Wonderful GUT Artists!
I wish I could reach through this glowing screen and hug each and every one of you! I am so, so proud of you. I am so proud of us.
Today is the 30th day of the GUT’s 2026 30 Days of Drawing. Wow. No matter if you did one day, three days, seven days, twenty, or all thirty — I hope you feel proud of the creative energy you stirred up, the leaps you took, and the effort you put into connecting with yourself, each other, and the whole darn world through drawing.
All of your hard work this month — nay, your entire life — has been leading up to one massive milestone:
The GUT’s 30 Days of Drawing Graduation Day.
This is a VERY BIG DEAL. You think I’d let this day go by with a simple lesson, quick doodle, and call it a month? No chance. Our 2026 theme may be LESS = MORE, but we’re still doing something super special.
To commemorate your creative accomplishment this year, I have three magnificent things for you:
GLOBAL GUT GROUP GATHERING on SUNDAY, 2/1, 10am PT! Let’s put a bow on these 30 Days together. We will celebrate our accomplishments, share what we learned, and draw together. There is a link at the bottom of the email to a Zoom. This is a members-only thing.
DrawTogether IN PERSON: We have a “Location Roll Call” chat filled with nearly 1,000 GUT members around the world hoping to meet up and draw together in person. GUT members, scroll to find members who live near you, direct message each other, and meet up IRL. (Be sure to report back!) Warning/promise: I cannot wait to take a global tour and visit you all!
A commencement address. What? You thought “less = more” meant no graduation speech this year? Ye of little faith. You couldn’t stop me if you tried.
Things 1 and 2 are below the fold. But let’s start with thing number 3. This address is for everyone.
Commencement Address.
Last year our commencement address came from brilliant writer Rebecca Solnit. Her closing words speak so much to our hard and joyful work, drawing for 10 minutes every day for 30 days. And they speak to our current moment, too:
So don’t stop asking, inquiring, exploring, caring, and drawing together. Even though also, I want to congratulate you at arriving at 30 Days of Drawing, which is maybe the end of something, but always and forever, in every moment, with every line, every time the pencil touches the paper, the beginning of something.
Welcome to the beginning.
This year I did my best to honor your creative effort and accomplishments with my own 10-minute address, straight from my heart to yours. I timed it to be exactly 10 minutes, which means this can also be your timer. (For our hearing-impaired members, there is a transcript at the end of this dispatch.) So grab a cuppa, settle in, press play below, and begin your final 30 Day drawing assignment.
“But what’s the assignment?” you ask. Below the commencement address you’ll find your 30th and final drawing assignment of 2026’s 30 Days. You will need paper, pen and/or pencils, colors, and some scissors.
As for the links to Sunday’s Zoom and our IRL meet-ups for members, all that info is below the assignment. So much good stuff. You earned it. WE earned it.
Alright, ready? Grab those supplies and maybe that tea or coffee, or if you’re in the UK or Tasmania or Europe or Australia maybe something a little stronger to toast with…. I’ll wait for you……
Ready?
Let’s begin.
30 Day Commencement.
Press Play:
Did you press play? PRESS PLAY!
