[video] Q&A: all about inspiration, courage, and supplies!

Wow! I think we've found a winner for Kira's Standing And Talking Videos. No color correction needed! I answer a bunch of questions in a socially awkward way, running on iced tea and chai as I am still in the middle of my Diet Coke detox. 

Here are links for things I discuss in the video:

(I did mention Pinterest in the last vid, but am still educating myself about their practices and TOS, so I'll hold off on "officially" endorsing them.)

my google+ profile:
https://plus.google.com/112284082609292585455/

qa forum: 
http://www.journalgirl.com/qaforums/

sticky pages: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCRv5NJlwWc

paper i use in my journals: 
http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/paper/printmaking-paper/s...

on-the-go journal kit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjXhxiSfC7M
Couch journal kit: 
http://www.journalgirl.com/blog/2011/11/7/an-armchair-art-solution.html

New (smartphone) Photography Discoveries & More!

 

I was going to post the Q&A video today and this post tomorrow, but I’m a bit tired and wanting to curl up with my Smash book, so the Q&A is going up tomorrow and this tonight. Which means things may be confusing for one line or two in the vid, but if that’s the only odd thing, we’ll all be lucky. When I’m not bouncy excited, I’m weird-humor even-keel, and living a life on camera, well…welcome to me!

Ever since Becca got an iPhone, I’ve been a green-eyed monster, especially when she whips the thing out to show me her most-recent Instagram pics. In fact, while we were hanging out last night, we spent half the time with our noses in our phones, playing around with pictures! It’s quite addicting, and even though I have Mad Skills on teh Photoshop, I love the different filters and textures available in all these camera apps. And before you ask, no, I don’t have an iPhone (to my eternal sadness. Actually, the phone I have is marvelous, especially since I bought it for $200 on eBay. What I don’t like is that I have a 4G phone, pay for 4G service, yet live in a city without 4G service. Oh, Sprint. You piss me off for the tune of $120 a year…). 

 

All of these photos were taken with Vignette, which is very, very worth the cost for the paid version. I love it to pieces! 

I processed them in either Magic Hour — another paid program that I just purchased this morning and adore — or GO Photo, which is free and goes with GO Launcher, which is a ton of fun, if you have the time/inclination to personalize your Android. 

 

But that’s it. Lots of playing around and clicking and adjusting. The knowledge I have from Photoshop actually helped make things easier (for example, Magic Hour allows you to adjust the Curves, which I only know how to do because of playing in Photoshop since I was 13), but it’s so user-friendly, you can get started with no experience at all!

But let’s not make this whole post techny! I carved those stamps from craft foam with my new wood burning tool (thank you, 50% off Michael’s coupon!) and it really is like cutting through butter! I messed up on one, but then got the hang of it really fast and it was like drawing, except then I could make block prints with ‘em! The foam was $1 and I still have over half a sheet left, and can’t wait to make more. Oh, why was I intimidated in the first place?

 

Except for the fumes. OH, the fumes. Really. I was sitting in front of a window under a fan at high speed and have learned that I need to dig a mask out of my garage or else I’ll get sinus headaches very easily. Or I could go outside and work on ‘em. Either one — trust me, darlings, the warnings are in the books for reasons. And this is one of them. Even when I was working with wood, I needed to take a step back for a bit and relax. Then again, I have a tendency to lean over my work when I get into the details (which isn’t good when your back dislikes you most days!), but still. Better safe than sorry!


We also wrote on tissue paper with Copics to layer, but didn’t know that the markers would leak through the tissue and stain the table, so that’s a reason to have a black craft table (I honestly had no idea as I bought my desk in black for this very reason). 

And I found out that GAC 100 is so super awesome, I’ve got to play with it some more to see what else it can do.

Most of these are close-up shots of backgrounds I have yet to work over. I have a few awesome pages in the works -- why can't I post everything all at once by visiting you all and gushing over art?

Let's Pretend We're Catching Up Over a Cup of Tea...

 

I’ve already written this, but I’m going to try again, because for some reason, I’m compelled to. 

Lately, I’ve been using my old LiveJournal account to write more personal blog entries, usually about my day, things I did, thoughts that floated through my head. It’s been so freeing to be able to simply sit down and write as the words come into my head, not worrying about if I sound a certain way or am letting things get too long. I’ve grown to consider this place my professional blog, and have approached it as such, trying to sound deep, inspiringly cheerful, or whatever else I’ve gleamed from those wildly popular and successful blogs I sometimes read and wish to be. I want to be read and seen and heard and making a proper living from my work. I want to go and be invited to speak at events or retreats (heck, I’ll settle for being invited to teach!), and write awesome e-books that get oodles of downloads. 

And I think I felt I needed to present myself in a certain way in order to achieve said dreams. But the truth of the matter is, I don’t sound like them. At all. One of my favorite bloggers, Jenny (aka The Bloggess) writes in a way that makes me feel as though we’re sitting over some hard liquor as she chats with me and makes me laugh at the way she records her life. 

This all comes down to feeling silly. 

Today, while I was walking to my car in the Target parking lot, I thought about this. I don’t want to go heavily into why this came into my head — oh, I kind of do, because I think it’s something we can all relate to. I was feeling silly because a huge thing going on in my life is a reconnection to the Divine, and I was thinking about how silly I probably look when going through the motions of religion. What if there’s really no one up there? What if people see me and laugh? I think that’s one of the amazing things about churches, temples, and mosques, etc — you’re with others who share your faith and that adds energy to what’s going on. There’s less of feeling silly. 

(I consider myself a Spiritual Cowgirl. The term comes from THE BEST BOOK I’VE EVER READ on spirituality and joyful living, The Red Book. I checked it out from the library and loved it so much, I ran out and bought a copy. And have bought copies for friends!)

Anyway, I was ruminating on all this while shopping for a new wallet. I’m weird, I know. And as I was walking to my car, my other-self (or my Guardian Angel, God bless her patient soul!) said to me:

“Stop worrying about feeling silly. Take off that sweater you’re wearing just because you think that little poof of your stomach makes you look horrible and unattractive. You like silly. Those girls you watch on YouTube are insanely silly and you love them for it. So stop thinking this way.” 

Which is a kick in the pants. I’ve been getting a lot of those lately. 

I think it all comes down to doing what you think you’re supposed to do, and what you want to do. Within certain limits, of course. For example, I have a to-do list of things I think I should be doing, except my head is in my studio and all the fun things I could be doing in there. I’ve given my life a bit of structure, that is, during the week, I work, and on the weekends, I don’t answer emails or deal with sign ups or anything administrator-y. Call it a mini-vacation. Yet I’m finding that I want to work more fluidly, letting things be created and worked on when I’m feeling pulled in that direction. 

I have no lack of inspiration, and love all the plates in the air. There’s so much I want to do and accomplish (see the first paragraph again…) and this can only happen if I’m my true self. 

Out chatting with Dawn yesterday, I began telling her about Born Brave. You may have noticed that tab up there, and even clicked on it. There isn’t anything there, yet, because, well, I’m a bit scared. Terrified, even. And while I love the exhilaration of such an endeavor, I am still full of doubt. But as I sat there with her, telling her about how honored I am to receive emails from woman all over the world living with chronic illness and — this is the part that really touches me — that I’ve inspired them to try art, or let them live this magical artist’s life through my posts and blog…can I just say, here, that I’m honored and humbled by such amazing gifts? That each one makes me cry and touches my heart? I’m crying just writing this — and that’s the magic of this all. That when I talk about Born Brave, and what I’m hoping to do, I cry and soar and am afraid…how can there be any doubt in the face of all that?

But that’s where I’m going. It’s a huge undertaking and I’m afraid it won’t pay off (as I have to invest in additional features to make it work), but I love that feeling of fear and the tears I cry because that means I’ve picked the right path. Can’t see where it’s going, but I’ve gone too far to turn back now. 

I have this dream of spending the summer living out of a suitcase. I have three friends across the country I want to visit, and want to hop around and see what happens. I can see myself arriving and relaxing and creating and refilling myself in their company. I have three offerings I’m aiming to make available to you by May so I can run off and live a gypsy summer and blog/vlog from the road. 

And that, my darlings, is how I write for real. As though I’m writing a good friend an email or updating others on what’s going on in my life. No grand statements or bullet lists or even a clean line of thought, but like I said — I’m going to stop being afraid of what others think of me and start being silly. 

Starting with tomorrow’s video. Oh, the opening’s silly as hell, but I don’t care. It’s what I saw in my head, and I’ve gotta go with it. 

I hope you, do, too. 

 

More Pages from My Smash Journal

 

Here are a couple more spreads from my Project 365 Smash book. I think this thing deserves its own gallery, since I am committed to keeping up with it all year! That being said...I've missed a few days...gotta get back on that! 

Anyway, I've decided all my photos are going to be square with the film frame (I use Vingette for Android for all my photos), which will add cohesion throughout the whole thing. Plus, square is fun for a book this side. And I can print off 6 on one sheet of paper! 

One thing I do is doodle, swirl, or write across the backgrounds of the plainer pages. Since my book has a lot of those "found" papers, I may be doing this often. But it adds a punch of color I can then work over and use to inspire doodles! Plus, I LOVE the Soho watercolors you can grab at Jerry's (thanks for talking them up, Jodi!); they're vivid and lovely and smooth, and practically glide over the thick paper in the Smash book. 

I've decided to pair down on what I use in this journal. It's mostly colored pencils, markers, and a box of scraps and trim I put together. Basically, anything that I can put down with double-sided tape. And washi tape. No acrylics or stencils in here! The photos are the focus of the book, and the little captions I write to remind me of the important things that happened that day. 

My chipboard letters have come in handy, and I've doodled a bit with the watercolors. I love pommegranates right now!

And here, I wrote inside a stencil scrap! 

Sometimes, the layers can get intimidating. Here are the stages I work in (and a few more spreads are halfway finished....):

  • Doodle and swirl with watercolors
  • Tape down photos
  • Stamp date near each photo
  • Tape down collage papers
  • Write a sentence or two near each photo
  • Embellish with colored pencils, markers, and other elements

I'll post more spreads next week. I think I'll make a little link on the sidebar so you can keep up with my pages!

[how to] Doodle Your Own Bias Tape

 

A few shots I snapped while working on tonight’s issue of Journaling Deep. 

Sometimes, I catch a shot on the digital display while setting one up for something else, and can’t help but snap a picture. I may not be the best photographer, but I’ve learned to enjoy taking pictures around my studio. Maybe it’s because I’m hoping to catch Process in action, much like trying to catch a ghost on film. 

I haven’t found it yet.

 

 

Here’s a freebee lesson from tonight’s Journaling Deep:

Making an art quilt? Instead of searching for the perfect color binding or fabric to turn into bias tape, why not grab a few packages of white and create your own?

 

I took Copic markers in colors that matched the fabrics in my art quilt and scribbled along the binding. All the feelings and emotions that were in the quilt were written out in big, loopy letters I overlapped. Doodles were added in here and there.  

 

And you don’t have to use this only for art quilts; cut off a bit to edge a journal page, or glue it down in a college. Edge a canvas you’ve painted on. There are so many uses, and it’s definitely one of a kind!

 

This week’s issue of Journaling Deep is all about dying and scribbling on fabric to create fun, colorful embellishments for your journal pages & more! 

The Magic of Process (& playing in someone else's sandbox for awhile)

 

Even when you reach that point when you like most of what you create, you’re still going to make things you don’t like. 

There’s little that can excite me more than a weekend spent outside creating art. As we spread our supplies across the long table under the awning, little dogs ran around, growling at each other as they played fetch. Every so often, one would drop a little pink ball at my feet, and I’d pause paging through Traci’s new book to throw it at one of the cinder-brick walls that helped fence in the yard. Becca played in her journal, an altered children’s book rich in texture I keep telling her she needs to gather together to teach, music pumping from her iPhone. 

(And I’m a little jealous, as I’d love to play in Instagram and Hipsmatic as she has the past few days.) 

I’m working on a large parent sheet of my favorite paper, Stonehenge printmaking, laying down stencils I’d packed in my bag at the last minute before heading out that morning. Our artmaking was delayed as I visited my friend Dawn in town as she finished her latest project — painting those unsightly utility boxes at the corners with her trademark bright color and amazing lettering. But now I’m in flip-flops at the end of Becca’s table with my favorite spray inks, letting them mix on the paper. 

And then I’m playing with the printing plate I made from craft foam saved from the closet in the colorful room named “the office,” rubber bands coming off as I brayer on paint. 

It isn’t working well, but it’s working. 

The afternoon passes much like this. Becca works in her journal and I play around making marks on the giant sheet of paper. I try several of the methods outlined in Traci’s book, getting lost in the thrill of making new marks, brayering down layers and layers of paint over ink. Writing with fabric paint on laminating sheets since we can’t find the transparencies. Gluing foam shapes to sheets to make little repetitive patterns. Drawing with puffy paint and glitter. I’m getting my hands dirty and laughing and enjoying every minute of it. 

And when we break to run off to Jo-Ann’s to return something (which they wouldn’t take back, to our infinite sadness) and grab a bite to eat, I look down at what I’ve created and cringe. 

There are bits I adore. Little squares of space that, on their own, are amazing and fun and lovely, but when added into the whole get lost. I don’t like it. The finished piece is anything but satisfying, and I only add a little bit before we head inside where artificial light replaces the setting sun. Even in the heat of the desert, we have early sunsets in the winter, still surreal after over a year here. The thought that I’ve been sitting outside in the beginning of February in jeans and a sleeveless blouse only reminds me of the timeless nature of my new home. 

I don’t work on the piece again. The magic of the Process is gone. I move on to other things. 

That’s how it goes sometimes. I’m reminded of the lesson I learned awhile ago: not every piece of art you create is going to be good. In fact, most will be bad. Bad, bad, bad. But there’s something redeemable in every thing you work on, every time you put pencil or brush to paper. This is what I want to remind you of, that the magic of Process is the real juice of this creative life we’re living, and without it, you’re just making things to finish. Where is the thrill of discovery in that? 

I think this fundamental relates to another piece I’m working on for you about doing art as your job, in that once you start making things to finish them, to show them off, to gain followers or sell things, you lose your edge and stop having fun. 

I cleaned my art space today and pulled out this piece. Looking at it, I realized why I didn’t like it as a whole. It isn’t the colors, or even some of the doodles. It’s that I was playing in Traci’s sandbox and it’s time to give it back to her. Oh, I won’t stop making marks or experimenting with the tools she’s given us in her new book. But I can’t possibly create something I love when I’m playing in someone else’s sandbox. It’s theirs. Their heart and love and inspiration goes into it all, and I can’t possibly replicate that. And I don’t want to. 

 

No. I’ll keep playing, adding in more and more of myself until the dough tastes delicious when I lick it off my fingers. Just a sprinkling of her and all those others in the world that inspire me, multicolored dots added to the batter created of myself. 

I take shots of those bits I like, print them off, and get back to work.