you - the very first zine I have ever made.

The title is Hand it Over and the theme is.. hands!

For now, I just want to share the cover page - a little glimpse of this project.

Soon, I’ll be sharing the whole zine here on Substack for everyone to see and download for free.

At first, I thought this could be a weekly project, but as I began working on it (with the real help of my boyfriend, who is a graphic designer), I realized how much care and time it takes to bring it to life. So instead, I’ll be sharing 1-2 issues a month. This way, each page can be created with the attention it deserves.

There will be 8 pages in total. So far, I have finished 5. When the whole zine is ready, you’ll be able to download it as an A4 sheet with all the pages. If you print and fold it, it will turn into a small zine you can actually hold in your hands. I’ll include step-by-step instructions so you can make it easily.

This is new for me, and I am not sure exactly how it will grow, but what I do know is that I want it to feel like a gift - a small collection of sketches you can keep, print or just flip through.

Art makes me feel alive and sharing it with you is such a joy! Thank you so much for subscribing and for being here! You are one of the reasons I push myself to create things like this.

If you’d like to support me, please spread the word.

Restack this post, like, comment, or simply share with a friend. Every little action helps me keep creating and sharing.

I can’t wait to show you the full zine soon!

Peace and love,

Christina Kon / Nebeliart

At some point, the little girl said with excitement, “Today is the best day of my life! I swam, I had ice cream—what more could I want?” And honestly, that sentence shook me. I kept thinking about it. I’m not a little kid anymore. If I want to go for a swim, I just take the car and go. If I want ice cream, I go buy some. If I want to see my friends, I see them. If I want to travel, I travel.

This freedom—I used to long for it when I was a kid. And yet now, we take it all so much for granted. Sometimes we even find it boring.

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. I spent it with friends. We took the car and went out to eat. After that, we drove to a small chapel I didn’t even know existed, and we sat in its courtyard. Big old plane trees all around—older than the village itself. The sunlight filtered through the leaves. In the distance, you could see the sea. We ate, drank, played guitar and bouzouki, and sang.

I asked the guys playing music to play one of my favorite songs, and we all sang it together at the top of our lungs. The song is called “Thee mou megalodyname” (My Almighty God). If anyone is interested I can link the very first version of the song. Suddenly, some sheep passed just above us, and it was such a sweet surprise to see so many animals being herded by two small kids. The whole scene was magical. Friends, beers, and endless conversations about everything.

Our phones had died from battery after taking so many photos and videos, and we didn’t even care. We left with hugs and big smiles. And all I could think was, “Today is the best day of my life.”

Thank you, little girl, for reminding me how simple and beautiful life is meant to be.

I feel the pressure of my age and the fact that I haven’t mastered anything. The only two things I’ve always loved—and deep down knew I should keep doing—are photography and drawing.

I studied and worked as a photographer many years ago, but I never managed to build a solid career out of it. I had to accept every job offer that came my way, even the ones I didn’t enjoy. I know not every job will be fun or fulfilling. Yes, a job is a job. But all I keep hearing is that work doesn’t have to be enjoyable.

Sorry, but I can’t accept that—and maybe that’s my problem, or maybe that’s my solution. Either way, I probably never will accept it.

I ended up quitting photography because I preferred to hate something else rather than feel the urge to smash my camera after every job. I got offers for wedding shoots, but I was too young and inexperienced to be taken seriously—and my prices were laughably low. I even lost money on a wedding shoot once, just because I wanted the couple to be happy and maybe promote me.

Huge mistake.

More bad experiences followed. Most clients didn’t even want to pay. They told me they were “helping” me by giving me experience. Eventually, one day, I just stopped picking up my camera. I started telling people I quit and wasn’t interested in any job offers. I used only my phone camera because there was no pressure to take a “serious” photo. And I’m sure some of you know exactly what I mean.

I gave up on the dream of being creative and started working at a café.

Then I got sick—pneumonia—and had to stay home for a few months. I was bored out of my mind. That’s when I had this brilliant (and random) idea: I started drawing. I was 25, and it was the first time I ever held a pencil with the intention to actually draw something. No clue about anatomy, proportions—nothing. Just vibes. I would spend 8 hours drawing and painting the same “ugly” portrait, and it was perfect to me because I was having so much fun.

Months passed, and I returned to my job as a barista. Of course, I couldn’t keep doing it. It was exhausting—physically and mentally. I quit and tried making income from drawing portraits online. The money wasn’t enough.

Then I got another opportunity to work at a different café, with better pay. I took it. But again—exhausted and unhappy. I still drew for myself, but the idea of spending my life making coffee was slowly destroying me inside.

I stayed there for 3 years.

Then I quit again. One month later, I found a new café job with the highest income I’d ever earned. I know this story sounds sad and repetitive. For a while, I was happy. I was good at it. I was making money.

You can probably guess how long that lasted.

I stopped drawing completely. Even thinking about it made me feel bad, because I had no goal anymore. I have a partner, a house, and two cats that I love—but I was gone. I even stopped looking in mirrors because my face had turned into a tired old face. Christina had left the building.

Being stuck in a job that made me miserable—that’s something I just can’t accept. It’s not that I didn’t want to work. I just needed to work on something that gave me joy. I saw that there was a pattern in my life: me chasing a monthly income from jobs I didn’t enjoy and forcing myself to accept that “it is what it is.”

All my coworkers were constantly complaining, but never thought about quitting.

It’s not easy to quit when you have bills to pay or children to raise. Sometimes I wished I had their strength—to stay in a job I hate and just keep complaining forever.

But my mind doesn’t work like that. It’s kind of determined to at least try to change the situation.

Me and my partner went on vacation to Croatia and got engaged there. I was so full of positive emotions. But then vacation was over, we came back to the daily routine, and I saw it clearly:

I didn’t want to start a family and force myself to stay in a job that drains all my energy.

I had one day off per week. I asked for two, and it wasn’t even up for discussion. I was thinking about working a couple more months to save some money before quitting. That was the plan.

But I didn’t stick to it. I had enough of crying and complaining. I don’t have children. I don’t pay rent. I just have to cover bills and food.

I think I’ll survive for a bit!

So I quit again.

I’m almost 33 now, and more anxious than ever. It wasn’t a “smart” time to quit—but honestly, it never will be. I didn’t win the lottery. I just chose to put my mental and physical health first. I needed time to breathe and find myself again.

The first couple of weeks I felt like shit. I felt guilty and embarrassed. People asked me why I left and what I’m going to do now.

All I could say was, “I needed some time off.”

Some of them instantly told me about new barista job offers. I just thanked them.

Now, I take my camera or sketchbook everywhere I go. I’ve started falling in love with photography again. I’ve started drawing again too. My skills feel rusty, like I’m learning everything from scratch—but I don’t want to quit this time.

I’ve started enjoying the little things and loving myself and others more.

Some of the things I had missed or neglected:

Sleep – I needed that good sleep without 50 alarms at 5:00.

Enjoying my partner – even just drinking coffee on the balcony every morning is a must now.

Spending time with my cats and fish

Spending time with friends and family – and when I say enjoy, I mean it. I laugh more. I talk more. I need to see them more.

Doing yoga and breathing exercises before bed

Reading books or finding new music

Cleaning my house – yes, cleaning is a happy time now. I enjoy taking care of our space.

Caring for my plants – they were slowly dying. Now they’re all growing, green and beautiful.

Going for walks whenever I need to – there are so many beautiful spots within walking distance.

I don’t know what kind of closure you might be expecting from this, but there isn’t one. Not yet.

I know that if I want to make an income from something creative, I need a plan. But history has shown me that pressure and anxiety usually lead me straight back to a job I don’t enjoy—just to pay the bills.

And that’s the worst-case scenario for me.

This is just me opening up—being as real and honest as I can.

I hope that someday, all of this will turn into a motivational story.

Fingers crossed that I’ll find my path. 🤞

And I truly wish the same for you. 🩷

My name is Christina,

Thanks for your time ☺️