There is still much to be done
Posted by Amy on Monday March 5, 2012
Happy Monday everyone!
I’m going through the comments left by participants of our 2012 survey and I just wanted to say that you are CRAZY AMAZING.
Thank you for being so generous with your thoughts and constructive comments!
There’s a lot of work that I want to do for Pikaland and it seems that having conversations in my mind alone is never sufficient, and it’s why I have these yearly surveys – because I want Pikaland to grow and evolve. And also, most importantly because this place has become much about YOU, as it is about me and my thoughts on art and illustration.
There’s so much work to do, so I better get cracking!
Have a great week ahead folks!
Image by Brent Schoepf discovered via Pinterest
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5 Popular posts
Posted by Amy on Thursday December 29, 2011
It has been a rather productive year here on Pikaland, and we’re just talking about the posts! We know that some of you may not have been able to catch up, but here’s a tip – inspiration-based posts and discussions are held every Monday, and it’s something I’d love to continue into the new year.
So without further ado, here’s a top 5 list of posts that gathered quite a few feedback from our readers and is also among my favorites so far:
1. Why artists and illustrators should get a job
Here I share about what I still do to keep food on my table while I keep Pikaland running; and what you can do too.
2. Why artists and illustrators should blog
Keeping a blog is going to change the way you look at your work and connect with others. And no literary-prize winning writing skills needed at all!
I made up a list of 100 things to draw – for fun. Available as a free downloadable PDF!
4. Copycats and lessons we can learn
Take a leaf from the fashion industry and see what you can do about copycats. Hint: it’s a new way of thinking about the issue at hand! See also Creativity, competition and copycats.
5. Illustration and innovation
Don’t just do what’s current – experiment, fail often and throw lots of ideas around!
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And whoa! Can you believe it’s a mere two more days before 2012 is here? I’ve resolved to draw more, and you can see some of my work in progress over at Instagram (my username is pikaland!)
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If not now, then when?
Posted by Amy on Monday December 19, 2011
If you’ve held back on doing something, whether it’s kickstarting your own business or if you’re hesitant about typing out that first post on your new blog, isn’t it about time you started? December is ending soon, and there’s nothing like the smell of a new year, inching along quickly to kick yourself into gear.
I’m asking myself the same question on a daily basis these days – the question is, are you?
Happy Monday folks!
{Typo+quota+graphy by WordBoner (be warned, there are some profanity in their work!)}
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Free your mind and the rest will follow
Posted by Amy on Monday December 12, 2011
So I lied last week.
I wanted to check into the blog and write a post on Friday, but I decided that it would be nice to not do work at all (since I already told myself to take the weekend off!). It was hard at first – my hands were twitching to go on my laptop and I was going against every bone in my body, but let me tell you – for just those few days, I let my mind wander.
And it was so worth it.
Taking a break, no matter if it’s small or even unexpected, can bring about great things. I’d like to think that I’m good at switching off; and it’s mostly due to necessity because if I don’t do so, I’d probably die of exhaustion. So how do I flip that off switch?
Well, it’s pretty simple – I dump out whatever’s in my head:
- I use a week-by-week calendar, with everything written down – deadlines, projects, timelines, to-dos, etc. And I tick them off when I’m done, otherwise next week I’ll be writing the same thing down until it gets done.
- I use Google Calendar, and I set reminders to let me know when I have events lined up.
- I dump my links and discoveries into Delicious.
- I make notes in my Springpad.
- I have a continuous list of groceries that I add to (on my phone, so that it stays with me wherever I go) so that I won’t forget what to grab at the supermarket the next time I am there.
Freeing up the space in my brain allows it to work better and more efficiently. I liken it to a computer, where if too many applications are open, it crashes. So I make sure not to have to constantly remind myself about things (Google will so that for me), or keep a running list in my mind of things to do (my journal has them). Having more space in my mind allows me to be creative at the drop of a hat.
You should try it – do a brain dump today!
Happy Monday folks!
{Image via Headspace}
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