* 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:
Austin Kleon website – I recommend signing up for his newsletter if you want links to interesting bits each week
I also read his original book Steal Like An Artist and it’s another quick and easy ready for some inspiration and motivation!
* 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!
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!
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.
* 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!
Bullet journaling is all the rage now, but it’s been around for many years.
I remember stumbling upon the website and watching the video, but my brain just sort of shut off with the explanation, as simple as it might be… I thought, “Oif, I don’t want to learn another system… I’m overwhelmed already!”
As a busy working mom with two young kids, I’m constantly feeling frazzled.
This is a feeling ever since I became a mother… and it doesn’t seem like it’s going away anytime soon. I yearn to be organized and on top of things – from business to household to personal goals. And it seems there are plenty of busy moms who are kicking butt out there. But I seem to struggle with every step and I always find myself behind and feeling inadequate.
I realize it might simply be a state of mind, because we will always have a million things to do – that’s just life!
But the point is that I need to change something, so that I feel better about it all. Perhaps it’s about awareness and perspective. I currently use a mix of digital and paper planning… and basically too many post-it notes. It’s a mess! I also find myself thinking of “planning” as another chore. Although I ventured into creating my own planner pages and templates, I’m realizing it’s not really about the tools, it’s the system that’s not working.
I need simplification and I was led back to the bullet journal.
I like the fundamental idea of getting everything into one notebook, plus it’s supposed to be super flexible with lots of room to grow and change. Seems like a framework taken from useful tidbits of other systems in the past like Dash/Plus, indexing, freeform journaling, etc all rolled into one.
There’s also a million blog posts about how each person uses the system and how they might have customized it to their own unique needs.
Not to mention another million youtube flip-throughs and tip videos. I really enjoyed reading Boho Berry’s posts and tips, especially the point about migrating tasks and how the “planning” and writing of things forces reflection. Usually I have so many lists, they just keep growing and growing. That’s not really a sustainable way to keep a list… there’s a limit where just looking at it makes my brain want to explode. And unfortunately that’s what makes me turn away…
So I don’t know for certain if the bullet journal will work for me, but I get the concept, I like it… so I MUST try it to see if it works.
I decided to stop thinking too much (get past analysis paralysis) and just do it – consequently joining in on Boho Berry’s #bbActionChallenge.
I know some critics say it’s a waste of time to be numbering pages, indexing and migrating by hand on paper – in this oh, so, digital age. But I also thought, paper planners are the rage and besides being trendy it might be because it actually works. There’s something to be said about writing on paper with your hands. It sinks in differently for our brains. Not to mention the time it does take up, forces one to slow down and really focus and reflect on the items being written… going back to my point earlier. Again, time will tell.
I don’t want to be overwhelmed.
So I’m thinking it’s best to start super SUPER simple. I don’t want to set myself up for failure by diving in too deep and having a million logs and things I can’t keep track of, even if it’s just one notebook. So I have to think of the bare essentials to start with.
The sad thing is that I dived in so quickly that my notebook was backwards. Yes. I opened it upside down, backwards and started my index page, future log and daily. DOH! I was oh so tempted to rip it all apart and go whimper about being seriously out of sorts.
You know how you can have the best of intentions but when things go awry, it really makes you want to curse and throw in the towel? That’s was me.
But I took some deep breaths and thought, okay, this is a test. It’s not about being fancy or pretty… it’s about making it work. So who cares if it’s upside down. Just go with it! So albeit my cringing and heartache for how silly and boring it all looks… I’m keeping with it.
I need to remember this is not the time or place for creative stuff… at least not right now, for me. I need to get organized first… fun can come later. There’s so much inspiration out there and super pretty bullet journalers… but I need to keep the focus.
Right now everything is pretty much empty for me, but I did start compiling all my notes into it, so I can throw away post-its and random scraps of papers with lists. Sort of braindump style… hopefully I can deal when I’m finished…
I really enjoyed A Tiny Ray of Sunshine’s posts about bullet journaling, especially about the bullet journal addiction stages. It make me chuckle out loud! I would like to start with the simplify stage though and skip all the drama. Hah!
K.I.S.S is the way to go!
I’ve been thinking about how planning is such a huge topic and usually such a personal struggle for people. We want to plan and have things planned out… perhaps because it’s about being in control of things in this crazy world?
The only thing I’ve learned with life experience is that things rarely go as planned. In fact, I used to be a project manager and although managing teams is a bit different in the workplace, it was still an illusion to believe one could really be a master puppeteer.
There will always be things that are out of our control.
It seems that we can be organized and aware of the situation and possible situations, but there needs to be room for flexibility, change and plan b, c, d, e… etc! So although I have high hopes for my bullet journal adventure, I also need to remind myself that it can morph and change over time. So I really need to go with the flow, more than anything. That will probably help me the most to feel better about everything.
Oh please, wish me luck and I would appreciate any tips or suggestions from veteran BUJO folks out there – anything regarding bullet journaling.
My contributing post on the Petit a Petit blog is an inspiring art print riffing off the “infinity and beyond” theme. I also included a coordinating set of printable stationery in celebration of April National Letterwriting month.
It is pretty amazing how the internet can connect so many of us today. I was pleasantly surprised to virtually meet Cinzia from InstantlyItaly.com and was happy to participate in her interview blog series of expats living in Italy. You can hop on over to the post to read my thoughts on living here.
I agree with Cinzia that it is so interesting to hear the different perspectives on living in Italy and all about exploring the language, culture and history. In addition, I created the “Enjoy the ride!” printable with the pink Vespa above as a free download – so hop on over and check it out. Enjoy!
Continuing with Pattern Observer’s Book Club was really easy since I already was reading the book chosen for February. I’m hoping to develop a regular habit of reading in following the book club (albeit passively). I’m not always participating in the discussions, but I do want to document my reading – part accountability and part sharing of bits that really hit me and I want to remember.
For February we read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (affiliate link to Amazon.com) and it’s a really easy to read and quick to finish book. I love her stories intertwined with the subject, even though like last month, creative junkies might not find anything new in the discussion of creativity. The concepts and topics are probably forever written about in books, blogs and papers. However, I really like the style of Gilbert’s writing is like her talking to you about this fascinating topic and having a marathon, overnight discussion.
That’s my kind of thing for sure! She’s also opening up to everyone – not just for people who want to go into a creative profession. I like her simple and straightforward tone, very easy to relate to, so I enjoyed reading the book, cover to cover.
He told them that they must live their most creative lives as a means of fighting back against the ruthless furnace of this world. Most of all, though, he asked his students to be brave. Without bravery, he instructed, they would never be able to realize the vaulting scope of their own capacities.
Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?
The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them. The hunt to uncover those jewels – that’s creative living.
I’m talking about living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.
Because in the end, it’s all about the work
Because this is the other side of the contract wth creativity: If inspiration is allowed to unexpectedly enter you, it is also allowed to unexpectedly exit you.
…the artistic version of multiple discovery – a term used in the scientific community whenever two or more scientists in different parts of the world come up with the same idea at the same time…
Most of my writing life consists of nothing more than unglamorous, disciplined labor.
The idea of an external genius helps to keep the artist’s ego in check, distancing him somewhat from the burden of taking either full credit or full blame for the outcome of his work.
To even call somebody “a creative person” is almost laughably redundant; creativity is the hallmark of our species.
…creative entitlement simply means believing that you are allowed to be here, and that – merely be being here – you are allowed to have a voice and a vision of your own.
No matter how great your teachers may be, and no matter how esteemed your academy’s reputation, eventually you will have to do the work by yourself.
In conclusion, then, art is absolutely meaningless. It is, however, also deeply meaningful.
Holding yourself together through all the phases of creation is where the real work lies.
You must learn how to become a deeply disciplined half-ass.
…mere completion is a rather honorable achievement in its own right.
I admit it’s a sad situation. I’m lying in bed, nursing my baby and surfing the Web. This has been a bad habit of mine with both my kids, because I end up consuming a lot but creating nothing, subsequently feeling pretty negative as a result. Enter the gremlins.
It usually boils down to a scarcity mindset because I see all the amazing things people are creating and I’m jealous and sad that I’m not part of the crowd who seem to have so much success. Outcast feelings bring back bad memories of the social pressures from high school years – ugh, yuck! Have I still not outgrown that rubbish, yet? I beat myself up for not finding the time to do what I want, to create, to … I dunno… to be successful somehow.
I’m not just be a frazzled mom – I want to have another identity.
It’s a cycle of negativity for me and creates unnecessary stress in my life. I know it’s just negative thoughts swirling during a time of particular weakness, but it’s not easy to shut the gremlin voices in my head.
I really need to change things up.
So here I am blogging at 6am instead of just dropping back to sleep. I often write to myself in my head anyway and thought perhaps it will be better to actually write it out for real because at least I can say I did something!
So I don’t think I’m the only one with these feelings of envy and ultimately the mindset of lacking in life. The gremlin voice seems to proclaim that others have it good and they are the lucky ones. Alas, we can’t all be lucky… right?
But wait just a minute… I’m a grown up girl and honestly, I know this funk is just getting the best of me. Successful people work hard to get success… It’s not luck. And there is so much possibility, it just takes time and effort.
So I started thinking about the abundance mentality because I know there are always opportunities, chances for change, improvement, wealth and success – whatever that may be to you – because, heck, we hear about people succeeding all the time. Every single day. Probably every second there is someone shouting eureka in some language… don’t you think? That’s what started this whole post… All the consumption through blogs, social media and videos on the Web and witnessing other people and their wins.
Instead of caving into the anxiety of feeling like a failure, comparing apples to oranges and the unnecessary pressure of it all, I need to think of abundance, possibility and amazing opportunities offered by this day in age with the wonderful Web. I CAN make it happen, too.
I need abundance mentality inspiration and motivation.
It’s about changing my perspective to having an outlook of great possibility. That there is enough for all of us and plenty of opportunity out there. Because my thought is that an inspiring mindset leads to motivation and hopefully the work – which is what really leads to results.
The mindset is crucially important though because we all need the mojo that gets us to actually DO stuff and keep at it.
So I thought of a 3 pillar step-by-step abundance mentality inspiration mantra to beat the scarcity gremlins in my head. Here it goes…
Gratitude
When negativity strikes – I need to quickly switch to thinking about all that I am grateful for. A roof over my head, a supportive husband, healthy kids, an amazing family, the fact that Nutella exists, coffee exists… Really so many things, big and small count, making this a good life. It’s about moving out of negativity into the positive realm of appreciation.
Good
Whatever is stirring up bad thoughts, I need to turn it over and around to find the good side… How can it be good for me personally? Where is the silver lining? Did I learn something? Maybe sometimes it’s about not following xyz person on social media because it doesn’t jive with me or help me at this time. That’s an important realization. No shame. Ultimately, what can I take away and work on to better my own life? Reframe the situation to good.
Greatness
Finally, do something and feel great. If I’ve learned anything in all these years of exploring creativity, it’s that creative action gives me good vibes and usually more mojo. Catalyst! So from negativity I want to move to the greatness of doing something. Even with the responsibilities of a mom with young kids, I can design beautiful cards for my Happy Print Club or just write a blog post like this one. I can still accomplish things and still have my own creative identity.
Maybe after reading about the successes of others I can implement a new biz technique or improve a little part of my online presence. Tweak here or there. Maybe the take away is that itls not something I actually want ir care about in the end. Or maybe it’s just baking feel-good cookies or throwing a load of laundry in to wash, because there is definitely greatness in taking care of my family and showing my love. It’s always a good idea to end with greatness!
I admit that writing this has given me clarity and yes, I did purposefully choose words starting with the letter G. It just worked out and now I can feel clever about it – hah!
From gremlins to gratitude, good and finally greatness. It’s my new mantra for turning envy into something productive.
After re-reading my post I decided to create a printable poster with this mantra to keep abundance and possibility top of mind. Nothing like a motivational printable to make my day! You can download the free printable in your paper size below by right clicking and saving to your computer.
If you like design printables and want my weekly email updates, sign-up for my newsletter here. I hope this mantra will help you during those challenging times when we all could use a little help. Enjoy and beat those gremlins!
So I’m curious, how do YOU avoid the negativity pitfall and get into an abundance mindset?
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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.
For February we read 
