June 25, 2012

art to inspire: 9 Inspiring Quotes to get you Through the Summer

The sun is shining and the flowers have bloomed – it is finally summer, the season of rest, relaxation, and sitting by the pool. For me, summer is not just about sunburns and tiny umbrellas, though; it is also the season of reflection and regrouping.

Now, I know that the end of the year is the time typically reserved for these types of things, but the middle of the year is just as good.

Why? Depending on what industry you are in, summers are typically slower than the other seasons, with customers on vacation and kids out of school – leaving you with more time to plan for the next six months and evaluate your progress thus far.

Make sense?

Good.

So while you’re resting, reflecting, and regrouping this summer, here are 9 inspirations to get you through the slow(er) season…

(above) 1. Let the Flower Bloom

2. Let the Sun Shine

3. Find a Path

4. Do Not Forget to be Awesome

5. Live with Passion

6. Ma’am Step Away from the Computer

7. One Step

8. Adventure

9. Don’t Give Up

Have your own quotes to share?

Leave your response in the comments below.

Today’s article is my last post for Art to Inspire here on Scoutie Girl. I have absolutely loved being a contributor here for the last three and half years, but have decided it is time to move on to pursue other interests. Thank you so much to Tara for having me and all the amazing Scoutie Girl readers who have followed my columns here over the years. I hope you’ll continue to follow me on my blog, papernstitch.

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch}, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , , 4 Comments
June 11, 2012

art to inspire: advice your dad might give you

Father’s Day is right around the corner, so this week’s art to inspire has a fun spin: a light-hearted take on advice your dad would might give you about life and business. Sure, a few of these could be a bit of a stretch, but you’ve never been afraid to use your imagination before. So let’s do this!

Welcome to Me print (above) by Conilab: “I am who I am. Like it or leave it.” Take a cue from dear old Dad on this one and embrace who you are  - flaws and all. People will love you just the way you are. Unless you are a selfish, angry butthead. In which case, you might want to make a few changes.

Screw This print by Sweet Harvey: “Screw this!” If something is not working for you, it might be time to re-evaluate. Just because you’ve been doing X, Y, Z for years doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it that way. If it’s not working, fix it.

Beer print from Amy McAdams Design: “I’m gonna grab a beer.” Dads know when to reward themselves with something they love, and you should be doing the same. The next time you meet one of your big goals for the month or plow through your exploding inbox, reward yourself with a little something. It doesn’t have to be a beer.

Wake Up print from Typographics: “Wake up!” When you were little, did your dad every have to give you a gentle nudge stern reminder that it was time to wake up for school? Well, consider this your wake up call from Dad. If you want your dreams to come true, you’ll have to go out there and chase ‘em down. You won’t hear a knock at your door if you don’t get out of bed.

What words of wisdom has your dad shared with you?

Leave your response in the comments below.

That’s it for art to inspire this week. Happy (early) Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Filed Under: art to inspire, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
May 28, 2012

art to inspire: knowing when it’s time to soar

Today is Memorial Day here in the States, and many of us have an extra day off – a third day added to that always-goes-by-too-fast weekend. I hope you are spending it with family and friends, getting out of the house, and recharging for the week to come.

But when you go back to work tomorrow, or if you are already back to work today, think about what you really hope to achieve with your work week. Are you trying to keep up with your orders and just stay above water? Or are you hoping that this is the week that you’ll land that big wholesale order or get featured on the blog you would just about die to be on?

If all you are hoping to get out of the week is more of the same, then by all means, keep doing exactly what you are doing. Pretty simple.

If you are dreaming about stepping off the plateau and soaring to the next level, you are going to have to do things a little differently.

So where should you be spending your time?

It is time to explore the bigger picture and plan accordingly.

Decide what you want and go for it. Start your day by  writing an email pitch to that blog you dream of being featured on, not writing yet another post for your own blog. Don’t forget to press the send button on that pitch, too, by the way.

Or spend your morning making a list of brick and mortar shops that would be the absolute best fit for your work. If they aren’t going to come to you, you need to go to them! And make sure you start sending out inquiries to those retailers once you’ve made your list too.

Bottom line: YOU need to make it happen because…

Dreams don’t work unless you do.

This week, you need to make your business work for you, so that you are not just working for your business.

What you will do this week to make your business work for you? Pledge it in the comments below.

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image c/o Promo Pocket (found via Going Home to Roost)

Filed Under: art to inspire, Buy You, For You, creating action Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 3 Comments
May 14, 2012

art to inspire: sometimes it just takes one

Last week, I was catching up on a friend’s blog and she mentioned that a buddy of hers, Megan Gilger, had just opened up a new print shop. So of course, I headed over to check it out and immediately feel in love with darn near every print in Megan’s shop.

Those are a few of her designs above. To see more of her work, visit Hitch Print Shop.

Thoughts to lead you into the rest of your week…

There are more bloggers and Etsy sellers these days than you can shake a stick at. So it is easy to fall into the “Little ole me. I’m not as popular as ________ and what I create doesn’t seem to matter because no one is noticing me.” attitude. I get it – there is a lot of  ”competition” and some of your competitors seem to have it all figured out, with thousands of sales under their belt and tens of thousands of subscribers to their blogs.

BUT you don’t have to reach tens of thousands of people with your voice, your message, your beautifully crafted clay animal figurines. At least not yet.

Just start with one.

Every great thing in this world started with just one person thinking it was so.

And then another, and another.

Your work could be the thing that brightens someone else’s otherwise dismal day. Your message – that heartfelt blog post you wrote last week – can make an impact and strike a cord with a perfect stranger.

That sounds pretty powerful to me, even if you do only have 42 twitter followers.

So go ahead, stop comparing your small potatoes to another’s seemingly abundant garden.

Looking over the fence isn’t going to help your garden grow.

You need to plant your own seeds.

With that in mind, I have a challenge for you: Start this week to make a difference. Attempt to impact just one person’s day, outlook, or attitude. Ignore your follower count and those other thoughts swirling around in your mind – aim to reach just one person. It won’t be long before that one turns into two and two turns into ten…

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images above c/o Megan of Hitch Print Shop Be Real + Be Bold + Be True

Filed Under: art to inspire, Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments
April 30, 2012

simple tips for avoiding burnout

This post was originally run in August 2011, but it’s still a great reminder for us all.

Feeling uninspired and overwhelmed by your work?

Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. There are some easy ways to avoid complete and utter burn out. You just have to recognize when it’s time to step away and listen to that little voice inside.

So, let’s start with a couple of questions…

How do you know when you’re about to burn out?

Oh, you’ll know! Trust your instincts on this one. If you are starting to feel bogged down and unenthusiastic, that’s a tell tale sign that its time to step away before you hit the hard road to B.O. (yep, I abbreviated burn out as B.O. because, let’s face it, it stinks!).

And when do you know when you’re ready to come back after taking a break? There is no definitive answer here. It may take a few days or just a few hours. It really depends on how deeply rooted your burn out is. When you do come back you’ll want to trust you instincts again. Listen to that inner voice. It will tell you when you’re ready to come back.

(above) Trust your Instincts + You Know More

Okay, so what are the steps for avoiding burn out or recovering once it has happened?

If you are teetering on the edge of burn out, you need to clear your head and your mind of the stresses that are causing you to feel exhausted. One of the best ways to do that is to change your environment. If you work indoors, head outside and away from the computer. Go do something fun that is just for you.

Hobbies are a great thing. So, don’t let your work run over the other things you really enjoy doing outside of your business, blog, or nine-to-five job. And along those same lines, taking care of your physical health is just as important as your mental health. Maintaining that balance will help you de-stress.

(above) Clear your Head + Unplug

When you’re feeling re-energized, slowly transition back into your regular work load. Maybe start by heading back to the drawing board. Brainstorm new ideas away from the computer if that is where you do the bulk of your work.

Working and creating in a new place just might give you that fresh start that you need. Who knows, the change of scenery might even lead you to the the brink of something wonderful.

(above) The Brainstormer + On the Brink

And if all else fails, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Team up with like-minded people. Sometimes two (or three) really are better than one.

(above) Together

What are your tips for avoiding burn out or bouncing back after the big B.O.?

Share your response in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , 2 Comments