June 2025 Report
Dear reader,
I hope our first Report finds you well!
The past several weeks at Riverbed have been a whirlwind, so I, Erin, am writing to give you all an update on what’s been going on.
Riverbed Collective at large
Changes to Team Riverbed
As you might gather, Izzy (@byizzyliu) has left the administrative team. Rest assured this was on good terms, which is why I think it’s an experience worth sharing.
Let us know if you’d like to see more of my thoughts on leadership and operations, too. (Feel free to email erin@riverbed.world, even if it’s just to say hi!)
Anyways, as we’ve been wanting to refine Riverbed’s overall vision, Akko (@belfaunn) and I have brought on three associates. Please give Kayla, Loup, and Elke a warm welcome!
Launching Decalmania
If you’ve been keeping up with us on Instagram, you might have seen Decalmania, our newest collaborative sticker book project. We’re selecting 72 artists; each artist will create a third of an A4 page with us. Applications have already closed.
We loved seeing your portfolios, and have scheduled a time to make final selections. Team Riverbed is scattered across three timezones, soon to be four, which is why it’s taken a while. Thank you for your patience!
Erin, personally
What I’ve done this month
My work this month has been much more behind-the-scenes, especially since we’ve hired new staff. One of my major tasks has been management; making sure that my team feels supported to do their best work.
We’re still experimenting with ways to clearly communicate what needs to be done, such as project management software, spreadsheets, or a Discord server just for the team.
I’ve also been working on contract law. Riverbed’s projects started off quite casually, but room for uncertainty has grown as we’ve added more elements; hence, a contract. It’s been tough, but we’re hoping that it provides protection, clarity, and comfort for everyone.
As you can tell, Decalmania is shaping up to be a larger undertaking than SPIKE ZINE and Mint Condition, but I’m really excited!
What I’ve struggled with, if I may
I’ve been trying to balance professionalism/growth with making sure that our projects still feel accessible to small(er), less experienced artists. This difficulty has already surfaced in two areas—one, the existence and the language of the Decalmania contract, and two, Riverbed’s increasing Instagram follower count.
The contract feels formal, but it’s necessary for protection, so I’m trying to make the language as accessible as possible. Our growing follower count isn’t a problem, yet, but one day Akko and I might not be able to personally reply to each direct message…
I don’t want the formalities to feel like we’re pushing less experienced people away. Save for a short course last November, I myself haven’t been in a formal art class since the eighth grade, and creating art isn’t my full-time job, but I do still love doing art as a hobby.
I want Riverbed’s projects to feel welcoming towards newcomers and those who don’t have an art-centric day-to-day life. Our projects are a chance for people like myself to showcase their work, in a way that they otherwise might not get an opportunity to.
What’s next?
Decalmania, of course! We’re really, really excited about it. I personally don’t have much experience with stickers, but Loup does lots of them. Loup’s shop is reopening on 25th June, if you’d like to take a look…
Newsletter guests and interviews with artists. This has been going slowly, but surely. Our first guest, Absinthe, did a Q&A about storytelling earlier this month. I’m looking forward to sharing more of our guests’ perspectives and seeing the discussions they’ll spark.
Management and leadership. Akko and I will continue working on how best to support our team, so we can all, in turn, support you.
Best wishes,
Erin (Co-founder & Operations Director)