Rachael Raine Rivers
@rachaelrainerivers
All things books! Reader, Writer, Librarian, & Harpist In my cozy fantasy/fairytale era "too sensitive," "too direct," "too many words," "too earnest," "too much"
First attempt at urban sketching. How did I do? #artsky #art #inkpen #watercolor #urbansketcher #urbansketching #sketch
Happy book launch day to @elizmanderson.com! SO excited to read this!!
Quick pre-painting outline/sketch before bed last night. Still working out how I want to approach the watercolor aspect. But these will be raspberries. Because we might as well art what we can't eat. #artsky #drawing #sketching #cyclospora #cyclosporiasis #raspberries #nature #pencil
I have a watercolor sketchbook where I'm thinking I may paint in response to current events. I want to paint raspberries next, because cyclospora. But I also want to paint that appalling orange/red sky in Ontario. Does anyone have pictures? This was our air quality in Ohio today, btw: #wildfires
Ok, friends, inquiring minds need to know. I found this taped to my apartment's communal dumpster. Is this part of some TikTok gag thing I'm too old to know about? Like, is this analog Craigslist? Or do I just have the world's most fascinating/creepy neighbors? #urbanlegend #missedconnection
Popsicles! Still keeping it simple and summer-y. Still following the Sarah Cray tutorials on YouTube. Do you like them? #artsky #art #summervibes #watercolor #watercolour #beginnerartist
Opted for a simpler project last week. There was a lot going on, with my pet passing away. But this is still from that Sarah Cray tutorial series I'm following. Does it feel enough like summer? #artsky #beginnerartist #art #watercolor #watermelon #summervibes
Experimenting with a wet-on-wet ombre wash thing as part of the Sarah Cray YouTube tutorials I'm working through. This picture could use more subject, yes? Also, someone please reassure me that my palm fronds do not look like centipedes. I'm unconvinced. #artsky #watercolor #beginnerartist #art
My first real experiment with acrylics. Following a reference photo, also pictured. I didn’t have a proper yellow to mix into anything, so the oranges don't really pop. But I tried to make yellow ochre and peach work instead. How did I do? #artsky #art #acrylic #painting #beginnerartist
So, I just got off the phone with the vet. We are going to have to put down my beloved cat and best friend of 12 years tomorrow morning. I am devastated. It's also going to be like $400 that I don't have. If anyone would like to help, my Buy Me a Coffee page is here: buymeacoffee.com/rachaelreads...
The feminine urge to quit your day job and spend the rest of your life painting random flowers in every possible medium. Free-hand sketched and painted following a Sarah Cray tutorial on YouTube. #artsky #art #watercolor #beginnerartist #painting #daisies #flowers
So, I'm apparently going through an unexpected artistic awakening/craze/thing. Drew this with soft charcoal pencil at a community center drawing class the other night. What do you think? #artsky #drawing #pencildrawing #charcoalpencil #flower #art
And just like that, new composition for mini harp. At some point, I need to print these out, learn to play them, and actually record them for you guys. #musicsky #harp #creativity #sheetmusic #originalmusic #harpist
Random crayon sketch I just did instead of what I meant to work on. I'm pretending it's legit impressionism, or something. Context: I am have not practiced art in literal years and have no actual training or credentials This is just for funsies. #impressionism #quicksketch #artsky #amateur
Artemis II has been the source of ALL of my serotonin this past week. I genuinely do not know how I am going to continue functioning when this mission is over. #artemis2 #booksky #scifi #sff #Nutella #space #recommendedreading #tbr #womenauthors #specfiction #moonmission #nasa #csa
"And round beneath it, Time in hours, days, years, Driv’n by the spheres Like a vast shadow mov’d; in which the world And all her train were hurl’d." from "The World" by Henry Vaughan #poetry #nasa #artemis2 #space #literature #booksky #writersky #scifi
I may have written a hopeful springtime fairytale AND a springtime harp song to go with it. Link to story (with full song below). rachaelreadsandwrites.substack.com/p/the-garden... #writersky #sff #flashfiction #harp #specfiction #spring #ostara #vernalequinox #booksky #hopecore
This perhaps genius indie author I came across has me rethinking my pen name. Should I maybe re-brand as D.R. Agon? Una Corn? Wei R. Wolf? Fan Tacy? How about Wright E. R.? #writersky #specfiction #sff #fantasy #penname
The clouds, the melting ice, and the melting snow are all in the same pattern and texture! So pleasing.
Fun fact: The traditional Scottish harp is called the clàrsach. Week 2, Day 3 of my “Butt Back into Music” practice challenge. Do you recognize this song? Link to the full video in the comments. #musicsky #harp #moviemusic
Week 2, Day 1 of the “Butt Back into Music” Challenge. Filmed in one take. No edits. All mistakes left in. I had been going to play all “love” songs for the week of Valentine's Day. Do you think this one counts? Comment if you recognize it. Arrangement by Trish Boril. #musicsky #moviemusic #harp
Week 1, Day 5. “Butt Back into Music” Challenge. Song 2 of 2. One take, no editing. All mistakes and tempo, er, choices left in. I literally haven't even watched the playback as I'm posting this. Comment if you recognize the song! #musicsky #harp #practicechallenge
My first fantasy short story is getting published! And it comes out tomorrow (Feb 8, 2026). Follow @thefantasticother.bsky.social. Or read more here: open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr... #writersky #booksky #fantasy #shortstory #sff #specfiction #published #litfiction #literarymagazine #soexcited
Week 1, Day 4 of the “Butt Back into Music” Challenge. I've already missed a day because my dumb grown-up job got in the way. So this, unfortunately, is all I have for you this evening. A demonstration from me on how I dust off my harp before tuning. ASMR?? #musicsky #harp #practicechallenge
Week 1, Day 2 of “Butt Back into Music” Challenge. Today we're just doing finger conditioning exercises. Oh! And speed tuning. Both concert grand and the mini. This, btw, if you are not a harpist, is what we spend A LOT of our time doing. So. Much. Tuning. #musicsky #harp #tuning #practicechallenge
Welcome back to a new semester at magic school for writers! Are you ready to use your wordwielding power for social good this month? open.substack.com/pub/fantasys... #writersky #writingchallenge #sff #specfiction #fantasy #scifi #hopecore #cozyfantasy #speculativefiction #makemagicforminneapolis
Week 1 Day 1, however, is just going to be me changing strings and then tuning. Thankfully only four broke. Nearly all 2nd 8ve, of course. Though I'm sure that will change once I get the new ones on and the tension points on the soundboard shift.
New February challenge! Provisionally titled “Rachael Gets Her Butt Back into Music." The goal is that I at least tune and warm up every single day in February. And then, like three times per week, I have to record and post myself playing an EASY song on my low-tension small harp.