A Note to Our Inner Critics

If you're an artist of any kind you're probably very familiar with your inner critic. Some mornings that obnoxious alter ego throws a spoonful of self doubt in your mocha latte and you're suddenly convinced every other artist out there has it all figured out. Whatever "it all" is. It seems they've got their style nailed down perfectly, they know all the right techniques, they're always on trend, yadda yadda. And then you look at your stuff and feel like it's all ridiculous and that you're a big fat sell out who doesn't know a good design from a hole in the ozone layer. So you throw your hands up and pout and see what's on TV.

Oh we've all been there. I have trash bins full of wadded up paper and more than one empty bag of Oreos to prove it. But I'm here to part with a dirty little secret. All of those artists (that you're sure have everything under control and wrapped up in neat little designer boxes in their uber clean and organized studios) are all prone to the same self doubt. Their inner critic kicks their butt from time to time also. But no one ever talks about it. What they do is sit at their drawing boards guarding all of their tricks of the trade and hoping no one ever realizes that they're just creating and hoping for the best.

What I've discovered (rather recently) is that none of it really matters. It doesn't matter if you're trendy, using the right color palette for the season, occasionally deviating from your style, etc. What really matters is that you're creating and you're doing it in your own amazing way. That's the successful artist's secret. All you have to do is keep working and be genuine and things seem to come along. Honestly.

You are the trend setter and the style maker. You are the honest to goodness driving force behind the art. Don't try to be like someone else and don't worry about coming up with the most original ideas out there. It's all been done and you'll make yourself mad trying to find something that's never been thought of by anyone else. Be inspired by other artists but don't try to be them. It's impossible. Do what they do, but do it your way. What you'll find is that is the one and only way to be original, unique, genuine, honest, and pure. Do it like you would do it and see what happens next.

♥ Lisa

May Giving: RBCC

The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester’s mission is to provide support to those touched by a diagnosis of breast cancer, to make access to information and care a priority through education and advocacy, and to empower women and men to participate fully in decisions relating to breast cancer. [more here]

April Giving: Vital Voices

About Vital Voices:  http://www.vitalvoices.org

Our mission is to identify, invest in and bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities.
Vital Voices Global Partnership is the preeminent non-governmental organization (NGO) that identifies, trains and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them to create a better world for us all.

• We are at the forefront of international coalitions to combat human trafficking and other forms of violence against women and girls.
• We enable women to become change agents in their governments, advocates for social justice, and supporters of democracy and the rule of law.
• We equip women with management, business development, marketing, and communications skills to expand their enterprises, help to provide for their families, and create jobs in their communities.

Our international staff and team of over 1,000 partners, pro bono experts and leaders, including senior government, corporate and NGO executives, have trained and mentored more than 12,000 emerging women leaders from over 144 countries in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East since 1997. These women have returned home to train and mentor more than 500,000 additional women and girls in their communities. They are the Vital Voices of our time.

March Charity: Direct Relief

Direct Relief International provides medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people affected by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and around the world. Direct Relief works to support the work of healthcare providers in more than 70 countries, equipping them with the medicines, supplies, and equipment so they can care for their patients. http://www.directrelief.org

Minor Bends in Velvet Fine Art Paper

Unfortunately, postal carriers don't always pay mind to the big red "Do Not Bend" stamp I put on all of my packages. Sometimes, despite my best efforts, the stiff envelopes I ship 8x10s in could arrive slightly bent. Because your art is printed on the highest quality paper, hope is anything but lost. 

All of my prints are created on 100% cotton rag, velvet fine art paper - specifically MOAB Somerset Velvet 225 by Legion Paper. This is a high end paper with a fabric-like texture. Because of this awesome fabric quality, folds and bends caused by shipping are easy to remedy.

1. Gently bend the paper in the opposite direction of the bend, careful not to actually fold the paper itself.

2. Lay your print flat beneath a heavy book overnight.

3. Repeat if necessary.

This simple process is all you should need to fix any minor bend in your prints. Then they're ready to be framed and treasured for lifetimes. 

To date (after over a year and a half in business) I have only heard of bent packages on 2 or 3 occasions. This to me sounds like the inevitable percentage allotted by variation in quality of postal transportation. Having to resend a shipment here and there is not as costly as reworking the packaging with expensive backer boards or heavy print-sized boxes. And this savings is passed on to the customer through lower shipping charges. So, to make sure I have the best info available, I'm wondering how many of you have received bent prints? Did you find the above process worked for you? Would you pay another dollar or two for shipping in order to make sure this doesn't happen? Feel free to leave your answers in the comments or send me an email.

DIY Valentine Ideas

Valentine's Day is on its way again and I'm busy thinking about what I'm going to make for the hubby this year. We tend to lean less towards anything commercial and Hallmark-ish and instead make each other cards and sweets to go along with a nice romantic evening together. I've gathered some inspiration for a bunch of things that are pink, heart shaped, and lovey-dovey over at Pinterest with a board set aside for all things DIY Valentine. Some of my favorites include a tutorial on how to make Swedish fish and cute crocheted cards. Find more inspired and lovely ideas here!