How To Set Goals In As Little As 7 Days

By Nicole Tinkham

Let us first begin by saying it does not matter when it is; it’s always the perfect time to start setting goals. We’re writing this blog just in time for the New Year but if you’re reading at a later date, that’s perfectly fine! Goal setting is something you should do throughout the year anyway. Our golden rule is to start setting goals whenever you feel ready to do it! We’ll walk you through goal setting in 7 simple steps (or 7 days) but just beware; you do not want to skip one of these steps. Not following through with the activities on each day could result in you not reaching your goals and just feeling frustrated. We’ll start with a mass brainstorm to figure out what your main goals are, break those big goals into smaller ones, create an action plan, take action, keep the momentum going, and then evaluate your performance. Ready to get started? Read on for your day #1 agenda.

Day #1: Brainstorm

BEFORE you get started today, you should get in your thinking zone. Find somewhere quiet with no distractions. Get away from clutter and straighten up the room if you have to. Turn off your phone and anything else that may distract you during this session. You can listen to some calming music, light your favorite scented candle, grab a coffee, and whatever else comes to mind to put you in your happy place.

Once you get in the right mindset, it’s time to brainstorm everything you would like to see happen in your life in the next few years. Write anything and everything down! We’ll be narrowing down this list later so just go crazy with it. Think about health goals, career goals, relationship goals, and financial goals. Anything that pops in your head should go on your list. It may be difficult to think of ideas at first but once you get rolling, the ideas will flow.

Now that you have a long list going, we’re going to prioritize your goals. Is there one thing on the list that will help you achieve some of the others goals you have written down? This would be your ASAP goal, or the goal you’ll want to get working on right away. This should also be a very specific goal. Ask yourself “By doing this, what do I aim to achieve?” This will narrow down any broad goals even further. For example, if you have “I want to become a painter” on your list, you may end up changing it to “I want to become a landscape painter”. Being clear on your goals will help you in the following steps of breaking it down and creating an action plan.

Before moving on, we want you to start BELIEVING in yourself. If you don’t do this, you’ll be doing this entire goal setting session for no reason. Believing that you can actually achieve these goals is the key to being successful. We know this can be difficult to do especially with those big goals you have written down. Some of them might seem crazy! Keep in mind working on your belief is something that you should do daily and it does take some time to switch your limiting mindset. Based on your goal, write down an affirmation. Something like: “I am an incredible landscape painter with amazing skills”. Repeat this over to yourself for at least 10 minutes a day, every day.

Day #2: Break it down

Welcome to day #2! This is our favorite part because now you’re probably excited about the goals you wrote on your list yesterday. That big goal probably seems pretty daunting though, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, we’ll be breaking that goal down into mid term and short term goals which will make it easier for you to tackle it.

Take that main goal and dissect it into several short term goals. Consider the different phases of achieving that goal. What will need to be done along the way?

Your short term goal should be a SMART goal meaning is should be Specific (clear on what you want to achieve), Measurable (must be able to review progress), Attainable (can you get it done with the resources you have?), Realistic (can it actually be done?), and Timely (must have a deadline). Now take that SMART goal and break it down even further into action steps. What is the process you’ll need to take in order to reach that specific goal by your set deadline?

Day #3: Action Plan  

Now we’re getting into the good stuff! This should excite you. You are literally planning for success in reaching your goals. This is where some research comes in. We’ll all have very different goals but you may need to look into different strategies for achieving your goal. Weigh the pros and cons of different ways of doing things to figure out what will work best for you. What exactly do you need to do in order to reach your goal? You may start with learning something about what you want to do. Maybe it’s educating yourself on different nutrition plans or a system for saving money.

Make sure the action items on your list are detailed so there’s no second guessing yourself when doing them. You’ll know exactly what needs to be done. You also want to organize the action steps so you know what you should be getting done first.

Based on your action items, create a daily checklist of what you need to be doing each day. This just narrows it down even further to help keep you on track. You can transfer this to do list to your phone so you always have it on you and can check things off throughout the day.

Day #4: Take action

This is where the magic happens! Without this key step, none of your goals would ever be accomplished. It’s great to have a solid plan in place (what we’ve been doing up until now) but none of that matters if you never get started. We know it can be scary but just start with the first task on your list. Don’t think twice about it, just get it done. There’s no time for procrastination so make this the first thing you get done in the day.

Days #5 and #6: Keep going

Congrats!! You made it through one day following your action checklist. Now it’s time to celebrate your completion. You did an amazing job. Go ahead and do your happy dance 🙂
Now it’s time to move on to the next list. Keep on going!! Each day may only produce small results but those results add up over time. You have to build up your momentum so you can become unstoppable. If there’s ever a time you feel like giving up, remember why you started in the first place.

If you find yourself procrastinating, work on tasks in 25 minute chunks of time. This will keep you focused and little breaks in between will keep you from burning out. Continue to check in on your action plan to be sure you’re still on track and in line with your goals.

Day #7: Evaluate your performance

The final step in this process will determine how quickly you reach your goal. And that last step is to reflect on what you’ve done so far and measure your progress. Without doing this step, you won’t be able to adjust and improve on the areas you are weak in. That’s the whole point of reflecting. To look at the areas in which your strengths lie, where your weaknesses lie, and where your errors were made. From here, you can tweak and improve your action steps. By the way, your action steps are never set in stone. It’s important to update them when something just isn’t working out. It’s ok! Do not give up when things don’t go your way. Make the appropriate changes and move forward.

There you have it; How to set goals in as little as 7 days. But don’t think that your work ends there. Continue to work on your daily check lists and action plans. Keep evaluating your progress and make adjustments when needed. And most importantly keep adding to your list of goals! There’s so much you can accomplish in this lifetime if you put your mind to it. Stop pushing them off thinking they’re too big for you to actually achieve. Following these steps and breaking down each goal makes them more manageable so you can totally do this!

Everything You Need To Know About Bullet Journaling And Keeping Your Life Organized

By Nicole Tinkham

There’s a new cooler way to keep track of your happenings! Go ahead and ditch that non creative planner and jump on board with us as we discover the craze of the year, bullet journaling. Having a creative mind doesn’t mean you have an excuse to be unorganized. We’ll show you how you can be artsy and still have everything in order through a journaling/planning technique that can change your life. Read on for everything you need to know about bullet journaling and keeping your life organized.

What it is

Put simply, a bullet journal is a customizable to-do list, journal, planner, organizer, calendar and note taker all in one book. With this type of journal you can create your own pages which allow it to work with you and your schedule rather than you having to fit your priorities into a pre-made planner like we’re used to doing. Before you get all crazy with your notes and ideas, know that your bullet journal should be super structured and there’s a reason for that. It’s designed for you to be productive, keep up with reaching your goals, and weed out the unimportant tasks that can hold you back. Not everyone is a structured person and that’s fine. Your journal should have at least some structure but you can also make it your own.

Why you should try it

Not all planners will suit your needs. Have you ever bought a planner that doesn’t provide enough room to write the tasks and appointments you need to? Or maybe the planner is too big when you’d really like something smaller. Or maybe you’d like to track something (like a food journal) that a typical planner doesn’t allow for. This is why you need a bullet journal for total customization!

For the creative thinkers who don’t like structure but also need to get organized, this is for you. It’s perfectly acceptable to doodle in a bullet journal. In fact, it’s highly encouraged. You can make it your own and it’s a fun way to get used to organization in your life.

So many times we think having a different list for everything helps us stay organized when in reality, it just stresses us out even more. Think about it. You have your grocery list, your to-do list, your brainstorm of creative ideas list, and more. Having all these different types of lists everywhere can be distracting. With a bullet journal it’s all right there in one notebook making your life easier.

You can set goals for yourself and actually make them happen. Since you can customize this journal, you can include your big goals and areas that you need to work on and fill them in daily. Having your goals and tasks clearly written will keep them in the front your mind so you can achieve them.

You can be totally unique and artsy! Add some color, doodles, fancy handwriting, fun washi tape, and more. This seriously takes planners to the next level.

Every day can be organized differently and you can change things up as needed. You can’t do that with other planners. You won’t get bored and you’ll discover new and better ways to staying organized.

You can add in a habit tracker to help you stay on track with good habits. It’s simple too! Every day you do something right, you fill in a square for the day. This will show your consistency, where you need to improve, and will help you get better at doing that habit. This is especially helpful to visual people who like to actually see their progress on paper.

You can put in as much time as you want. You can set up your day in just 2 minutes or you could spend more time reflecting and jotting down each detail. You can make it super simple but most people like to spend some more time on it and make it look nice too.

You don’t need any fancy supplies, unless you want them! All you really need is a grid journal and a pen. Colorful pens, highlighters, stickers, and other embellishments are just an added bonus.

Different ways to do it

There are two ways to go about bullet journaling: Setting it up 100% yourself as we’ve talked about or purchasing one with premade pages.

It may sound like the premade books go against everything we’ve said about customizing your own journal but hear us out. If there’s a specific goal you have in mind, there may be a journal out there to help you reach that goal specifically. For example, we’ve seen nutrition bullet journals that are set up to plan for meals as well as other things. Even if you go with this option, it won’t be like a typical planner. These are creatively designed and provide you with what you should need to achieve your goals.

If you take the DIY route, all you’ll nead is a gridded journal (in any type and size) and a pen. You’ll be writing everything out yourself but you can use the guidelines below for marking tasks to help you stay organized.

Simple dot = Task
X = Task complete
> = Task Migrated
< = Task Scheduled
O = Events
– = Notes
* = Gives task priority
! = Creative idea/inspiration
An eye drawing = Further research required

You’ll also want to leave a few pages in the beginning of your journal open for the index which is what brings everything together. You’ll have to number your journal pages which can be time consuming but it’s definitely worth it in the end. As you work through your book, simply add topics to your index and indicate which page number they are on.

Top tips

•    Create a weekly log where you brain dump all the things you want to get done for the week but not sure which days you’ll do them.

•    Break your days up into time periods. Several tasks don’t feel so daunting when they’re grouped by time and importance.

•    Separate your events in a creative way with doodles or washi tape.

•    Include your reading and movie wish list into a to-do list

•    Get a quality notebook that you absolutely love. We recommend Moleskine.

•    Use a ruler to help you create straight lines.

•    Use planner stencils to help you create fun shapes.

•    Use colorful page flags to help you easily find the page you need.

•    Create a “waiting on” list. This is great for when you place an order for something and are waiting for it to be delivered. Be sure to include the arrival date so you can track it!

•    Have a section to set monthly and weekly goals.

•    Create fun themes by doodling around your lists.

•    Log your memories. Jot down certain words that remind you of a particular event or doodle it.

•    Include a gratitude section.

•    Have fun with your headers on each page. Learn new creative lettering and just have fun with it.

•    Develop a planning routine. Sit down to plan each month, week, and day. Take the time to do this and in the end you’ll be more organized and will actually save yourself time.

Still don’t think bullet journaling is for you? We DARE YOU to give it a try just for a month or two. We totally believe in the power of keeping goals organized and how fun you can make this normally boring task if you do it right. We think bullet journaling will blow your mind! It’s totally different than anything you’ve ever seen before.  Give it a try and be sure to let us know how it goes!

5 Hidden Benefits You Didn’t Know About Journaling

By Nicole Tinkham

In your younger years you may have kept a diary or journal of the things going on in your life but as we get older we tend to drift away from doing this. If you’re still doing it, that’s excellent! But if you haven’t thought about keeping a journal in ages, we have some surprising benefits of journaling that you probably didn’t know. Read on for why you should start journaling again and how it can change your life.

1.    It helps you think creatively

Studies show that while sleeping your subconscious mind wanders and makes connections with different parts of the brain as it does during creative activity which promotes creative thinking right after sleep. With that being said, you can purposefully direct your unconscious mind by thinking about specific things before bed. To do this, jot down the things you want to accomplish in your journal right before falling asleep. Write down any thoughts or questions you want to figure out and be very specific about it.

Right after waking up, grab your journal again and have a thought dump where you unleash any creative ideas or answers you’re thinking about. Just write down whatever comes to mind, be loose with it and let the ideas flow. Don’t be worried if they’re good ideas or not. Just get them in your journal. It may take some time but eventually this could help you come up with new creative ideas for future projects.

2.    It reduces stress

Having too much on your mind or scattered thoughts can lead to stress. You may have a difficult time concentrating on one thing at a time and that can be overwhelming. Use your journal to unload all the ideas you’re storing in your head. Once you have them down on paper they aren’t going anywhere and you can get back to them later. You’ll notice that doing this makes life a lot less hectic and you can finally relax.

In addition to your ideas, journaling also releases the emotions you’re holding on to. When you get your feelings written out, you can begin to let go of the things that are holding you back. You’re more likely able to let go and move on with your life by doing this. View your journal as a way of therapy.

3.    It helps with your memory

It doesn’t matter how great you think you are at remembering information, writing things down is proven to help retain that info. When learning something new, it actually helps to write it down versus type it out. By writing things down, a different part of your brain is engaged which helps things stick. Try it out next time you go grocery shopping if you don’t normally write out a list. You’ll be amazed by what you remember to pick up without even looking at the list! Writing things down also helps you work out problems and helps with your learning process, just an added bonus. So next time you’re in a rut, grab your journal and do a little brainstorming to find a solution.

4.    It makes you a happier person

If you use your journal to jot down what you’re grateful for each day, you’ll draw more positive things to your life and just be all around happier. You can start by listing the big things but eventually you’ll realize just how many small things in your life that you appreciate and may not have noticed on a daily basis prior to doing this. The little things sometimes matter more than the big things.

If you have a relationship that’s going downhill and you’d like to revive it, jot down one thing a day that you love about that person. This will get you thinking about them and all of their good qualities. Soon you won’t even notice the things that once bugged you and instead you’ll notice how much love you have for them. This can drastically change your relationship.

5.    It improves your communication skills

Believe it or not, as you write in a journal you’re speaking to someone. Maybe it’s just to you but that doesn’t matter. You still have to make sense of what you have written down. With time, journaling will improve your writing which also improves your communication skills. Start jotting down little stories and scenarios to keep your creative mind sharp and discover your voice!

Before you go on thinking journaling is a lot of work, remember that a little bit goes a long way. Also, you won’t see a drastic change overnight but with time it could boost your creativity, increase your learning and memory, help with your communication skills, strengthen your relationships, and reduce your stress. Journaling is not just something for teenage girls! Invest in a nice journal, let the ideas flow, and allow it to change your life.

Tell us, do you write in a journal? What types of things do you write in it? Let us know in the comments!

23 Sketching tips for the beginner

By Nicole Tinkham

As a beginner artist, you most likely know two things are sure: 1) If you want to get better at your art, you’ll have to practice often AND, 2) you should keep a sketchbook handy. To improve and grow as an artist you’ll have to be all in. You’ll need to start taking your art seriously. If you make one commitment today to better your art, make it to sketch DAILY. If you’ve purchased a brand new sketchbook before, you know there’s no better rush of excitement than opening it up to the first page. But don’t stop there. Filling that first page in can set the pace for where the rest of the sketchbook will go. So, where in the world do you start? Our best piece of advice is to just get started. And we have a list of 23 sketching tips to help you do just that. Note: These tips will cover a little bit of everything from choosing the right pencil to shading techniques. Let’s begin!
1.    Always start with the basic shapes. Draw these in lightly and add in more details as you go.

2.    Avoid smudging by placing a sheet of paper under your hand when shading. Right-handed artists should shade from left to right and left-handed artists should do the opposite.

3.    Don’t use your finger to blend! The oils from your skin will end up on your project and they can make taking away graphite in these areas difficult.

4.    Instead, use a blending stick to blend the graphite. Use a small circular motion for even blending. This will give it a more natural look.

5.    When shading, work from light to dark. Otherwise, the dark graphite could get stuck on your blending stick and mixed in with your lighter areas.

6.    Add some texture by using different mediums in your sketch like watercolor pencils. You can add water on parts and leave other parts dry.

7.    Use “H” (harder) pencils for lighter lines and “B” (softer) pencils for a darker line. More on pencil lead options here.

8.    Get a very soft look by scribbling on a scrap piece of paper with your pencil. You can then pick up the graphite with your blending stick and transfer it to your project. This way you won’t get those pencils lines in your sketch.

9.    Choose a paper with a “tooth” for added texture.

10.    The closer you hold your hand to the end (lead end) of the pencil, the more control you have.

11.    Use a photo as your reference. The nice thing about photographs is your object won’t move and the lighting won’t shift on you.

12.    Vary your line widths for a more interesting drawing.

13.    Use cross-hatching or stippling to shade for a different and unique look.

14.    Practice every single day! Whatever you’re struggling with, just keep sketching it out and you will get better.

15.    When creating 3D objects, you’ll have three different tones to pay attention to: highlights, shadows, and mid-tones. Your highlight area will be the part directly facing the light. Shadows are the area facing away from the light and mid-tones are the other area (not directly facing the light source and not directly away from the light source).

16.    When choosing a reference photo, make sure there are both light and dark areas.

17.    To achieve accurate proportion (especially when working on a portrait) use the grid system. Lay a grid over your reference photo and lightly draw a grid on your drawing paper to scale.

18.    Practice blind sketching. This is a fun technique that loosens up your drawings, like a drawing warm up. Basically, you’re drawing the subject without looking down at your sketchbook. This is just a fun way to get those creative juices flowing.

19.    Carry a sketchbook with you everywhere you go. Observe and sketch often!

20.    Draw what you see. Pay close attention to your subject matter. Really look at shapes and shadows.

21.    Always keep your outlines light. Real life objects don’t have dark lines running along the edges. However, if you’re drawing in a cartoon style, this tip doesn’t apply.

22.    Choose which details to include and which ones to leave out. It’s not necessary to include every single detail in the leaves of a tree. Think about what’s aesthetically pleasing and decide what can be left out.

23.    Add color! Bring in some colored pencils, pastels, or even watercolor paint to your work to add some color.

We stressed in the beginning of this blog that these tips are meant for the beginner but actually, any artist regardless of their experience can use them. Print this post out and save it. These are excellent tips to look back on when you’re struggling or have artists’ block.

As with many of our other posts, we’re always adding and changing it based on what our fans have to say. If you have a killer sketching tip you want to see on the list, leave a COMMENT below and we’ll add it. Do you think we can reach 100 tips on this post??

10 Ways to get more art into your life

By Nicole Tinkham

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of us are short on time, so when it comes to personal hobbies, they tend to get pushed aside. This is particularly true for those who work full time. Sometimes, it’s nearly impossible to get any quiet time after leaving the office. You rush home after work, run a few errands along the way, cook dinner and start to get ready for bed. So, starting a new creative project is probably the last thing on your mind. Can you relate?

Get ready because we’re about to get brutally honest. Art is your life and it’s important that you do it. It’s about time you make it a priority. You are no longer going to put it aside. There are NO EXCUSES from this day forward. You will fit art into your schedule no matter how busy you are and you will create art every single day. Make the promise to yourself right now that you will do everything you can to bring art back into your life by doing the following 10 things.

1.    Make a list of everything that can be cut from your daily routine that isn’t making any improvements in your life. This could be the 10 minutes of Facebook on your lunch break, the half hour of TV time every evening, reading mindless magazines in waiting rooms, or twiddling your thumbs on the bus. List at least 3 things that you would be willing to give up for the sake of your art.

2.    Use that extra time to take a walk. Clear your mind, notice your surroundings, and be inspired. Take a notebook or sketchbook along with you and jot down anything that comes to mind. This will get you in the creative mindset.

3.    Your daily task: JOURNAL. Do it every single day. It doesn’t matter if it’s a quick sketch or a complete masterpiece. It could even be something written like a poem or short story. Or you can use it as a diary and talk about your personal experiences. All of these are different ways to be creative and you don’t even have to be an artist to do them. Got 5 minutes? That’s all it takes to get an idea on paper!

4.    Read something that inspires you. Instead of reading mindless magazines pick up a really good book or check out art blogs that get you thinking and spark your creativity.

5.    Act like a kid every once in awhile. You still have to be a responsible adult (sometimes) but there’s also a time to be a little goofy and just have fun.  Children have this carefree mindset that we often lose when we grow up and have new responsibilities. Ever hear the quote “Every child is an artist. The problem is staying an artist when you grow up” by Picasso? To get back into that creative mode we must let go and be a kid again!

6.    Repeat after us: “I AM an artist”. Think of yourself first as an artist and second as your profession. Practice saying “I’m an artist who does accounting” instead of the other way around. Never think you’re not good enough. You are! Stop doubting yourself and own up to your REAL title as an artist.

7.    Figure out what you’re afraid of. If you’ve been putting off your art for a seriously long time, chances are there’s something holding you back. In order to move forward, you must determine what it is. We’ve found that many artists have a fear of not being perfect. Do you know how silly that is? The only way you can improve your skill is to give it a try and do it! Figure out the real reason why you haven’t made art a priority and ask yourself what the worst could happen if you just went for it.

8.    Take your art seriously. Whether you’re selling your art for profit, have your art hung in galleries, or just dabble on the weekends it’s important to take it seriously. You ARE a real artist (see and practice #6). Now it’s time to live up to it.

9.    Work in public. You’ve got to work on your art any chance you can get and sometimes that just happens to be in public. Luckily there are many ways to get creative when on the bus, in the Dr.’s office, in the office break room, or wherever you find yourself throughout the day. Here are some artsy things you can do when away from home.

•    Art journal
•    Knitting/crochet
•    Art apps on your phone
•    Photography
•    Writing

10.    Let creativity take over your life. Once you get rolling with your creativity, don’t fight it! The more you use your creative mind, the more the ideas will come to you. Always carry either a notebook, sketchbook, or smartphone with you at all times to jot down your ideas!

Consider this your creative bootcamp. Just like getting in shape, people often push their creative projects to the side when life gets busy. We’re here to motivate you because we know you can do it. We know how powerful unleashing your creative ideas can be. So what will you start doing from now on? You’ll be creative every single day, you’ll welcome new creative ideas and jot them in your idea journal which you will carry with you everywhere, you’ll be proud of your skills no matter where you’re at artistically, and you’ll make the time to do all of it regardless of your busy lifestyle. And don’t think we won’t check in with you every once in awhile to make sure you’re on track 🙂

Head over to our Facebook page and let us know how you’re adding more art into your life!

The 20 Day Winter Art Journal Challenge

By Nicole Tinkham

Are you up for a challenge? Although the first day of winter isn’t officially here for another few weeks, we consider the whole month of December to be the start of a new season. It’s getting colder and many things are changing around us. For instance, you’re probably staying inside a lot more these days, drinking hot beverages, and spending more time with friends and family as the holidays quickly approach. With the new season, we encourage you to explore new creative ideas which we know isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you have a blank journal page in front of you with no idea where to start, this blog is for you! Start now by taking the 20 day winter art journal challenge to spark some creativity this winter.

*** Print this challenge out so you can make sure you stay current***

Day #1: When you think of winter colors, do you think of cool colors like blues and greens? Today we want you to mix it up and use WARM colors. Portray a wintery feel using reds and yellows instead.

Day #2: Today draw one thing that changes in your lifestyle as soon as winter hits. Do you start reading more? Do you drink more hot coffee in the morning? Whatever it may be, get it in your art journal.

Day #3: Spring brings gorgeous blossoms, fall brings colorful leaves, and winter brings…dead trees! Winter trees need love too so find the beauty in them and bring them to life in your sketchbook today.

Day #4: We can’t do an art journal challenge without a little Zentangle! Grab your pen and go to town on a creative Zentangle snowflake design.

Day #5: Complete the sentence. When ___________ happens, I instantly get in the holiday spirit. Is it decorating the tree, holiday shopping, colorful lights, the shorter days, or waking up to colder mornings? Express that excitement in your art journal today.

Day #6: Get some fresh (and cold) air. You may want to stay inside where it’s warm but we challenge you to take your art out in the cold. Hint: It can be a quick (very quick) sketch.

Day #7: This time of year, we tend to be around other people whether it be family members, friends, fellow artists, or co-workers at an office party. Collaborate on today’s challenge by playing this simple game. Gather few people to participate. The first person chooses a theme for the sketch and begins a drawing. After a minute, the art journal gets passed onto the next person who adds on whatever they want. Continue until the journal has made its rounds.

Day #8: Now here’s a fun task. If you lived in a snow globe, what would surround you? Draw yourself in your DREAM snow globe environment.

Day #9: Tag day! Create holiday tags to use on the gifts you plan on giving. Here are some ideas to get you started: Scrapbook Ideas – Tags Christmas

Day #10: Choose a poem or make one up that makes you feel warm inside. Now practice your calligraphy skills in your art journal. Remember, this is just practice. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Hint: Here’s how to “fake” calligraphy: iMake

Day #11: Holiday ornaments and decorations often hold a special place in our hearts. Sketch one in particular that brings up the best memories and capture not only the ornament, but the memories themselves.

Day #12: Winter is all about hot food. Chili, soup, baked goods, hot coco, you name it! What’s your mouth watering over today? Draw that!

Day #13: When chilly, there’s nothing better than a hot cup of coffee. Head over to the coffee shop and have fun sketching people today.

Day #14: Sick of the cold weather by now? Draw where you WISH you were!

Day #15: Store bought cards are so overrated. Let’s make our own! It could be a holiday card, birthday card, or a just because card.

Day #16: Look out your window and see if there are any interesting animals out there. If nothing catches your eye, find pictures of animals that live in a cold environment. Think polar bears and penguins. Sketch away!

Day #17: Let’s play with fire. If you have the fireplace going, perfect! Get the flickering flames on your page (not literally). If you’re not looking at the real thing, use your imagination.

Day #18: Just for fun – Draw a self portrait of yourself as a snowman!

Day #19: You’re bound to have leftover wrapping paper lying around. Use it to create an interesting collage.

Day #20: Use this page to brainstorm and plan out your New Year’s resolutions. It takes more than just writing a list. What do you really want to accomplish in 2015?

You did it! You’ve completed the Winter Art Journal Challenge. Are you feeling a little more creative now? Spread the word and challenge your friends!

Do you want to see more challenges like this one? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page.

Learning To Handle Mistakes

Hi, I’m Laure Ferlita! As I’ll be teaching an Introduction to Art Journaling class at Keeton’s soon. Art Journaling is no different from learning any other type of artistic process. It comes with challenges, opportunities and the chance to learn about yourself.

Embracing the learning process and learning to handle mistakes are all part of Art Journaling. Below is a collection of thoughts on mistakes, how to handle them and what to do when they happen.

Learning To Handle Mistakes

Mistakes. They’re inevitable.

They are a fact of life and yet, they continue to confound us all. Especially those of us who put ourselves out into the world in a visual way. Words, dance, singing, sculpture, poetry, painting, sketching, sports…you name it, and there is an element of fear that creeps in because we just might make a mistake and the world will get to see it.

It has taken me long years to learn to view mistakes as opportunities to learn. To NOT invest a lot of anger or aggravation in them. (And yeah, occasionally I still do.) Mistakes only become a big, honking deal when I turn them into a big, honking deal. Even more important, if I get so focused on the fact that I made a mistake rather than what I can learn from the mistake, I’ve compounded my mistake! Big time.

Mistakes are necessary, fundamental, and a requirement for learning. Resistance is futile. They’re gonna happen.

Below are some thoughts I’ve collected over the years in my creative journey I kinda wish I’d known going in. Might have saved me some a lot trouble. It certainly would have saved me some aggravation.

1. Mistakes, nor failure, are fatal. Okay, maybe if your a bomb defuser or a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon, but for the rest of us? Mistakes are annoying, aggravating, irritating, possibly demoralizing, certainly demotivating but not fatal. So go ahead, make some.

2. To become a better artist faster, lose your fear of making mistakes. How do you lose the fear? By doing. Not by thinking, reading, wishing, worrying, studying, analyzing or looking at other people’s art on the internet. By doing. If you create more art, you will make more mistakes. Because you are making more mistakes, you’ll learn more, faster, about what works, what doesn’t, what you like and what you don’t.

3. Mistakes are part of the process. It’s just like when you learned to walk. You didn’t climb out of the womb and onto the couch. You had to learn to roll over, sit up, scootch forward or backward, get your knees under you, how to crawl, how to pull up, stand up and stay balanced, how to move your foot forward, then the other one, how to turn loose and…how to fall down. Repeatedly. And then to get back up. Just. Like. Doing. Something. Creative.

4. No matter how good you get, you will make mistakes. It is inevitable. You’re human. Just accept it and move on. Oh, and chances are good, it will be a rookie mistake that you know better than to do. Just saying. So you shrug and turn the page and begin again. The more energy you invest, the bigger the mistake comes. Learn what you can from the mistake and go on.

5. How you respond to the mistake you’ve made is one of the most important choices you will make with regard to your art. Rather than dread the making of mistakes, treat it as a learning opportunity, as no big deal, as a part of the process. If you can’t fix it, turn the page and holler out, “Next!” and begin again… OR…waste a lot of time moaning and groaning and grieving for that great piece of art you were creating. Staying upset and refraining from making art is fear dressed up in grown-ups’ clothing to make you think you’re being wise to not waste time, materials or energy if you can’t do it right. Recognize that nonsense for what it is!

6. It’s not a mistake or failure nor a waste of materials or time if you learned from it. Let me repeat that…if you’ve learned anything from putting a mark on the page, then you’ve gained something even if you deem the end result a mistake or failure. But don’t call it a waste if you got anything out of it that will make you stronger or better the next time you put down a mark.

7. Before you decide a sketch or page in your journal is a complete failure, give it time. Often, when we are in the throes of creating and something doesn’t turn out like the perfect picture in our mind’s eye, we judge our results as lacking, wrong, or as a mistake. Turn the page and go on with another sketch. After a few days or weeks have passed, take another look at it. Many times, when that perfect image in our mind has faded, the work in front of us is often better than we thought.

Puffin Doodle
I have no idea what happened with his legs!

8. Being afraid of making a mistake won’t stop it from happening. How many of us have not put in a darker line or a background or added words to the page because we feared messing it up? I dare say most us. What’s the price? A piece we know could be better if we were just brave enough to take that next step. If we hold back enough, we eventually erode our self-confidence.

9. Sometimes we have to learn what NOT to do by doing it. Yeah, it sucks, but the bottom line is there is no teacher like experience. It’s kinda like getting your fingers burnt after being told not to touch something hot. You don’t forget it. Some lessons are like that and it’s necessary to learn the hard way, but you learn. Don’t let the fear of learning the hard way stop you. Keep creating.

10. Do not feed the fear [of making mistakes]. If you find yourself obsessing over making a mistake or messing up on a piece of art you really, really like, ask yourself what is the worst that can happen. You totally destroy the piece and get your artistic license revoked. Then ask yourself what’s the best that can happen. You create a gorgeous piece of art and go on to win the most prestigious prize in the country and world acclaim. Now, decide where you want to put your energy and efforts. You’ve got at least a 50/50 chance of being right!

11. So you took a chance and totally bungled the page, now what? Go play. Seriously, all expectations are gone. You’re ready to tear the page out of your book anyway. This is the best possible opportunity to play and experiment with some new idea or technique that you don’t want to try on a “good” page. Do something fun or outrageous or different. What do you care if it works out at this point? You were going to tear the page out the book anyway!

12. Is it a mistake or is it an imperfection? How many times have you bought a garment that had a tag saying something about how the imperfections were part of the nature of the fabric? What about a piece of pottery that was prized for the imperfections? It’s not just semantics. It’s how you think of the matter that is important. Learn the difference.

13. Did you fail? Fail better the next time. Much as when you learned to walk, each time you got up and tried again, you did a little better. So it goes with art. Embrace the opportunity to learn and make a new, different mistake the next time so you can learn from that one, and the next one, and so on.

Fear is often the end result of having made mistakes or failing. This type of fear can paralyze your efforts to be creative, stunt your growth, or at the very least, slow it down. Fear of this nature often sounds rational, reasonable and very adult-like when it whispers in the back of your mind that you don’t want to put pen or pencil to the page because you’re just wasting time and materials or you might mess up. Again.

If you’d listened to that voice as a baby, you’d still be lying on your back waiting for someone to come along and roll you over!

I hope you’ll join me on Saturday, November 8th for An Introduction To Art Journaling: An Imaginary Visit To The Farmer’s Market! We’ll be learning about drawing, page layouts, lettering and adding texture from unique objects.