Spring 2026 Update Post!
A look at All The Things - of which there are probably too many, but here we are.
Reading time: Less than 8 minutes
The last update post I made was in October last year, so I figured one was due!1 I alluded to several projects for this year in my annual wrap-up blog to my inner-circle. This post is gonna be updates on all my projects, plus some bonus stuff I’ve been getting up to.
Without further ado, my 2026 Spring Update:
Affirming Connections Panel Talk
Gonna start with a fun bonus thing! Pam Rocker of Affirming Connections invited me to be on a panel discussion in February. Affirming Connections is a Canada-wide organization that works with faith communities to ensure they are affirming to 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. Their membership is primarily Christian, but they also have some Islamic and Jewish rep, and I have gladly become their go-to for Buddhism.
The panel, called Crafting Community, was about using art/creativity for spiritual practices and community building. You can watch the whole thing on the tubes of you.
It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed hearing from my fellow panelists and riffing off of what each of them had to say.
You can learn more about Affirming Connections on their website.
Thangka Art & Practice
There is so much happening with my thangka art and practice these days.
First off, immense gratitude to the folks who supported the pre-sale I did in February! After covering the cost of printing and shipping2, the profits from this pre-sale were $140. These funds are going right into the production of From the QILT2BAG+, specifically being set aside to pay contributors.3
You can now get a five pack of cards featuring one each of the Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, Green Tara, Ekajati, Manjushri, and Buddha Shakyamuni from my shop, as well as three packs of each deity.
You can also get prints of any of the thangkas I’ve completed, along with other artwork I’ve done.
As you all know, I finished a depiction of the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara in 2024. I’m very pleased to share that Ivan, the person who commissioned the piece for Davidson College, and I will be in conversation (online) on April 15th, for a talk we’re calling All The Compassion Of All The Buddhas. This is a completely free event to attend!
Click the button to read more about it and register:
Inner-circle folks4 already know, but for the rest of you, I have chosen the piece I’ll be working on for 2026. I am calling it Bhumisparsha, as it depicts the Historical Buddha sitting in meditation, with the ground-touching (Bhumisparsha) mudra. This piece also shows the Earth manifest as a goddess, and it has been something I’ve wanted to create for well over five years at this point. Maybe even as long as ten years!
Well, it’s finally happening!
Here is a little sneak peak progress photo:
Unlocking Queer Futures: An Anthology
In November the queer writing group I belong to (which is now a general queer creative group for queer creators of all types) ran a crowdfunding campaign to fund printing an anthology we spent all of last year workshopping. I’m thrilled to announce that this project is coming along nicely, right on track for our June launch—we have the test prints in hand and are on the final proofing stage.
ShelfLife books will be hosting the launch party in late June, which is also when I’ll have information on how you can get a copy of the book if you didn’t back the crowdfunding campaign. So much gratitude to everyone who was able to back the campaign—I am super stoked for this project to be unveiled to the world!
In the mean time, here is the cover art, co-created by two of the folks whose written work is also featured in the book, Eve and Lyn:
From the QILT2BAG+:
Speaking of cover art, here are the covers for the next three of issues of From the QILT2BAG+, which will also be launching in June!
I’ve been working on the layout of each issue for the last several weeks, alongside the anthology, and like, wow. This is a full-time job!
If you want to support the ‘zine, you can pre-order any of the upcoming issues, or buy past issues, on my website!
Sacred Love/Sacred Lives
For those of you who have been following this project, you know my aim is to complete 108 pieces in this series. In 2025 I finished my 62nd piece. Something about getting over that halfway mark has really accelerated how much I’m working on them, as I have already completed 14 in 2026, putting me at 76 total!
At this rate I am on track to finish the series by September or October, and so I’ve begun looking into where I might be able to exhibit the finished body of work. My plan is to hold a silent auction and split all the income between fellow collaborators, and to specifically use the sales of the Indigenous Lives are Sacred pieces as a fundraiser to support Sweetgrass Lodge.
I’m aiming to return to publishing more art statements and even some essay pieces I’ve been working on once the anthology and ‘zines are finished off.
Take care of yourself and take care of each other.
Kait
Or December, when I published my annual wrap-up blog for inner-circle folks—depending on how to mark it.
The total cost breakdown for you, if you are interested:
Income from sales: $644, of which $94 was collected for shipping.
Costs: Printing - $314.22, envelopes for shipping (bulk order) - $64.67, shipping costs (actual) - $103.31, tariff payments - $21.73 = total costs of $503.93
I will always use the sale of my thangkas to uplift and support fellow community members. Basically, as long as I receive funds for this work, I put those funds towards supporting others to create their own art.
Inner-circle folks include paid subscribers, but also friends and family. If you cannot afford a subscription, but want to see everything I post, send me an email and I’ll give you a comp sub. I primarily use the paywall as a moderation tool, to prevent bigots from posting on my stuff.
you are BUSY! ❤️