Alimo Studio Notes #63 | An idea I can't stop thinking about

Hey friends!

It’s been hawt 🔥 in NYC this week. The city feels like one giant oven. Fire hydrants are spraying, popsicle consumption is at an all-time high, and somehow I still kind of love it.

But more than the weather, I’ve been thinking about what’s next.

The June Drop came to a close, and one painting found its new home, which I'm incredibly grateful for. 🙌 Instagram slowed down. My inbox slowed down. For a brief moment, it almost felt like I wasn't moving forward.

Then I realized that wasn’t true at all. I’m simply in between chapters.

The challenge isn’t that I don’t have enough ideas. It’s almost the opposite. lol. This year, I’ve committed to monthly art drops, introduced a new sketchbook series, put together a larger gallery show, continued building wholesale relationships, explored licensing opportunities, and have been quietly thinking about where merchandise fits into everything.

When all of those ideas are spinning at once, it feels like everything doesn’t get done.

This week, I couldn’t stop thinking about all these wheels turning. I wrote everything down and tried to zoom out. Not just for next month, but for the rest of the year. Sometimes the best thing you can do isn't make another painting. It's to create enough space to figure out which direction deserves your energy.

I think what’s been cool is bringing more consistency into my practice. A few years ago, I'd finish a drawing, upload it as a print, and move on to the next one. These days, my work feels much more connected. The monthly drops have become a way to document my daily practice instead of hiding pages away in my sketchbooks. They're little snapshots of where my head is at each month, and they've given me this cool rhythm that I genuinely enjoy.

Our community (you) has been incredibly encouraging. I say this because my style has changed in so many ways, and you have all stuck around with me. That means so much to me.

Lately, I’ve been wondering how these monthly drops can continue to evolve.

Maybe that means exploring subjects beyond surfing from time to time. Maybe it’s revisiting old sketchbooks from past travels and finally giving those moments the attention they deserve. I’ve been fortunate enough to backpack and travel through so many incredible places over the years, and while water and mountains will probably always be part of my work, there are so many quiet moments in between that I’ve never shared.

Even this week, I find myself taking photos of the most random subjects in NYC. It’s certainly making me think I need to lean into this for the next monthly drop. Those tiny everyday moments have been sticking with me.

So that’s what I’ve been up to this week. Thinking, drawing, thinking some more. That's the funny thing about being an artist. I love the creative process and how ideas are still forming.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July, friends. I hope you get outside, spend time with your people, and catch some fireworks. I’ll be at the beach all weekend.

See you next week.

P.S Go USA futbol! FIFA has been unreal this week.

-Alimo