Your Blog, Your Way: Part 11

Head on over to Create Mixed Media to read my 11th and last post in the series. What better way to finish than with a Celebration. 

Thank you to everybody who took the time to read through the posts. I hope that you found the information I shared helpful. And I hope that you are all well on your way to having Your Blog, Your Way.

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 10

Tenth post in my series on Create Mixed Media.

By cultivating the artist within and sharing our developing identities in our posts, we will be one step closer to creating a blog that by all definitions is a success.

Read more here...

Thoughts Dear Readers?

Since I started my series Your Blog, Your Way on Create Mixed Media, I have received emails from a number of people with specific questions about the process of creating and maintaining a blog. I recently received an email about an issue related to culture and language and thought that I would reach out to all of you for your opinions. If you have a moment, please read through this post and feel free to share your thoughts in a comment. I know there is one future blogger who will benefit greatly from your opinions but I imagine that there are other bloggers out there with the same set of questions.

The (paraphrased) brief:

"My mother tongue is French. I am torn between joining the Anglophone community of bloggers (very large) or the Francophone community (small). There is little done in French in the mixed media realm, so it would also be a matter of building the community. Or I thought I could blog in both languages. This could possibly provide me with a balance of joining an existing group and starting one of my own. However I wonder if the objective of writing one post in French and one in English is a good thing when it comes to continuity. At the moment I am not able to commit to more time wise, yet hesitate to let go of either language."

Thoughts dear readers?

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 9

Ninth post in my series on Create Mixed Media.

"Simply put, you become more creative with your blog (and with everything else) when you become more yourself, when you are open to being vulnerable and to sharing your ideas, your beliefs, and your creative energy, and when you stop listening to the voices that say you shouldn't and you can't."

Read more here...

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 8

Eighth post in my series on Create Mixed Media.

Click here to read how by Censoring, you can let your art do the talking. 

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 7

Seventh post in my series on Create Mixed Media.

Today's topic. Composition

Composition refers to the arrangement of the visual elements within a piece of art. Click here to find out how you can apply this concept to your blog.

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 6

Sixth post in my series on Create Mixed Media.

Today's topic: Comments

What did 46% of survey respondents answer to the question "The most typical reason I do not leave a comment on a blog post is..."? Click here to find out.

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 5

'The ideas for blog posts are as endless as your own creative imagination. And as artists, we are nothing if not creative.' Part 5 of my series Your Blog, Your Way is now posted at Create Mixed Media. Today's topic: the 'what' and 'how' of blog Content.

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 4

It is time for the fourth installment in my series 'Your Blog, Your Way' on Create Mixed Media. YBYW is designed to help you create a blog that is authentic to you but at the same time attracts a large readership. The theme for today's post is Community -- what it is and how to develop it.

And speaking of community...I am widening mine by creating an eNewsletter which will magically appear in your inbox. It will bring information to you about my upcoming book 'The Pulse of Mixed Media' from North Light Books, along with highlights of my artwork, publications, exhibitions, and Etsy shop. You can sign up for my mailing list on the sidebar of this blog or by clicking here.

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 3

Head on over to Create Mixed Media to read the third post in my series Your Blog, Your Way. YBYW is designed to help you create a blog that is both authentic to you and visited often by others. In this month's post, you will be introduced to the first two of the 10 Cs of Blogging: Consistency and Continuity. More survey results are revealed as well. And speaking of Cs...feel free to Comment here or on CMM and let me know what  you think of the posts so far and if there are any specific aspects of blogging you want to see addressed.

Three new survey questions have been added to the sidebar of my blog. Please head over and make your opinion known. Results will appear in a future Your Blog, Your Way post on Create Mixed Media.

Your Blog, Your Way: Part 2

What is your creative vision for your blog?

Visit Create Mixed Media to read the second post in my series Your Blog, Your Way and to see the first of your own responses to my ongoing artist survey.

The Sunday Paper

Three new survey questions are now on my sidebar. Head on over and have your say!

If you are participating in the newest edition of The Pulse, please remember that your responses are due on June 12th, one week from today. If you are interested in participating but have not yet signed on, there is still time. Email me at shap97@gmail.com for information.

The next post in my new series Your Blog, Your Way goes live this Tuesday 6/7 at Create Mixed Media. If you haven't yet seen the first post (or done your homework), you can find it here.

Sending out a thank you to kimalousartsyfinds for including Fides from my Making Waves series in her newest treasury Can't Stop Looking. Fides is available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.

I designated yesterday as a book only day. No art making, no blogging, no chores. Thanks to everybody who commented about this on my Facebook Page. I really enjoyed the books I revisited from my collection. I read them cover to cover and managed to go through seven books -- a drop in my library bucket. I found the day both mellow and exhilarating at the same time and it reminded me of what I did so much of before the days of the Internet. I recommend this 'Day of Books' to all and will definitely be scheduling another soon.

My reads...

Acrylic Revolution by Nancy Reyner: Filled with an endless number of well-explained techniques for acrylic paint and acrylic mediums but a resource for so much more as well. The two page 'essential acrylic tips' section alone is worth the price of admission.

Art Making, Collections & Obsessions by Lynne Perrella: What artist doesn't love to collect? And what could be better than page after page of collections, obsessions, studio shots, artwork, stories and quotes from 35 artists. Lynne Perrella knocked it out of the ballpark with this one.

Artists' Journals & Sketchbooks by Lynne Perrella: The perfect blend of gallery photos and how-to advice. This book is one of my favorites and has a ton of post-its marking pages to return to. There is a lot of inspiration to be found here and it is a great source of imaginative ideas.

Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media by L.K. Ludwig: I am all about the collaboration and this book highlights an endless array of collaborations that have been done by mixed media artists. There are great visuals but also the collaborative process is broken down step by step.

Art Making & Studio Spaces by Lynne Perrella: My third book by Lynne. Her books always tap into the most fascinating themes but more than that, she is simply a very talented writer. This book invites you into the studio spaces (and the heads) of 31 artists and makes you feel right at home.

Kaleidoscope - Ideas + Projects to Spark Your Creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis: This book is filled with fascinating projects, how-tos, inspirational stories, strategies to become more confident as an artist, and much more. Over 30 artists have contributed and It is like an all you can eat buffet for art.

Journal Revolution by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino: This book is part manifesto, part how-to, and part self-help manual. Follow along not only to learn how to journal your life but also how to free yourself from the inner critic and let lose in your journaling and artistic styles.

Past, Present, Future

Past: Three items will retire from my Etsy shop over the course of the next 10 days. I am offering free shipping on all three pieces if bought before the retirement party. 

Steps

Moments

Reasons


Present: Thanks to everybody who has responded to the questions in my ongoing survey. You will hear about all the results, some of which are very surprising, in my upcoming 'Your Blog, Your Way' posts on Create Mixed Media. For now, three more questions have been added to my sidebar. Head on over and speak your mind!

Future: Thanks to everybody who has requested information about the newest edition of The Pulse. Over 175 of you have asked for the guidelines! There is still time to join the project. The deadline for submissions is June 12th. Shoot me an email if you are interested in participating.

To those in the US, enjoy the long weekend. To everybody else, enjoy your usual weekend!

Have Your Say!

Did you vote yet? New survey questions were added to my sidebar earlier this week. Go ahead...have your say!

What's New?

New survey questions have just been added to the sidebar of my blog. Head on over and have your say - totally anonymously of course!

The Pulse, edition #5, is starting with an open call. I have already had almost 150 artists ask for information. Join the party and email me. I will send you all the specs!

Iaso debuts in my Etsy shop. She is the Greek Goddess of Cures, Remedies, and Healing.

What's new with you?

Rock the Vote

New survey questions have been added to the sidebar of my blog. Head on over and Rock the Vote!

Poll Position

As part of my new series on Create Mixed Media, I will be conducting an online survey to be better able to provide you with information that will help you to create and maintain Your Blog, Your Way. Some of the questions will be geared toward blog owners, some toward blog readers, and some toward both. The questions will be posted on my sidebar and will be updated every few days. I will announce when questions are updated on my Facebook page. You can find the first three questions on my sidebar right now!

Your Blog, Your Way

What makes a blog ‘successful’ and how is success even defined? Why do some blogs seem to get all the attention, visitors, and comments while others don’t? Should an artist’s blog be devoted to art, to personal issues, or perhaps a combination of both? Can a post have too many words or not enough pictures? How can I get a bigger audience and should I even care about that? Should I pay attention to the number of hits I get and all those other stats? Will my readers come back if I take a break or change the style of my art? Is anybody even reading what I write?

If you have a blog or have thought about starting one and have ever asked yourself questions like these, then 'Your Blog, Your Way' is for you. Join me here on Create Mixed Media for my first post in a series that explores what it is to be an art blogger today.