During October, I created an illustration inspired by a word from the Peachtober prompt list every single day. Now it is time to show them all off alongisde some reflective thoughts.
31+ Illustrations
I created 31 digital collages for Peachtober - plus a few extras.
There were a few days when I made more than one illustration. On day 10, I couldn’t decide which idea I liked more. On day 16, I just really wanted to draw a cow. On day 28, I really loved the idea that old horses have really long legs, and young horses have little stumpy legs.
I think the cow or the seal might be my favourite. But I also have a soft spot for the chonky pencils and crayons. In all honesty, I am pretty chuffed with all of them.
10 Thoughts
Here are 10 reflective thoughts to add a little context to my Peachtober creations…
Getting a little bit messy is fun.
My comfort zone is incredibly tidy. As an artist (and person), I naturally lean toward clean lines and organised stacks. For this challenge, however, I played around with a lot more texture than I am used to. And I liked it. I really, really liked it.
Peachtober preparation is important.
I enjoyed taking part in Peachtober this year way more than I have before. And I think that’s because I was better prepared. Back in September, I created a custom colour palette and tons of sketches. As the challenge went on, I didn’t stick rigidly to either, but having ideas to fall back on helped keep things calm.
My process has changed (for good).
I created all the textures used in the illustrations by hand, on paper using mark-making and mono-printing techniques. I hadn’t played around with ink like this since I was at art school, and I had forgotten how fun it was. The plan wasn’t to rethink my illustration process, but I may have accidentally done just that.
Stamping tiny letters is very pleasing.
I randomly picked up a set of tiny little letter stamps from Sostrene Grene in September with no real clue what I would use them for. They ended up coming in very handy, very quickly. The process was surprisingly pleasing. I could happily stamp tiny letters all day, every day.
If I made it, it’s my style.
Back when I was at art school, I used to worry that if I changed the aesthetic of my illustration work even slightly, then it wouldn’t be “in my style”. I don’t worry about that any more. No matter the method or materials, I think you can tell when I have made something. And it’s fun to switch things up. For me, that’s the point of Peachtober.
You can’t predict what a month will bring.
The odd thing about committing to a month-long challenge is you never know what will come up in your professional or personal life while you are taking part. When October did throw curveballs my way, creating my Peachtober collages became a peaceful ritual, adding a splash of creativity and routine to even the most unpredictable day.
Peachtober reminds me of the old internet.
For an entire month, my Instagram feed was flooded with artists from all over the world illustrating the same word in completely different ways. And it was delightful. It reminded me of the good old days when social media actually showed you the beautiful things people made rather than just adverts and self-help videos.
If you are looking for new artists to follow, I would highly recommend checking out the Peachtober Instagram account.
Furry Little Peach really knows how to write a list.
Every year, Sha’an d’Anthes (also known as Furry Little Peach) curates the Peachtober prompt list herself. I’ve seen the day it is released each year described online as “Christmas for illustrators”. That’s a lot of pressure. But still, each year the list and challenge seem to get better. Sun, moon, seal and moose were some of my favourite 2026 prompts.
I like making things.
It sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to lose sight of why you do what you do. I started Headless Greg because I like making things. Peachtober reminded me of that.
I’m already looking forward to next year.
This is the third time I have completed Peachtober, and I very much doubt it will be the last. I’m also dreaming up other challenges I might set myself in the meantime (a week of illustrating tigers and some sort of festive challenge are at the front of my mind). Roll on Peachtober 2027…
All that’s left to say is a massive thank you so much for all the kind words I received about my Peachtober illustrations, both online and in-person. I really appreciated them.