🐎 Opportunity knocks #36

Despite all odds… follow THE flow

👋 Dear creative! How are you doing today?

Despite all odds… follow THE* flow

How following the clues and hunches of life can open doors to new eyes and people discovering your work. A few days ago, I was featured on the Abduzeedo blog for my graphic novel in the making, Italia Grace. I've started talking about it smoothly, and I’ll share more after the holidays.

This feature was a mix of following inner guidance, perfect timing, and meaningful connections. I discovered this blog thanks to one of my guests on YBL, she’s an illustrator and had shared some cool places where she finds inspiration. I liked the curated projects and noticed they were accepting submissions. Of course, there’s no guarantee your project will be chosen, but I thought, why not me? I had Italia Grace in mind, since it’s an illustration-focused project that I felt would fit the blog’s vibe. Long story short, I went through the submission process without knowing it had been accepted. It was my guest who told me she saw the article live! I was genuinely in a happy shock; it felt like such a beautiful green light, and it truly lit up my day.

* The flow you’re fixed on, the one you dwell upon: YOU CAN, it is possible. Some days it may feel like a fraud, but keep going and push forward the best you can. Just one smooth move toward the good you desire.

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When you get those hunches, act on them as soon as you can; you never know where they might lead. All I know for myself is that it served as confirmation that there was potential in this project, and the words from the author of the article captured things I hadn’t seen either, which made it even better news. No bragging here, just a gentle reminder that good things can happen. They may not change your life overnight, but from what I’ve seen, the projects that receive a little light are often there to guide us in a direction.

People learn rapidly while working on projects that are relevant and exciting to them.

Richie Norton

✦ Did you miss the last post? YCL needs your responses…

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🐎 Opportunity knocks

In every letter, I share opportunities I stumbled upon. There are so many cool grants, funding, competitions, and more to enter to experience progress. I hope the week's list will be useful.

• 🖼️ Apply to CIRCA PRIZE 2025 (They invite submissions in response to the theme REFUGIA — the 2025 manifesto from CIRCA. This year’s prize challenges artists to consider sanctuary not as retreat, but as resistance, inviting them to propose new ways of seeing, surviving, and shaping our collective future. ⟶ Deadline: June 20th, midnight. Prize: £30,000 to support their practice and realise a major new public commission, premiering in 2027 + a trophy designed by Ai Weiwei.)

• 🤖 Immersive Creation Residencies between France and Taiwan (This residency, lasting from 3 to 7 weeks, offers an artist based in France (or vice versa, from Taiwan to France) the opportunity to develop a prototype for an immersive experience. ⟶ The program covers travel, accommodation, and VR equipment, and includes mentorship sessions as well as a grant of €13,700, which also covers production costs. To be eligible, you must be 18 or older, reside in France, speak English (and/or Mandarin), and have at least one prior professional experience in the XR/immersive field. Deadline: June 19th.)

• 🌎 Pitch to The Maple (They welcome submissions for long-form news stories and explainer articles that provide new insights into today’s most pressing political issues. They are interested in original pieces that challenge conventional narratives and enhance public understanding of key political topics. ⟶ They are looking for compelling pitches that include a summary of 100 to 200 words. The payment rate is $275 CAD for news stories, which are typically around 1,500 words in length.)

• 🍜 Campania, new book by Apartamento (If you are a foodie like me, roll the dice and fingers crossed. This book showcases recipes and stories featuring linguine, lemon trees, olive trees, mozzarella, sunsets, and tutti quanti. A summer you can hold in your hands on glossy paper. ⟶ Details will be sent by email to the winners.)