Doodling away variations of girls. A head here and a head there…brewing in my head! I think it’s going to end up being a cute little print…
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Peek Into My Sketchbook
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Pensieri Issue 2 – Pockets Galore! Digital Download
Want to learn how to incorporate paper pockets into you art journaling, scrapbooking and crafty projects? Well, issue 2 of Pensieri is all about pockets! Dive into 28 pages of ideas with details and full color photos, plus 6 templates for creating some of the custom pockets I’ve designed.
I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun with this issue – loaded with crafty goodness! You can create all kinds of pockets with the simple materials you have at home – paper, scissors, glue, some string perhaps? Check it all out in issue 2 Pockets Galore!
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Submit Your Work!
This week I’m concentrating on a particular type of take action tasks – submitting work! Although we would love for people to simply notice our artwork and present us with a fabulous deal, it’s much more realistic to take the route of presenting yourself professionally. If you don’t actively seek out opportunities, you might never accomplish anything, right?
For artists, I know it takes a huge leap of courage to submit work. It’s like presenting yourself for the ultimate judgement. Rejections are inevitable as well, so it’s a hard step to take. I know, I really do know! But I also know that I won’t get anywhere if I don’t submit. So I’ve been working on designs in the background, stalking the print & pattern design job board and submitting. There are magazines to submit to and art licensing companies to contact. There are lots of ways to get your work out there. It might not lead to anything in the end… But it might also lead to something great in the end. So it’s worth the effort, not to mention it’s getting me to do more! What about you? Have your submitted your work for consideration instead of waiting around to be discovered?
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Peek Into My Sketchbook
The week has flown by and I haven’t had much time to stop and journal or sketch. It’s a frustrating experience for me and more than a few times I have lamented my situation. It’s a silly situation, because there’s the miracle of having your baby and spending time with your little one… but at the same time, the loss of freedom and time for yourself.
I finally know what it feels like to be a mom now – and it’s fantabulous for sure – a miracle for sure. But at the same time, I miss “me” time and when I miss that time I also feel guilty. Sigh. It’s all very silly, huh?
I decided that I better lower the bar a whole lot. Just a tiny little doodle, will do. So I started drawing one tiny doodle once a day. Little things put together become something bigger. It’s something, right?
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Dear Creativity
Dear Creativity,
Oh how much I do love you, dearest. You’ve always been there for me, after all these years. Even if you might have been hidden in the beginning – or maybe it was me, not paying enough attention to you? On a bad day you manage to help me make it a good day. And on good days, well, we pretty much rock it together.
I’ve always wanted to be your best friend and I’m so grateful that you are a faithful companion. You never judge, you never hold back. It’s me who has to learn how to be free and accepting of all that we create together.
Thank you for making my world a wondrous place.
Thank you for helping me see more in all that there is around me.
Thank you for allowing me to express my thoughts and feelings.
Thank you for challenging me to learn and grow.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
You feed my soul, you inspire, you spark me from the inside. I’m so looking forward to our adventures together. You are amazing. You are loved.
Yours always,
linda
Leverage Your Backlist of Work
I learned about the concept of a “backlist” from Seth Godin – it’s what publishers call the work from a while ago that is still out there selling. Well, I wanted to apply the idea for my personal situation. I often forget about all that I’ve done, constantly searching for something new. It’s certainly wonderful to be caught up in a new and exciting idea, but my legacy of work is worth revisiting. I’m sure your work is worth revisiting as well, so hear me out.
My take action task this week was to revisit my backlist of work and see if there was a way to leverage it into something new. Enter Pensieri, my zine that I’ve finally digitized! I had so much fun creating my crafty art zine, but the handmade process was too much for me to keep up with. As a new mom, I no longer have the luxury of stamping, sewing and adding personal touches to every single copy. That’s why it all had to stop… but that doesn’t mean the content is no longer valid.
In fact, there have been requests for the zines, I just don’t want to go down the road of handmaking them anymore. That’s why the idea of digitizing them is perfect. Lower price and instant delivery – so I can still let that library of creative work go out into the world and spread some joy. Pretty cool idea, huh? The first issue I have digitized is all about art journaling, check it out in the store if you are interested in some creative play.
What can you leverage in your backlist of work? I hope that by sharing my take action tasks weekly, I can help to inspire YOU to go for it and get something done because actions speak louder than words.
Action is the foundational key to all success.
-Pablo Picasso
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Pensieri is Digital! Download your copy immediately…
At long last, Pensieri, my art zine is now available in PDF digital format. That means you can save on the price and download it immediately! I’m going to be digitizing all issues, but for now issue one about art journaling is in the shop. It’s always been my most popular issue and makes sense to release in order, right? I also have it listed in my Etsy shop since they have added the download digital file immediately feature.
The first issue of my zine is extra special because there are so many handmade elements to it, however to transform it into a digital zine, I had to scan in a real issue and create a very colorful, creative splash of a PDF magazine. I’m really happy with the final product and love flipping through it for some visual goodness. Doesn’t it just make you want to create already?!
I hope you will help to support my creative endeavors by purchasing a copy and my hope is that it will boost your creative playtime and open up your mind a bit regarding art journaling. It’s for beginners and veterans alike. Let me know what you think and enjoy!
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Peek Into My Sketchbook
Got a chance to do some digital coloring, using my sporty birdie sketch. I like how the digital coloring turned out… seems sort of natural and soft to me. I like it… but then again I’m not sure if it’s “done.” I’ve been held up in my birdie series project because I can’t seem to settle on what medium to use. Silly, huh?
I don’t know why, but I wanted to use acrylic paint first… but never got around to it since these days I don’t have much time for a messier medium. Then I wondered if watercolor would create a cuter softer look. I tried it out, but ended up using the brightest colors possible… so that’s not exactly soft, is it?
Hmm… I suppose it’s all been done before, so should I just go for it regardless or keep trying to search for something new? Why can’t I just move forward and do it, right?
Oh, little birdie, will you ever be finished?! Do you often get held back by your own doubts and worries? How do you break through?
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Success Has Little To Do With Talent
What?! The cold hard truth sounds pretty harsh, right? I know that your first reaction might be to disagree with me. Of course talent and merit matters, doesn’t it? Well, it might matter but it is NOT the secret to success.
I’m positive you know people who are wonderfully talented, yet still far from success in their own terms. You might be feeling that about yourself. What about all those people who are successful yet you don’t find them to be the most technically superior or talented in their field? Hey, it happens all the time… otherwise there would only be one talented person in every industry.
So if talent is not the secret success, what truly is? In my opinion, fun love, your unique self and persistence.
When I say fun love, I mean that you have to love what you do and have fun doing it all the time as well. Without that kind of passion you simply won’t last in your craft. It’s the passion and driving force behind all that you do.
Your unique self is your personal stamp, your individual self thrown into the mix. There is no one that can do it like you do. It not a new idea, but it’s oh so damn true and it’s important. Copycats are boring.
Finally, you’ve got to work hard and keep working hard to reach your ultimate dreams. Feeling defeated and down? Pick yourself up and keep at it! Most people give up early in the game and let themselves fail. You need persist to succeed. As anyone who has ever succeeded in something and they will tell you how many times they failed before getting to that point. It’s just all part of the process.
So do you have what is really takes to succeed in your creative dreams?
For more creative business wisdom, check out The Creative Entrepreneur Toolkit.
I wish you the best of luck in your creative endeavors and remember to have fun and spread the love.
Streamline Your Creative Process
Last week there was a national holiday here in Italy. We took advantage and made it an extra long weekend since we actually had to take the little one into town for paperwork at the American consulate – first train trip with the baby! Despite a few sessions of fussiness throughout the day, it all went by quite smoothly.
I was surprised at how precise and organized things were at with the American consulate – probably because I have learned that things in Italy are quote the opposite of efficient. It got me thinking about streamlining processes and how we can make our lives easier.
A lot of things in Italy are due to legacy… it doesn’t make any sense anymore and everyone agrees, but nothing is done about it. So the old ways continue. I know it’s easy just to keep sliding by and doing what you always do, rather than to change. But every so often, it’s a good idea to evaluate the situation and see how you can change for the good.
So this week my take action task to look within my creative process and see how it can be streamlined. With a newborn in the house, I’ve been quite frazzled and zombie-like for many weeks now. It’s been difficult to keep up with my goals because time is no longer predictable or schedule-able for me. I’ve definitely been feeling a bit lost – like everything has been thrown up in the air and I don’t have enough hands to catch it all. Many things are going to fall…
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I have to stop and analyze the situation. Going about it as rationally as possible I realize there are few key points that will help me streamline my creative process. I think these steps will help you as well.
Identify
The first thing to do is to brain dump everything onto paper. Write that list of everything and anything you need to get done. I have tasks that span from home to work to recreation all mixed up in my noggin’. It needs to be written down…
Break it Down
Once everything is out of my head, I can organize and plan my attack. I separate tasks into different tracks and order by priority. When there are a determined set of tasks or steps written out, it’s just so much easier to tackle. Especially since I only have snippets of time available, I don’t have time to doddle around and see what’s next. I need to get to the task and complete it!
Tackle it Bit by Bit
So when I get a pocket of time, I tackle my tasks bit by bit. Sometimes I follow the priority order, but often I don’t when there’s no specific deadline tied to it. It’s important to tackle whatever you can accomplish at that time. Get something done on that list…
Keep at it
Finally, it’s about patience and keeping the faith. With less time on my hands, it will take me longer to get certain projects done. But I’ll get to it and reach the goal one day. Step by step.
Do you have tips for streamlining your creative process? Do you have a scientific method that you follow that optimizes your time? Would love to hear from you in the comments below.
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