Happy New Year, Do Art Nation! 2025 was an amazing year for art, as we helped thousands of kids across the country unlock their creative superpowers. 2026 promises to be an even bigger year, as we continue to bring our message to the world: that YOU are an artist, and people of any age and background can use art to discover themselves, gain confidence, and build community with those around them.
Rather than talk about New Years “resolutions,” I figured I’d talk about what I’m excited for as we head into 2026. Last year I performed more workshops, for more people, than ever before, and with each program I found myself excited by the prospect of bigger crowds, more energy, so the first thing I’m excited for is …
Assemblies
We introduced our creative assembly in 2024 after a school in North Dakota reached out to Mr. Jerry about an artist-in-residence event that included a school assembly. We quickly realized that lots of libraries are looking to program events for larger groups for summer reading, and we began to promote our creative assembly as a way to get big groups of kids to DO ART. We also started reaching out to schools about doing REALLY big assemblies in school gyms. And we have lots more events planned for 2026. Working with a large group definitely changes the energy of the event, and each assembly is something thrilling and a little nerve-wracking for me. But the more I do this, the more I see that genuine excitement lives on that fine line between confidence and uncertainty. And some of my favorite events were assemblies like Chillicothe, IL, where a big crowd of kids and I were able to have a great time and create something special. So as a new year looms before us, I keep hearing crowds of kids chanting. DO…ART! DO…ART!
Live Music
This definitely goes hand in hand with the creative assemblies, but as I’ve been travelling the country I’ve also had a chance to share the gift of music with more people! I’ve been making music as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories were singing along to cassette tapes in the car, and I was enticed by my grandma’s piano to explore all the amazing sounds and frequencies music can create, around us and inside of us. Mr. Jerry and I have been making music together since college, but often it’s taken a back seat to other art projects like writing or comics. But last year had me singing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” to throngs of kids, playing rock songs for a group of guys outside a hotel in Jackson, Mississippi, and of course rocking the open mic at Evenflow in Geneva, IL! So as 2026 comes around I’m super excited to inspire and excite others through the power of music, singing, playing piano and guitar, and using the WACKY creativity of the audience to make up silly songs of our own!
The Other Thing
Like many of our best ideas, the concept of This, That, and The Other Thing started small, and gained momentum like a snowball rolling downhill. Each new comic we make with the kids at our comic book workshops and programs adds a little more fuel to the lore of The Other Thing. A seemingly harmless ball of blue floof, used as a juggling ball and whiteboard eraser, The Other Thing has become a central feature in the comics we create. We’ve made comics where The Other Thing creates a Banana Godzilla, falls in love, and steals Christmas. As 2025 neared its end Mr. Jerry and I were busy on our latest comic book project: a This, That, and The Other Thing COMIC BOOK! These will feature some of our own comics, as well as adaptations of original art by kids from around the country. We’ll be giving them away on Free Comic Book Day and throughout the month of May to partner libraries and schools. The idea that kids will read, delight in, and be inspired by art from kids just like them is incredibly exciting to me. It gets to the heart of what Do Art is all about. And it allows us to take these WACKY stories in comic book form and turn them into YouTube shorts, pairing visual art with some amazing acting and voice work as kids work together to bring their creations to life!
So look for This, That, and The Other Thing coming to a school or library near you! We’re starting 2026 with lots of energy and inspiration we’re ready to share with you all. What are you most excited for in 2026? Reach out to us and let us know, Do Art Nation, and don’t forget to KEEP CREATING!