Coffee with Moe - Spring Edition 2021

IT’S A
SPR
THI

ING
NG

pg 6
pg10
pg16
editorial
What’s the story
Colouring Page
presents: The Spring Ed
ISSUE 16: The latest Buzz at Moe Creative
April 2021
On The Cover: From the smallest bee to
the biggest tree, may spring awaken in all
of us a growing passion and compassion
for every living thing. Let’s share a cuppa
and grow better together. XO Moe
For digital Prints & Commission work, please
Contact: monique@moecreative.com

pg18
pg22
pg26
Take it back
Helsinki Theory
In the Studio
ition, Coffee with Moe
Website: www.moecreative.com
Blog: www.moecreative.com/blog
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/moecreative/
IG: www.instagram.com/moe_creative
Coffee with Moe Digital Magazine is
published in association with Moe Creative
Inc. based in Calgary, Alberta Canada
Publishing made possible by Moe Creative, Yumpo & the
Adobe Suite of Products.
* All Art, photography & writing by Moe Creative inc.
Many thanks to Family, Friends & Inspiration:
Gratefully & alphabetically:
AB, AC, AG, AL, AR, BCV, BD, CF, CG, CR,
CS, DD, DK, DL, DO, DR, EC, ED, EN, GD,
GDC, HC, HM, IF, JD, JH, JM, JR, JS, KB,
KH, KN, KS, KW, LB, LD, LK, LM, LOL, LP,
MB, MC, MH, MQ, MS, MY, ND, NH, NS,
PA, PB, RC, RS, SB, SH, SK, SP, SMG, TN,
TR, VH, YK.
& all Moe Creative’s clientele & suppliers.
All for whom this issue was created, with
heart & much gratitude.
© 2021 Moe Creative Inc. All rights reserved.

Hello!
Welcome to another
edition of Coffee with me,
or Moe, as my friends call me.
The goal of each edition is multipronged.
It’s a (Hopefully) far more
entertaining way for me to deliver art,
information and photography to your inbox.
A way that kind-of connects us for a
slightly longer period and feels like a wee
break from your daily stresses.
On the creative side of things, it allows
me to share some of the creative play
that takes place behind the scenes. The
learning of digital communication tools,
the sharing of information plus some
interesting conversations and gems
that I’ve picked up along my way.
So please, grab a cuppa and
join me. Coffee is always
better when shared
together.
XO
Moe

Orchids & Bees
Completed as part of a 30 day challenge on Instagram
Check out the entire challenge & more @moe_creative

What’s the st
H
You’re not alone.
ave you ever planted seeds that barely sprouted, if at all?
Did you throw your hands up in defeat and assure yourself that
it was the seeds? It MUST have been the seeds? Who sold
or gave you those terrible, no good seeds!?
It happens to the best of us. That is, until we learn a few ways to sleuth out a
seeds needs before it becomes a source of frustration and for some, blame.
Figuring this out, is a matter of meddling with some easy seedy wisdom. By
the end of this article, you’ll be a more confident and successful gardener.
Ready? Set. ...
Let’s talk Cold Stratification.
Cold Stratification is a fancy word that describes the act of faking winter.
I usually check out the need for stratification before I do anything else.
Why? Because as you’ll see, there are a few ways I can move forward
depending how early or late in the season I’m buying or unearthing left-over
seeds.
Winter, as most gardeners know, isn’t just a cold and barren time. It’s a very
important season when their beloved perennials get signals from the cold
temperatures that a rest and reset is in order. Soil warming acts as a
perennial sign to grow into the next generation.
This same cold signal may be required by your seeds.
Luckily, those handy packages most of our seeds come in, will likely let you
know if cold stratification is required. Gifted seeds can easily be looked up on
the internet. At this point, one of the following methods of...
[cont.]
Morning Glo

ory
ry?

What’s the Story, Morning Glory cont’d
stratification can be chosen to meet your needs and time restraints.
Here are 5 easy ways to Cold Stratify your seeds
1. Fall casting. This basically means spreading your seeds like chicken feed where
you want them just before the snow flies. Raking them lightly onto the soil surface
can aid germination, as it’ll help the seeds become integrated in the topsoil and less
likely to be blown around or get found and eaten.
2. Winter Casting. The same but casting on top of the snow in the cool early spring.
Be aware, you will loose some seeds using these two methods due to wind, rot and
wildlife foraging.
3. The next method is placing your seeds in a single layer between two wet paper
towels, rolling that towel up loosly and placing it in an open jar or glass in the fridge
for a month. It’s very important with this method that your paper towel stays evenly
wet throughout the month and does not dry out.
4. Soil/sand stratifiying when done traditionally is best done with bigger seeds.
Mostly because fishing around in the soil for your seeds is the usual method
required to move to the planting stage. It’s a huge annoying mess.
You can try using those jiffy pellets as your soil medium. This is somewhat easier as
you can leave smaller seeds grow in the same soil after stratification. To stratify
using this method place your moist and seeded jiffy pellets in a covered planting
tray. Keep damp, not wet in the fridge for a month. At month’s end transfer your tray
to the area where you would like to germinate your seeds. This can be great for
plants that should be started indoors. Be sure to count up the weeks of growth
required before last frost, days or weeks of germination, plus the month for
stratification to find your successful start date.
5. The last and fastest way to cold stratify is directly in water. This method takes a
little more work, but it’s done in a week. Place your seeds in a jar with water and
cover with doubled up cheese cloth. Place in the fridge, and write yourself a note.
You need to replace the water your seeds are in daily for that whole week. The
cheese cloth ensures you won’t loose seeds in the process.
Now that you’ve figured out which seeds need stratifying and just how you’re going
to go about that process, it’s time to set your dates for planting and figure out if your
old seeds are still viable.

Let’s see what’s viable.
For the viability of large seeds like Morning Glories, place them in a capped jar of
water. Shake to submerge all seeds in water and mess with water tention. Let your
seeds stand and sort themselves out for 15 minutes. Notice who sinks and who
floats. Those seeds still afloat are likely less viable as the ones that sank. You’ll
notice that I said less. Some floaters may still germinate, but they’ll need more help
like scarring and further soaking to help them out of their shell. I’ll go into more
detail on this in a few paragraphs.
With small and lighter seeds, figuring out viability takes a little more time.
Select about 10% or place 10 seeds between dampened paper towels and put them
in a warm, dark environment. Spritz your towel to keep it damp, not wet and you will
see seeds sprout within their specific germination rate. This rate is always listed on
seed packages, or is easy to find via an internet. Seeds that sprout, notify you of
your potential germination rate. 7/10 active is 70% etc.
Plant your seeds with a heavier, or lighter hand, in relation to their germination rate.
So, you’ve answered the viability question, now what?
Well, for those bigger seeds that may need a little more help to start out, scarring
may be your next move. Scarring sounds scary, but it’s really a simple procedure that
I use with all hard shelled seeds regardless of their sink-ability. This should be a last
step before planting outside, so make sure you’re testing big seed viability the day
before you plan on planting.
To scar, I simply use care and a paring knife to nick, scratch or scar the hard outer
shell of each seed. This procedue allows easier penetration of water to the seed embryo
within. Sometimes you see, the outer shell can do such a fine job of protecting
it’s embryo, that it may actually need a hand to initially accept water.
Please note: Scarring does not mean wounding. Do your best to affect only the
surface and avoid damage your seed. Follow scarring directly with a soak from 2-12
hours approx. before planting out.
Whew, that was a lot of information. But you don’t really need it all at once. Pick and
choose what you will use. When your timing is right, you’ll find that your worries
about planting by seed will barely sprout up in your mind again.

MOE CREATIVE COLOUR
Drawn by: Moe
Coloured by:
For more creative colour access, subscribe at www.moecreative.com
© Moe Creative inc.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!
It can be hard to connect as often as we like!
Be it your schedule or mine, distance or pandemic.
Regardless of intentions, it just doesn’t seem to happen
enough. Especially, in a fun and creatively collaborative way.
This is actually how the idea of Moe Creative Colour began.
The idea itself is not revolutionary. I mean, we’ve all coloured a page
or two in our lifetime. Since being a kiddo though, science has actually
proven that colouring is excellent at: Reducing stress and anxiety, with
the added benefit of increasing our motor skills, all while improving vision,
sleep and focus. Not bad for a piece of paper and a few pencil crayons.
Celebrate our other mother in this latest edition of Moe Creative Colour.
Why hearts on her tree? Well, the latest hot off the press scientific news
finally confirms and validates decades worth of cummulative research.
All trees do infact have the ability to feel, sense their place in the world,
smell, taste, sense light (aka see in their own way) and they also help
plants around them, like Mother Earth’s little helper.
Join me in celebrating trees, Earth Month, Earth Day (21st)
and give a little love to yourself while you’re at it.
We live on a super cool planet worth celebrating.
You are a brilliant part of this living and
vibrant world. XO Moe
LINK HERE

TAKE IT BACK!
If I were to take a look at my life, I
know there are a few things in a few
areas that I’d like to take back.
I’m quite sure, I’m not alone in this.
Life can be a litte rough and tumble to
be sure. Outcomes can seem
frustrating at best, especially when
you exhaust your current skillset.
Turns out, the best advice that I’ve
ever received as an artist, is also
advise that might just help you out of
your next bind. It goes like this:
“TAKE YOUR ART BACK!”
Say what?
At first you might look at this and say,
“Really? Not doing art here Moe.”
But, hear me out. This advice is sage
in art and life.
To start, it’s a possessive statement.
This is significant, because you can
only impact (tricky, but a true story)
internal and personal conditions.
That’s right. The weather, time and
other people’s actions, reactions,
mistakes or what they may think are
all completely outside of your control.
Letting go of external factors , is a
tough step, but it’s step one.

As adults, we often get caught up in
answer b). I mean, yikes. Who wants
to subject themselves to the endless
crappy things that some folks and
our own self-talk, are willing to tell us.
These critiques often come across as
rejections of who we are, not what
we’re doing and that’s baggage that
no one needs to carry.
Honestly, it’s best to do your best to
forget what “they” say. “They” often
speak from thier own fears of defeat.
The only actual failure in life is to not
pick yourself up, brush off your knees
(sometimes your ego) and aim anew
through your current impass.
Observe any child learning how to
walk, or talk, or ride a bike, or share,
or... You know, we’ve all been there.
Getting up to challenge and expand
your current skillset, mindset and
heartset is where kids live, and where
we need to return to. Often.
Unfortunately, some adults seem to
think that lacking expertise is
somehow a weakness, learning, (&
tricks) are for kids. That’s fear
speaking. Life would be pretty boring
if we all stuck to what we know and
never pushed ourselves to do or be
better.
This my friends, is where
Taking your art back comes in.
Unless your actions could in any way
cause harm to another, pushing through
to the other side of the your
stumbling point is not only euphoric, it’s
the ultimate freedom.
A freedom that gives you a fresh
perspective on your current situation
and new skills to tackle future obstacles.
A freedom that affirms that you did IT,
you’ve grown and you can do IT again.
Taking your art back is about knowing
yourself, your art and your goals while
building trust in your decision making,
your skills and your ability to problem
resolve.
The next time you’re face with a hairy
conundrum, or skill that you’ve taken as
far as you know, think to yourself:
“I’m going to take my art back” Then
observe how far growing your skillset,
mindset and indeed your heartset will
help you achieve your heARTS desire.

Great Image by: @justacard @cheerful.geek
Moe Creative is a proud supporter of artists, makers, small businesses, indep

Great Image by: @justacard @SarahHamiltonPrints
endent shops and the Just a Card Campaign. Thank You for shopping small.

The Helsinki Bus Station Theory was originally part of a 2004 commencement speech
delivered by Arno Rafael Minkkinen to students in a New England School of
Photography. To Minkkinen, his theory was the difference between success and failure.
Years later, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, repopularlized this theory. Touting it
as: The Proven Path to Doing Unique and Meaningful Work.
So let’s take a quick look at this theory.
Minkkinen started his speech by describing a central hub for buses in the heart of
Helsinki. Each bus started it’s journey at this hub. What differentiated each bus was it’s
route number and where each bus was headed. (A metaphor for your work)
The thing about all these buses, is that they started their journey on basically the same
route. For at least a kilometer or two, each bus stops at the same bus stop(s).
Mikkensen likened these stops to years in a persons life. To illustrate this bus ride and
Minkkinen’s theory, let’s focus on one person, Passenger A’s (PA’s) journey.

(START THE BUS!)
Stops:
1. 2. 3etc.
[cont.]

PA arrived at the Helsinki Bus terminal
and boarded their chosen bus. Without
hesitation, PA gets straight to it. Putting
their head down and dilligently getting
to work. Things are rolling smoothly.
A few stops down the road, PA is feeling
really good and quite original about their
progress. (We all want to do unique and
meaningful work, right?)
So they gather their best work, look up
and realize: The work they’re creating is
not original at all. Not only that, there’s a
person on another bus who is creating
similar work. But their work seems
better. It’s more skilled, it’s further
advanced and it’s more readily
recognized in their field.
Oh no! PA gets this sinking feeling.
“Did I get on the wrong bus?”
Without wasting another second. PA
calls a cab, gets off their bus and rushes
back to the terminal. They are not going
to waste another second on the wrong
bus!
This new bus is going to deliver the
skills and know-how it takes, to be an
innovator. A person that matters. The
person PA has always dreamed of being.
PA gets on the new bus. Again PA gets
to work. Again PA looks up. Again PA
is faced with others doing similar work.
Again PA gets a sinking feeling. Again,
PA pulls out a phone to call a cab.
Mikkensen believes that PA is taking the
wrong approach. He believes that
changing buses doesn’t work. He
argues that it isn’t just hard work, but
persistance and consistancy that make
all the difference.
Mikkensen believes the solution is
quite simple: STAY ON THE BUS.
Following this advice, is how things will
begin to happen for PA & you.
The buses in Helsinki may share a few
to several of the same bus stops to
start. But then, each bus begins to go
it’s seperate way. It starts to drive
towards it’s own unique destination.
This is the part that matters. The fork in
the road for all buses. The place where
hard work, persistance and consistancy
have contributed to the point where a
unique perspective is on the horizon.
Now that there’s clarity about staying
persistant or staying on the bus, The
last point that Mikkensen punctuates is
the need for consistancy. While it does
tie to being on the same bus, it’s also
reference to doing the same thing on
repeat.
We need to rethink, revise and revisit
the work we are doing, often. This
repetition will drive your expertise.
Mikkensen may only have been giving
his speech to photographers, but we
are all creators in our own way.
Regardless of your profession or parttime
aspiration, staying on the bus will
help you find your way to uniquely
more gratifying work and play.

STAY
ON THE
BUS
STAY

In the Studio with Moe:
So much has happened here in the studio since our last coffee together.
In art, like any other small business, work life really breaks down into these usual
suspects: Strategy, development, management, operations, technology, sales,
finance, marketing, admin. and taxes. In every particular order.
Sounds boring right?! Well, here’s a lighter way of looking at it.
2020 ended with the completion of a few pet portrait commissions and a sketch
book created for the Sketchbook Library in New York. ( If you’re in NY, you can
visit this book under call number: 419.10-07. It’s scheduled to be digitized by the
beginning of May, so I’ll be sure to post the link to that socially. For a quick peak,
here’s a link to the video tour I created: YouTube Sketchbook Tour. )
2021 started strong, with planning, strategizing, preparing taxes ( corp. taxes, I
thankfully outsource) and drawing like a fiend to participate in a well-rounded 30
day challenge hosted by an esteemed illustrator from England, Ohn-Mar Win.
Participating in the art community is a vital aspect of developing my work and
Moe Creative into a more widely recognized and respected brand. This is daily
work and play, that I accomplish through a variety of means. Some of these being
challenges, submissions, business and artist community involvement, group art
studio time, reading, writing and a smidge of arithmatic.
I’m not only developing reach, I’m growing relationships and connecting with
some amazing artists and art lovers along the way. This allows the long hours to
feel like right effort, right direction and basically the right steps forward!
Studio life generally, is a daily smattering of the above (less 30 daily challenges),
art, what I post on Instagram, weekly personal and business coaching, plus for
the past month and a half, it has also included participating in an artist agent run
illustration bootcamp. Phew! What a creative workout and community that’s been!
Things are moving swiftly on the right road to align with my business and
creative strategies for 2021 and beyond. Again, like any other business, keeping
one eye focused on client communication and satisfaction keeps this bus on the
road. So, visit me on Instagram @moe_creative. Follow, Like & please say hello!
I look forward to chatting with you there.
XO Moe

I’ve only drawn humans a handful of times. So, as you can imagine, it was
extremely intimidating to take on the assignment of creating a portrait of the
lovely force of nature, that is Ms. Viola Davis.
Am I glad I created my own interpretation of her? Absolutely!
While I don’t think I quite captured her essense exactly as I’d wanted. It was a brilliant
exercise in taking back my art, staying on the bus and all the thoughts that I shared
within the pages of this edition of Coffee with Moe. I trust you will enjoy the light in her
that did manage to shine through. XO Moe
ps. Stay tuned. I really enjoyed this assignment and may plan a quoteable series.

Next Issue of
Coffee
withMoe
OCTOBER 2021