At times I can’t follow what I know to be “rules” for web design and the general presentation of information online… oh well. I suppose it’s all just me to the core. I really love my girl drawings, so decided to use them as my header, plain and simple. I hope you like it and that it makes reading a bit easier. Please excuse any dust as I keep adding and working on things in the background. Thanks!

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A New Blog Design is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

The most common new year realignment tool for most people revolves around making resolutions and hopefully following through with them. Like many things in life, the idea of resolutions makes total sense. We must have goals to shoot towards. However, we often go through the motions and end up failing to follow through to the end.

As I pointed out, the year end is a natural point in our timeline to evaluate progress and plan for the future, although I think we should be doing this much more often. Imagine how much more directed you would be with more frequent check-ins. That’s why there are daily to-do lists, weekly check-ins with the team and monthly reviews.

Moving forward, I really want to reflect and re-align at more regular intervals. I like how Michelle from the When I Grow Up blog, posts video updates of her progress. I am certain that it helps to guide her journey from a yearly, monthly and weekly perspective. That moment of stopping and reflecting…gives one perspective.

I turn to my mission statement to guide decisions on a top level, but will also have goals for the year as well as the third tier of really specific measurable goals. I’m thinking it’s a good system for 2012. So I’m going to give it a go. As always, ideas are great…but action is what truly takes us forward.

From my website, my overall mission and vision is “To use my passion and skill in design and illustration to create a profitable business that brings joy, empowers and inspires us all to live happily.” Simply put…Artistry for blissful living!

In my mind, I have the goal of becoming a licensed artist, a published artist and create livelihood doing what I love. More concrete goals would be something like:

• create at least 10 collections of art for licensing (girls, animals, home, christmas, birthday, baby, tuscan, alphabet, sentiments, patterns)
• submit work to manufacturing client list weekly/monthly
• introduce to blogger/magazine weekly/monthly
• double my mailing list size
• triple my blog traffic
• offer original art for sale regularly

Those bullet points can actually be boiled down to even more specific tasks and I hav a sense my list is getting very long. I also have a lot of personal goals such as incorporating more reading time, baking time and exercise. It can seem like too much, but at the same time, it’s not anything more than what many others are living this very moment.

In the end, I know that we are all thinking in our own little bubbles and perhaps the outside world sees me quite differently. Are my blog readers expecting something different?

What do you want to see? What would you be interested to see in blog posts and email newsletters? I would appreciate any of your feedback in the comments below. Or just shoot me a note linda [at] tortagialla.com

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Looking for Direction… is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

You basically sign-up for a Flattr account and load up some money. Can be a few bucks or much more – you can set what you want to spend monthly – even if you load up your account with a lot more funds (say for the whole year, you have a budget for giving back). Then you go on your merry way, clicking Flattr buttons to support content creators on the web. The system basically splits your monthly allotment to all the clicks you’ve made that month…a little bit all around. Cool idea, huh? It might not seem like much, but the thought counts and certainly every little bit adds up and helps.

This is still an experiment for me, but I thought it was definitely worth a try. There is a little fee that Flattr charges to load up money to your account. However, they are providing the service of evenly distributing your Flattr clicks. I know that one issue I’ve run into is donating or buying items to support others, but then running of budget pretty fast. This way sort of helps you control what you can spend…

I’ve signed up myself to Flattr a few bloggers I really like. Of course, now there is the challenge to find others who are on Flattr. I would encourage you to try out the service and see what you think first-hand. Also please leave your links below if you do have a Flattr button on your blog. I would love to give back a little Thanks!

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Flattr Your Fellow Content Creators is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

I’ve realized that not only can you get a bit of inspiration from yourself – surfing your own blog instead of others – you also gain perspective from reviewing your progress thus far. I recently flipped through my own blog with the goal of finding some old photos. However, the more I clicked and scrolled, the more I really enjoyed simply looking back at my past creative endeavors.

Suddenly, old ideas were revived and new sparks started to erupt. Pretty cool. However, more touching and sort of pulling to my heart – if that is a way to describe it – was my own realization that I’ve come a long way. That there are days I don’t realize that – and if I simply glance backwards a bit, I’ll feel so much better. Nice.

I also noticed that I posted a lot more in progress, sketches and random experimentations. These days I think I am trying too much to post what I think people might like to see versus what I deem insignificant for whatever reason. Maybe it’s time to re-align the purpose of my blog … yet again. What do you blog for?

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Blogging Review is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

Don’t forget to visit all the sites on the blog hop Worldwide creating success.

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honored is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

Of course, when you break it down, all those reasons can be blasted away easily. Nothing is too simple, there’s always the beginner out there who needs the instruction. Repeats mean a different interpretation, a different perspective that someone might click with better. Finally, it’s optional for people to read! To think I actually have the power to feed people info…LOL…talk about silly!

I think many of us out there are afraid to share. Perhaps you don’t realize how many people there are out there who would greatly appreciate the information. It’s not about who knows more or who knows better. It’s just sharing your unique point of view, to provide someone else with perspective. Experience can’t be given to someone…but it can be shared.

I’ve blogged a few tutorials in the past, but I feel it’s time to share more…whenever I want. Even the simplest, silliest things can be pivotal for someone out there. Like how the heck you pull the tube out of the refrigerator filter to change it?! Yes, I googled that.

Just as in human interaction, you would ask your friends any old question. You would share your discoveries, big and small. You would offer helpful realizations and ultimately…share a bit of your world with them. These interactions make our lives so much richer…I’ve also been thinking about community and interaction these days…

So I’ve decided not to be afraid to share my knowledge. I have to thank my bloggie friend Chel for much encouragement and support. Something kick ass is coming next week…that’s why these thoughts are on my mind. Stay tuned!

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Don’t Be Afraid To Share Your Knowledge is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

Last week, I just went into the zone and started slapping paint on canvas in a completely loose and unplanned fashion. I probably never do that. I always have something in mind or a prepared sketch on the canvas because there’s that pressure to create xyz result in the end. I always find it hard to loosen up because playing around usually results in a mess. It’s a lot harder to do on a canvas than an art journal page for whatever reason. But even when I scrapbook or journal…I usually have some plan or course of action in mind…or at least I doodle in a neat manner because I don’t want to make a mess. Is that a Virgo trait? But letting loose just felt so wonderful and I had so much fun creating this mega painting. Normally I work really small or up to a sheet of regular paper size – so these three canvases together (16×16 inches each) is a huge change for me…I went totally BIG! It felt great to have all that room to play with and fill up with color. In the end, it’s just a cute painting…but it makes me so happy, hopeful and…just smile. That’s why I put it up right next to my work area, so I can be reminded of the sweet feeling of loosening up, playing with colors and going BIG. Just had to share my happy feeling of freedom. Could it be the Artist’s Way influence or a natural progression in my journey? Who knows!

Lately, I’ve also been thinking about content on this blog and how I definitely want to share more progress and stories about my work…but does anyone really care?! I think…I’m finally feeling really comfortable sharing whatever I want, but I still wonder what others might be expecting. I figure it would be a win-win if I share what I want…but it also serves others…yeah, it’s me getting all analytical and practical again, huh? The constant quest for purpose! If you could help me out by taking my 1 question poll or just commenting below on what you want to see here on the blog – it would be greatly appreciated. I’m curious to find out the why behind those who follow my blog. What do you see – in me, dare I ask? What are you looking for here? Just plain inspiration? Technique and tutorials? Adventure? Excitement? Drama? LOL

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Going Big and Thinking About Content is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

You can print out a copy of the speech from the White House blog. I also saw this tweet about how Hitler was also confirmed dead on May 1st. Coincidence?

Although I am now living abroad in Italy…I am still an American. The news gave me a sense of relief. That someone who inspired so much destruction – was finally gone from this world. I was then thinking about how much time has passed with 9/11. Numbers that mean so much, across all cultures and languages…people know what you are talking about when you say 9/11. It’s been nearly 10 years since that day…and I still remember it clearly. I was at Cornell…a regular morning, walking around in the Ag quad. Then I saw the news being reported at the dining hall TV while passing by. I went into the EdWeb labs to check the Internet and I remember that the news sites were down, flooded with traffic. Then there was just a video of a plane crashing into the tower…so we could all see. It was shocking…and I was speechless.

Although I don’t know anyone close to me that was affected by the events of 9/11 directly…or anyone involved in the military these past 10 years…I still find this news of bin Laden’s death relieving. I can only imagine what it means to those directly affected in some way. Is it bizarre to rejoice at the death of someone? Is it right to seek revenge, when in normal everyday life that is always thought to be fruitless? Will this event solve our problems? Will terrorism stop? So many thoughts and questions are swirling in my mind. I don’t know. I don’t know what will happen now. If things will get worse or if things will get better because of this event. But I do agree with what many have said…plastered all over the news now… that it is a relief…a sense of closure for what happened to Americans…and to the world. That all efforts have resulted in something. And…I think the world is a better place…even in some small way…

I wanted to post about this…because I decided to scrapbook the event - more on BackToPaper.com…

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A Day In History is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

Purging and cleaning sure doe make me feel refreshed in the end! Are you doing some Spring cleaning yourself?

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Spring Cleaning is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu

Congratulations! Your handmade journal is on the way.

If you have a moment take some time to visit Leila’s blog http://myartsycreations.blogspot.com/

Ciao ciao lovely readers!

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Winner of the OWOH Giveaway – Leila! is from tortagialla.com - the virtual creative journal of Artist Linda Tieu