Try. Fail. Try again.

Hi Friends,

This newsletter is packed — from a new creative lesson inspired by Tom Brady (and my bowhunting season), to my latest surreal art piece “To Be Free,” a movie I loved (The Long Walk), and a fun podcast chat on Let’s Get Freaky! I’m also celebrating One Red Arrow with a $500 art giveaway, and by popular demand, the Mega Holiday Print Drop has been extended with an extra 10% off.

Let’s get into it!

♡ Caitlyn

🎨 Title: To Be Free

This new piece is one of my favorites I’ve ever created. I woke up the other morning with an image in my mind—a real horse looking at carousel horses. I don’t always get art ideas that are so vivid. This felt like a gift. I immediately started creating.

To me, this image represents the person who sees the rat race—the hamster wheel—for what it is, and chooses to step out of it. The one who stands back, looking on as an observer instead of getting pulled into the loop.

That, to me, is the truly free soul.

Wow! Last weekend my husband and I watched The Long Walk (2025).

Short synopsis: Teens participate in a gruelling high-stakes contest where they must continuously walk or be shot by a member of their military escort.

As a huge fan of Stephen King, my opinion is biased—but I loved this movie. If it hadn’t been so graphic, it might’ve ranked among my all-time favorites (I had to cover my eyes during the death scenes — haha).

The special thing about Stephen King is that, even when he writes about dystopia or the supernatural, he’s always still writing about life and the very real human experience. The life lessons in his work are so grounded in reality and so meaningful. This film was much more than a few boys walking to win money.

If you like this kind of film, I cannot recommend it enough.

Creative Lesson: Try. Fail. Try again.

“Life is not about how much you succeed, it’s about what happens when you fail.” — Tom Brady

My creative lesson this week is a very personal one. Story time…

As many of you know, I’m an archer and an avid bowhunter. And this year, I made myself a promise: I wanted to get a buck on our own property for the first time ever. My husband and I bought this land three years ago, and since then we’ve planted food plots, restored habitat, and created an environment where wildlife could truly thrive. Our property is now officially recognized as a certified wildlife habitat and conservation area!

So this year, I was determined to bowhunt on our land—to sustainably source meat from our own property and fill the freezer with food we harvested ourselves. We already raise our own pork and chickens, and we take a lot of pride in providing for ourselves naturally. This was the next step.

I practiced my shot every day. Starting in September, I sat twenty feet up in a tree for hours, just waiting for a mature buck to walk by.

If you’re familiar with archery, you know this is nothing like gun hunting. You need the deer within about thirty yards. You have to draw a bow—this big, sweeping movement—and release cleanly. No loud bang, no instant impact. It’s strategic. It’s skillful. And there’s very little room for error.

Finally, the moment came. A huge buck walked in—the biggest deer of my life! I was ready. I’d rehearsed this moment a thousand times.

I drew. I aimed. I released.

And my arrow hit a twig I didn’t see.

Total miss.

I was devastated. I wanted to quit right there. Hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in the woods over the years… and the perfect moment slipped right through my fingers.

But with my husband’s encouragement, I kept going out. I kept sitting in the cold. I kept trying.

Then, about a week later, another big buck walked in—this one even closer! No way I could miss.

Except I did.

The arrow flew right under him. He took off running. And that second miss stung even worse. In the excitement, I hadn’t used my rangefinder. He was a few yards farther than I thought. Rookie mistake. My fault.

Now I really wanted to quit. Two perfect moments. Two major failures. And if you know anything about mature bucks, you know you don’t get chances like that every day. These animals get that big because they’re smart and are rarely seen.

Eight years of bowhunting. Two golden opportunities. And I blew them.

Still… I kept going out. Hours in the tree. Hours in the cold. Our running motto became just two words:

“Tom Brady.”

That’s what my husband and I texted each other while hunting. A reminder that what matters is the next play. Not the one behind you. Not the failure. Not the heartbreak. What matters is how you show up for the next shot.

And finally… on Halloween… after sitting outside in the cold for two hours… a big buck stepped out in front of me.

I took one of the best shots of my life.

I’ll spare you the photo—but yes, I got him!

And now we have a freezer full of venison. Had I given up, I never would have gotten a buck on our own property for the very first time.

That’s the creative lesson.

Failure isn’t the end—it’s information. It’s feedback. It’s a teacher. In my case, it told me I needed to practice more, stay calmer, use my rangefinder, and know my surroundings better.

But success? Success comes from resilience. From trying again. What matters is how you react to failure. Try. Fail. Try again. I’ve linked Tom Brady’s full speech above.

Check out my interview with Tommy Cullum’s Let’s Get Freaky!
I had such a fun conversation with Tommy about what inspires my art, the paranormal, and the time I saw a ghost! Listen above!

📚 Win $500 in Cult Class Art — Giveaway Time (Again)!

I can’t thank you enough for all the support around my debut supernatural thriller, One Red Arrow, Part I. Every message, every share, every review, every order—it all truly helps so much. If you’ve read the book, I’d be so grateful if you left a quick Amazon and/or Goodreads review. And for those of you who have finished it… yes, Part II is in the works! :)

To celebrate the launch, I’m giving away $500 worth of Cult Class art to one lucky reader!

How to Enter:

1. Buy the book in any format (hardcover, Kindle, or audiobook).

2. Screenshot your purchase confirmation (email receipt or order screen).

3. Send it to me via email, tag/share on Instagram, or DM on Instagram @cult.class.

4. You’re entered! 🏹

🖼️ Holiday Print Drop — Extended by Popular Demand

Celebrate the season with a collection of bestselling fine art prints by Caitlyn Grabenstein. By popular request, the Mega Holiday Print Drop has been extended — and for a limited time, many of your favorite Cult Class pieces are back and available to order just in time for the holidays.

Each print is hand-signed, printed on archival Canson Baryta paper, and ships directly from our Connecticut farm once the drop ends.

Buy now to receive your gifts in time for the holidays and Christmas — and enjoy an extra 10% off with code BLACKFRIDAY10.