My Thoughts About Halloween

September 3, 2013

My Thoughts About Halloween

Halloween can be a controversial holiday. While I am a Christian and I love my Catholic faith, I believe, as Christians, we can enjoy Halloween without offending our Lord.

I recently had someone ask me to remove a Halloween image from my business Facebook page because she doesn’t want anything to do with Halloween. Even though I respect her opinion and certainly never intended to offend anyone, I did not remove the image. It was a postcard promoting a show in Michigan that offers handmade Halloween-only works of art by some really talented folks, shown below.

Here’s why I didn’t remove the image. Through my business Facebook page, my blog and all other social media platforms, I want to be authentic, I want to be me and I don’t have a problem with Halloween. In fact, I find it a delightful holiday to create art for because there are countless whimsical characters I can paint.. I can let my imagination run wild. I will admit, however, that I don’t like any evil or devil images. I like the fun and whimsical nature of the holiday.

3231-Walking witch silho over antique paper

One of my favorite spiritual leaders is Dr. James Dobson. He provides sound biblical advice for Christian marriages, family and parenting through his radio program “Family Talk”. Here is an excerpt from his site:

“Halloween is a rather different story. Whereas it can be argued that Christmas is a Christian holiday with Christian origins that has suffered the effects of growing secularism, Halloween can be traced to distinctly pagan sources. It is reasonable, then, that many believers would find some aspects of its celebration disturbing. I agree with them in that regard. The traditional emphasis upon the occult, witches and devils, death and evil sends messages to our kids that godly parents can only regard with alarm. There is clearly no place in the Christian community for this “darker side” of Halloween.

Even here, however, there is a place for some harmless fun. Kids love to dress up and pretend. If the Halloween experience is focused on fantasy rather than the occult, I see no harm in it. Make costumes for your children that represent fun characters, such as Mickey Mouse or an elderly grandmother, and then let them go door-to-door asking for treats. This side of Halloween can be thoroughly enjoyable for the little ones.

Let me add, again, that I’ve given you my personal opinion. I realize that the topic is controversial among committed Christians, and I’m sensitive to the reasons for their misgivings. My final word to parents on the subject would be “Stay true to your own convictions.”

Halloween is a rather different story. Whereas it can be argued that Christmas is a Christian holiday with Christian origins that has suffered the effects of growing secularism, Halloween can be traced to distinctly pagan sources. It is reasonable, then, that many believers would find some aspects of its celebration disturbing. I agree with them in that regard. The traditional emphasis upon the occult, witches, devils, death, and evil sends messages to our kids that godly parents can only regard with alarm. There is clearly no place in the Christian community for this “darker side” of Halloween.

Let me add, again, that I’ve given you my personal opinion. I realize that the topic is controversial among committed Christians, and I’m sensitive to the reasons for their misgivings. My final word to parents on the subject would be “Stay true to your own convictions.”

– See more at: http://drjamesdobson.org/Solid-Answers/Answers?a=86659425-3111-42b7-8fcd-f574956248e2#sthash.9icn4ZiJ.dpuf

– See more at: http://drjamesdobson.org/Solid-Answers/Answers?a=86659425-3111-42b7-8fcd-f574956248e2#sthash.6nUCjiwu.dpuf

I am in total agreement with Dr. Dobson’s view. God knows our hearts…..I believe as long as we look at Halloween as a fun, whimsical holiday where kids get to play “dress up” there’s no harm done.

While, I too, respect other people’s opinions, I feel we each have to make the decision to do what we believe is the right for ourselves and our families. If you BELIEVE in your heart that Halloween is evil, then, yes, I understand why you’d avoid anything to do with Halloween. I am not here to judge anyone or change anyone’s mind about Halloween, I simply wanted to share my viewpoint.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my article. I would love to hear your opinion about this controversial holiday.

– See more at: http://drjamesdobson.org/Solid-Answers/Answers?a=86659425-3111-42b7-8fcd-f574956248e2#sthash.6nUCjiwu.dpuf

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Mural for Holy Rosary Catholic Church

August 27, 2013

Mural for Holy Rosary Catholic Church

Life brings challenges….it is precisely these challenges that help us to grow and become stronger. I recently met a challenge which overwhelmed me at first but I put my trust in God and He saw me through.

Fr. George V. Puthenpeedika, the priest at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, had enough faith in me to paint a mural for our parish. It was early spring 2013, when he approached me about the idea after Sunday Mass. I must have had a look of disbelief, because he patted my arm and said, “think about it”. Little did he know, that was all I could think about for the next few months!

The thoughts that were running through my head were, “I’ve never painted anything so large before” (the wall measures 15′ x 18′), “I’ve never painted realistic type clouds”, “What if it doesn’t turn out well”, “What if I like it, but nobody else does”…….and so on……

After his request, every Sunday at Mass, I would look up at that HUGE white wall behind the crucifix and envision how I would paint something that large. I found it rather distracting and tried very hard NOT to think about it during Mass. At one point, I said to Father George, “Father, I am a perfectionist and I’m afraid if I don’t like the outcome of my efforts, I will have to switch parishes because I won’t be able to focus on Mass as I will be to consumed with how I could have done a better job.” We both laughed…. however, there was some truth in what I said.

Finally, I picked a start date. That made it more “real” to me. Which, honestly, was a good thing. My goal was to paint the mural in three days…which gave my husband a giggle. He was amused at my ambition. I have been known to set unrealistic goals from time to time…underestimating my abilities. But I stuck to that goal and prayed about it often.

The Saturday before I was to begin the mural, I spent some time researching online. I printed photos of clouds and rocks. Then, I did a test run, so to speak. I gathered my acrylics and painted a “mini me” of the mural measuring 18″ x 24″. I was excited with the outcome and the fact that I painted it in 1.5 hours. This was the boost of confidence I needed. Kevin wasn’t at home that weekend as his band, SHOUT!, had gigs both Saturday and Sunday night out of town, so I text him a photo of my small painting. He thought it looked too grey but I assured him it was just the photo…that it wasn’t that grey. I also told him my reason for choosing greyish-blues……

this mural is the background of Jesus’ crucifixion….it was a time of sadness and uncertainty
I also didn’t want the sky to be too busy and bright which would distract from the focal point of the alter and crucifix

Day 1, Monday, August 19, 2013. Today is the day we start the transformation. Kevin gathered a crew of men to take down the heavy crucifix and remove everything off the wall. Then he and I washed the wall and went shopping for supplies.

Day 2, Tuesday, August 20, 2013. I started around 11am painting the background using a roller while standing on the scaffolding. I am not a big fan of heights, so it took me a bit to get comfortable on the scaffolding. I painted the top 1/3 of the sky with the darkest shade, then the middle was a lighter shade and the bottom third of the sky was the lightest shade. After the background, I used small 2oz bottles of craft paint so I could have several different shades of blues. I started on the first cloud and began to panic a little.

Because I was painting so large, the paint would dry before I could blend the colors. I was trying too hard to make the mural look like the small painting I had created…. I had to get that out of my head because I was dealing with a whole different animal. I worked and worked at the cloud until I was satisfied, then started the second cloud which came a little easier. Like anything else, the more you do something the easier it gets. So by the end of the first day of painting, I had two clouds done…..

Day 3, Wednesday, August 21, 2013. Today I came in around 9:30 am with confidence. I was determined that I wasn’t leaving until the sky was finished no matter how long it took….I was willing to stay until midnight if necessary! I not only met that goal but also drew the rocks and painted the first layer of brown.

Day 4, Thursday, August 22, 2013. I arrived at about 11am and went straight to painting the rocks. I found this much easier than painting the clouds so it went quickly and smoothly. However, I discovered working ground level was more difficult physically….I don’t bend like I use to and when I would get up off the floor it was very slow-going! After the rocks were completed, I got back on the scaffolding to take down the painters tape and paint any touch-ups that were necessary, then cleaned all my mess up.

Day 5, Friday, August 23, 2013, 9:30am…we arrived along with a few other amazing folks to put everything back in order 🙂

Overall it was a great experience. I really leaned on God to help me through and calm my nerves. I am honored to be able to give back to God the gift He so generously gave to me.

Many thanks are in order…….to my husband, Kevin, for his willingness to help get everything prepared for me to start and help in getting it all back in order, to all the men who helped with the removal and replacement of the crucifix, Kyle, Ryan, Karl, Tom, Paul, Vinnie, Bill, Jeff, Pete (sorry if I missed anyone), to Marita for donating the money for the supplies, to Kim, Pam, Lisa, & Laura who work at the church and would stop by to check on me and offer encouraging words, to Kim for keeping the air conditioning at a very comfortable level and letting me work as late as I wanted, to Daryl for loaning the scaffolding, to Jim & Bob of P & H Plumbing for loaning the wheels for the scaffolding, to friends and family who stopped by to offer encouragement and most of all to Fr. George for his faith in my ability.

By the way…Father was not there during the whole process. He’s back home visiting family in India. I would love to be a fly on the wall when he sees it for the first time 🙂

WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

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What Size Art Should I Create for Licensing?

August 22, 2013

What Size Art Should I Create For Licensing?

“Trick or Treat Under The Trees”

mug available at Zazzle

What size should I create my art if I plan to license it for products? The quickest answer is “don’t paint too small”, however, there are some other important considerations to take into account.

Always have your art scanned or photographed at the original size, 300 dpi minimum, rgb .tif file. If they (or you) can scan at 400 – 600 dpi, do it.
If you have the luxury of knowing exactly what the product is you are designing for and have the specifications, then I recommend you paint it at that size or larger, depending on how small the product is (see example below). However, most of the art we create will not be for a specific product.
Let’s say you are painting an image for greeting cards measuring 5″ x 7″. I recommend you paint the image 10″ x 14″ and here’s why: later a licensing opportunity may come along and they want to license that same image for tote bags, but the art needs to measure 11″ x 15″. If you painted the original at 5″ x 7″, you would either have to re-paint it larger or have it re-scanned at a higher resolution (which doesn’t always look good if the image has to be enlarged too much), however, if you have painted the image at the larger size, you would be all set for your new licensing opportunity. Images always look good when reduced but will become blurry and pixelated if enlarged too much. So play it safe and paint large.
Take into consideration how you will have your art created into digital files. For example, I have a large format scanner. I can scan images in-house up to 12″ x 17″. If the image is 24″ x 17″, I will scan the two halves and put together using Photoshop. If you don’t have a scanner, find out where you will be having your art scanned and ask them how large of an image they can scan – they will charge more if they have to scan twice and put together using Photoshop, so ask about that as well.
If you paint on large canvases, you will need to find a professional photographer to photograph your art. Tell them what you are using the digital files for so they have an understanding of your needs. If the painting is really LARGE, say 24″ x 36″, you don’t need the digital file to be 100%. Here is an example of one of my 24″ x 36″ paintings…the digital file is 18″ x 27″ at 300dpi. The file is 125.4 MB! That is a huge file and I will never have to worry about it not being large enough.
If you create your art in Illustrator or Photoshop, then you are all set and don’t have to worry about how to get your art into digital format, but the size matters here too! Make sure you are creating your art at 300 dpi minimum and large enough to work for many different product formats.

I know cost can be an issue, especially when first starting out in art licensing, but you HAVE to have your art in digital format. Look around for the best price. Call your local photographers and photographic studios and compare prices.

I also know since you are letting other people handling your original art, you want someone you can trust. Get referrals, ask around, visit their studio to see how organized and clean (or not) they are. Once you find someone you trust, they will become your greatest asset.

If you can’t scan your art yourself and are struggling to find someone local to work with, I know of a very trustworthy photographic studio in New York that I use to work with before I got my scanner. They take great care of the art that comes in and their prices are very reasonable. Email me at teresakogut3@gmail.com if you art interested in their contact information.

I hope this article was helpful to you! I wish you well in your search for finding a solution to getting your art in digital format!

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Beyond The Comfort Zone

August 15, 2013

Live Beyond Your Comfort Zone

We all fall victim to routine. At times, we become so engrossed in doing what we do every day that we fail to look at the bigger picture and set goals and make changes that will take us to new horizons. We live in the comfort zone.

Over the course of my 18 year licensing career, I, too, have gotten too comfortable at times. Things were running smoothly. I had enough work to keep me busy, I was meeting deadlines, my licensees were happy and I was making a comfortable living. That isn’t necessarily a bad place to be, but I got burned because I wasn’t thinking ahead and was too comfortable. Licensees come and go (I only have a couple licensees that have been with me from the beginning). Because I was making a good living, I became lax….I guess I figured things would never change. Well they did change and I wasn’t prepared. Please take my advice and never become complacent.

You need to ALWAYS be stretching yourself and reaching for new goals. Here’s a simplified example….. if you were to paint teddy bears and only teddy bears, what would happen if your licensees decided they don’t want teddy bears any more and instead they want Santas. But you don’t have any Santa art, because you focused only on teddy bears. Does that make sense? It’s like the old saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. Don’t focus so much on what you are presently doing that you forget to plan for the future.

Of course, you can’t guess what your licensees might want in the future, but by expanding your horizons with new art in different themes, fresh color palettes and mediums, you will keep your licensees interest piqued.

The above example is only one example of stretching beyond your comfort zone. I want to share more of my story to help you understand better where I am coming from.

As you may or may not know, I recently launched a membership-only site called Gather, Dream, Create Inner Circle (GDCIC). You may be asking, “Why?” I know, I know…. it seems crazy when I am so busy with licensing, filling retail orders, keeping up with social media, writing articles for my blog and recording/editing for my tv show. Well, I have many reasons why. Let’s start with you…

FOR YOU

I want to bring inspirational and motivational stories to you dreamers…. whether you want to get into the art licensing business or sell your art/craft retail or wholesale. Maybe your dream is to open a retail gift shop…..whatever your dream is, there are many people that can help you by sharing their stories. I am doing interviews with established and upcoming artists in all genres to help fuel your dreams.
I want artists, crafters and shopkeepers to be able to get their stories out there. EVERYONE has a story to tell, I want to provide the platform for that to happen. That’s where the store visits, artist interviews and studio visits will come in to play. As they share their stories, you will gain insight to what it takes to make it.
Have you ever bought an product featuring licensed art that you just adore? You find the artist’s name and rush to the computer to learn more about the person behind the art. You read about them, maybe they have a blog so you can kind of get to know them by reading their posts. BUT there’s nothing like SEEING the person…hearing their voice, watching their mannerisms, listening to their laugh. You can connect better with who they are by seeing them in a video…that’s what I want to bring to you.
I LOVE creating things…whether I’m creating a painting, a clay figurine, punchneedle embroidery, rugs, jewelry, etc. I love it all! I believe creative people need many outlets for their creativity. Learning new ways to express your creativity will help broaden your vision for your own art. The art/craft projects and tutorials at GDCIC will fill that creative passion.
I want to share my experience and knowledge with you. The mistakes I’ve made, the hardships I’ve faced along the way. By sharing my knowledge and experience of the licensing industry, maybe I can help you avoid some of the same mistakes. I want to give you insider information from the Atlanta Gift mart. I want to help you get your blog up and running so people can see your work and get to know you!

FOR ME

As a licensed artist, I work alone….and to be completely honest I LOVE a quiet studio when I am creating. However, it’s easy to become wrapped up in your work and family and not leave the premises for a day….or three. One of the highlights of my career has been getting to know other artists through trade shows. I have formed friendships with some amazing people over the years and I want you to meet them and get to know them, too. I am also looking forward to making many new friends along the way and bringing their smiling faces to you! Doing studio visits will get me out of my studio to focus on other artists and their work/studios.
I am pretty reserved….when I was a little girl, I was painfully shy. I have overcome some of that over the years but I know I can grow much more. Starting GDCIC is really taking me out of my comfort zone! It excites me and terrifies me all at the same time. I started my TV show back in June which was a BIG hurdle for me as I don’t like my picture taken and have NEVER had a video of me online. Now with the inner circle, I will be doing more and more videos, interviews, etc which will push me beyond my comfort zone again and eventually that, too, will become easier and more comfortable. I relate it to this….when I first started painting the Country Bears wall calendar, I had to use stuffed bears as props to sketch and paint. The more I painted bears, the easier it became and it wasn’t long before I didn’t need props any more, I could just sketch them at whim. Well the same for the video recordings, I know, they too, will become easier as I go along 🙂

I hope sharing these thoughts and stories will help you to reach and stretch beyond your comfort zone. Don’t get comfortable and complacent. The world is forever changing, you need to stay ahead of the game!

Here is a very inspiring quote:

“I have realized; it is during the times I am far outside my element that I experience myself the most. That I see and feel who I really am, the most! I think that’s what a comet is like, you see, a comet is born in the outer realms of the universe! But it’s only when it ventures too close to our sun or to other stars that it releases the blazing “tail” behind it and shoots brazen through the heavens! And meteors become sucked into our atmosphere before they burst like firecrackers and realize that they’re shooting stars! That’s why I enjoy taking myself out of my own element, my own comfort zone, and hurling myself out into the unknown. Because it’s during those scary moments, those unsure steps taken, that I am able to see that I’m like a comet hitting a new atmosphere: suddenly I illuminate magnificently and fire dusts begin to fall off of me! I discover a smile I didn’t know I had, I uncover a feeling that I didn’t know existed in me… I see myself. I’m a shooting star. A meteor shower. But I’m not going to die out. I guess I’m more like a comet then. I’m just going to keep on coming back.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Do you have a time where you stepped outside of your comfort zone? What did you do? How did it feel?

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A Shift In Artistic Style

August 9, 2013

A Shift In Artistic Style

First and foremost, it’s important to FIND your artistic style. Sure, we, as artists, find inspiration in other artist’s work, but we need to make our own mark. We are all unique. We need to celebrate our differences and find our own way. Once you find your artistic style, people will begin to recognize your work, your “look” in the marketplace. Below are some questions you may have pondered regarding artistic style. (this article is geared towards art licensing, however, many of these questions can be helpful to all artists)

How does an artist find their own style?

Through creating works of art. When you are just starting out, find what inspires you. Maybe you’re a gardener and you find joy in flowers, bees, birds and nature. If so, paint it. Play around with subject matter that reflects who you are. Try different mediums as well, watercolor, acrylic, mix media, etc. Through practice, trial and error, taking risks and just “letting go” when creating, you will develop your own style. Be patient! It might not happen overnight and remember the journey is 90% of the fun!

Another way you will know when you find your artistic style…..you won’t be able to stop yourself! The ideas will flow like water, you will find inspiration easily and your sketchbook will fill up with more ideas than you can possibly paint.

Is a shift in artistic style good for an established artist?

Yes, it’s an evolution, you grow, you change, it’s natural and I believe necessary to stay inspired.

My art has changed 10 fold since my career started over 25 years ago. In the beginning I was selling my original watercolors at art fairs (florals & portraits), then moved into the “country” theme (painting teddy bears, santas, snowmen) and did craft shows for a couple of years which led me into starting a wholesale business, Primitive Folk, selling framed prints of my watercolors. My style at that time was not detailed at all, very muted earth-tone palette and loosely painted.

Below is a note card I painted for our business, Primitive Folk, Inc. in 1996. (I still love our logo with the lamb pulling the bunny cart

Here is an clear example of how my art has changed. My first calendar image next to a recently painted calendar image.

Quite a difference! It’s not as if I made a conscious decision to change the look of the calendar….it just happened over time. I remember when I first started to paint bears, I use to set up stuffed bears to sketch them, but now I think I could draw a teddy bear in my sleep!

Another thought about shifting your artistic style once you are an established artist, not only will your style naturally change as the years go by, but there are times when you may just want to try something new. I have done this as well….recently, in fact.

I was uninspired in what I was creating. I felt like I was in a rut. So I took on a new challenge and started painting with acrylics (watercolor was my mainstay over the previous 20 or so years) Around the beginning of 2010, I started not only painting with acrylics, but I went back to my roots, so to speak, into a more folk art style. Here is an example.

I found immense joy in painting with acrylics and still have a sketchbook full of this early-American-style art. I went from painting this, to my angels. Again, fell in love with painting them as well. Because the angels found favor with my licensees, I focused on building a library of angel images and the early-American-style art took a back seat.

However…I didn’t quit painting my watercolors. I have licensees that still need that art from me because their customers want that look. I do my best to fulfill the needs of my licensees. I will admit, the more artistic styles you have the harder it can be to keep each portfolio up to date. Basically, if a certain style isn’t licensing and there isn’t a need for it in the marketplace, move on, try something new. It is refreshing to try new creative things and by doing so it can take you to new heights……not to mention, in the licensing industry everyone always wants new, new, new.

Should current trends influence my artistic style?

Instead of following trends, set them yourself. By the time a color palette or theme becomes trendy, your too late. I’m not saying don’t use colors that are “on trend” but don’t wait until you see them on the store shelves because you are too far behind. Stay ahead of the game by following pantone. Here is the Fall 2013 color trend report.

I have said this many, many times and I will be saying it many, many more times……paint what you love, paint from the heart, don’t be a slave to trends. Keep in mind, too, that just because a color is on trend doesn’t mean it has to take over the entire painting. If it’s a color your not crazy about, but you still want to use it, use the color as an accent, instead.

All artists work differently, I personally, don’t follow trends. I use colors that are pleasing to my eye. The colors that reflect me…..of course, looking at the pantone fall 2013 color report, I’d say I’m pretty lucky, because I love those colors!

If you are just starting out, I wish you well in finding your artistic style. It will come, but it does take discipline. If you are established and concerned about making a change in your artistic style, don’t worry. Go for it. Keep your current customers happy by creating what has brought you success while finding new customers that are attracted to your new artistic style.

Have you every changed your artistic style after being established? If, so, how did it effect your business?

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Good Reads: Motivational & Inspirational Books

August 6, 2013

Motivational & Inspirational Books

Let’s face it, life has it‘s ups and downs. In order to keep moving forward, we need to fill our minds with positive, inspiring and motivational thoughts. I believe it’s a good habit to read and/or listen to motivational books & tapes often. Here is a list of some I have read and found to be eye-opening, uplifting and left me feeling positive.

inspiraitonal, motivational, books

One of my favorites! Available here

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne can be downloaded here.

Read online here.

Available for purchase here.

MP3 and Transcript available here.

Available here

Read the first chapter FREE

Purchase here

Audio available here

The original 1937 book version is available here

She is an inspiration! Get her book here

Let’s not forget the most important book ever written, the Bible.

As Ronald Reagan said, "Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face."

These books and cds are not to be read or listened to once and put on a shelf to collect dust. They need to be read and re-read, listened to and listened to again. These books and cds need to become engrained in our minds….until we change ourselves into positive thinking human beings.

Make the ideas found in these books & cds part of who you are so you can become the best version of yourself.

Get some of these books/cds today and start learning the importance of positive thinking and be motivated by the wisdom contained within to achieve the life you deserve!

Do you have any motivational books to add to the list? Comment below 🙂

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Everyone Can Benefit From Pinterest

August 1, 2013

How Can Pinterest Benefit the Visual Artist?

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing the things you love. It’s that simple. Consider your Pinterest account a visual file cabinet. You create files or boards (think of it as bulletin board) with titles, such as, Christmas, Dogs, Art…etc where you store photos of that particular title. You can be as specific as you want…..I have a board titled "Dog Love" but also a board titled "Boxers" (my favorite dog breed).

Who can benefit from Pinterest?

Anyone and everyone can benefit from having a Pinterest account but especially artists.

As an artist, I find inspiration from photos. I use to have several magazine subscriptions and once I had a sizable stack of them, I would spend hours going through them, cutting out photos that inspired me. I would then file them in folders in my filing cabinet for inspiration on future projects. I suppose this isn’t good news for magazine publishers because I have canceled all my subscriptions …… but on the bright side, look at how many trees I am saving!

Is Pinterest considered Social Media?

Absolutely. It’s a tool you don’t want to miss out on. Pinterest has dramatically changed the landscape of social media with its picture-based interface. Once you have your account set up, you will start to follow like-minded people. You have the choice of following all of a person’s boards or just the ones you are interested in. People will also start to follow your boards as well.

The way it can benefit you as an artist, is by pinning your art. Create a board with your name as the title and pin images of your work there. You can also pin your art by it’s theme and in the description put your name, for example, "Angel painting by Teresa Kogut". By doing this, when someone types in Teresa Kogut or Angel in the search box, my image will appear some where in the feed.

How do I Pin something to my Boards?

There’s a few ways to do this.

When you log into Pinterest (after you’ve set up your account), the images you see on your wall are recent pins from the people you are following. To pin one of their pins, simple click on the red pin it button on the image. You also have the chance to email it or "like" it. In order to see the image more clearly, click on the image and it will appear larger on the screen. Once you do this, you will also be able to visit the website or blog it was pinned from by clicking on the image again. To go back to your wall, click the "x" in the upper right-hand corner.
You need to download the "pin it" button to your bookmark bar on your browser so you can pin directly from a blog or website. BE SURE to give credit to the artist/blogger/photographer in the description of your pin. Also make sure the blog or website allows pinning of their work. Click here for directions on creating a "pin it" button for your browser.
Make sure to add a Pinterest widget to your blog or website so visitors can pin your content easily. Click here to find out how.

Is Pinterest for Businesses too?

Yes. Click here to learn about setting up a business account. Truth is, there will be no aesthetical difference between a personal and a business profile on Pinterest. But once you’ve gone business, you will get access to a series of tools that you can use to see who’s following you and how your number of followers is increasing each month. You’ll be able to add widgets to your website linking directly to your Pinterest account (kind of what you can do with Facebook) and two kinds of buttons for your articles’ illustrations. This will help you boost your online experience from a more professional point of view.

If you already have a personal account and want to convert it to a business account, it only takes about 5 minutes to convert your account, but it will bring you some advantages once you’ve finished the conversion process. Click here to start the conversion process.

Other Features & Tips you will LOVE about Pinterest:

Click the red + icon next to your profile picture to upload a pin, add a pin from a website, or see recommended pins for you based on your previous pinning habits.

Go into your settings and link your Twitter account to your Pinterest account. Now when you pin something, you have to option of having it in your twitter feed as well by checking the twitter box. WARNING: be careful not to use this feature too often. Your twitter followers will become annoyed if you tweet every pin and will likely stop following you. If they want to see ALL of your pins, they will join you on pinterest. Only tweet pins once in a while that are a must see!

Please visit my Pinterest account for an idea of how to set up your boards, what titles to use, etc. Have a look around and get familiar with it, then go immediately to set up your account. You are really missing out if you don’t already have an account.

Click here to start your own account.

WARNING: It’s highly addictive. There is so much eye-candy, you can get lost for hours pinning your life away. So set a timer and stick to it!

Share your Pinterest address with us here in the comments!

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Create Your Own Gravatar

July 30, 2013

Why Do I Need To Create My Own Gravatar?

Today, we are bombarded with images on the internet. The more we see an image over and over on blogs and forums, the more likely we’ll become familiar with that image and also the more curious we’ll become as to what’s behind that image. A person is far more likely to recognize an image as opposed to a name, so that’s where using a gravatar for your business comes in.

What is a Gravatar?

Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. It is globally recognized because millions of people and websites use them. Most popular applications like WordPress have built-in support for Gravatar. When a user leaves a comment (with email) on a site that supports Gravatar, it pulls their Globally Recognized Avatar from Gravatar servers. Then that picture is shown next to the comment. This allows each commenter to have their identity through out the world wide web.

What is an Avatar?

An icon or figure representing a particular person in computer games, Internet forums, blogs etc.

Why Should I add Gravatar?

If you want to be identified on the web, then you should be using a gravatar. If you are a blogger, non-profit, small business, or anyone who wants to build a brand, then you need to start using gravatar. Chances are you read and comment on blogs. At first your gravatar might not get much attention. But if the same person sees your comments (with your gravatar) on numerous sites, they are likely to visit your website or blog to find out more about what’s behind that gravatar.

How can I get a Gravatar?

It’s simple and it’s free. Go to Gravatar’s website. Signup with the email that you use the most often to comment. Once you set up your account, add all your email addresses to your account. Add an avatar to represent you (it has to be square so take that into consideration when creating your gravatar). This could be a picture of you, your company’s logo, or something unique. Because you want your gravatar to become recognizable, you don’t want to change it very often. So set it and forget it.

Unlike your profile picture, which I spoke about in Episode #2, it is wise to use your logo as your gravatar because it will never change. If you were to use a photo of yourself, you would need to update it as your looks change over the years, therefore, you would lose your recognizable identity when commenting on blogs and forums.

Here is what my gravatar looks like…..

It’s another tool in your brand-building belt, plus it’s quick and easy, so get yours today!

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Instagram: What’s All The Fuss?

July 25, 2013

Instagram: What’s All The Fuss?

If you’re not using Instagram, it’s time you started. Instagram is fun & easy to use. It is also becoming a wildly popular social media tool.

How to Get Started

Simply go to your app store on your smart phone or ipod, download, set up an account, choose a username and upload a profile picture.

Open the app. You can either take a photo within the app or choose a photo that already exists in your phone or ipod gallery. The photo will appear on the screen where you will have the option of manipulating the photo using Instagram’s filters. There are several filters to choose from to add interest to you photo. You can take an average photo and turn it into an amazing one using the filters.

Once you have the photo the way you want it, click the blue arrow at the top right hand corner to share it on Instagram. You also have the option to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Tumblr. Type a title or message (remember to use hashtags here! click here to learn more), then click the green check mark in the top right corner.

You can also open Instagram on your computer by using the username and password you set up originally when you downloaded the app. Here you can see photos in a larger format. You can also get the embed code if you want to add a photo to your blog or facebook page…..ALWAYS be sure to give credit to the person who took the photo along with a link to their Instagram page.

Who to Follow?

It’s easy to find people to follow on Instagram. You can see which of your twitter and facebook friends are using Instagram so you can follow them. Another way I like to find people to follow is by using the search tool. When you open Instagram, press the "explore" icon (looks kind of like a star) at the bottom just left of the camera icon, then press the "search" icon. Here you can search for people you want to follow by typing in their name or press "tags" and type in #art, #fitness, #sunset, etc. This will bring up tons of photos that have been tagged with that word. Press on a photo you really like, then press on the name of the person that took the photo to go to their page to see if they are someone you want to follow. If so, press "follow". If not, press the back icon and try someone else.

Social Media

Like other social media platforms, you want to gain followers. With Instagram, when you "follow" people, many times they will "follow" you back. When you follow someone, their photos will show up in your stream when you open the app as will your photos show up in their stream. You have the option of commenting or "liking" their photo by pressing the heart icon.

Add an Instagram badge to your blog to help gain followers. You can get the badge when you log into your account on your computer. Go to www.instagram.com, log into your account, click your username in the upper right hand corner and choose "badges" from the drop-down menu.

If you use wordpress.org, you can add "Alpine PhotoTile for Instagram" widget to your side bar. Download the plugin, then go to "widgets", drag and drop the widget to your sidebar. Add your information where you see the blue arrows. In the image below, you are seeing my settings and how it looks on my sidebar, but you can choose your own settings.

It’s a great way to stay connected with your audience and friends. Photos are very personal and relatable. Take photos of you at work; what’s on your desk, what you are working on, what you see outside your window, people in the office, etc. Also, take personal photos; your flower garden, your pets, your family members, etc. People will get to know you by seeing your environment and what you are doing. Make sense?

Digital Photo Journal

My favorite thing about Instagram is that it’s a great way to track your life. You are literally creating a photo journal. When you’re on vacation, capture the moments and highlights of your trip. Be sure to put where it was taken so you won’t have to rack your brain years from now as to where you were. (Usually, if I am out of town, I will take photos and store them in my camera and upload to Instagram when I get home. Not a good idea to let the world know you are out of town, if you know what I mean)

You are not only sharing your life with your followers but you are creating a legacy for your family. It doesn’t get any better than that! So start today and have fun!

Are you using Instagram? Whether you are or you are just getting started, I hope this article was helpful to you.

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Obtain Your Dream Life With The Strangest Secret

July 23, 2013

Obtain Your Dream Life With The Strangest Secret

Want to obtain YOUR dream life? Listen and learn today! I found Earl Nightingale’s “The Strangest Secret” CD some years ago and have listened to it countless times in my vehicle. For me, this is the best time to listen to motivational CDs. As Zig Ziglar calls it, “Automobile University”. People have learned to speak a new language and taken college courses utilizing their time traveling in their vehicles back and forth to work. Try it for yourself!

If you’ve never listened to “The Strangest Secret”, take some time today and do it! Listen to it over and over until it becomes engrained in your thought pattern. (to get the MP3, click here to get a transcript click here) Earl makes perfect sense of some of the most basic principles in goal setting and goal achieving. Here’s one of my favorites:

Why do we become what we think about? Well I’ll tell you how it works as far as we know. Now, to do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind. Supposed a farmer had some land and it’s good, fertile land. Now the land gives the farmer a choice. He may plant in that land whatever he chooses, the land doesn’t care. It’s up to the farmer to make the decision. Now remember, we’re comparing the human mind with the land. Because the mind, like the land doesn’t care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn’t care what you plant. Now let’s say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand. One is a seed of corn, the other is night shade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds; one corn, the other night shade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land and what will happen. Invariably, the land will return what is planted. As it is written in the Bible, as you sow, so shall you reap. Remember the land doesn’t care. It will return poison in just as wonderfully abundance as it will corn. So up comes the two plants; one corn, one poison. Now the human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn’t care what we plant –success, failure. A concrete worthwhile goal or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on, but what we plant it will return to us.

So what are you planting in your fertile mind? Positive, cheerful, thoughts and goals? Thoughts that will lead you to your dream life? Here is another story that explains why we need to set goals:

I remember one time I was driving through Arizona and I saw one of those giant earth moving machines roaring along the road at about 35 mph with what looked like 20 tons of dirt in it, a tremendous incredible machine, and there was a little man purged way up on top with the wheel in his hands guiding it. And as I drove along I was struck by the similarity of that machine to the human mind. Just supposed you’re sitting at the controls of such a vast source of energy. Are you going to sit back and fold your arms and let it run itself into a ditch, or are you going to keep both hands firmly on the wheel and control and direct this power to a specific, worthwhile purpose. It’s up to you. You’re in the driver’s seat. You see, the very law that gives us success is a two-edged sword. We must control our thinking. The same rule that can lead a man to a life of success, wealth, happiness and all the things that he has ever dreamed of for himself and for his family, that very same law, can lead him into the gutter. It’s all in how he uses it; for good or for bad.

Let’s keep our hands firmly on the wheel of our minds to steer and guide it! We need a road map….we need goals in order to get where we want to go in life….to achieve our dream life. I am a firm believer of this because I have used listened to this CD and applied the techniques in my life and saw it work. It can work for you, too!

My last episode was about Earl Nightingale’s 30-day challenge. It is also revealed at the end of the above video. Try it! I am. My 3×5 card reads “lose 10 lbs”. It keeps my mind focused on this goal throughout the day. When I get a craving to eat something that isn’t in line with losing 10 lbs, I pull out the card, read it and visualize myself 10 lbs lighter. It makes me smile and helps me to resist the temptation to eat unhealthy foods.

Always remember, it’s up to you. No one can control your mind, but you! So take charge and become all God created you to be and live your dream life! See you in August…..when I’m 10 lbs lighter!!

earl nightingale, dream life, motivation, inspiration, goals