Connecting With Others Through Blogging

This morning I was thinking about this blog post while I was getting ready for the day. The "what should I write about?"quickly turned into "what is this blog about?" question. I guess I was feeling a bit introspective. I don't know about you but when I began this blog it was ostentatiously because someone had suggested it would be a good way to begin building a marketing platform. But really I'd been reading other blogs and thought it would be fun to share my creative side with others. I feel a little secluded sometimes, and don't always connect on the levels I'd like with those around me. The blog, I thought, would be a good way to get myself, my ideas, and my words out for others to find and maybe connect to.

Then I wondered about that word connect. How do we connect with others online? How do my readers connect with me? Do you connect with me? Without an answer I flipped it around and asked how do I connect with others?

I connect with a blog author in a few ways. The more of these things I feel like we have in common the more I'm interested in that author. So, if you're female, if you share my passions (art, crafting), if I feel like we have common goals or are on a similar journey (you have kids, or like kids, you're feeling your way into the art world, you're making your art or craft your business), or if you share my faith or values (you're a Christian, you're a committed mom or wife, you're committed to being authentic with those around you, AND you want to encourage others). It can be just one of those things or it can be more than one of these things that will draw me.

So to flip that back around- do I share all those things about myself with you? Can you read this blog and find out what my interests are, what I believe, what I love to do, and where my passions are? Do you have a sense of where I am in my journey? Do you feel like you can connect with me?

That sense of connecting is huge- but it's not the only thing that attracts me to a blog. I like a pretty design, I like reading posts if they change- if the author varies the emotions or voice in their writing. Intense is wonderful once in a while, but you've got to mix it up with some fun, some informative, or even just silly. Throw in some eye candy- I am an artist- and give me some good ideas. Best of all- keep me in mind. Don't just write about yourself, don't just write for yourself, as if you're the only one who's ever going to read what you write. A blog is not a diary or journal. It's a mini publication that you're sharing with the world- I think the best blogs are those who treat it as such. But it is a personal publication- I still want to hear your voice and know the person writing it. I think the best analogy I've heard is from Kelly Rae Roberts, to paraphrase, she said that whereas your website is your front porch where you invite people in, the blog is your kitchen table. Keeping that image in mind- I think of a blog as a place you gather with friends to share and laugh, and maybe do a little show and tell. It's a place for them to get to know you but for you to get to know them as well. It's a place to encourage each other, relax, connect and re-connect. I want to keep this all in mind because I do want this blog to be all of those things. I know too that, it won't ever be all things to all people, and you might not always be in the mood to read introspective when I choose to write it, or you might not always be interested in the tutorials I post, or thoughts I share. That's the beauty of blogs. New content is just another post away. :)

So now you know the sort of things I think about in the shower. :) I have to admit though, just so you don't think I can always string these many thoughts together in the morning, that what I'm usually thinking about is my to-do list for the day.

Guest Post at Handmade Business Today!

Hey folks! I almost forgot to share but I have a guest post over at Handmade Business today! It's titled How Becoming a Mother Helped Me Make the Leap from Baby Bottles to Professional Artist. I had a lot of fun writing it and hope that it encourages all the other mothers/mompreneurs/artists/crafters out there. The post relates how I believe becoming a mom was actually responsible for me daring to reach for that art career. How the combination of roles can benefit all of us, and how if you look at something from a slightly different angle, you can really appreciate how wonderful it really is.

SO please, hop on over to Handmade Business and read the post. Thank you!!!

PS- if you'd like here are a couple of links to my past posts that are about the mama/artist connection!
My Mama is an Artist
Art Biz Mama's Interview
Interview with Shop Bug
The Creative Process- It Gets a Little Messy

Sometimes You Feel Inspired, Sometimes You Don't

There are days that I look at this blank screen and think "what can I possibly say that anyone else would like to read?" I feel tapped. Then I look at the list of past posts on the side of the page and I think how did I ever find that many things to write about? Some are just fun and frivolous, some are of news I'd like to share, some are etsy items I love, and some are about books I've read. Usually I'm attempting to share something with you. You may or may not be interested but I'll throw it out there in the hopes that because it interests me it might interest some of you.

Inspiration fuels all our creative activities,including blogging, but only sometimes does it take you out of yourself and make the creation process effortless. When I write with this kind of inspiration, I feel like the typist, not the writer. The words are given to me. You know how that is, it happens with art too. Sometimes every decision you make seems made for you. Every color or mark you make was whispered to you. You simply do as you're told. It's inspiration at it's finest. it.Those are the times that I feel like God is breathing the inspiration into me.

Today I don't feel inspired to write on any one thing or another so I thought I would write about that. But as always when I think about inspiration, one thought leads to a question that leads to another thought that inevitably leads to a question. So for the rest of the day I'm going to keep track of all the instances when I acted upon inspiration. Whether it was reaching for a red colored pencil or a blue- or composing a photo from a slightly different angle, or writing down my thoughts.

I'd love to have you give it a try as well! Then let me know if you were surprised by anything. I'll do the same and it'll be our little experiment! Thank you!

Adding Categories and Making Changes to Art as Usual!

Maybe you noticed, maybe not, but the blog now has 3 columns and YES I did it myself. Awfully proud of that. I'm in the running for most horribly technologically illiterate person in my age group. Usually I rely on my husband, a software engineer, to take care of these things for me, but he's been busy and so I decided to take some things on myself. Per a request I've also added tags to my past posts to help with the whole searchability thing. As well as a few different ways to do these searches. Adding these tools started to make the right column seem awfully packed- which led me to the quest for 3 columns.

I've also worked out a list of categories that I'd like to create posts for regularly. One is Local Craftiness which will not only include any of my local classes and fun local finds but will also highlight the local craft fairs, artists, brick and mortar boutiques and indie craft suppliers in the area.

Another category will be titled Inspired Reads and I'm planning on introducing you to some of my favorite art and craft authors and their books. I'm huge craft book-aholic and always have several checked out from the library and laying around the house. I'd love to highlight some of my favorites as well as the techniques within them. I'm hoping to integrate some author interviews a little later down the road as well.

Additional categories would be Tutorials, and Art Everyday in which I plan to include inspirational ideas for living art everyday, in your home, and in our world.

I chose the title Art as Usual a year ago because it states in three little words my personal Artist's manifesto. I need art to be an everyday, all the time, integrated, take-it-for-granted part of my life. This blog helps me to live this and I want it to help you to live it as well.

So here, in my little corner of the blogging world, I plan on encouraging you. Through experiments, through tutorials, by providing information and inspiration so that you too can make a life with art, your everyday usual.

Staying Connected

Blogs, facebook, e-mail, convo's, the ways I connect with others has really changed in the last few months. It's been nice. I write much more now than I did and I find I really enjoy writing. But it's interesting to me how all this communication has changed my life. To understand how huge a life change this has been for me you need to know that I was one of the very last hold outs on e-mail. People sent it to me but I checked mine once every 3-10 weeks. In the beginning it was once every 3-6 months. Once people figured out they'd have to call me to check my e-mail if they wanted me to read their e-mail- they didn't e-mail again. So I didn't get much that was all that interesting to me. It was just one more chore to deal with. No fun at all. When I decided to go for the shop thing on Etsy one of the considerations my husband made me think about was whether I was willling to commit to checking my e-mails and replying to those that came in. To the average person this would not have been a consideration at all but for me.... I had to actually think about it.

Now I find myself spending a lot more time on the computer. I check my e-mail 2-3 times a day. I started to send e-mails myself and now I love to see my inbox full of new content. I like to know what's going on in people's lives. I like to be in on the joke that's going around. I like the feeling of connection that fosters. I have a friend I chat with almost daily but have never met. That's just cool!

When I jumped on the facebook wagon it was a blast to reconnect with people I haven't' seen or talked to in a good 20+ years. My grandmother is one of those rare people who has a talent for staying in touch with friends. I am horrible at it. She is in her mid-80's and still gets together for coffee with ladies she taught with at her first teaching job after college. She has always taken the time to write, to develop group relationships, to drive completely out of the way to visit an old friend. And she treats her new friends in the same way. Maybe that's the secret. She doesn't seem to prioritize anyone. She sees every relationship as important no matter how old it is and because she stays connected with her friends she stays interested. Maybe that's the key. Maybe someday I'll just ask her instead of trying to guess. I bet she'd like to tell me.

Enough writing for tonight though. My husband just walked in and gave me that headshake that means I'm not using my time wisely. At least that's how I'm interpreting it so I am off to sculpt and sew! I'll post some of my new creations next time. :)

Inspiration- First Post

Today I thought a lot about what I would write to you tonight. Because this is my first post I thought I would like to define to you what I would like this blog to be. I would like it to be a source of inspiration, I would like it to be a place to find beauty, I would like it to be a reflection of all the good and wonderful in life. I would also like it to be a reflection of my aesthetics and interests. So I right off I can tell you it will have a lot of art, nature, and beauty. Plus a healthy dose of domesticity, creativity, and fun! Most of all I am looking forward to interacting with you all. Please free to comment often and if you have any questions about anything please let me know!