What is a Nibbler?

What is a Nibbler, and why is it the title of an artist’s Newsletter when snacking has nothing to do with art?

For our eighth anniversary, I asked my husband for snacks.
I don't want jewelry, presents with bows, or fancy date nights.

I want munchable, crunchable snacks! 

The snack closet (pantry) is my safe space.
I love the variety of things people come up with to crunch on.

Who knew that a crunchy wasabi soybean would be so delicious?!

My obsession with snacks began when I discovered gluten was the culprit in making me oh so very sick.

I had to get creative when shopping since I could no longer go to the grocery store and grab any 'ol thing off the shelf.

Going into stores with GF sections became a pastime.
I like sampling all the options available, finding that some snacks are actual sawdust and wood pulp while others are delectable. 

I also don't enjoy cooking.

I'll do it if I must, but I'd rather grab a handful of something on my way out to the garage to fire up my burners and start painting.

PSA - You shouldn't eat in your studio, especially when working with toxic pigments or solvents. But let's be real, who among us hasn't taken a big gulp of paint water?
The damage has likely been done - long ago.

Okay, this is all great, but why is it called The Nibbler?
And were you influenced by The Quibbler from Harry Potter?

When I first started my newsletter, it was a monthly called "Art in Bites." It was short and sweet, art-related bite-sized snippets.

This title bothered me because I was concerned that I had accidentally stolen it from someone else.

However, I couldn't find the source, so I never quite knew if I had had an original idea or if I had seen it, forgotten that I saw it, and then stolen it. (Something I would definitely do.)

The Birth of The Nibbler.

While publishing "Art in Bites,” if there was something timely that I wanted to update my subscribers on, I would send a nibble or The Nibbler.

That rightly confused folks who were now getting "The Nibbler."  
(Thankfully, I only had 12 subscribers at the time, and two of them were my mom.)

The more I involved myself in the art world, the more I wanted to share, so I put the probably stolen "Art in Bites" to bed, and "The Nibbler" became a weekly newsletter since that's what folks (my mom) were used to seeing.

A weekly newsletter was a lot to keep up with, so now I pen "The Nibbler" every other week precisely at 7:52 the Monday night before it goes live at 7 am on Tuesday morning. 

We can call it procrastination, but I love writing to you, and when I write with too much lead time, it doesn't feel as authentic or real.
Will this get me into trouble one day?
Most definitely!

Also, if I start writing too early, it gives me time to obsess about sentence structure and whether my jokes are appropriate (they aren’t).
Then I edit it to death, losing some of the glimmer and zing.

This audience is a safe space for me to be me in all my unedited dyslexic, face-stuffing, paintbrush-wielding, sailor-shit-talking glory.

Was "The Nibbler" inspired by "The Quibbler"?

At Kings Cross in London in March of 2023

It wasn't a conscious decision, but the title of The Nibbler was most likely influenced by The Quibbler.

Have I taken the quiz to determine if I'm a full-blown Hufflepuff with rooms near the kitchens?
Yes.

Have I watched the Potter series every Christmas for the last 10+ years? Also, yes.

Did I wait in line for an hour at Kings Cross Station in London to get my photo taken in a dirty scarf worn by eleventy million other people before me?
Yes.

Do I agree with J.K. Rowling and her disgusting anti-trans rhetoric?
Abso-fucking-lutely NOT.

I am an ally of trans and LBGTQ+ people.
People are people; love is love, and trans rights are human rights.
(If the above lines were upsetting to read, by all means, scroll to the very bottom and click “unsubscribe.” This is not the newsletter for you.)

Which brings up a whole new topic:

Can you love the art while disagreeing with and/or having little to zero respect for the artist?

I'd love to know your thoughts because it’s something I struggle with.

And the name of my newsletter still has nothing to do with art, but that's okay.
You know why you're here.
(It’s the snacks 🤫)

-All my love,

Jill