The Line Between (TLB) is a newsletter about life through the lens of making things. Focus is on the how—not the what. About twice a month. A Substack Featured Publication.
I’m Coleen Baik, an artist, designer, and writer based in NYC.
Every other week or so I share a peek behind the scenes from my home studio in NYC: anything from pages of the sketch book or hand-painted frames for an animated vignette, to experiments in augmented reality. TLB started out with a focus purely on animation, but I’m expanding the conversation to include writing projects as well.
I focus on the how versus the what, and usually introduce everything with a micro essay or provocation.
Sometimes I also send out an “off-topic” newsletter in a sub-section of TLB called Ruminations. These are more freeform, casual reflections about what feeds or informs my work—books, films, NYC gems, pastries, politics. Every subscriber will automatically receive Ruminations unless they opt-out in subscription settings.
TLB is a living, evolving thing, and I occasionally update this as well as the Welcome (an extension to this page) to reflect my latest thinking around TLB’s focus and envisioned value.
More about me
I’m an obsessive documenter and the author of the How to Get Started with Hand-Drawn Animation series. I’ve been published in Offscreen Magazine, my micro-short animation Tuscany has been featured on Motionographer, and my animated short film Chamoe has screened at BAM. I was a part of the early design team at Twitter, an advisor at Medium, and a principal designer at Sequoia Capital’s Design Lab. I read a lot of fiction and essays; everything from Neil Gaiman to Rachel Cusk. I appreciate beauty in the interstice.
Why subscribe?
Connection
TLB aims to be personal and relatable. The issues should feel like letters from a friend who happens to be a writer and artist, each starting with a pithy observation that sets the tone for the rest of the letter where I share what I’ve been working on.
Resonance
I’m interested in what happens in the day to day: being curious, developing skills, getting stuck, pivoting, forming opinions. Failing, winning, being unproductive. I hope this feels relevant and less alone, whether you’re an artist or not.
Growth
I often share perspectives, routines, tools, and methods to support your own creative or productivity goals. This is a value that’s being prioritized as of late summer 2022, particularly for paying subscribers.
I make a lot of TLB available for free, but I hope you decide to become a paying subscriber (Member). Your support would help sustain more of what I make, and say, out in the world. I hope you consider the extras simply cherries on top.
Free subscribers have access to
Essays and provocations
Paying subscribers (members) have access to
Essays and provocations
Behind the scenes on film and writing projects
Member comments
All ruminations and other bonus issues
Occasional goodies
My deepest gratitude
Thanks for reading. See you soon.
