iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Idk why there’s not an option to post both a still image and a video in the same set, but here’s a time lapse of my sketch from today. #nokingsday #nokings #procreate #digitalart #digitaldrawing #drawing #illustration #illustrator #makeart #speakup #createdaily #drawdaily

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

A bit different from my usual work, but obviously had to sketch something up today. Love you guys. Stay together, stay safe. #nokings #nokingsday #illustration #illustrator #makeart #createdaily #drawing #drawdaily #speakup

Illustration by Aliya showing a crow atop a gold, bejeweled crown. The crow has a red jewel in its mouth that it took from the crown. The jewel appears still connected to the crown by something that looks like tendons. There is a split orange circle in the background and behind that is all black. The subjects are lined in red and the crow has red eyes.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Literally never could’ve imagined these mismatched loafers so PERFECTLY matching an article of clothing. Shoes: Charlotte Stone Dress: Nooworks #shoes #maximalistfashion #charlottestoneshoes #nooworks

A photo looking down at Aliya’s shoes and the bottom third of her maxi dress. The shoes are (intentionally) mismatched loafers. The left shoe is orange, coral, highlighter yellow/green, mint, and has a black sole. The right shoe is yellow, medium green, coral, bubblegum pink, and has a brown sole. The dress is black with a print featuring a woman in a bikini riding a moped but the wheels are pink magic 8 balls. There are also hands holding knives and rats smoking cigarettes in the print lol.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

My friend Lo got me into a proper haircut again and I feel *so beautiful.* Nothing quite like having one of your best friends know how to make you feel the most like yourself. Dress: nooworks

Mirror selfie of Aliya post-haircut. She is in a salon, seated at the mirror, wearing a pink maxi dress with vertical red squiggles (she loves pink and red together). She looks so good y’all. Like wow.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

I’m gonna see how many ways I can style these new BBP bug pants. I feel freakin precious. #bbp #bigbudpress #morningwitch #ootd

Mirror selfie (Aliya) showing off an outfit.
She is wearing:
- A light, muted green and muted rosy color cap
- A crop top from Morning Witch with a black background and large print of pomegranates, snakes, and doves
- Chartreuse pants from Big Bud Press with a hand stamped print of ladybugs, grasshoppers, and praying mantises. The print is very spread out
- A floral belt with a black background
- A muted deep rosy corduroy jacket
- Lots of jewelry, including a pearl necklace and dangly pearl earrings

She is in a bathroom with a gallery wall behind her.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Uh oh it’s* back *that impossibly heavy bad feeling

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Finally starting Severance. 10 min in and my interest is *piqued*

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Reading The Yellow Wallpaper for the first time. Wish me strength.

A photo of a hand holding the book The Yellow Wallpaper open to the title page. It is lying on a blanket with a floral print and there is a rainbow cast onto lefthand side of the book from nearby window light (due to a privacy film meant to cast rainbows).

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

🌷Ripple Effect🌷 New 8x8” piece for Making Our Mark, a women and nonbinary artists’ show at Empire Arts in Atlanta. I started this piece over x2 because my first idea needs to be on a larger surface. But I’m happy with this pretty baby! #painting #painter #atlartist #illustration #gouache

Bird’s eye view of a square painting, an open sketchbook, and a slew of tubes of gouache and colored pencils all on a pink blanket. The painting is of two hands (one light-medium purple, one sort of dark pink) coming from opposing corners and holding the face of a woman looking up. The woman is painted orange with bright red-orange hair. She does not have pupils or irises (this is very common of my work). There are red flowers growing out from where the hands are touching the face. And there is a ripple effect around the face of brush strokes and implied petals and leaves. There is a black background behind all of this. The open sketchbook shows it has been used as a palette for the gouache.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

When are we as a society gonna learn to stop staring at each other? except me it doesn’t count for me because I should be allowed I’m just taking in my surroundings I’m just being present try it some time (but don’t stare)

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

THIS. Comfort, safety, and security for all. THAT is innovative. And no not with militarized pol*ce or attempts at taking us back to England with that dork ass monarchy kink. And certainly not by defunding federal programs for marginalized groups. Come on.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

First rejection of 2025. Just part of the process. Instead of feeling dejected, I responded asking for feedback on my application. If it was purely the style of my work, we just weren’t a good match. But if something else lacked, I want to know. Don’t be afraid to ask, “Why?” #muralist #muralartist

Screenshot of an email that reads as follows:

Dear Artist Applicant,
We received your RFQ submission for the Walls Between Waters mural festival. We are grateful for your interest in this project.
We are writing to share that you were not chosen to participate in Walls Between Waters.
We had nearly 100 qualified applicants from all over the world submit their interest in the project, and only a handful of applicants were asked to move forward in the process. The decision was difficult. We reviewed applicants on the scale of their previous work, consistency of style, style of work, artist resume, and the artist’s statement of interest.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

I desperately need more hours in my days to just catch up on my baseline needs right now. Where’s that guy who thinks he has three days per day? I have some questions.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

There are so many cool mural opps in Colorado and Oregon and 90+% of them are for local artists. And I *deeply* love that commitment to supporting the creatives in their areas. But good god do I wish I lived in these states sometimes so I could apply.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Monthly massages for everyone should be considered a human right. I literally forget how much pain I’m in all the time until I see someone trained to get my body right again.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Can you imagine being the kid whose grandpas are Tony Hawk and Kurt Cobain? I mean I can’t ‘cause Tony was my first celebrity crush and Kurt wasn’t far behind. But you guys. Can *you* imagine?

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Someone said “morning beauts” after talking about coffee and this was what happened to me. 🫘

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Everyone please go freeze your credit with all three credit bureaus right now. We are collateral in DOGE’s new site getting hacked within *hours* of existing. www.nerdwallet.com/article/fina...

nerdwallet.com

How to Freeze Your Credit - NerdWallet

A credit freeze helps prevent identity theft and fraud. Contact each of the three major credit bureaus to freeze or unfreeze your credit files for free.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

I want y’all to know that you can have under 10k IG followers and have impressive clients that most artists never work with. You can also have impressive clients and not be sure if you’ll ever get another. Being a full time artist is feast or famine. And I’d still never want to work a desk job.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

I’ve applied to 20 opportunities so far in 2025. Searching for RFQs, rosters, and individual calls is fun. Applying is tiring but motivating. Waiting to hear back? Fresh hell. #muralist #muralartist #artist #painter #illustrator

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Gonna get my creepy heart’s fill tomorrow at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo with @bakeybakes.bsky.social. Cannot wait for bugs and all the eerie art.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Painted the barn from my granddaddy’s family farm for him. He’s wanted me to do this for a long time and I had to make sure he got it this time I’m visiting. Strawberries were one of their biggest crops. #gouache #painting #illustration #womenwhopaint #artist #painter #illustrator

Square (8x8”) painting of a barn, a tree in front of the barn, and a border of strawberries around the piece. The piece is being held in front of a vibrant blue wall.

Aliya’s grandfather smiling while holding the painting she did for him. He is in a chair and has an opossum stuffed animal at his side.

An angled view of the same painting to show that the sides are painted red.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Just about halfway to Ames’ goal. If you can share and/or give a few bucks, it’d be greatly appreciated.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Park ranger baddies out here spreading gospel

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Madeline here has set up a great template for y’all when arguing with frivolous* AI users. *AI serves so many purposes when used mindfully within the sciences for instance, but not when you’re stealing from artists and waging a war on the planet with its energy waste

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Reposted by Aliya

Alexis Nikole 🌻 @blackforager.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

If you are a yt person over 50, and you’re about to give your negative opinion of the halftime show, THINK: [T]hings don’t have to be “for you” to be good art. [H]eck, Kendrick has a Pulitzer and [I] don’t think you do so maybe you are [N]ot qualified to speak on the caliber of his art [K]?

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Y’all I haven’t cared about a game this much in a long time. #gobirds

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

I need like a tiiiny dose of Doctor Manhattan’s manipulation of matter. JUST so I can multiply my arms and work on several pieces at once ok. Literally stop assuming it’s about anything else ok.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Desperately missing Iceland (always). Spent 10 days solo hiking/camping around the country in June 2024 and I need an excuse to go back. Reykjavík, y’all want some more gorgeous murals? How about you Akureyri? #iceland #glymur #krafla #borgarfjörðureystri #hiking #camping #solotravel

Selfie of Aliya at the top of Glymur waterfall in Iceland. This is the second tallest waterfall in the country. The elevation gain was about 1400 feet. There is a prominent rainbow over the falls behind Aliya. She is wearing a blue beanie, sunglasses, and a brown long sleeve shirt. You can also see a black camera strap around her neck and light green straps of a backpack/camelback. It is a cloudless, sunny day in June.

Aliya standing contrapposto in front of Glymur waterfall (a little farther down the trail before she hit the top). She is wearing a brown long sleeve shirt, black athletic leggings, a knee brace on her left knee, a green rain jacket around her waist, and a green backpack/camelback. She also has her camera around her crossbody-style and is wearing sunglasses. It is a cloudless, sunny day.

Aliya sitting on the ground at the top of a hike at Krafla, which is a caldera in Iceland. The ground is light brown and the caldera is filled with aqua-colored water and large sheets of white ice. There is snow on part of the hill on the other side of the crater behind Aliya. In the far background are snow covered mountains. It is a sunny day with a few clouds in the distance. Aliya is wearing a blue beanie, a grey zip up sweater, black hiking pants, and rainbow accented hiking boots. She also has her sunglasses and camera on.

A selfie of Aliya smiling big and standing in front of a fjord, specifically in Borgarfjörður Eystei (northeast Iceland). There are mountains and sea behind her and it is a cloudy day. She is wearing a blue beanie, Frog & Toad clay earrings, a green rain jackets and a black turtleneck. Aliya also has her camera strapped across her chest.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

ALSO it was Jeremy’s first birthday today. We are so lucky this little weirdo perfect angel baby found us. #balinese #catdistributionsystem

Six photos of Jeremy Bearimy, Aliya (and her family)‘s one-year-old Balinese cat.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Mr. J-pod and I have a ritual every time I pick him up where I put him on my neck like a scarf and then hold him like a baby.

Aliya holding her one-year-old Balinese cat, Jeremy Bearimy, like a baby and looking at him lovingly. She is wearing a green and rosy ball cap and standing in front of a blue wall on one side and a set of windows directly behind her. There is a crocodile illustration hanging on the blue wall.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

I wanted to take up a new creative hobby this year and embroidery has been on my list for a long time. @bakeybakes.bsky.social and I decided last year to do it together and hold each other to account. Def having fun with all I’m learning. #embroidery #beginner #newskill

Closeup photo of a beginner’s embroidery panel showing different types of stitches around a central image of mushrooms using various stitches learned.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Revised my artist statement and there’s nothing quite like being impressed by your own writing.

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Reposted by Aliya

Mychal Threets @mychal3ts.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Dorothy B. Porter changed libraries 💜 The Dewey Decimal System used to only have two classifications for Black people: 325 (colonization) & 326 (slavery). Each book by a Black person was put into one of these classifications. A book of poetry? Classified as colonization. Enter Dorothy B. Porter 🧵

Dorothy Porter in 1939, at her desk in the Carnegie Library at Howard University. Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Manuscript Division, Howard University

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

What are some simple changes you’d like to make to reprogram your brain/life away from overconsumption and fomo/scarcity mindset? I’m going to continue prioritizing the reuse/repurpose part of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. And I’m going to focus on trading needs/wants with friends.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

I mean truly devastating but consequences are necessary. Folks here don’t want immigrants? Cool no more *anything you’ve ever enjoyed*

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Don’t let this stop you from sharing important information. We have to get creative and stay vigilant. Grateful to @altnps.bsky.social for all they’re doing to keep us in the know.

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Reposted by Aliya

Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

1,100 EPA employees have been notified of imminent termination.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I’m into this the way Escher would be into this. Please let have a home that makes me question physics.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Got this cropped pullover from @christinakwanart.bsky.social and idk what it is about a quarter zip but I feel so hot. Thanks for the ego boost bby.

Aliya standing outside in her yard. A brick house is behind her and it is a sunny, cloudless day. She is wearing a scarf on her head, sunglasses, a dark brown pullover with a quarter zip, a yellow mini skirt with buttons, high dark brown socks with mushrooms around the top, and black boots. She is standing contrapposto.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

I feel unstoppable in my new jumpsuit. My first one from BBP is also perfect but there’s something about a crisp, paint-free garment that feels oh so special.

Mirror selfie of Aliya in a public restroom wearing a dark green, short sleeved jumpsuit. She is also wearing a black KN95 mask, daffodil earrings, a multi-colored scarf in her hair, and a light green cross body purse. She looks very cool.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

I never see horror movies without checking doesthedogdie.com first. Tonight I saw one and forgot to check and I have a new scene that keeps replaying in my mind. A vivid imagination and high visualization ability is not always a gift. I feel sick.

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Aliya @aliyailsa.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Had to contribute a note to David Lynch on this shrine for him at Empire Arts Gallery in Kirkwood. #DavidLynch

Photo of a two tiered shrine for David Lynch. Some contributions include a bouquet of pink and purple flowers, PBR beer cans, electric candles, hand written notes (one of which is from me), a prayer candle, a toy fish, an Eraserhead vhs, and a Dune (1984) blu-ray. In the center is a photo of David and a quote of his beneath it. The quote, when zoomed in, reads, “Ideas are so beautiful and they’re so abstract. And they do exist someplace. I don’t know if there’s a name for it. And I think they exist, like fish. And I believe that if you sit quietly, like you’re fishing, you will catch ideas. The real, you know, beautiful, big ones swim kinda deep down there so you have to be very quiet, and you know, wait for them to come along.”

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