Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts

Start With Something That You Like


Amidst the unpleasantness of life you have control over how you start your day. You set the tone by choosing to focus on the positive at the beginning of your day. No one or no thing can take this control away from you. Start your day with something that you like, a thought, a plan, a choice, an action. Determine to have a good day. It's as simple as that.

Set your course each day for positivity and success! It really is up to you!



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Living A Creative Life Is Easy!

You know that I like to share how easy it is to live creatively. I try to add some creativity to every facet of my life. One way that I do this is by designing and creating as much as I can of what I want and need.

I shared this post: You Are Creative! In it, I encouraged you to believe in yourself and be careful to whom you share your work with. Trying to convince others to accept and value your work is the same as casting your pearls before swine. There are those who cannot appreciate your work and they will trample it in spirit and in words.

Start creating now! No more procrastinating! Don't fail yourself anymore. Take authority over fear!

Sarah at Red Rocking Bird shares a couple of quick and easy techniques in her video, BOOST CREATIVITY - A Creative Life is a Happy Life , to get your general, creative juices flowing. She shows you how to create simple marks with any materials on any type of paper. These easy marks can then be used to design patterns that can be used in a variety of creative projects. 

 




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Happy Creative Weekend!

 

What will you create this weekend? It's time to try something new. Use a different medium or try a different technique. Step forward and do what you've been planning to do! You can create. 

Maybe you have already but have been dragging your feet on new projects. Maybe you've always wanted to create but have never thought that you could. Well, you can. All it takes is being determined to start.

Creativity adds fun, light and excitement to life and it is fulfilling.

HAVE A WONDERFUL CREATIVE WEEKEND! Step out and do!

nomoreprocrastination nomorecouchpotato nomoreslacking createyourworld



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Happy Creative Friday: You Can Create!

 

Embrace your creativity! Enjoy creative living! It's a breath of fresh air everyday! You can create. You have the ability within. It's not like what anyone else does. It's your special vision, you way of seeing things. It is a gift that you have to enhance and brighten your life.

See this inspiring post: You Are Creative!



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Lettuce Craft Featured Project

~ One of my projects, Nature-Inspired Scrabble Tile Necklaces, is featured at Lettuce Craft, a wonderful, busy craft forum. I'm going to write a post about the site soon. I'm still new and learning my way around. ~



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You Deserve It!

Don't forget to always reward yourself in some way, big or little, when you reach a goal or milestone, no matter how small it is, but certainly if it was a particularly difficult journey.



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Consistency

The best way to succeed is to do what you love. In that way, you'll never quit. Long-lasting success takes consistency.



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POD Can Be Good Passive Income

I reopened my Society6 shop so they can sell physical prints of my artwork and greeting cards. Of course, they sell designs on many other products. I will be primarily promoting my wall/framed art and greeting cards from this shop, though my designs will be available on many of their products.
I don't sell maker and handmades products anymore and am glad that I don't have to do packing and shipping anymore. I only sell my digital and printable graphic products from my own shop, Printaphoria
While artists don't receive a lot of money through POD, it's a great way to set up a passive income stream.
Set up your shop. Upload your designs. Write your product descriptions and add your keywords/search terms. Post your listing and move on to something else. 
 
There is, however, consistent promoting that you should do because competition is very stiff at all POD sites. I doubt if very many artists generate income by doing nothing, despite the great site traffic. Adding designs regularly will also help.
I used to be on Zazzle and Curioos but left a couple yrs ago. I was also at Society6 previously, which was the easiest POD site to leave. No problems. No headaches. No drama in closing my account. I'm glad to be back!
 
Visit my shop here:
 


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How To Write A Poem

 

You can write poetry and become good at it. Whether you write for yourself, to give to others or to sell, you should start writing and keep writing. If you don’t know how to start, begin by deciding how many lines you want to have in your poem. 

In my poem, The Sky Through Bare Branches, I decided to write two stanzas (paragraphs) with five lines each. The lines in this poem do not rhyme, but are free-flowing thoughts. This is called free verse. I also decided that the first line of each stanza (paragraph) would be one long thought and the same thought. This gives my poem continuity. I wrote the other lines as broken up but related thoughts.

I love seeing the sky through bare branches.
I don’t know what it is, but
The white limbs of
The paper birch look silvery
Against the azure blue.

I love seeing the sky through bare branches.
As the scattered leaves
Shiver stiffly in
The cold gust,
I bid fall ado
.

I wrote what I was thinking and except for the first lines in each stanza (paragraph), I broke my thoughts into short sentences. I substituted similar words along the way that I thought sounded better for the flow. If you keep writing poems, over time you will feel and develop your own flow.

In the beginning you will sometimes edit your poems heavily. Eventually, you’ll need to do very little editing. You will train yourself to write your thoughts into lines of poetry in the way that you want them to be read.

In Blue Winter Sky, I chose to write three stanzas (paragraphs) of four lines each, and this is a rhyming poem. If you want your poem to rhyme, decide on which lines you will rhyme, or the format. You can choose any rhyming format, but some formats are harder to rhyme. You will be rhyming the last words in lines. 

Rhyming the first and fourth lines in a stanza (paragraph) is an example. You can even rhyme the first and third lines, and the second and fourth lines in the same poem. This is quite a challenge. My favorite poet, Robert Frost, often rhymed the first, second and fourth lines, leaving his third lines to stand alone.

Sometimes your thoughts will lean towards a certain rhyming format. I chose the third and fourth lines (the last two lines) in each stanza of Blue Winter Sky. This is a less common rhyming format.

The winter sky is very blue,
As I look out in disbelief
That winter sky could be so rich
In color blue, while trees are sticks.

I stand and gaze on wintry scene,
With brilliant blue across the sky,
With air so very crisp and cold,
With skeletal trees so black and bold.

The sky is such a lovely blue.     
On Heaven's canvas Nature's brush
Has deftly added glorious hue,
Has placed her artist skill on view.


More Poetry Writing Tips:

~ The rhyming words do not have to be spelled similarly, like bold, cold, sold. They only need to sound similar, like hue, view, dew or rich, sticks. You can also rhyme words with different numbers of syllables, like bold, behold, untold.

~ If you can’t think of a word to rhyme with any line, search online for words that rhyme with the word that you're trying to rhyme. You can also buy a rhyming book if you plan to continue writing poetry and would like a handy reference.
 
~ Capitalize the first word of each line (sentence) of your poems, even if it is a continuation of the previous line (sentence).

~ Use punctuation to help the reader pause and stop to take a breath here and there, according to the flow of your poem’s message.

~ Most of all, write what you want. Poetry is about what you think, feel and know. There will be others who can relate and will appreciate what you have written. If someone does not like or understand what you have written, thank them for reading and keep writing and sharing. 

~ Your work is not meant for everyone. Value your thoughts and your poetry and don’t change your style to please others. Insist to yourself that you have something to write and that it is valuable and keep writing!




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You Are Creative!

A friend of mine recently penned this inspiring statement about the creativity that lives in all of us.

Life is one great creative manifestation. You may think you don't have a creative side; yet you don't need to be an artist to live in a creative life. You are innovative and can think of so many new ways to do all sorts of things. Your inventive, creative side can be as simple as creating a special recipe or at work in doing a spreadsheet a new easier way. The importance of CREATIVITY in this life is that it allows you to express yourself. Your self-expression is "ONE OF THE GREATEST DIVINE GIFTS YOU OFFER OUR WORLD." -Evann Woodard


 

The greatest hindrance for most people in releasing their creativity is the fear that it will not resemble the work of others enough. There is also the lingering hurt from being ridiculed or laughed at when creativity was shared. Very few of us can maintain our confidence after experiences like that. Many people also feel that they have to produce fine artist-level work in order to be authentic.

The manifestation of our inner creativity is for ourselves first. It is to first please ourselves. There are things that you can do. You can create something that was not there before. You can take something and alter or enhance it so that it doesn't look the same as it did before. The greatest consideration is that it be important and valuable to you.

Next, your creativity is for whomever can and will appreciate it. Rather than attempting to coerce some to accept our work, we should surround ourselves with those who appreciate our efforts without having to beseech them. 


 

The old saying is valid, A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. If a person does not appreciate our work, their hearts will not change through our begging. This is important in both our private and social lives. We should improve where we want to and can and go where our work is admired and appreciated. 


 
Yes, you have creativity within. You are creative. You can create. Believe in yourself. Protect your creativity. Let it come out, in private if you have to at first. Always remember, don't throw your creative pearls before swine, because they will be trampled upon. If you feel that you must share your work in the beginning stages, show it to those who are inclined to be compassionate, kind and appreciative of the skills of others. Whatever type of creativity you choose to explore, maintain your confidence and keep creating!


















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Be Flexible Be Successful

It's so hard for some to keep on keeping on with their plans, projects and dreams. When we love something and truly believe in what we are doing, we can't stop, anyway. Success also comes through the ability to adjust and adapt. While we're pressing on and never giving up, we need to be flexible in order to succeed.

Behind every successful man there's a lot of unsuccessful years. Bob Brown

You have to accept yourself in order to be successful. S. Holland 



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Creative People: Donald Roberts On Being A Successful Creative


I met writer Donald Roberts in an eCommerce group that is hosted by Payhip, the London-based, selling platform. Because of his experience hacking out a self-publishing career, he has some straight talk for aspiring creatives. His message sums up as do what it takes and keep doing it! 

To enter in to the arts as a future the first thing you must do is teach yourself the discipline of dedication. You must focus on your writing and any art that goes with it no matter what form you wish to call it. You must understand that creation is only the first step. The business of the arts, in order to make an income is as demanding as the art itself.

You can not set schedules, I'll work from ? time to ? time. Nor can you work entirely on inspiration. You must always understand your story at least in the department of the imagination.

To be an artist/writer you will discover it is a lonely life. You can't play with your friends like you would with any other job.

Personally, I work 18 hours a day, not consecutively but several at a sitting, coming up for air, food, coffee and visits and adventures with my partner. She is and artist as well and we do make some sort of effort to go off together to refuel our relationship.

Outside friends have to wait until we are between projects and not burdened down with the business of artistship.

So, if you can't dedicate 80% of your life to the disciplines of art...go find a job that allows you more free time.

Finally, while you are starting out you need money, which means you need a job to make money to pay the bills. Make it a no-brainer job with as few hours involved as possible....just enough to survive. If you work hard, someday it is possible to make a living...and independent publishing is the best. I suggest you find someone who will promote your work for a small percentage. Promotion is a time glutton.

Barrie Island Graphic Storyteller

Donald is a self-employed mystery and sci-fi writer who lives in Ontario.

Shop

https://payhip.com/barrieislandstorytellergraphicnovelspresents

Contact

https://payhip.com/barrieislandstorytellergraphicnovelspresents/contact

 



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Innovation, Adaptability, Persistance: David's Bridal

Consistently, we see innovation, adaptability and persistence as the kingpins of enduring business success. Those traits have made David's Bridal the lone, national, wedding dress chain today.

While David Reisberg decided to begin selling his privately-designed wedding gowns in 1945, innovation began 20 years later after he sold his south-Florida salon. In 1972, Phillip Youtie bought the boutique and around 1988, brought in the retail expertise of childhood friend Steven Erlbaum.

Stores at this time stocked only sample gowns in a standard size. Youtie and Erlbaum changed the store model in the late 1980s with this warehouse off Interstate 95 where they stocked designer gowns, discontinued dress and manufacturer overruns at below retail prices. This chain of bridal stores was like none of its kind. David’s Bridal was all about making a no-frills shopping environment for those who need an expensive wedding dress for a fraction of the price. Stores were not comfortable, but more plain and warehouse-like. Although there was little to no comfort in the stores, brides-to-be could expect a bargain.

Adaptability resulted in finding ways to acquire new stores:

Years later, as the business grew even larger and larger, small stores were starting to go out of business while more David’s Bridal stores were being put into the business. Between 1994 and 1995, 12 stores were added to the bridal corporation...In 2000, the May Department Stores Company bought David’s Bridal from Youtie and Erlbaum for $436 million. By this time, David’s Bridal was the largest retailer of bridal gowns and wedding-related merchandise.

Persistence


David’s Bridal is
the largest American bridal-store chain...and
the only nationwide competitor of bridal stores...One in four American brides are dressed by David’s Bridal.

Successive acquisitions and emergence out of a two-month bankruptcy did not kill the dream. While Mr. Reisberg worked faithfully for over two decades and did not financially enjoy the astronomical success of his brand, the point is this; David's Bridal endured through the innovation, adaptability and persistence of all who believed.

On October 11, 2012, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice announced the completion of its acquisition of David’s Bridal, Inc. in a deal that valued the company at $1.05 billion.

David's Bridal is currently in 49 states, 5 Canadian territories and the United Kingdom. As of 2018, it was worth $2.5 billion.

Opportunities to innovate surround us everyday and many of the commerce giants that we recognize are still owned by the innovators. Those who do not own their flagship brands have taken the fortunes made through them and built new ventures. You may not be seeking colossal growth for your brand but the methods that lead to this kind of proliferating success can help you to reach your goals. 

How can you innovate your brand so that it will stand out and attract a robust market?

Is your growth lagging for lack of adaptability to an ever-changing society?

Do you cling to pet projects and ideas that do not inspire persistence?

 

Sources:

David's Bridal Locations

David's Bridal - UK

PRNewswire - David's Bridal

The List - The Truth Behind David Of David's Bridal

The New York Times - David’s Bridal Files for Bankruptcy, but Brides Will Get Their Dresses

Wikipedia - David's Bridal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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Roberto Blake On Successful Brand Deals

When asked if he finds it more difficult, as a person-of-color graphic designer and Youtube creator, to obtain brand deals in comparison to others, he replied,

Not really but I’ve also built a system for brand deals...I also do better on brand deals than most Creators my size or larger regardless of their background, due to my ability to negotiate and package my deals.

While discrimination is often endured daily by many of us, his successful focus is on evaluating how to deliver more value to the clients/customers whom he does acquire.

While I'm not aspiring to produce and upload YT videos (the unpopular slideshows format works better for my schedule), I love Roberto's content. He's clear, engaging and relevant. This is not the first time that I've written about him. 

I like making a pit stop at his channel to see what he's currently sharing. I am also a graphic designer but I don't freelance. I prefer to design pre-made products and services. Roberto produces many videos with inspiring content that can apply to any creative pursuit.

Check out his YT channel and website for great info on boosting the success of your brands.  

About Roberto Blake

Roberto Blake is dedicated to building the creator economy through helping creators and influencers build brands and businesses online. Learn how to monetize your creativity and skills, grow an audience, sell products, monetize YouTube videos, make money online, and build a personal brand. He has grown his Youtube channel to over 500,000 subscribers.

Find Roberto Online

Youtube Community

Youtube Channel 

Awesome Creator Academy 

Roberto's Youtube Starter Kit

Interested In Sponsoring Roberto Blake And Sharing Your Brand With His Viewers?

info@robertoblake.com

725 Ponce De Leon Ave
ATTN WeWork Roberto Blake 2nd Floor
Atlanta GA, 30306 

 

 

 



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Free Image Mondays: Hearts

 

Today's free image is A watercolor and ink heart in delicate but bright, pastel colors of turquoise, teal, white, pea green and taupe. The dimensions are 1920 x 1789 px and it is a JPEG file. 

Download It Here From My Files At Microsoft OneDrive:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AucUJVHYQ3s5jD3DtpcNey8ZDG0g

Then click the download link at the top of the OneDrive page.

.................................................................

The bonus image is a black and white hearts doodle including stars, dots, blossoms, pinwheels, loops and curls. It would make a jazzy, tiled background. If painted in with bright colors it would be reminiscent of Peter Max's 70's style. The dimensions are 1280 x 1920 px and it is a JPEG file.

Download It Here From My Files At Microsoft OneDrive:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AucUJVHYQ3s5jD5996pRxs07IUqD

Then click the download link at the top of the OneDrive page.

................................................................. 

Comment if you have problems getting the images.

HAPPY CREATING!

 

 

All Free Image Mondays pics are copyright-free and public domain for personal and commercial use, no fee, no license, no attribution needed. I have gathered them from around the internet and some of them are my own graphics and photos. Print out or use digitally.


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Different Can Equal Dollars

 

I've never seen pink pumpkins! Rachel at Scrapcraftastic was confident enough to create some.

Don't be afraid to try something different. Brainstorm. Think outside of the box. What have you searched for and couldn't find? Can you develop and market it? It just might be your cash cow!

This pink pumpkins printable paper is a freebie at Scraptastic .

From The Website: ***All Scrapcraftastic printables are for personal, non-commercial use ONLY unless otherwise noted. Please do not share or redistribute these files.



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Inspiration Tuesday

 

What is it that you have been wanting to do, that you can simplify in concept, to make the process available to you, to start to do it where you are in life right now?



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Success Comes From Within

Often, sellers ask is anyone making sales at this or that site? Is this site good for sales? Do you get a lot of traffic and sales at this venue?  Long-lasting success is not based on the website or selling venue or any other entity or person. Sustainable success happens according to the person's unfailing commitment, acquired knowledge and savvy efforts.

Unless you got in on the ground floor, even Etsy is no longer a venue where you are likely to list products, do nothing and get sales. Nowadays, new Etsy shops have to promote themselves ceaselessly to obtain regular sales. Etsy used to be the go-to venue to list creations, do nothing much and rake in the sales.

Earlier in Etsy's history, a person could join and by virtue of the traffic alone selling success could be had. Because of the changes in the purpose and direction of the owners, competition is now so varied and stiff that even those with great products have to pull their own weight in marketing. This is something that sellers should have always been cultivating. Why? Because that type of self-generated success is lasting. 

To successfully market and promote our brands, we have to believe in what we do and believe in ourselves. We have to see value in all of it and we have to be determined to show others that value. Sometimes, we have to change products and direction or reevaluate our goals.

If we don't possess that do-or-die attitude, we will depend on others and their websites to give us success. Eventually, we'll quit. If this is the case, them maybe we should not have been pursuing this type of success anyway. Maybe it was always just a fleeting hobby that we mistakenly saw as a driving purpose. 

A creative person who is driven and burning with the love of creating and the determination to show others the value of it will work tirelessly. They will press on until they find the correct techniques and products or services to get that point across.  Like they say, a good seller can sell ice to Native Alaskans.

We should all want sustainable success, rather than success that is attached to any one e-commerce site. If a website begins to fail or if the owners take a direction that is no longer compatible with our beliefs, we can leave and take our success with us. Without fear, we can take self-built, sustainable success where ever we go. 

Success

  • Unfailing Commitment
  • Acquired Knowledge
  • Savvy Efforts.
Success comes from within.


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Die-Cut, Stamped, Embossed Christmas Cards Technique

I designed these narrow Christmas cards, 3.25 x 6", to fit lavender envelopes that I already had. Techniques and media used are stamping, dry/heat embossing, die-cutting, embossing folders, cardstock, ink, glitter, embossing powder, Washi tape, ribbon trim, rhinestones, gel and paint pens and gel plate-printed background papers.

I die-cut the Christmas trees and snowflakes shapes with dies in 2 sizes/designs from Aliexpress. I like these trees because they have nice cut-out designs in the branches. 
 
After trimming my gel plate-printed papers, I dry-embossed them with an Aliexpress snowflakes embossing folder. I highlighted some of the dry embossed snowflakes with silver metallic gel and paint pens.
 
Joy Peace Love is stamped/embossed with a sentiment stamp from an Aliexpress holiday set. I refreshed my Stampabilities embossing ink pad with a few drops of glycerin spread across the top and lightly pressed in with a spoon. It has lasted well over 2 years. You can get a bottle of glycerin at most drug stores or the pharmacy of discount stores.
 
The heat embossing of the stamped text was done with Ranger Snowflake Embossing Tinsel (a combo of white embossing powder and silver glitter) and Joann Craft Essentials Silver. I kiss-trimmed each sentiment.
 
I stamped inside sentiments of Merry Christmas and a Joy To The World wreath, with the same Aliexpress holiday set, with Memento Tuxedo Black. You can see part of these sentiments in image #2, where I off-stamped on little pieces of card stock.
 

I adhered Washi tape from Amazon and Aliexpress and mini ribbon trim to the embossed panels and glued them to the folded, white cardstock. After I attached the snowflakes and trees, I positioned the Joy Peace Love sentiments and glued on. 
 
I embellished each card with glitters and rhinestones from various sources.
 
I stamped my logo on back with a Zazzle customized stamp in My Favorite Things Boysenberry.
 
These multi-technique holiday cards came out very well to be a rushed job. Next year, I'm going to start earlier, I always say!
 
Merry Christmas! Joy, Peace & Love To You & Yours!
 
Note: Products without links means I couldn't find them or I don't remember where I got them.



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