Many inmates are familiar with the As The Magpie Flies YouTube channel. Featuring artist/illustrator Amanda Zito’s adventures on motorcycles, the channel is filled with beautiful scenery from her cross-country trips in the US, but also helpful tips (How to budget? What gear works well? How to make camping comfortable?). Like almost all of YouTube, you can enjoy the channel for free, but if you want to help fund further adventures, now is your big chance!

Zito is selling 2023 calendars through her Etsy shop, with proceeds going to pay for her planned trips next season. These are unlike most of the ADV calendars out there, with Zito’s gorgeous, imaginative illustrations replacing the usual inspiring photographs. They’re $40 US, which is more-or-less what you pay for similar high-end calendars on Etsy. For that money, you’re getting original art, and again, the cash she makes will fund her next season’s filming. She’s hoping to sell 300 calendars this year, and she’s not quite to 100 sold yet, so if you can help her out with a purchase, no doubt she’d very much appreciate!

Here’s how Zito described her calendar fundraiser:

I’ve been making calendars for the last couple years, and this is how I funded the first couple of adventures that ended up on my channel in the following year.

Last year Calendar Sales funded my preparations and part of the Cross Country Series: The Flight South.

This year I’m hoping this batch of Calendars will fund two short trips to California, and part of my annual Brother Sister trip in May.

This year’s calendar (all illustrated by me) will also be printed in the USA by a company in Montana (my home state), then they get shipped to me, where I package them myself and send them out to everyone who Pre-Orders one. Shipping is Free to USA addresses. (See Etsy listing here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1353848555/pre-order-2023-motorcycle-art-calendar)

Last year I sold 257 so my goal this year is 300. I’m at 81 as of writing this.

These Pre Orders will close 2/15/2023, I won’t be keeping stock of any Calendars for sale after the Pre Order ends.

This is beautiful artwork, and the calendar combines surrealist images with everyday ADV scenes that show the reality and emotion of real-world riding in a way that nobody’s tried in a long, long time. For more of Zito’s work, keep an eye on her Instagram account here.