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Psst. Awesome things are coming to the Fat Girl Media Patreon in 2022.

December 20, 2021 ●

As I’ve planned for the new year, two priorities became very clear to me. Firstly, I want to give back to my supporters in a far more tangible, rewarding way. Secondly, I want to interact with people on a more personal level in a community setting. And the Fat Girl Media Patreon is the best way for me to facilitate those things.

The resulting plan has me bouncing-on-my-toes levels of excited. Seriously. I’m so stoked.

Let’s take a look at what y’all have to look forward to in 2022, shall we?

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The Fatmobile: Final Push

November 1, 2022 ●

Photo of a 1991 Ford Metroliner van on a tan concrete driveway.

We have just a few needs left for the Fatmobile, including a 200 amp-hour battery, 16oz propane tank, electric fix in the dashboard, & more.

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How to Use Neopronouns: A Primer

July 5, 2022 ●

The term “neopronouns” is a relatively recent addition to our cultural lexicon. That’s okay, though! We use language to identify, shape, and share our lived experiences. It’s constantly adapting to various shifting needs and changes. Language isn’t set in stone — and context matters a lot. But all too often, queer people have been intentionally…

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Lindsay Holifield’s “Fear of God” is Required Listening

January 30, 2022 ●

Lindsay Holifield stands in a warmly lit church, in front of a large stained-glass window, with light shining on her from above. She is in black and white and holds a poetic pose with one arm reaching tentatively towards the sky. The title of the EP, "Fear of God," is in large bold black text at the top, with her name in smaller text beneath.

I’ve been listening to Lindsay Holifield’s “Fear of God” EP on repeat since it was released on Friday, January 28. I can’t stop listening to it. Her musical style reminds me a bit of Jennifer Knapp, and her rich, deep voice is gorgeous and full of emotion and strength. More than that, though — every…

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My First #ThankfulThursday

January 19, 2022 ●

A blue button lies on a white patterned background. The button reads, "Without Justice, there can be No Love. bell hooks"

Starting this year, on the third Thursday of each month, I’ll be celebrating #ThankfulThursday.

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Celebrating Roe v Wade: January Design of the Month

January 17, 2022 ●

Text reads, "Abortion is a human right," with the "Fat Girl Media" tag included. Text is written in large simple script within the arms of a stethoscope, with the tag appearing in the circular part of the scope. The cord is twisted into an infinity symbol, and the design is two-tone teal.

The first Design of the Month sale for 2022 has begun! The 49th anniversary of Roe v Wade is January 22. So take 20% off any product with a pro-choice design, from today through 11:59pm EST on Friday, January 28.

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A 2021 Retrospective: The Year in Art

December 27, 2021 ●

anxiety is // bees buzzing in my chest, and // i'm afraid of bees. Image is a square black canvas featuring a messy watercolor illustration of a human rib cage in the center. The lungs within the rib cage are bees' nests, honeycomb seeping honey. Bees are crawling all over the sternum, some of the ribs, and the honeycomb, with some of them flying to and from the hive. The haiku is lettered beneath the rib cage in two different styles. "Anxiety" and "bees" from the first two lines of the haiku are written large in frantically scrawled all-caps, so that the initial message you see reads "anxiety bees." Most of the rest of the wording is in a very neatly written sans-serif, with the frantic lettering making a return for the final line of the poem.

I started 2021 with two goals in mind: exclusively focusing on growing my business and creating more art. With various physical and mental health struggles, it’s been easy for me to feel like I’ve failed. But data doesn’t lie, and I’m so proud of myself for everything I accomplished this year. In this particularly 2021 retrospective, I want to take a look at all the art I’ve created throughout the past 12 months.

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Promotional Items: A Poll!

November 21, 2021 ●

A black chalkboard with a large white question mark drawn in chalk.

One of my goals for the coming year is to put together care packages/goodie bags for organizations and individuals as both a branding strategy and way to connect with/thank folks within my community (local and at large). I want it to be worthwhile and well-targeted, though.

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Fight Together

August 6, 2021 ●

In 2020, I was commissioned to create a design in honor of queer wrath (the replacement for Pride in the wake of the murder of George Floyd) and Black Lives Matter. As the Australian Aboriginal Elder Lilla Watson has said, our liberation is bound together. And we must work together for the liberation of all. Download the print file within.

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So you wanna design social media graphics.

July 22, 2021 ●

Top-down photo of a pale-skinned person using a silver laptop on a light wooden design. A website or application is up on the screen. The header image says "Design Anything."

A friend sent me a link to a series of graphics explaining aspects of Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome, lamenting the various inaccessibilities of the images. So I thought I’d take the time to do a quick walk-through of how to design successful information graphics for online distribution, using this existing set as an example. I’ll start with an overview of what’s wrong, then follow up with how I addressed those problems.

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"Nothing About Us Without Us" design. The design itself is prominently teal and lime green on a very dark teal that's almost black. Everything looks as though it could have been drawn with a thick marker. The central design is a teal speech bubble with an uneven white border. A carat points up and right from the upper left corner of the speech bubble, and another carat points down and left from the lower right corner. The lettering is drawn in such a way that the immediate message reads, "Nothing without us." Those words are huge, bold, and white with dark teal outlines that disappear in one-point perspective behind the smaller cursive "about us" that's written in lime green between the lines. There are accent marks (that I often call "jazz hands") on either side of "about us" that help draw attention to the phrase and give it an interesting shape. The handle "@fatgirlmedia" is written in lowercase letters beneath the design within the speech bubble. Surrounding the speech bubble are quite a few illustrated elements representing various disabilities. These elements include, starting from top left and going clockwise around: 2 hands symbolizing interpretation for folks who are hard of hearing, a brain with a lightning bolt as its stem to represent mental health struggles and disabilities, a prescription bottle, an insulin reader, a walker/rollator, a prosthetic arm, a syringe, a cane, a stethoscope, a strand of DNA, a person in a wheelchair, an ear with soundwaves crossed out, an infinity symbol signifying neurodivergence, a pair of sunglasses, a heart with heartbeat radiating from it, a scale, a prosthetic leg, an epipen, and a crutch. There are also capsules and tablets littered throughout the illustrations to add some visual balance. Finally, underneath the speech bubble are the same words, written in Braille. This print also comes with the Braille punched through, for those who request it.

Celebrate Disability Pride: Support the SSI Restoration Act

July 14, 2021 ●

Please take the time to contact your representatives about this bill. If you use Resistbot, you can text “sign PSLOAE“ to send an already drafted letter of support. Make sure you inform the folks in your life about the bill and the life-changing implications it has. Refer them here. Help them contact their representatives, as well.

For incentive and as thanks, I’d like to offer you something.

If you post publicly that you’ve contacted your representatives, include screenshots or other evidence and tag @FatGirlMedia. When you do that, I’ll send you a free 5x7in print of the Nothing About Us Without Us design. Just DM me on social media with the link to your post, or email me at dani@fatgirlmedia.com. Specify whether you’d like the Braille imprinting, as well.

This offer will last until the bill has been voted on.

"Let's get one thing straight: I'm not." in white and teal writing in a mouth with fuchsia lips, white teeth, and a fuchsia tongue. A white and light blue starburst design surrounds.

It’s my birthday week! Celebrate with a birthday sale!

April 19, 2021 ●

On Thursday, April 22, I’ll be 34 years old. It’s so nuts to me, but I suppose that’s how time works, ya know? I’d love for you to help me celebrate, so I’ve put together a birthday sale — just for you.

"Burn everything" in white, thin, swooping lettering, surrounded by thin white flames, all forming a circular design.

It’s (almost) my birthday, so here’s a sale!

April 14, 2021 ●

I’m turning 34 years old on Earth Day (April 22). So I thought, let’s change up the April Design of the Month sale and celebrate! Now usually, there is one Design of the Month, and for one day, any product featuring that design is 20% off with a coupon code released to the public that…

A Black feminine person stands outside underneath a blooming tree. She has natural hair in an afro and wears a pale yellow frilled sleeveless crop top and a button-up white skirt. Her arms are intertwined, with both hands caressing her right cheek. Her eyes are closed and she looks blissful.

Call for models

March 19, 2021 ●

I’m in the planning stages of a few series I’ll be working on in the following couple of years. These series are all body-focused, and I’m in need of good photo references of people who aren’t slender white able-bodied folks. Sound like something you’d be into? Fill out the model submission form, and let’s chat!

The artwork in question is grayed out, except for all the problems discussed in this section, which are all highlighted in fuchsia.

Consistent Letterforms: Basic Lettering Process, Part 1

April 4, 2020 ●

In this series, I’ll be teaching you how to think about your design and how to get it beautifully on paper. All you need is paper to sketch on, and a pencil or pen. Today, we take a look at creating consistent letterforms.

Final design for "There are no strings on me." The monoline strokes of the letters and swashes are now white woven rope on a black background. Grit and shadows have been added to create depth and emphasize how the strokes weave through one another.

There Are No Strings On Me: From Sketch to Vector

April 1, 2020 ●

When Avengers: Age of Ultron first came out on Blu-ray, my brother came over to watch the film with me. While watching, I was struck with a lettering idea. I wanted to draw the phrase Ultron seems obsessed with throughout the movie (which is, of course, from Pinocchio): There are no strings on me. Ultron (or Pinocchio,…

Let’s take a look at what y’all have to look forward to in 2022, shall we?

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A Few Notes