Can you hold your flatulence? The Importance of the Pelvic Floor
What I learned from a pelvic floor therapist about the importance of taking good care of our pelvic floor. I recently had the opportunity to meet Brittney Davis, a pelvic floor specialist at Rock Valley Physical Therapy here in North Liberty, Iowa. Our initial meeting stemmed from a maternity project I recently completed. I quickly …
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Going to a Museum? Bring a Sketchbook!
My favorite museum activities as an illustrator and why I can easily spend an entire day exploring even the smallest natural history museum. Recently, my husband and I went on a museum tour. We hopped on a bus with other members of the Cedar Valley Rocks and Minerals Society and went to the University of …
Did You Wash Your Hands?
Everyone has written an article about how to wash your hands and why it’s crucial. We don’t have anything to add. At LEGACY BioStudios, LLC, we hope you and yours stay healthy, and we have a gift for you: Here is a free poster for you to download (regular letter-sized) and hang up at your …
How Illustration Found Me: How I Founded LEGACY BioStudios, LLC
When I introduce myself, people often ask, “How did you end up in this line of work?” My story is long, but I think it brings to light why I love the work I do so much and how LEGACY BioStudios, LLC came to be. I grew up in my family’s dental clinic, and it …
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#Inclusion
Why Diversity and Inclusivity Matters in Medical Illustration I was in the 2nd grade, and a friend told me my gums were dirty. My mom is a dentist and was asked to come to my 2nd-grade class to do a lesson on oral hygiene and the importance of preventative health care. Mostly a “don’t be …
Women’s History Month – Remembering Mary Anning
We are at the end of March which is Women’s History Month, but also the month that has International Women’s Day and National Puppy Day. Both of these days and Women’s History Month were my theme of work and reading. At the end of February on a very long drive up to Minnesota, I listened …
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New Year, New Gear!
I have recently made the move from 3D modeling to 3D animation, and with that, I needed a little bit more power to back my rendering. I previously had a dual-core processor with 6 GB of RAM, which was great for rendering still images, but was horrendous for rendering animations. After doing an eye-bleeding amount …
I Need Illustrations, Where Do I start?
When I start on a new project, the first thing I like to ask is, “why are you making this?” When I start talking with a client about what kind of illustrations would work best for their goals, I find that when you ask “why” you get insight into more of the project beyond, “here …
Holidays with the Family: What I learned from a three-year-old
Happy New Year Everyone! So, I spent the holiday with my sister and her family and one of the best things about that, is I get to spend time with my nephew who is three. This time is particularly fun for me because he is a curious little guy and I get to share with …
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The Value of Context
I sent three friends (one of them my sister) a Snapchat of my new kitchen faucet and the responses were eye-opening! I captioned my snap with “by myself”. My sister responded with congratulations with replacing the faucet by myself. One of my friends responded with “you had to do the dishes by yourself?!?” and my …
Working International
The work and process of working with international groups On my case studies page, I cover the work I have done with the group HealthCare Tends with Dr. Azeez Butali, and their project “Help My Pikin”. I was very lucky to experience creating something for a different cultural group that had a need that …
Kids and Entrepreneurship
The term entrepreneur was coined by Jean-Baptiste Say, a French economist and scholar. The word originally came from the French word entreprendre, meaning: undertaking. In English, the term entrepreneur is often translated to an adventurer. Whether you identify entrepreneurship as a necessary undertaking of some sorts, or a bout of adventure, becoming an entrepreneur takes …
A Honeymoon at The Mammoth Site®
At the end of September, my new husband and I adventured to Hot Springs, South Dakota for our honeymoon. Hot Springs was a beautiful little town that smelled like juniper and mint, but the real treasure in Hot Springs is The Mammoth Site. My husband, the paleontologist enthusiast, and I, also intrigued by paleontology, …
Diversity in Health
I went to a conference focusing on how to be sensitive to diversity when working in health. One of the big issues is health literacy. As an illustrator, I often have the opportunity to work on health literacy projects. On one hand, I must make sure my client is happy with how I am communicating …
Hello, my name is… Assata
Hello! My name is Assata. I am a scientific illustrator, and I am very excited to continue this adventure of business, technology, and innovation. I began illustrating under the name Illustrations By Assata but quickly realized that it was time for my business to grow, so I founded LEGACY BioStudios, LLC. While I have a …