A vacation is having nothing to do
and all day to do it in.
- Robert Orben
Have a wonderful Holiday!
Until next week,
Pam
101 Places I Find Creative Inspiration
Are you stuck
staring at blank paper? Need inspiration?
Here are a 101 of my
favorite inspiration generators.
See if one will
spark something for you!
Until next week,
Pam
Until next week,
Pam
- Create new Pinterest boards, search your topic or browse their "popular" category
- Flip through trade, home décor and craft magazines like Somerset Studio, Digital Studio, Anthropologie and Better Homes and Gardens.
- Flip through fashion and lifestyle magazines like Architectural Digest, Vogue and Travel and Leisure
- Flip through shopping catalogs like Crate and Barrel, Sundance and Garnet Hill
- Google random topics and scroll the "images" tab
- Watch your favorite TV show
- Watch a new TV show
- Watch a foreign TV show
- Watch a vintage classic TV show
- Listen to your favorite music
- Listen to International music
- Listen to Holiday music
- Watch an MGM movie musical
- Go to theater to see a play
- See a movie
- See a concert
- Read a new book
- Reread an old book
- Browse independent boutiques
- Wander a mall
- Shop a department store
- Go to an art gallery
- Visit a college gallery
- Go to a Children's Film Festival
- Go to an International Film Festival
- Take a nature stroll
- Go on a hike
- Wander a toy store or toy department
- Search other artist's websites
- Search online art galleries
- Visit a museum
- Look through your clothing accessories
- Look through your jewelry
- Wander a craft store
- Wander a furniture store
- Wander a fabric store
- Search topics on Instagram
- Look up artists on Behance
- Visit a plant nursery
- Arrange loose flowers in a vase
- Visit a historical site
- Take a long drive
- Go somewhere new
- Wander the makeup isle in a drug store and look at the ads
- Look up the flags of the world online
- Visit a library
- Wander a book store
- Flip through random magazines
- Look through greeting cards
- Join a coloring group
- Google "the meaning of colors"
- Google "exotic destinations" and click on the images tab
- Visit your local Audubon Society
- Look at scrapbooking papers at your local art store
- Look at the yarn isles at your local craft store
- Go to a sporting event
- Look at your favorite Facebook pages
- Write in a journal
- Interview someone
- Go to the gym
- Meditate
- Do yoga
- Take an online class
- Take an in-person class
- Gift wrap something
- Take pictures
- Take a sketch pad and sketch at the beach, the park, the mall
- Find inspiring blogs online
- Learn something new
- Make a list of things you would like to do or try
- Make a mood board with pictures and drawings
- Look at past work
- Make a list of your favorites…color, song, trip, food, etc…
- Do something "just for fun"
- Do something nice for someone else
- Do something nice for a stranger
- Browse "print on demand" sites like Redbubble, Zazzle and Café Press
- Browse artists product sites like Teefury and Threadless
- Call a friend
- Find inspirational quotes online
- Keep a dream journal
- Try a new recipe
- Bake
- Sleep
- Watch YouTube videos
- Set a timer and write…5 minutes? 3 minutes? 10 minutes?
- Play with a child
- Have a cup of tea or coffee
- Learn about another culture
- Go to the water…ocean, lake, pool
- Start an artists group
- Try a new medium
- Keep an idea journal or scrapbook
- Join a group sketchbook project
- Search for artists studios online
- Doodle
- Get new art supplies
- Clean and reorganize your creating space
- Look through old photo albums
- Learn about different customs
- Create something (anything)
for a set time (30 minutes? 60 minutes?) EVERYDAY.
Be Inspired, Art for a A Day Well Lived
 |
| Artwork by Pam Vale |
Several years ago, I
was introduced to a man with a vision, that also happened to share a Birthday
with me.
His mission was to help as many people as he could, appreciate their daily
lives and celebrate "a day well lived" in whatever way that mattered
to them.
We worked together
and based on his thoughts, I created the art above to represent his new venture.
Recently, I was
super excited to be scrolling on social media and spot my art translated into a
beautiful piece of jewelry! (Which is now available on his site)
Below is a
description of his mission and some links to see what's it's all about.
What would make a
"Day Well Lived" for you?
Get involved. Get
Grateful. Connect in this wonderful community.
I love creating art for positive, inspiring companies!
Until next week,
Pam
Gratefully Inspired! A celebration of a day done
authentically & with gratitude.
Please sign up for our weekly newsletter
About:
A Day Well Lived was
created in February 2012 to celebrate the events, people and experiences that,
upon reflection, allow us to feel like we "did the day right."
It's a
reminder to appreciate things we might take for granted - like a walk with the
dog, or simply sitting quietly in sunshine. A Day Well Lived is about being
true to ourselves, and remembering that even on those days when everything
doesn't go as planned, we can still feel good that we reacted authentically.
Even the toughest days can be A Day Well Lived.
A Day Well Lived is personal, as we all have different
ways to find our center. But, by sharing our own thoughts and experiences, we
can learn and inspire. And doing that...is A Day Well Lived.
If you're interested...you may read the
blog post about why "A Day Well Lived" was created: http://toddlieman.com/2012/02/29/a-day-well-lived/
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/adaywelllived
OneNote, One Perfect Little Organizational Tool
Over
the years, I have managed to develop organizational strategies that keep me on
task and on time. These work really well in all areas, except one.
I
am a note jotter but I am not great with little scraps of paper. I'm a bit of a
"pile-person", meaning that I am great at making piles of paper that
I am sure I will look at… but never do.
Sometimes,
trying to override that failed system, I will group small scraps of papers with
notes into some kind of container…an envelope, a plastic pouch, a small bowl, a
file folder, a binder pocket, etc.
This
also never works.
I
have tried to organize myself electronically but that had pitfalls too. I would
email myself notes and then they would get buried in my inbox. I began to get
organized with an app called Evernote and then they changed their service
terms. I had a bad experience with their changes and lost faith in them.
Then…I
got a new computer. I actually blogged about the new computer last week. I am
in love.
I
ended up with a Microsoft Surface Pro (amazing) and it had the full spectrum of
Microsoft apps including a little gem called OneNote.
Being
an optimistic person and a little desperate I decided to give it a try. I'm
only about 6 weeks into my relationship with OneNote but I have to say that it
has been kind of great so far.
Here
are some of my personal likes:
- It works seamlessly on all of my devices and computers
- It was very easy to install on all devices
- It's free!
- There is virtually no learning curve and it is intuitive
- It's simple, user friendly and looks the same on all devices
- It updates almost in real time across all devices
- It's super fast and allows me to jot notes, create files and add content quickly and without a lot of effort. For me, this is key as ideas come to me rapidly and at inconvenient times
All
that in only the first 6 weeks!
OneNote
does a ton of other cool stuff that I haven't even explored yet but so far, I am
really pleased with it.
Below
I have also included their "official" description of what the app
does. Check it out.
Do
you have a favorite productivity app or program you use?
Until
next week,
Pam
Official Description
OneNote is your digital notebook for capturing and organizing
everything across your devices. Jot down your ideas, keep track of classroom
and meeting notes, clip from the web, or make a to-do list, as well as draw and
sketch your ideas.
TYPE, WRITE, AND DRAW • Write anywhere on the page and unleash
your imagination • Use your device's pen or your finger to write and draw with
multiple types of pens and highlighters • Take notes on a white background, or
add a grid or ruled lines for easier drawing and writing
CAPTURE ANYTHING • Quickly take a note by clicking the Note button
in the Action Center and on supported pens* • Send websites, recipes,
documents, and more to OneNote using the Share Charm, Microsoft Edge, Clipper,
Office Lens, and dozens of other apps and services
GET ORGANIZED • Search and find anything in your notes, including
handwritten ink and the text in pictures • Quickly access your most recent
notes, complete with visual previews of each page • One-click access to to-do
lists with check boxes
MADE FOR TEAMWORK • Easily share your notebooks and notes with
colleagues, family, and friends • Plan vacations, share meeting minutes or
lecture notes with people around you • Edit notes together and see changes in
real time
ALWAYS WITH YOU • Your notes travel with you whether you're at
home, in the office, or on the go • Notes are automatically saved and synced in
the cloud, so you always have the latest on all your devices • Your notebooks
look familiar on all your devices, so you can pick up where you left off on
your desktop, tablet, or mobile device
Check out the website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter,
and visit the blog for the latest news: onenote.com facebook.com/onenote
twitter.com/msonenote blogs.office.com/onenote *Some accessories sold
separately; hardware dependent.
Embracing New Technology. Reviewing my Microsoft Surface Book
I would like to preface this by saying that I am not a super "techy person". I know how to do what I need to do and then I learn as I go.
We recently had a
big electronic shake up in our house. We had some technology that was outdated
or not functioning correctly, we had some needs that changed, we had some
storage issues and we had some glitchy programs.
My husband and I
both use our computers for work. Him for research and teaching. Me for art,
design and marketing.
We decided to take a
trip to Best Buy "just to look" (famous last words). We had some
loose ideas and a few directions we could go, as far as what would be replaced,
what could be upgraded and who would get what, between my husband and myself.
It was a successful
trip and this is what we decided. My husband took my old MacBook Pro, our oldest son got my husbands older
MacBook Pro and I ended up with a shiny, huge new laptop (the HP Envy) with a
special graphics card and other features we thought would help with my art and
design business.
I began setting it
up and transferring everything over, a task I do not enjoy. It wasn't long
before I started having issues. Overall the battery life was terrible and it
seemed like it wouldn't hold a charge for more than a couple of hours. For me, the interface was clunky and not
intuitive, my programs didn't run smoothly and it was very glitchy. Physically
it was huge which I thought would be a plus for creating artwork but it was so
heavy it actually hurt my legs when I would work with it on my lap and it was
too big to tote around.
I hated it.
Back it went and we
widened our scope.
We didn't know
anything about the Microsoft line of laptops but got a super knowledgeable
salesperson. After lots and lots of questions and a little "test
drive", I went home with a new Surface Book which was almost double the
cost of the one I returned. Agh!
 |
| This was part of my super quick, in-store test drive. |
Well, someone was
watching over me on this purchase. I was officially in love.
If you are in the
market for a new laptop for your creative business, I highly recommend you look
into this device.
It is a combination
of many things….a traditional laptop, the back removes and becomes a tablet and
drawing pad, it has a touch screen and a digital "pencil".
It's light and east
to transport.
It is more
responsive than my Wacom Bamboo digital drawing tablet and I have more control over the
pencil accessory.
The graphics card
thingy (technical term) makes running Photoshop a breeze. It opens so fast!
I am able to sketch
directly on the screen with almost as much precision as with an actual pencil
on paper. I am sure that will just improve even more with use.
The learning time
period was super quick and it felt natural right away.
The keyboard is so comfortable to use. It is very similar to the Macbook Pro but actually feels smoother and quieter.
Overall, the design of the laptop is super sexy with this cool snake like hinge.
It took me a little while to figure out that the digital pen attaches to the side with a strong magnet but it's perfect for storage.
The keyboard is so comfortable to use. It is very similar to the Macbook Pro but actually feels smoother and quieter.
Overall, the design of the laptop is super sexy with this cool snake like hinge.
It took me a little while to figure out that the digital pen attaches to the side with a strong magnet but it's perfect for storage.
And best of all…the
battery lasts forever! Well, not literally forever but I haven't run out of
battery while working unplugged, using Photoshop for hours and hours and
hours. I think they claim that the battery will last from 8-12 hours. I believe it.
So far, it's a
dream.
Below are some images
I created with my new technical love.
Have you used this machine?
Have you used this machine?
Until next week,
Pam
 |
| all rights reserved Pam Vale 2016, www.pamvale.com |
Does Knowing The Process of Art Make a Difference in How You Feel About the Price?
Last week, I
stumbled upon the video above, illustrating the process of creating handmade
paper parasols. I was kind of blown away by the number of steps and the amount
of hands that it took to complete each one. I guess I never really thought
about how they were made.
Also, with all of
the advancements in technology, it's easy to forget the time and talent that
can go into making some items by hand.
It made me wonder if
clients might understand how an artist prices their work, if they knew what
actually went into it. All of the stuff you don't see. It's true that a skilled
artist can make creating look easy.
Throughout my life,
people have often told me that I make what I do (creatively) look easy. Often,
at this stage of my career, what I do might even feel easy for me.
You don't always see
all of the years of experience, education, trial and error, mistakes, money,
headache, successes, etc… that came before that "easy" moment.
While some might not
appreciate the skill and cost of preserving "crafts", this video is a
perfect example of how much can go into hand crafting a simple, functional
item.
For me, it definitely sheds light on how and why some things are priced the way they are.
Would thinking about
how something was made or how many hands touched a product you were going to buy
make a difference in how you felt about the price?
I'd love to know
what you think about the video.
Until next week,
Pam
Artists Helping Artists, Coloring for Daniel Savage
I'm
in several coloring groups on Facebook where I can interact with fellow
coloring book artists and the colorists that purchase and color our products.
It's a great way for me to connect with the "end users" of my art and
get a feel for what they enjoy coloring.
About
a month ago in one of the groups, I saw a call to help a fellow artist (Daniel Savage) that was
facing some serious, life altering health concerns. A private group was started and a plan to
help was hatched.
The
result was twofold.
The
first was 32 artists coming together by donating art in the hopes of creating
and publishing a collaborative adult coloring book that could benefit his
family. Less than a month later, that plan has been realized!
The
second was helping to complete his own adult coloring book that he had in the
works when he got sick. That too is done and available to purchase.
Please
see all of the details and links below and feel free to share this. 100%
of royalties will go to his family to
help at this difficult time.
I
love using my art for things like this!
Here is a peek at two colored versions of the page that I donated.
 |
Artist: Pam Vale
Colorist: Melissa Bradley
|
 |
Artist: Pam Vale
Colorist: Jenn Petracca
|
On a personal note, here is a post from Daniel's wife, Mary, from November 10, 2016:
"We have been bursting with incredible news and it is finally time to share it with everyone! Today is Daniel's 44th birthday and as a huge gift to him, 32 amazing artist's, including our ten-year-old daughter, Katie, have gotten together and helped us finish Daniel's adult coloring book that he has been working on but became too ill to finish. Today, on his birthday, Daniel's book has been published and is available for sale on Amazon! Gnomes: An Adult Coloring Book of Gnomes Throughout Time is available here... http://amzn.to/2fGzeJe
These astounding people have also put together an amazing collaborative adult coloring book that is also available on Amazon and all proceeds from this second book will go to our family to help offset some of the costs of Daniel's health crisis. Coloring for Daniel: An Adult Coloring Book for Hope, Strength and Healing is available here... http://amzn.to/2fVSJm5
We are so proud of Daniel and Katie and humbled by the incredible generosity this group of artists has shown our family. Please take a minute and check out these two coloring books and if you have a chance, please try to share this post or create one of your own so we can get the word out far and wide and hopefully sell some books!"
Thank you so much to everyone involved in this project to help support Daniel and his dream of publishing an adult coloring book!"
35
coloring pages by 32 artists who have come together to honor a fellow artist
and to make a difference in the life of his family
- Each coloring page is printed on a separate sheet to avoid bleed through
- 60 lb bright white paper
- Hours of coloring pleasure
- Each coloring page is designed for Fun, Relaxation, and Stress Relief
- 100% of proceeds donated to the Daniel Savage family
- Agy Wilson
- Annyce Turlea
- Antonina Kalinina
- Cece Raven
- Color Me Forum
- Collette Fergus
- Creative Life Studios
- Cristin Frey
- Genevieve Crabe
- Hannah D'Agostino
- Heather Johnsgaard
- Heidi Berthiaume
- Julie Thompson
- Kim A. Flodin
- Lianne Lynch
- Ligia Ortega
- Linda Franklin
- Margaret Gates Root
- Maria Wedel
- Mary-Margaret Marx
- Olivia Julius Dunggat
- Pam Vale Branch
- Paola Minekov
- Samantha J. Decker
- Sarah Clark
- Shelah Dow
- Steve Turner
- Sue Chastain
- Suzy Joyner
- Teri Sherman
- TigerLynx
- Katie Savage
How to Find and Organize Ideas for Your Creative Newsletter or Blog.
When I
started my weekly newsletter, I needed ideas and nothing was really flowing. It
was so frustrating.
Thankfully I
found a tremendous amount of inspiration and direction online.
I am happy
to share some things that have worked for me. I hope you find them useful.
How to Find
Ideas:
- Search for list ideas on the internet. There are an unlimited amount of blogs and websites that have long lists of newsletter and blog post writing prompts. Not all of them will apply but they are sure to spark some ideas and help you think outside of the box. CLICK HERE for an example.
- Start with a catchy title or phrase. Sometimes it's better to work backwards, finding a current event, headline, phrase or saying and then crafting your piece around that.
- Go back and look through old work. I have found a lot of inspiration looking through my past work. There might be a project I forgot about or some process or outcome that was unexpected. Sharing your progress and growth can be fun too.
- Share your favorite things. This can be really anything, as I believe that all of our experiences and preferences apply to our art. How have your favorite things inspired your creative process?
- Look at Holidays and Special Events. Keeping a calendar of upcoming holidays can help generate post ideas. On the flip side, you can share about different aspects of personal special events.
Newsletter tips:
Based on research, below are some suggestions
to keep in mind when crafting your newsletter and blog posts.
- Keep it brief. I think this might be the most important tip of all. Your readers are busy. Super busy. Give the information in a brief format or they will move on.
- Keep it simple. Narrow your focus instead of trying to cover too much material in one issue. Maybe spread out your ideas over several issues or posts.
- Don't overthink it. It's so easy to get caught in the trap of complicating things or to think that we are not enough. Someone will benefit from what you have to say. Stay focused on the act of sharing instead of the possible outcome.
- Edit yourself. More is not always better. After you write your piece, step away and then come back to it later. That can really help you see the parts that are not absolutely necessary. Delete those and even re-work what's left to condense and abbreviate.
- Proof everything multiple times! This cannot be stressed enough. Read it, reread it and then read it again. If you can, have another set of eyes read it as well.
How to organize and
store your ideas:
Chances are that
awesome ideas will hit you at odd times and in unexpected locations. You might
think you will remember them when it
comes time to sit down and write but most likely you won't. Below are some
suggested tools and ideas for capturing your brilliant thoughts while on the
go.
One Note - I
recently started using this app/program but really like it so far. You can
create folders and.access it on many devices which makes it easy to quickly
store ideas and keep them organized. Right now, this is my go-to option.
Evernote - I know
this app is very popular and has a lot of features, however they made some big
changes not too long ago and now I don't care for it. It was what I used before
discovering One Note but since their changes I have had a few bad experiences,
including loosing a bunch of work I had just completed. They also started
charging for some of their services that had previously been free. With that
being said, I do think it's worth checking out and deciding for yourself.
Portable notepad -
Go old school and keep a small notebook in your bag, next to your bed, in your
car, etc… this is great for jotting quick notes and ideas but for me, I tend to
forget where I wrote things. Also, loose pages don't work for me as I misplace
them easily!
Binders - Creating
an actual binder can be a good way to stay organized with your ideas. When I
have little scraps of paper with random notes, I can throw them in there so I
don't loose them and have a batter chance of actually accessing them. This
binder is also a great place to store any other details relating to your
newsletter or blog, like colors or fonts that you use, passwords, upcoming
holidays or special events, etc…
Emailing yourself -
This is my last resort and actually now that I have One Note I am not sure why
I would need to do this but it is an option and has served me in the past. I
include the words blog post or NL (newsletter) in the subject line of the email
so I can easily search for them in my extremely full inbox. Sometimes I just
save the email as a draft.
So, there you have
some of my favorite newsletter and blog post tips.
CLICK HERE to subscribe to my weekly newsletter!
Do you have tips or tricks for creating or storing content?
Until next week,
Pam
How To Create Your Own Travel Art Box
I recently saw this
clever video on how to make a child's travel activity kit using a thin baby
wipes box as the container. It was super simple, easy to customize and perfect to
throw in a bag on the go.
It reminded me of an
adult version that I created not too long ago. See what you think. Would you
enjoy something like this? How could you tweak it to suit your favorite art
medium or craft?
I wanted something
that I could use for drawing with pencil and ink but this could easily be
adapted for coloring with colored pencils or markers.
Step 2 - Collect
your art/craft materials.
In order to know
what size your travel container needs to be you need to know what you want to
put inside of it. Focus more on the static items and not the ones that can be
re-sized, like paper.
Step 3 - Find a
container.
I had a sturdy box
with a lid from some pretty note cards. It even had one of the blank cards
attached to the front. You could also use empty baby wipes containers, folio
pad holders, mini hinged lunch boxes, even a tin mint holder could make a tiny
travel art kit.
Step 4 - Add your
supplies to your container.
I had a little
clipboard that was attached to a greeting card but you can also find them at stationery stores.
I cut a small stack of my favorite paper to fit on the clipboard. I also cut a
small folder out of card stock to hold and protect my completed drawings until I
got home.
I didn't secure my
supplies inside the box but I have seen where others added strips of
elastic or made little pockets to hold
pens and pencils. The lid of my box closed tight but your could tie ribbon or wrap elastic around it to keep it closed in your bag.
That's it! I can
throw it in my purse and draw anywhere.
You can search
Internet sites like Pinterest for a massive amount of ideas or you can just keep it simple.
I'd love to know
your ideas!
Until next time,
Pam
Grow Your Art Business. 8 Tips for Self-Publishing with Createspace
Createspace is a
division of Amazon and offers artists and authors the opportunity to self
publish and sell their work. A revelation!
It is an amazing leap
in technology and has helped many creatives start and grow independent
businesses.
One large perk is that
your books can be sold through Amazon and are eligible for Prime and
international shipping.
There are countless
ebooks and articles online on how to use Createspace but I just sort of learned as I
went. It's pretty user friendly and walks you through the steps needed.
It was an exciting day
when I received my first proofs in the mail!
8 Tips
Here are some random
tips I can share from my experiences related to publishing my collection of coloring books
and journals.
1. Have all of your
content ready and photos formatted before you start working on the site.
2. Take advantage of
their free formatted interior templates when you are building your book.
3. Get a sample of each
cover finish. I read a lot of reviews where people didn't care for the matte
covers and I ended up loving them. My customers have commented positively on
them as well.
4. Utilize the footers in
the formatted templates to easily feature your website or other contact
information. In my first few books I didn't know what to do with them and deleted
them all. Agh!
5. Have at least one
other person (preferably more than one) proof everything for you. Proof it yourself multiple times...and then one more
time!
6. Plan your cover with
the thought that your books might be displayed in a holder. For example, don't
place important copy at the bottom.
7. I use cover templates
provided by a site called Bookow. You enter your book size and number of pages
and they email you a template that is the correct size. I open it in Photoshop
and build my cover design in layers right on top. All of the margins and
measurements are provided for you. As of this writing, the templates are free,
with a request for a small donation via Paypal toward the running of their
site.
8. You can create your
book in many different sizes but there are only certain standard sizes that can
be sold through all of their sales channels. They have them listed on their
site.
For me, this has been
a wonderful outlet for my art. I have loved creating every book and have
learned so much about all stages of publishing. You can see my collection of coloring books and journals on my Amazon Author page by CLICKING HERE and see detail of the interiors on my website by
CLICKING HERE.
Have you self
published a book? Did you use Createspace? Do you have additional tips that
could help other artists and authors?
Until next week,
Pam
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