Connecting Dots is a monthly column by writer Amy Cowen, inspired by her popular Substack, Illustrated Life. Maybe that’s a dog or a cat. Maybe this leads you to something Seussian, something fantastical, or something dripping with just a bit of magic realism. I have enjoyed watching the year unfold and encouraging postcard art and old-school add-a-stamp connections by mail. A version of this was originally posted on her Substack, Illustrated Life, where she writes about illustrated journals, diary comics/graphic novels, memory, gratitude, loss, and the balancing force of creative habit.