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 summary follows; the Welcome page discusses this publication and its proposed value in more detail.
TLB is a Substack Featured Publication.
A biweekly publication about art, life, and NYC
Every other week or so I share a peek behind the scenes from my home studio and life in NYC: everything 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 on animation, but I’m also a published essayist, and painter—so these will also be topics of conversation.
Who’s talking?
I’m Coleen Baik, an artist, designer, and writer based in NYC.
I’m an obsessive documenter and the author of the How to Get Started with Hand-Drawn Animation series. I’ve been published in The Audacity and Offscreen Magazine. My films have screened at BAM and in domestic and international festivals. 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 love reading fiction and essays; I’m a huge fan of Rachel Cusk. I’m a diehard New Yorker and unapologetic hedonist. Gourmande.
How’s it structured?
I write about the how versus the what. Each issue usually contains these sections:
Preamble. Thematic reflection or provocation for the issue; a micro essay
In the studio. A very visual behind the scenes (animation, painting, writing)
Provisions. Books, films, shows, NYC gems for inspiration and consumption
In closing. Another micro essay, often a NYC moment
Sometimes I also send out a separate “off-topic” newsletter under Ruminations. These are more freeform; commentary, or anything that feeds or informs my work—books, films, NYC gems, pastries, politics. Every subscriber will automatically receive Ruminations by default, but can 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.
Why subscribe?
You want to see my work out in the world. You enjoy how I write. My animations, essays, and paintings resonate with you, however inexplicably. NYC gems and moments are interesting to experience through me. You feel less alone, and strengthened, by witnessing another human being follow through day to demanding day—your peer in this condition, laboring to outbalance noise with beauty and meaning.
While TLB is not about value in the form of tutorials, tips, and the like, I often share perspectives, routines, and tools to support your own creative and life goals. In this vein, I’ll be exploring office hours, and more Ruminations posts around productivity, in 2025 for paying subscribers.
I make a lot of TLB available for free, but I do hope you decide to become a paying subscriber (Member) to support my work and the costs of the Studio.
Free subscribers have access to
Public posts
Paying subscribers (members) have access to
All posts and full archive
Exclusive behind the scenes on film and writing projects
Member comments
All ruminations and other bonus issues
Occasional goodies
Office hours
Thanks for reading. Please view the Welcome page for more details about what The Line Between aims to be. See you soon.
