Consistency

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

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:

 

https://society6.com/artsycrafterydesignstudio

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!

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!

Payhip Video Tutorial: How To Set Up Cross-Selling

Payhip is a great place to sell digitals, physical products, courses, subscriptions and other products.

From Payhip:

Payhip is an e-commerce platform that enables anyone to sell digital products or memberships directly to their fans and followers. You can embed Payhip directly into your website or you can use our storefront to sell your work. Payhip takes care of everything. We're an all-in-one ecommerce solution for creators.

There is a robust store builder and new features are always being added. Maybe you should open a shop there. Visit the Help Center for more info.

8 Steps To Amazon Book Publishing

I started my publishing journey a couple of decades ago by typing up some of my poems and some info about myself, printing the pages out, folding them into 1/2 pages, adding a folded piece of card stock for the cover, stapling them together at the spine and I had a 5 1/2 by 8 1/2" chapbook of my poetry. I gave some away and became a publisher. After years of learning and procrastination, I became a published author at Amazon KDP. It takes time and dedicated learning but you can publish at Amazon too.

 

The Amazon self-publishing platform is called KDP, which stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. It used to be called CreateSpace. You can now publish hardback books at KDP, in addition to paperbacks and ebooks. Opening an author's account is free. If you already have an Amazon account you can sign in at KDP. There is no fee to publish a book but KDP provides a list of publishing service providers and resources if you need help with your book editing and/or design.

Here are the 8 steps that will help you publish your book. I elaborate on them below the list.

1. Create an account at Amazon KDP.
   
2. Decide what word processing or publishing software you will use to create your manuscripts. 
3. Start studying the KDP instructions on how to format your manuscript or document. 
4. Set up your blank document according to KDP's requirements and save it before beginning to type your book.
5. Decide if you will design your book cover or hire a designer.
6. Learn how to convert your saved manuscript into a print-ready PDF for uploading to KDP.
7. Learn how to review and process necessary edits to your document in KDP's manuscript previewer. 
8. Write your book listing description and approve your manuscript for publishing on Amazon.

Create an account at Amazon KDP.

If you already have an Amazon account you can sign in to KDP. Follow the instructions to set up payment for your royalties and other info. 

Decide what word processing software you will use to create your manuscripts. 

KDP examples and downloadable templates are for Microsoft Word. From KDP: Note: To set your trim size, you typically need to adjust the page or paper size setting in your chosen software (for example, Microsoft Word). You can download a Microsoft Word template in the trim size you need with or without sample content.

Most computers used to come with Microsoft Office installed. If yours did not, you'll have to buy a version of Word. OfficeSuite is a free word processing software that claims to be compatible with Word. You would have to try it to see if it can format documents using KDP's instructions. You can use other word processors or publishing software, but you'll have to learn to adjust your software settings to the KDP instructions. 

Start studying the KDP instructions on how to format your manuscript or document. 

Depending on the trim size (book dimensions) that you choose, you'll need to carefully set up the format in your word processor. Set up your blank document according to KDP's requirements and save it before beginning to type your book. You'll save your manuscript as you type it. From KDP: If your book does not contain bleed, you can upload your manuscript as a PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, HTML, or TXT file. KDP will automatically convert these file types to PDF prior to publishing/printing. If your book contains bleed, you will need to convert it to PDF format before uploading. The help pages explain about bleed.

You can also choose to format your book onsite using KDP's downloadable Kindle Create tool. From KDP: Kindle Create is a free interior formatting tool that works well with most books you want to publish on Amazon, but there are requirements and supported features we want you to know about before you download. Professionally designed themes with chapter titles, drop caps and image placement options....

Decide if you will design your book cover or hire a designer.

KDP offers a free cover creator tool. You could also hire a book cover designer for an affordable price through creative service sites like Fiverr, UpWork and Freelancer. 

Learn how to convert your saved manuscript into a print-ready PDF for uploading to KDP, if needed.

WikiHow: How To Convert A Microsoft Word Document To PDF Format 

 Microsoft Support: Save Or Convert To PDF Or XPS In Office Desktop Apps

Learn how to review and process necessary edits to your document in KDP's manuscript previewer. 

Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Write your book listing description and approve your manuscript for publishing on Amazon.

Write A Book Description

Previewing And Publishing Your Book

Additional Tips

You also will need to learn how to upload changes and corrections to your book and/or book listing description.

You should also market your book in any way that you can think of. Don't only rely on Amazon, where millions of books are competing for attention.

Competition is very stiff and you should take part in getting your book in the public eye and keeping it there.

Read around at the KDP Community forums for valuable info from book publishing veterans and newbies too.

Visit the KDP Help Center Home for detailed guidance on everything that you need to know to publish and manage your book listings. 

Subscribe to Amazon KDP at Youtube. The videos help make the Help Center instructions much clearer. KDP also shares some videos within the Help Center guidelines.

Start your publishing journey today! Put those book ideas on paper and get to writing!

 

 

Hot Pink Digital Papers

I have so much fun coordinating patterned papers that I curate from my designs stock. This is a good way for you to try out some of my paper and digital patterns. You can then buy the trio pks and other single colorways of those that you like. 

Click Buy Now below or visit Printaphoria Shop for more Trio Paper Pks.

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Why Are Etsy Sellers On Strike Yet Again?

 Etsy sellers launch a week-long strike over increased fees was written by Jaclyn Diaz and reported today at NPR.org. Many sellers have launched a week-long protest by closing their shops and other actions. This is in response to the recent in a long line of fee increases announced by CEO Josh Silverman. Seems like 59,000+ shop owners have signed the petition. A quick web search will show results for strikes during each of the past few years.

I don't feel that Etsy morale will improve for disenchanted handmades sellers. Somewhere along the way, during the past 12-15 years, Etsy management felt that to stay afloat they had to expand away from pure handmade support. They added a complicated fee system and have raised prices so often and by such a high percentage that it has crushed not only the bottom lines but the spirits of many handmade sellers. I closed my shops at Etsy a couple of years ago but not because of changes at the site. Sometimes I miss being there. It's at times like this that I'm glad I left though, which makes me feel sad. It was exciting to be a part of Etsy, back then.

Dwanda, Artfire and others folded and it seems like Etsy is having to take drastic steps every year to remain viable. These decisions have invited in questionable resellers and consistently driven away Etsy creatives. I was at Zibbet when years ago there was a mass exodus of Etsy sellers to that selling venue in response to insufferable changes. Most of them returned to Etsy when Zibbet did not deliver what they were expecting. Sellers need to seriously ask themselves if any selling website will fulfill their expectations. If not, what is the best course of action for their brands?

While the popularity of Etsy seems bleak for many, others are realizing what I had begun to feel some time ago. The best business practice for the future of creating and making is to learn how to market and sell from your own web spaces. There are still a few venues left where the income of the creative is not gouged. One of them is Payhip. Another is Meylah. Find Meylah store setup info here.

Learning to self-promote and sell from our own blogs and online shops will provide peace of mind to start, which will go a long way in generating income. It is difficult to focus on creating good products and effectively marketing them when there is misery about the selling platform and constant fear of what will come next. It can be bad for the creative psyche to be in an atmosphere that has become increasingly riddled with controversy.

Will this strike matter to Etsy management and ownership? Will it bring about the desired changes? According to many sellers' comments at the forum, no it will not. Many of them say it's the low-sales-volume sellers who have organized and are signing on to the strike. My heart goes out to the makers and designers who feel a need to boycott Etsy. If the majority are low-volume sellers, then my suggestion to learn to market and sell from their own shops is even more crucial. If being at Etsy is not paying off, shouldn't those sellers be expending their efforts and funds elsewhere? That would build invaluable marketing experience and generate more lasting assets for the sellers.     

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 

Watercolor Rain Painting, Rainy Day Paintings With Umbrellas

I confess that I love rainy days. As long as I don't have to venture out and slosh through muddy places, I enjoy light, stormy days. If I have to go out, I prefer to be on pavement, concrete or bricks, like the people rushing along with their umbrellas in this watercolor painting. Looking at Rainy Rainy Day I gives me the cozy, comfy feeling that I love. Add a hot cup of coffee or tea and I'm set for the day to accomplish a lot of painting or writing.

Click Buy Now or visit Printaphoria Shop for more paintings to print.

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