by Linda | Nov 21, 2011 | my creative journal
I’m an A4 paper size scrapper…because it happens to be the normal paper size here in Europe. This means I can print my own scrapbook paper pretty easily, using the borderless printing setting. It works pretty well and gives me instant gratification, especially for easy design backgrounds. Word jumbles, vintage textures and music note pages are quick and easy to print out, without emptying your entire ink cartridge.
Since most scrappers work in the 12″x12″ size, unless you have a large format printer, I realize it’s not going to be easy to print your own paper at home. In fact, I’ve heard of the printing and cutting machines that haven’t exactly made a splash in the scrapbooking consumer industry. I suppose, it’s just too much trouble and takes up too much ink.
Despite the limitations, I still think printing at home gives you power and choice! You can print out backing papers when you only need a small piece. Or if you need a photomat, you can actually just print the frame part that will show, saving ink. There are a lot of applications and possible uses, so don’t discount the print at home technique. It’s part of your toolbox – it’s an option! Have you tried printing at home? Any tips or tricks?
by Linda | Nov 20, 2011 | my creative journal
I bought de Kooning: An American Master (affiliate link to Amazon) a while back, started reading it but was interrupted for whatever reason and literally forgot about on my dusty bookshelf. I’ve always been a fan of de Kooning’s work and actually posted about it last year. Having heard good reviews for the book, I was excited to dive into it. Sort of a behind the scenes chronicle of a great artist’s life… not to mention he was a master that actually struggled with doubt – a feature that makes me want to learn more. I feel now that he seems more human, not just a master that is put up on a pedestal to admire. I’ve also seen various works by him that seem so different and so I wanted to learn more about his work as well.
I’ve only read a little bit about de Kooning’s beginnings and childhood, but already gaining perspective on the hard work and dramatic journey of his life. It’s a hefty book, so hopefully I can get myself to schedule proper reading time. I don’t want to let it collect more dust…because I’m certain it will be helpful to dive into de Kooning’s world. Wish me luck.
by Linda | Nov 19, 2011 | my creative journal
So I’m done reading The War of Art (affiliate link to Amazon)
because it’s such a short book – quick read! Turns out that it’s nothing like The Artist’s Way, besides a bit of religious/spiritual talk.
I felt that it was a description of why we resist doing things and a comparison of amateur versus pro… ending with his thoughts on the muse/genius/etc… but in the end it doesn’t really enlighten in terms of how one might beat the issues and get creative. I suppose, you should apply what you have read in terms of what a professional does. So ultimately he says you just got to do it and the creativity will flow.
True, but also easier said than done – which I suppose it also another point of the book. I dunno. Not sure if the thoughts have made a huge difference or if I have just procrastinated myself by reading the book. But it’s short enough that perhaps it was worth simply exploring these issues.
Perhaps what bothers me about the themes of the book… is the idea that there’s this magically force – our Muse or God that does the magically stuff. We are just vessels. Sounds lovely, but I don’t like feeling as if I don’t really matter. That the “magic” can go through anyone – even if it’s semantics like “anyone can cook”… it just doesn’t sit well with me. It puts a sarcastic expression on my face and say “hmm…i dunno…” Am I being egotistical, selfish and ultimately simply procrastinating? Sigh…
by Linda | Nov 17, 2011 | my creative journal
When it was first released as part of Seth Godin‘s Domino Project, I quickly read through Steven Pressfield’s super short book, Do the Work
. Although it’s probably not rocket science information in the creative world, I really connected with what he was saying and loved his “pep talk” style of writing. Simply put, we all know that it takes action and hard work to get something done. But breaking down the issues and problems that come up along the creative process helps me to deal with and overcome them, too.
So it’s been on my list for a while to read his more well known book, The War of Art (affiliate link to Amazon). I’ve downloaded it to my kindle and looking forward to more creative insight on this crazy thing called the creative process. The artistic genius, the creative beast, the starving artist… Art has such a dramatic reputation, don’t you think?
Although the book seems like it could be similar to The Artist’s Way, I know it’s not in a workshop style, plus I like the voice in which Pressfield writes…so I think it can only be a helpful thing to read the darn book. Have you read it? What do you think?
by Linda | Nov 16, 2011 | my creative journal
Lots of gratitude to my kindle, because I’ve managed to read a lot more than normally these past months. I’m definitely getting reading more into my normal day routine and perhaps one day I can get back to my teenaged years of devouring books by the dozen. For now, I’ve finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (affiliate link to Amazon) – I had started in October and posted about. Although you might think I’m probably the slowest reader in the world, I’m happy to have gotten through the book. How’s that for a happiness project?
I think of the book as a bit like The Artist’s Way that I’ve posted about before. It’s definitely a record of Gretchen’s year-long happiness project, but she shares her insights and experiences in hopes to inspire you to start your own happiness project. So you can definitely use it as a guide to go through a year of various happiness resolutions. I’ve definitely drawn out a lot of “food for thought” tid bits from the book. By no means a scientific approach to understanding the science of happiness – I had kind of hoped for more mentions of studies about happiness (listening to Radio Lab too much perhaps…) In reality, the book is more like a crafty DIY guide, documenting a year of happiness boosting attempts. I like it!
I don’t know if I can take on a project of that sort right now in my life, but just by reading the book I’ve gained insight. I think most of all, it’s about being more aware of what we do, how we do it and how we feel. I’ve certainly stopped more than once to think about what really makes me happy. What activities contribute to my happiness and how I can reduce crabbiness and grumpiness. I feel that I’m already more in tune and attentive to my own behavior. Even when it’s a bit too late to take back what I say, at least I can immediately say sorry and correct myself. Sometimes I feel like I missed all of this education and experience as a kid… maybe we should be teaching our kids these happiness ways of living, huh? It’s just a really interesting way to think about happiness and living.
Turns out there’s a whole website setup for people to start their happiness projects, according to how Gretchen approached it. If you are interested, definitely check out the book and the website for more info. Cheers!
