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Get Hit. Get Up. Keep Going.
Inside: new art, a creative lesson on grit (courtesy of Rocky Balboa), a sci-fi gem starring Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons, farm life updates, and a $500 art giveaway upgrade.
Caitlyn Grabenstein
July 30, 2025
Hi Friends,
This week’s newsletter is about grit, growth, and big milestones. I’m sharing a creative lesson on resilience inspired by Rocky Balboa, a new art piece paired with Doechii’s “Anxiety,” and a sci-fi show recommendation you’ll want to add to your list. On the farm, Brooks started walking (!!!), our rooster got a new name, and Kickstarter packages are officially being packed. Plus—I just raised the stakes on my art giveaway. Now two people will win up to $500 in prints when they preorder One Red Arrow, Part I.
Let’s get into it!
♡ Caitlyn
🎨 Title: Me vs. Me
The image of a house cat meowing at a roaring lion felt like a portrait of the two voices in my own head: one fierce, focused, and unstoppable… the other meek and small saying, “just five more minutes” or “you’re not good enough anyway.”
On the post, I paired it with Doechii’s “Anxiety” which felt like the perfect anthem for this internal tug-of-war so many of us face.
We just finished Night Sky (2022) on Amazon Prime—a beautifully written sci-fi drama that sadly only ran for one season. With legends like J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek in the lead roles, we had to give it a shot—and their performances did not disappoint.
The show follows Irene and Franklin York, a couple who’ve been hiding a secret chamber beneath their shed—a portal to a distant, deserted planet. But when a mysterious young man enters their lives, everything shifts.
This show is so much more than a sci-fi mystery. It’s a dynamic, emotionally resonant series that examines the complexities of what it means to live, love, and endure, both the light and the dark. Hands-down, this is one of my favorite single-season series ever.
Creative Lesson: Get Hit. Get Up. Keep Going.
This week’s creative lesson comes from Rocky Balboa. Linked above is the iconic speech he gives to his son—one of the greatest speeches ever, in my opinion.
As an artist and business owner, I take hits all the time—just like everyone else. I’ll make something deeply personal and watch it flop. A client rejects a design I spent hours on. I miss out on a big opportunity. Someone mocks my work. I can’t figure out how to upload my novel to Amazon. I mess up, fall short, fail. And those are just the creative hits—not even life’s bigger punches.
The truth is, life can be brutal. It will knock you down. It will make you question everything. But the only real power you have is this: to get back up. Again. And again. And again. That’s strength. Not perfection. Not never failing. But standing back up after each hit—and moving forward.
You want your critics, your competition, and your own inner voice to see you take the punches and keep going. That’s how winning is done. Fail. Learn. Improve. Repeat. A million times if you have to.
It’s a creative lesson—but it’s also a life lesson. Below is the full speech.
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!
With the upcoming book release, Baby Brooks growing fast, new animals, a blooming garden, and the art studio build underway, things have been busy around here!
First up—our rooster had a name change. We originally called him Odin, but as his personality’s come out, “Earl” just feels more him. We’ve confirmed—he’s definitely a rooster. Earl started crowing yesterday morning (though it was still a bit squeaky—he’s young and figuring it out). His feathers are starting to come in too, and he’s growing like crazy. Check out the photo below.
Even more exciting: Brooks started walking! It’s such a huge milestone for our family. It feels like just yesterday he was a tiny newborn, and now he's nearly one. We truly can’t believe how fast time is flying. 🥹
And finally, we’ve started packing the Kickstarter packages for One Red Arrow, Part I! They’ll be headed to the post office soon, and I can’t wait to share this.
Earl is growing up and really getting some colorful feathers!
Me and Brooks walking together!
One Red Arrow, Part I Kickstart packages!
I’m so happy! 🙂 Lots of books to sign and pack!
With One Red Arrow, Part I launching August 21, I’ve decided to raise the stakes on my art giveaway—because why not?
Now, instead of one winner, I’ll be randomly selecting two people to win up to $500 in Cult Class prints—any pieces, any sizes, their choice.
Here’s how to enter:
Just pre-order a copy of the book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, or anywhere it's available online. Then tag, email, or DM me your order confirmation to be officially entered into the giveaway.
Whether you're in it for the creature feature, the mystery, or the archery-loving, anxiety-fighting protagonist—your preorder helps more than you know. And now, it could also land you a whole wall of art.
To keep up with demand (and keep things manageable on my end), I’ve made a change to how print releases work.
From now on, I’ll be releasing one featured piece every few days—just 5 prints per size. Once they sell out, they’re gone.
Today’s print selection is my piece "Over It"—available now.
