1# Issue

Sketch 'n Tea July 2026 Print V

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Good morning all!

I’m delivering the first issue of our digital Zine on your first day of the month! Hope you’re going to enjoy it with your cup of tea or coffee~

Why is it important not to give up when a plan A and B sinks.

When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a graphic designer. Back then, I had no idea how many ups and downs would come after I turned fifteen. Looking back now, I’m simply glad I survived — even if my original plan didn’t. It sank completely.

I was left battling depression and anxiety while struggling through secondary school, almost becoming a dropout. Thankfully, my mum never allowed me to give up completely.

When I moved to a different country in my early twenties to start a new life, I never expected that college would become a place where I would finally thrive academically. I also never expected myself to fall in love with painting and decorating, or genuinely enjoy learning about construction.

Ironically, when I was younger, I believed I had absolutely no talent for anything technical or mathematical.

What changed everything was meeting teachers in Scotland who encouraged me instead of making me feel incapable. Many of my experiences with teachers in Czech secondary school left me feeling discouraged and convinced that I simply wasn’t good enough. In Scotland, despite facing many challenges, I met teachers who were supportive when they saw genuine effort and determination in a student.

That encouragement slowly healed wounds I had carried for years.

Sometimes we think that when Plan A fails, everything is over. But life does not always end where we expected it to. Sometimes losing one dream creates space for another version of ourselves we would never have discovered otherwise.

I never became the person I imagined at fifteen. But maybe that is not always a bad thing.

- Starling

July tiny paintings

Occasionally in college I was either painting or drawing. So I would like to share the butterfly which I was working on between our work.

- Starling

Mum shared with me a picture of a boat when she was on the trip. I really liked it, so I had to paint a small card.

- Starling

Kitten’s corner

Chert was looking after me at the toilet again. So It wouldn’t eat me!

- Iri

Fero the neighbour’s cat is on a visit.

- Isumi

Poem corner

Dracula’s rose

Across the meadow, shining far away,
Blooms a rose of crimson red,
A flower red as blood
That once was spilled into the earth
When the cries of war rang everywhere.

There fell Dracula’s foe,
And the dragon banner flew in the distance
Where the Turk was brought low.

To honor that great victory,
A bush of red roses was planted.

Yet even now
Only a single crimson rose blooms,
And through the passing centuries
Its radiance still shines afar.

- Iri

Acrostic poem J-U-L-Y

Just one more thing to pack!

Usher in the summer spirit of swimming and kayaking

Lasting forever and ever through the summer

Ya’ll shall enjoy the freshness of the water.

- Starling

Chert, the little menace

1. Climbs where he shouldn’t.

2. Constantly steals hair ties.

3. Drinks tea from mugs at night.

4. Climbs into the dishwasher (especially when it’s empty, then you have to check you didn’t accidentally lock the little idiot inside).

5. Drags a blanket behind him and then meows.

6. At 1 a.m. he wakes me up because he’s hungry.

7. Steals sausages, hot dogs, and loves spicy bacon.

Despite all his antics, I love Chert.

P.S. We should have named him Dracula.

- Iri

Are you interested in contributing?

We would be happy to share your writing, art and pictures in August issue.

Please, get in touch on: starlingpav@gmail.com

See you again on 1st August 2026!

Good morning everyone,

I would like to introduce our August submissions. I’d like to open them as early as possible so we can start preparing the next issue. Although August is still about a month and a half away, it will be here before we know it!

What would we like to see?

• Personal essays (up to 400 words)

• Short stories (up to 350 words). These can be submitted as a single piece or split into multiple short chapters.

• Poetry

• Artwork or photographs of subjects you enjoy capturing with your art supplies or camera

• Funny animal pictures

  

Preparing Your Submission

Please send personal essays, short stories, and poetry as PDF files. Photographs, artwork, and other images as JPG or PNG files.

As we have plenty of time to prepare the next issue, we encourage you to spend as much time as possible refining your work. Submissions that are carefully edited and polished help reduce back-and-forth communication and make the editing process smoother for everyone.

Please send your submissions to starlingpav@gmail.com by 20th July 2026.

If you have any issues submitting your work, don’t hesitate to contact me via Substack or by email. I’ll be happy to help.

Need Inspiration?

Here are a few ideas for essays and short stories:

• A special place

• An event that changed your life

• An odd experience that didn’t make sense at the time

• The moment when you knew you were grown up

• A book that changed your life

• When you needed a hug

• Unforgettable summer

• They met by the bench in the park and fell in love

• The mysterious bracelet

• A quiet afternoon in the cabin

  

I look forward to seeing your creativity and sharing your work in the August issue!

This idea has been brewing in my mind for couple years since my hometown Zine sunk. It never been right time to start something new. I tried but it never felt right time so I made a few breaks in between. I think… and I also feel… that now is the right time.

I’m hoping that I’m going to build this substack ‘Sketch ‘n Tea’ as a monthly issue full of my paintings, drawings and life stories which created life by itself and it cheers someone else too.