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.

Filed Under: art to inspire, The Setting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments
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

Filed Under: art to inspire, brittni {paper n stitch} Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 6 Comments
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.

Filed Under: brittni {paper n stitch} Tagged With: , , , , 8 Comments
July 18, 2011

Art to Inspire: 6 Full-Proof Ways to Ensure Happiness in your Business (and in life)

If you are feeling stuck in your art, unable to move forward with your business, or simply feeling uninspired, it may be contributing to your overall happiness (or unhappiness) not just with your work, but your home life, too.

So this week, I have put together six full-proof tips for getting back on track down the “happiness path” in your business and in life.

And for even more inspiration, visit my Art to Inspire gift guide, featuring 20 additional prints and originals to make your heart smile, after you’ve read through this post.

1. Choose your own path: Don’t compare yourself to others. It will only get you heading down the wrong path quick. Instead, choose your own path and know that the one you choose is the absolute right path for you at this moment. Trust your intuition and let that little voice inside of you in.

2. Creativity takes courage: When you are feeling down remember that you are courageous as a creative entrepreneur. This stuff takes guts. And it can be tough. I mean come on, even Henri Matisse thinks so! Are you really going to argue with Matisse on this one?

3. Sing your own song: Be you! I can sense that you are the very best version of yourself when you are around people you feel comfortable with. Maybe your close family and friends – with them you let your hair down, you sing your own song, act a fool without apologizing, speak your brilliance, and just “get real”. If you can do it with them, you can do it with everyone else (strangers, perspective clients, and fellow biz owners included).

4. Don’t wait for inspiration. Pursue it: Don’t wait around for that magic moment to strike you. Create the magic moment yourself. If you wait, you’ll never get there. And we are not living in eternity.

5. Haters gonna hate: You have to know that “haters gonna hate”. It happens to everyone at some point. It is not just you. So, you need to remember that you cannot please everyone. Period! And you also need to learn to be okay with that. If you can do this, you will be so much happier.

6. Always radiate sunshine: Finally, make an attempt to radiate sunshine from the inside out every day. It’s the little things that bring joy to your life. If you can find those things, you will radiate happiness (and sunshine) until the end of days.

What do you do to maintain happiness in your business (and in life)?

Share your response in the comments below.

Filed Under: brittni {paper n stitch}, illustration | painting, inspiration Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 15 Comments
July 4, 2011

Art to Inspire: 8 Secrets You Need to Know about Being a Leader

Do you ever wonder what separates you from the leaders in your industry?

What are they doing that you aren’t? What are they doing that you already are doing? And how can you be one of them?

Well, let’s find out…

Here are 8 secrets that you need to know about being a leader in your field.

1. Go Confidently (by Waxpaper Design): Leaders have confidence. They believe in themselves. Do you believe in yourself?

2. You Are So Very Worthy (by Lisa Barbero): Leaders know they are worthy of success (this kind of goes hand in hand with secret number 1).

3. Work Hard (by Anthony Burrill): Leaders work hard. They know there is work to be done, and they do it. They don’t twiddle their thumbs, dilly-dally or daydream. They DO things.

4. Make Your Mark (by Anthony Burrill): Leaders are not afraid to make their mark on the world. In fact, that is exactly what they hope to do. That’s why they’re called “leaders”: they lead.

5. Make Your Own Luck (by Lucius Art): Leaders don’t need luck. They make their own. Crazy what you can accomplish with hard work (secret number 3) and dedication.

6. Perfect (by Lisa Barbero): Leaders know that “perfect” doesn’t exist, so they don’t spend all day and night trying to achieve perfection.

7. Rainbows (by Sarah Winter): Leaders know that everyday is not a rainbow. Some days are tough. Some weeks are tough. But those difficult times make the good times great.

8. Don’t Give Up (from Print Liberation): And the most important “secret”? Leaders never give up.

So what do you think? Are you a leader?

Leave your response in the comments below.

Filed Under: brittni {paper n stitch}, illustration | painting Tagged With: , , , , , , 7 Comments