April 16, 2012

art to inspire: words to live by

Instead of blabbing on and on, I am going to let today’s artwork do the talking. Here are nine quotes to get you through the week…

(above) You are my Sunshine by Blacklist Studio

Don’t Let… by Rachel B (Moonflowers)

Always Chase your Dreams (Bear and Robot)

Happy Travels by Karen Yi (Almost Sunday Inc)

Dr. Seuss Quote Print (Livy Love Designs) +  Find your Purpose (Tucker Reece)

There is Nothing Wrong with You by Mati Rose (Suspect Shoppe)

Do More of What Makes you Happy by Brooke Witt (Near and Dear)

Not all who Wonder by Rebecca Peragine (Fresh Words Market)

What words do you live by?

Leave your response in the comments below.

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February 20, 2012

art to inspire: 7 prints to inspire you in your workspace

Naturally, as the writer of a column called “art to inspire,” I am a firm believer in surrounding yourself with inspiration each day – in your home and elswehere, but especially when it comes to your workspace. So here are seven suggestions for new office hangings to remind you of the things I am sure, deep down inside, you already know…

1. Live with Passion

2. Dream Big

3. We’ve Got to Live, No Matter how many Skies have Fallen

4. Trust your Instincts

5. You are so very Worthy

6. Change your Thoughts, You’ll Change the World

7. This is my Year

Looking for more inspiration? You can read past art to inspire articles here to get your week rolling. And if you feel so inclined, please share your favorite quotes and/or inspirations in the comments below.

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November 28, 2011

art to inspire: good things grow

print by slidesideways - click for info

You’ve probably been overwhelmed with an endless supply of turkey, stuffing, and sales over the long weekend, so I am going to cut right to the chase for today’s art to inspire…

If you’ve ever compared yourself to someone else, maybe compared your shop/small business/blog to someone else’s, I think you need to hear something:

Good things grow.

Its true. Good things do grow.

BUT not all things grow at the same rate.

Sunflowers begin to sprout from a seed in just seven to fourteen days. Gerber daisies produce a 4-inch plant from a seedling in around twenty-four weeks (that’s almost six months). And growing roses from a tiny seed can take years to reap the rewards of actual blooms. Different flowers bloom at different rates, at different times of year, in various conditions.

So what does all this mean for you?

Think of your business, blog, or shop like a flower. One that starts from a humble beginning: a mysterious seed outside of its packaging, that you can’t identify as one such plant or another.

Give it plenty of water once it is planted. Take care of it. Nurture it. And don’t give up. You never know what you have until it blossoms into what it was always meant to be – a sunflower, a daisy, a rose.

Every flower is different. So how can you compare your “seeds” to someone else’s?

Give it time, keep at it, and stop comparing because eventually, if what you are creating is good, it will grow into what it was meant to be.

- – -

image credit: Good Things Grow. Over the weekend at a holiday show, I met Scott and Jacquelyn Scoggin (the duo that started Slide Sideways) and this is a print from their shop.

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November 14, 2011

art to inspire: the guide to getting anything done in 3 simple steps

You have a laundry list of goals and ambition practically oozes from your pores, but are scratching your head when it comes to actually getting things done?

“How can I possibly get to where I want to be? Am I good enough, smart enough, passionate enough to accomplish what I set out to do?”

Yep! You are. You just need a few guidelines to motivate you. So here are the 3 simple steps to getting things done and accomplishing your dreams…

Rule Number 1: If you want to be… be!

If you forget the other two rules, fine. But remember this one! It sounds simple and really kind of “duh,” but are you doing this? Are you practicing this simple rule in your life right now? Because if you’re not, its not quite as “duh” and certainly not as easy or simple as it sounds.

Sitting around complaining about why you’ll never amount to anything special is easy. Quitting with the excuses and the feelings of inadequacy is hard. But you can absolutely do this!

If you want to be a huge success in the indie-preneur community, get to work! Let people know what you are doing and why they should care. Don’t retreat in to that dark corner you feel comfortable in – you know your products are awesome and soon others will too – because you are creating a presence for yourself online and off.

Rule Number 2: Turn the page.

The battle is practically over once you open your “book” and turn the page. It’s like this… Remember back when you were in college and you were cramming for tests at the last minute? Once you actually made the commitment to sit down and get started, it felt much easier. Before you knew it, your wheels were turning and you had been studying for hours. That’s when you realized that “it” (whatever “it” was) wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be.

That’s exactly what you need to do right now. Take a seat and focus your mind on the tasks for the day. How will what you do today help you accomplish your goals in the short-term and the long-term?

Rule Number 3: Let it flow.

Feeling stuck or at a dead end? That’s okay. You’re not alone. I’ve been there. Heck, we’ve all been there.

Don’t fight it. If you’re having trouble moving on to that next phase, take a break. Do something you really enjoy and clear your mind. When you come back, let things flow naturally because small things can turn into big things if you let them.
Take it slow if you need to and things will flow eventually. You just have to keep at it.

So that’s it: the guide to getting anything done in 3 simple steps!

What’s the next step?

Share your struggles when it comes to getting things done in the comments below.

—

all images c/o ConiLab

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October 31, 2011

art to inspire: is it time to unleash your secrets?

You’ve been through your ups and downs. Been tough on yourself and maybe even those around you. But it is time for that to change because today I want to talk to you about secrets. Not the gushy stuff your best friend made you pinky-swear that you’d never tell. I am talking about the secrets you keep hidden from yourself. The ones that stop you dead in your tracks.

Confused? Let’s start with a simple question, then.

When you were little, did your mom or dad ever tell you that it’s “not good” to keep secrets?

Of course they did.

So what did you do? Well, you probably abided by this simple rule. Until one day, you simply didn’t anymore. You kept something to yourself that you weren’t sure you should. Something small. No biggie really. But one thing led to another, you started second-guessing yourself, and eventually you were keeping secrets from even your closest confidant: yourself.

Yep, somewhere in your journey to success (and bliss) you tucked away those happy thoughts that you once knew about yourself.

Lost a little confidence here or a bit of that positive outlook on life there.

So I am here to remind you of those “lost” secrets that you’ve long since forgotten about yourself, because I know somewhere in there you still believe…

Secret #1: You are braver than you believe.

Secret #2: Your life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.

Secret #3: You are so incredibly awesome.

Secret #4: You are free to fly.

Secret #5: Now its your turn to join the conversation. Tell me in the comments below the secret you’ve been hiding from yourself that its high-time you be reminded of.

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