Upcycle or repurposed crazy...

So I'm talking to a great friend from uni about crazy creative ideas to make money. We've been having this conversation for years...freelancing can be very lean at times. He thought I would be great at the upcycling craze. He remembered that I actually used to make amazing 3D pieces (considering it was a advertising & graphics course) with a real eye for detail.

Oh my golly gosh there was so much out there...so I simply had to start a Pinterest board of my own.

Some ideas were funky crazy, some were adorable...some were really amazing

I need a product range to sell on Etsy (potentially)
- find niche item(s) where there is a particular demand/ interest
- I can source the items to upcycle easily
- the upcycling can be done with ease in my home
- the item can be posted with the least packaging & expense

I will find a way of making this work...

Wedding images....

At the moment Shutterstock isn't able to give my stats on what are the most popular images. At least I'm able to see that last years 'Wedding' doodles sell very well considering I don't really have that many images, compared to Food lets say.

So I embarked on another round of wedding doodles referenced from two wedding magazines I found in the library. This was just a few weeks ago & I can tell they are already downloading frequently. Yey - a step in the right direction for a another stream of income.

I now know a little bit more about the type of people who download particular images, so I just kept it simple with fairly neutral colours. I wouldn't normally use black as a background for wedding imagery but it seems to sell, so it was one of the options.

Pinterest is simply doing wonders for my imagination...

From the moment I started pinning I knew it was going to be a love affair of sorts. I've relied of visual clues and images since I come to the UK and didn't speak a word of English. And at the moment being in rural Hertfordshire with few creatives around - its a bit addictive.

I spend 5 - 10 mins each day scanning my blogs and other boards to find whats what...and oh my there is a infinite supply of wonderous images that grab my attention most mornings.

By far I have the most followers for Love Food Illustrations, followed by Pattern & Print then Illustrators I Adore. I can reach out from my tiny part of the world and not feel isolated, and not feel that I am totally out of touch with the design & illustration world. I realise I'm not up to speed with other 'full time' illustrators but this is what I AM able to do for now...its a blessing for me at the moment.

I love finding images for my Calm & Mindfulness board which helps with visualisation to find my inner clam and stillness. And also for my Love & Abundance board which is about sharing with family/ loved ones and noticing all the small things in life that make me so very grateful.

Thank you Pinterest & Pinners for all the  beautiful images that you share with me.

Do What You Love...am loving it

So the summer hols are over and the kids are back at school. For the first time in many many years I will have uninterrupted time to work, doodle, play, read and hopefully pick up some creative grooves.

Despite the hectic nature of school hols I was able to keep an eye on the blogs I follow. The Do What You Love website had a redesign and it was so amazing to see many different strands/ ideas come together as a cohesive unit. Such as the Make Art that Sells, MOYO magazine, and the Art & Business of Surfave Design which now has its own website called Make it in Design.

These are just some of the wonderful things they feature and I almost get a electric buzz when i read about the amazing people they feature- such a inspiration for my creative soul. Another feature that appeals are the Thought For The Week, written out on a blackboard.

I know I keep banging on about the MATS course but all these elements make me SSOOO excited I just want to jump out of my seat. The future seems loaded with opportunities I just can't wait to get stuck in.

I want to add at this point that I feel at last I have given myself PERMISSION to seek out these new experiences, that I am worthy of the path I'm about to take.