Hi! I’m Coleen Baik, an artist and designer based in NYC.

This post is an update of the original Introduction, and an extension to the About. As The Line Between (TLB) evolves, I occasionally update both to best reflect latest vision and framing. This is a Substack Featured Publication.

What is The Line Between?

At a glance, TLB is a biweekly newsletter about how I make things—right now, mostly hand-painted animation.

But TLB is really a newsletter about life, and process—the how of going from day to day. I just happen to use art as a vehicle for talking about stuff, because I see strong parallels between process in the studio and everything from crossing the street to relationships to mental health.

What’s in it?

A lot of images and video, with pages from the sketchbook, animated GIFs, time-lapses, and photography.

But most importantly: words!

TLB may be very visual, but it’s still a newsletter, and in the context of making things, I consider myself a writer before anything else. Writing is how I express myself best; animation happens to be a developing and beloved extension of how I tell stories.

What’s NOT in it?

Tutorials or overly technical run-throughs. Think of it more as a visual letter from a far flung friend who happens to be an artist! I do occasionally write articles that skew a bit more technical, which I publish on Medium. 

How come you also talk about books, films, NYC?

I believe in taking in good things in order to make good things. 

As a complement to conversations around work in progress, I’m introducing Ruminations in late summer 2022 as a freeform space to reflect on everything non-work-related: what I read, watch, and generally take in to fuel up for creative work.

Creative process is cyclical! Consumption and depletion play a huge role in projects; I can draw a direct line between how I feed myself and what/how I produce. So I think the consumption part of the process deserves as much attention as the production part.

How should I read it?

At least one issue is published every 2 weeks. Hopefully you get it in your email Inbox or read it via the Substack app. Check your SPAM or Promotions folder if you’re not receiving it. Better yet, add me to your contacts to ensure regular receipt 🙏

You can opt out of getting notifications for different sections of the newsletter, by the way. Every single issue, even ones you’re not getting notified for, can always be accessed in the Archive.

What do I get out of it?

I hope:

Fun - TLB aims to be good writing, about interesting topics, with beautiful visuals. It should be a pleasure to read.

Knowledge - I’m a career designer, and a professional artist, with a growing creative practice. There’s a lot to be offered in TLB—perspective, routine, tools, methods—to support your own creative goals. This is a value that’s being prioritized as of late summer 2022, particularly for paying subscribers.

Resonance - I try to strike a personal tone in every issue but Ruminations is a dedicated space for vulnerability and spontaneity. Connection is why I make art in the first place; I hope what I write about in TLB feels relatable and maybe makes you feel not so alone.

TLB is a paid publication.

TLB is a lot of work, and a lot of heart.

I try to provide the bulk of my content free to everyone, but paying subscribers (members) get extras, like bonus issues and goodies. See the About Page for specific free/paid tier benefits, but think of the public content as the main show, and member content as something you can unlock with a backstage pass.

I believe, and hope, that my members support me mainly because they enjoy how I write, and want more of my art out in the world .

For those can’t commit yet, I always welcome coffee ❤️

Lastly, who’s it for?

I hope, you!

I’m a huge reader, mostly of long form fiction, and that probably affects how I write The Line Between. Ideally, everything reads like a story. Everything is a story!

So I imagine that you’re also someone who likes to read, especially novels, or that you’re someone who’s open to exploring that. Someone who loves stories. At the least, you’re curious about and appreciate process: how things are made, all the steps between “start” and “end.”

Whoever you are, welcome!

And see you soon.