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The Perks of Switching to Customisable Journals
It took some convincing, and many failed attempts, for me to move past my love of pre-printed, shop-bought journals. There’s just something about the smell of new books, and when they’re new, they’re just so glossy and full of potential. Why switch to just printing your journal on paper? That sounds less glamourous, right? Let…
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Why Focus is Overrated (and what you should do instead to get more done)
When I was getting started in my career as a freelance artist, I was often told to “specialise”. Find one area I wanted to focus on, throw my whole self into that, and block out everything else. There are few pieces of advice I’ve received that have been as restrictive to me as that one.…
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Understanding Our Core Values
The best way to figure out what we need to stay sane when our whole routine shifts and becomes restricted is to break down why we do the things we normally do and see if we can find other ways to do them. Essentially, we need to understand our Core Values. “Values” is a fairly…
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How All-or-Nothing Thinking is Holding You Back (and how to Overcome it)
Have you ever considered undertaking a feat so daunting that you arrived at the ultimate conclusion “why bother”? Let’s say, for instance, you decide you want to train for a marathon. Wouldn’t that be incredible! Your friends and family would be amazed at your athleticism and dedication. It really would require a lot of dedication,…
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10 Books Every Artist Must Read
I love reading books on art. Not just the kind with pretty pictures, either. But the kind with words. It baffles me how few of my classes during art school actually had required texts. Thankfully I was lucky enough to stumble into the world of art books on my own, and I believe I’m a…
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On Finding Your Passion
Passion is a word that gets thrown around a lot. It gets thrown lightly, flippantly and thoughtlessly. We hear it all the time, and for many of us, the mere sound of it can drop a bomb in our stomachs as we wonder if we’re broken for not having had our eureka moment. In this…
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Why Cruising is Still Moving
As creators, we are consumed with finding ways to speed up our journey. We optimise, maximise and streamline. We’re on this funny old highway called “Life”, surrounded by other little artistic automobiles, all trying to reach our glorious artistic holy place called “Made It”. We’ve heard how great it is there, and we’re tired of…
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Don’t Wait to Be Saved
I want to talk about something close to my heart. Something that isn’t easy to admit, but is so important to say. Life has been incredibly kind to me. I’m disgustingly happy. I get to pursue my passion for a living. I’m surrounded by wonderful, inspiring people. And, as you might have guessed, I couldn’t…
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Don’t Go to Art School
I’ve had it. I will no longer encourage aspiring artists to attend art school. I just won’t do it. Unless you’re given a full ride scholarship (or have parents with money to burn), attending art school is a waste of your money. I have a diploma from the best public art school in the nation.…
Got any book recommendations?