Let's Focus on Illustration



Last night I went to a talk about blogging at the Makeshift Society. One of the speakers was Victoria Smith of SF Girl by Bay, one of my all time favorite bloggers. I was so happy and inspired to talk to her for a bit. I'm amazed at all she has accomplished on her own.  It got to thinking about my own blog and what direction it is going in.

So here's what I'm thinking...I've got a lot to learn about being a professional freelancer. I've gone as far as I can on this level and would like to see what else there is in the world. I would like to share a bit of this learning experience with my readers. Maybe what I'm learning will help others on their art journey too.

After a years of reflection, I've come to realize that some of my favorite things such as helping others, doing research and illustration might actually be a good thing to share with the world. Maybe this sharing thing might be the one thing that is missing right now.

One of the biggest things that I have learned in the last few months is the importance of community. I think one has to surround themselves with creative folks to take some of the pressure off themselves. I mean, no one wants to do everything alone. We all need a cheerleader or two.

 The next few months I will be focusing a bit more on graphic design and layout. I won't bore you too much but I'll be putting may hours into taking Lynda.com online computer classes. This summer, I will also be publishing my first book collaboration. I'm pretty damn excited about this and will be sharing a bit more after I meet with the author again in early June.

Here's to learning new ideas and sharing them with the world!

P.S. As a reader, do you like the idea of sharing? Is there anything you would like me to focus on?
 

Thank you Amanda Palmer!

This made me cry! I've been hearing great things about Amanda Palmer's TED Talk this week and had to share it. I love her passion and creativity and her rebellious spirit. (Oh, and her music is damn amazing too!)

As an artist, I am always afraid, maybe embarrassed to ask from help or money. Maybe deep down I don't think that I am worth it...I don't know. There is so much still deep inside me about the starving artist mentality, it gets pretty stupid after a while.

Amanda makes a wonderful point about art and community. Giving yourself to that community and trusting it. They will give back. They will help. You just need to be strong enough to ask.

Life Questions: Have you surrounded your self with a creative community? What can you do to make it stronger? Do you jump in deeper or coast by on top of it? Would you trust your community to support you?

Well, I don't have all the answers to those question yet myself but I do know this, I'm working on it. How about you?

One last thing...I think when you are living a trust the universe and your community way, the magic starts happening. Do you agree?