by Linda | May 6, 2016 | my creative journal
This month I decided to watch the video interviews on CreativeLive by Chase Jarvis and get some daily inspiration, motivation and wisdom. I’ve decided to blog about the series, logging my thoughts and takeaways…
Day 5 creative genius – Arianna Huffington.
We’ve all heard of the Huffington Post and this is the lady that helped to create it. Amazingly driven, she basically worked so much to the point that her body couldn’t take it and that “fail” was a turning point for her.
The conversation was mostly around how important sleep is for creativity and generally how it contributes and enables you to be your best self. I think we all know sleep is important, but it’s easy to be deprived when there’s just so much to do these days. I know that for me, the first thing that goes is usually sleep, because we want to make more time.
Heck, I go to sleep later because I want to watch these interviews. Ironic, huh?
Go deeper, not just transactional on the surface of things.
I really related to the discussion about how we can still go through the motion of things with lack of sleep. Zombie-like living basically, but in that state it’s pretty hard to go deeper – to that place where real Creativity with a capital C comes from. I totally get that.
I remember reading Power Sleep back in my college days, because Maas is a professor at Cornell where I attended. And yes the science tells us how much difference sleep does make and that we all have to figure out what our ideal sleep time is… but even though I was thoroughly convinced… it’s still difficult to put all the knowledge to practice in our hectic lives.
After becoming a mom, it’s even more difficult with the constant interruptions to nighttime sleep when caring for young children. As with all things, Huffington and Jarvis both talk about how we just have to take it bit by bit and improve our habits. It won’t happen overnight (lol, is that a pun about sleep or what?)
Incremental change, no matter how small, will still be a step in the right direction.
That’s my major takeaway from the interview.
You can also watch this interview series by signing up for FREE – 30 Days of Genius at CreativeLive. Enjoy!
* Please note the links to CreativeLive are affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). It’s always free to watch on CreativeLive, but you can choose to buy video courses as well. All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
by Linda | May 5, 2016 | my creative journal
This month I decided to watch the video interviews on CreativeLive by Chase Jarvis and get some daily inspiration, motivation and wisdom. I’ve decided to blog about the series, logging my thoughts and takeaways…
Day 4 creative genius – Tim Ferriss.
I have heard of Tim Ferriss and all his awesomeness, but oddly enough have never really dived into his work, books or podcast. Guess I’m not in with the cool kids, because he’s definitely an interesting person with a lot of great advice. I enjoyed the conversation and took away some general big nuggets of wisdom.
Celebrate the small wins.
Alleviate performance anxiety by setting the bar low, so that you can overshoot it. Interesting. Usually we hear about setting the bar high so you can reach farther than you ever would. But I get the point that sometimes you don’t want to scare yourself away, so it makes sense for when you are doing something new. You need to gain momentum and confidence, before you challenge yourself with higher goals. It’s about making it easy.
Step back and see the big picture.
When Ferriss talks to Jarvis about the topic of meditation and mindfulness, ultimately he’s talking about seeing the big picture. If we are able to step back and see the whole scene, we can make the right decisions. It’s about quality not quantity as well. Working where it matters and makes sense, not just battering everything all around senselessly. I get the idea… it certainly applies for when we feel really busy and frazzled, yet not really reaching the goals we care about.
Routine will save you.
There’s a big section where both Jarvis and Ferriss go through their morning routine or evening rituals. And it’s not really the details of how one person does it that matters… it’s the fact that they have routines or rituals. I agree that when you don’t have to think about what to do, you just do it automatically, it makes life easier.
Time and time again we hear about people wanting to get into the habit of xyz. It’s because habits seem effortless. You are just programmed to do it. Wouldn’t it be great if all the things you had to do and want to do… were all habits?! I really thought on this tidbit for a long while and realizing how the discipline of living on a schedule or routine could simplify and de-stress our lives. I suppose the key is to come up with YOUR perfect routine?
You can also watch this interview series by signing up for FREE – 30 Days of Genius at CreativeLive. Enjoy!
* Please note the links to CreativeLive are affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). It’s always free to watch on CreativeLive, but you can choose to buy video courses as well. All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
by Linda | May 4, 2016 | my creative journal
This month I decided to watch the video interviews on CreativeLive by Chase Jarvis and get some daily inspiration, motivation and wisdom. I’ve decided to blog about the series, logging my thoughts and takeaways…
Day 3 creative genius – Marie Forleo.
I’ve been a fan of Marie for a long time and just love how personable and high energy she is when sharing her knowledge. There were many yummy nuggets of wisdom throughout the interview – go watch it! But if I must choose, here are some big takeaways that hit me…
Intuition
Trust your gut and follow your intuition. It’s what our moms and grandmas tell us and perhaps because it’s darn right! Often we have these feelings, yet we question ourselves. It really makes me think about how we need to know ourselves well and listen to our own voice. To trust ourselves and our judgement. If it doesn’t feel right, then there is something fishy.
Everything is figure-outable
Marie says this a lot, if you know or have followed her for a while. It’s just like a mantra that if you really want to do something, you’ll figure out a way. Be industrious and try, try again. Be creative.
Wouldn’t it be cool if?
Love this question! To motivate and inspire, just do a brainstorm using that question… very cool. I love it because it’s so simple, yet so good. If we follow that path, we will create what is needed in this world.
No to compare-schlager
Comparison drives us all down and social media can be poison. Yup. Marie talks about how we can feel like a failure due to the comparison game and it’s just all BS. Social media? It’s curated. Obviously. It’s like models in magazines. We know it’s photoshopped, yet it still makes us criticize ourselves. It’s toxic behavior, right? I love the point of needing to create before we consume. It will help to put us in a better place, before going out and seeing all that others create. I know that when I’m feeling stressed or down, creation always gets me happier. Scrolling facebook or instagram instead, doesn’t. There you go.
You can also watch this interview series by signing up for FREE – 30 Days of Genius at CreativeLive. Enjoy!
* Please note the links to CreativeLive are affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). It’s always free to watch on CreativeLive, but you can choose to buy video courses as well. All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
by Linda | May 3, 2016 | my creative journal
This month I decided to watch the video interviews on CreativeLive by Chase Jarvis and get some daily inspiration, motivation and wisdom. I’ve decided to blog about the series, logging my thoughts and takeaways…
Day 2 creative genius – Seth Godin.
Super famous – guru status – a million different amazing ideas – someone I have followed for so darn long and still in awe of his wisdom. No doubt there were many takeaways from this interview. Many might be ideas that you have heard in some form before, but Godin just puts it out there so succinctly, you can’t help but listen.
The discussion also goes a lot into our education system – the good, the bad and how CreativeLive and altMBA are changing the way education and learning are happening today. Here are the big takeaways for me from the talk…
There is no secret.
Word. Definitely the reality of it all. There is no secret to success, it’s just hard work. You don’t need permission or anything special to do something great… so don’t fool yourself into thinking you just haven’t found the right tip or network or whatever. So true, because it’s easier to find some issue to blame, rather than to just keep at it.
Don’t take notes… Be present!
I was feeling a bit sheepish when Godin talks about this… since I was listening to CreativeLive, taking notes. Hmm. But I get what he is talking about. The point is to really engage. I get it.
Will You Be Missed, If You Are Gone?
It might seem a bit harsh, especially for those who work in an arena that isn’t life or death, survival. Because in a cynical world, no one will be missed… for long anyway. But the question simply helps to direct all that we do. Will it be missed? Because if the answer is yes, it means that it is worth the effort and should be sent out into the world. Go for it.
Create change for the better.
Because ultimately that’s what it’s all about. You make something and it’s success because you have changed something for the better. It applies to the everyday amazingly simple stuff as well as the massively world-changing stuff.
Such low cost to keep playing. Bound out of bed…
I wholeheartedly agree that we live in a day and age that makes it pretty easy to access education and materials to work at our passions. We have to take a positive outlook on life and jump out of bed, because we want to do! This is something I’ve gleaned from reading The Miracle Morning as well. The point is about really wanting to dive into your day, full of possibility. Wisdom. Amen.
You can also watch by signing up for the FREE video series – 30 Days of Genius at CreativeLive!
* Please note the links to CreativeLive are affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). It’s always free to watch on CreativeLive, but you can choose to buy video courses as well. All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
by Linda | May 2, 2016 | my creative journal
This month I decided to watch the video interviews on CreativeLive by Chase Jarvis and get some daily inspiration, motivation and wisdom. I’ve decided to blog about the series, logging my thoughts and takeaways…
Day 1 creative genius – Mark Cuban.
Impressive resume. Cuban definitely comes off as a power CEO type to me and almost a bit intimidating. But as the talk goes on you see how personable and down to earth he is. I was not really aware of him since I did not follow the Shark Tank series (more difficult here in Italy!) but I certainly knew of name Mark Cuban.
His talk includes a lot of good ‘ole fashioned nuggets of wisdom that are often talked about when it comes to the topic of creative inspiration.
The hustle or the grind as Cuban says… it’s always happening whether you are a small business or many big businesses like himself. He talks about the need to keep learning and truthfully outwork everyone else. Perseverance and stamina. He goes into a lot of sports analogies since that’s one of his loves.
Cuban also talks about operating lean. This is a guy that can buy pretty much everything, but he mentions ramen noodle days and living in an apartment with six guys. The less bills you have to worry about the better… true dat!
There were basically three takeaways from the talk that struck me the most. I’m a work-at-home mom with young kids, so it’s not that I can literally apply everything he talks about. But these three big takeaways I think can apply to all situations alike.
Family first.
When Cuban talks about his normal day, the first thing is about getting his kids ready for school and making sure all is well. He’s a Dad first thing. What a great reminder. We all know that family is priority, but it certainly helps to be reminded constantly, because that smartphone is just a little too convenient to check. I also have to remind myself to take care of my kids first and not get distracted checking email or whatever else in the morning. It’s just not the best way to start the day. When my kids are happy and I can send them off with a smile and a happy disposition, that is a good start.
One thing in life you can control – your effort.
Everyone talks about hustling and doing the work, whatever your passion might be. We all know that is takes skill, talent and time – for any endeavor. But Cuban really hits the nail on the head regarding this one point about your effort. It’s one thing you CAN control… so go at it to the max. You can’t control the future, the times, what other people think or the ultimate result because there are a million factors involved. But your effort, yup, you are in control. So true.
Reduce the stress of those around you.
Finally, Cuban talked about how ultimately things are going well if you can reduce the stress of those around you. When the situation is smooth, it means you are doing your job well. The people who cause issues, ruffle up feathers and create drama – stress inducing habits and all, are no good. A great mantra to live by and rule to remember when thinking about who you spend your time with!
Even though it seems like Mark Cuban is in this oh-so-far-away world of big corporate deals and fast paced finances and businesses, I’ve taken away really great lessons that can be applied to my little world of designing art and paper goods and so I’m already loving this interview series! Excited to learn more in the days to come. You can also watch by signing up for the FREE video series – 30 Days of Genius at CreativeLive!
Until tomorrow and if you want to know more about what I do you can read the quick interview of me on TaraSwiger.com.
* Please note the links to CreativeLive are affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). It’s always free to watch on CreativeLive, but you can choose to buy video courses as well. All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
by Linda | May 1, 2016 | my creative journal
Creatives, need a genius to help you ignite your passions?
You better sign up for the FREE video series 30 Days of Genius at CreativeLive!
* Please note the links to CreativeLive are affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). It’s always free to watch on CreativeLive, but you can choose to buy video courses as well. All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
I’m always up for listening to wisdom from those who have achieved success and I can’t wait to hear what Richard Branson, Stefan Sagmeister, Marie Forleo, Arianna Huffington, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Austin Kleon (just reviewed his book here) and many more have to say this upcoming month.
Chase Jarvis is hosting an interview series with 30 genius guests to help ignite some inspiration and motivation with some good ‘ole fashioned talk. Not to mention there’s the chance to also win mentorship from Chase and 4 of the guests! Amazing, huh?
I’m planning on listening daily and blogging about what I’ve learned after each interview.
Creative talks are my kind of thing! I’m totally looking forward to it. How about you?
by Linda | Apr 25, 2016 | my creative journal
With the Pattern Observer Book Club members, this month (or rather in one day) I finished reading Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon.
* Please note this post has affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
I’ve been a longtime fan of Austin Kleon, who is well known for his blackout poems. It’s actually really fun to try for yourself and I’ve always had fun doing so when playing in my art journal, see below.
I’ve been following him for quite some time and it was no surprise that his books are popular with the creative crowd. I’ve already read Steal Like An Artist and knew it would be easy to read Show Your Work!
To be honest, I don’t think you are going to learn a whole lot of new stuff from him books – at least if you are a creative junkie and have probably read many creativity-type books. It’s actually pretty funny, since his work is based on “stealing work” so it should be no surprise that his ideas have been around.
Obviously, if you are unfamiliar I don’t mean that he plagiarizes! His point about stealing work is more about how there is nothing original and we all build upon our influences and the masters before us. It’s actually part of the process. So Kleon certainly presents the ideas in his own way, with his own examples.
The thing about Kleon’s writing is that it’s really easy to digest. It’s like going out for a cup of coffee with a friend that decides to tell you about the 10 reason why you should show your work. It’s straightforward, easy to understand – simple. As I’ve mentioned, you can definitely read through his books in a sitting! Where you take it from there is up to you.
My takeaways in quote form include:
the best way to flourish is to retain an amateur’s spirit and embrace uncertainty and the unknown.
“You’d like to think that nearly getting killed would be a permanently life-altering experience,” Kreider writes, but “the illumination didn’t last.”
But whatever the nature of your work, there is an art to what you do, and there are people who would be interested in that art, if only you presented it to them in the right way.
Of course, don’t let sharing your work take precedence over actually doing your work.
thing about keeping notebooks is that you have to revisit them in order to make the most out of them. You have to flip back through old ideas to see what you’ve been thinking.
Don’t feel guilty about the pleasure you take in the things you enjoy.
“When shown an object, or given a food, or shown a face, people’s assessment of it-how much they like it, how valuable it is- is deeply affected by what you tell them about it.”
most of life is messy, uncertain, and illogical
The Vampire Test works on many things in you lives, not just people
Keep your balance. You have to remember that your work is something you do, not who you are.
We all have to get over our “starving artist” romanticism and the idea that touching money inherently corrupts creativity.
Yet a life of creativity is all about change – moving forward, taking chances, exploring new frontiers.
Even if it’s not all brand new ideas, I’ve definitely taken away good nuggets of wisdom from the book and enjoyed the quick read – satisfying!
If you would like a quick and easy read to get you inspired on how sharing your creative work can be simple and straightforward, definitely check out Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon.
More resources:
* Please note this post has affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
by Linda | Apr 14, 2016 | DIY printables
Happy Spring to everyone! Just a friendly notice that I’ve released a set of journaling cards – totally screaming springtime cuteness, don’t you think? It’s a freebie included in my guest post on DigiscrapHQ about printing digital supplies. Definitely check out my tips and download the freebie printables to craft with – enjoy!
by Linda | Apr 14, 2016 | my creative journal
The idea came to me and instead of over analyzing the thought, I decided to just go for it. I started a Facebook group to share links to printables for all of us crafty folks! The idea is to share quality designed printables (ahem, like my own) and build up a community, so we can share and have fun together.
If you’re crafty and you know it, you’ll love this group! Please come on over and join I heart printables on Facebook!
by Linda | Apr 12, 2016 | my creative journal
As part of the Pattern Observer Book Club, we dove into a #1 New York Times best-seller all about decluttering and organizing.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
* Please note this post has affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
Marie Kondo is super famous for her KonMari Method and although the title is certainly claiming a lot for a little book, I was curious to read for myself and see what the fuss was all about. Kondo is a consultant in Japan, helping folks declutter and organize their homes. She has a long waiting list for her services and has never had a client revert back to their messy ways – wowsers! I was intrigued for sure.
I wouldn’t consider myself a big shopper, but I still struggle with clutter. How in the world did I end up with so much stuff?! I’ve moved from the USA to Italy, bringing bare essentials, so really I have cluttered myself up in a short time. I certainly wouldn’t mind getting organized and above all, having that sense of lightness, free from all the material possessions around. I totally feel that physical clutter does contribute to mental clutter.
Although hopeful, I was skeptical diving into the book. Kondo sounds a bit kooky and some might start to think of her as a crazy old lady as she talks about thanking your socks – she’s not kidding. But as I turned the pages, her voice started to turn into a charming character, comical, but also authoritative. I started to imagine her as an anime character advising me on organization.
Turns out the book is less about tips and tricks, but more about the philosophy of stuff. If we change the way we see our possessions then ultimately it is pretty straightforward when it comes to sustaining a clutter-free environment.
In a nutshell, her method is about getting all the stuff you own by category in front of you physically, so you can go through and ask yourself if it “sparks joy.” If not, get rid of it. For all the things that remain, you put them in their place and maintain. Obviously easier said than done, huh?
She gives tips on the process and dives deep into the various categories of possessions, bringing in examples from her experience and her clients. The method is extreme – like her policy on papers is to discard them all. LOL. I chuckled about the impossibility of that. But of course she dives in deeper to explain and the types of papers to deal with.
I’ve definitely gained a lot from reading the book, but I have to say it’s still going to take some time for me to apply everything. Tackling my wardrobe was relatively easy, perhaps because I’m pretty basic with clothing and had no trouble letting things go. Now it’s all about upkeep and I can’t say that I always keep up. I know pants are supposed to go in the pant drawer, but sometimes a pile of clean laundry does sit awhile before getting put away.
Now tackling other categories hasn’t been so easy. Her method requires you to do things in full sweeps, so you can’t just do a bit or do a drawer. But regardless of if you can apply her method full force in a few days or months, I still think it’s been helpful to gain insight on a new philosophy about the stuff we own.
I’ve learned how to better discard unwanted things, to truly treasure what I have, the fine art of folding clothes and how great it feels to purge and see only things that I really love. All the other stuff, hmm… I can’t even remember much of the discarded, so obviously they were not that important at all. Exactly.
If you would like an easy read on a different and distinctly unique view of decluttering and organizing, definitely check out The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
* Please note this post has affiliate links. That means if you purchase after clicking through, I might receive a small commission (at no cost to you). All opinions are my own and thank you for supporting me!
