Let's be honest, we're always looking for inspiration. We're always waiting around waiting for that one brilliant idea to come about, or that color combination that sparks a genius idea (or any idea!) for our next project. For me, a lot of inspiration comes from reading. I tend to fly through craft biz books on a regular basis because I think it's extremely important to keep your skills and perspective as sharp as possible when trying to establish an indie biz. This is why I'm sharing with you two pieces I've read recently that I think you'll really enjoy!
1) In this month's issue of Martha Stewart's Living I stumbled across a two page article called "This is Your Brain on Crafts." The article is not available online yet, but I'm hoping that this post might inspire you to pick up a copy next time you're checking out at the grocery store or sitting in a doctors office. I love MSL magazine for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because it makes me feel good about myself. I love MSL's aesthetic and it seems like it was designed with people like me in mind, which is nice, because I don't usually feel that way with magazines. MSL inspires me to bake from scratch, to try new herbs, to learn how to weatherize plans (I mean really, if it weren't for MSL, I'd have no idea what weatherize even meant). I just sorta love this magazine, to be honest, but this article really hit home.
When I saw the faux embroidered image partnered with this article, I was intrigued. It was a good thing, too, because it completely validated the time I spent sampling a new yarn yesterday instead of grading papers. It made me feel much calmer about the idea of needing time to crochet and be creative instead of attempting to maximize every second I'm awake during the day. Ultimately, this brief article is worthy of the 10 minute break to read and have a private conversation within yourself regarding how much time you spent crafting or creating and how that should be just as important in your daily routine as eating balanced meals and exercising. I loved it! It's already torn out and on the cork board in our office!
2) Hello Craft's Handmade to Sell was just published last month and has been flying off the DIY bookshelves. I picked up this book on a whim last month when I knew I wouldn't be able to get to it for at least a few weeks. Fortunately, I'm able to squirrel in a few pages every now and then before bed and I'm so happy I have it as a positive, thorough tip-of-my-fingers resource. My favorite component of this book is that it uses real, successful shops instead of fabricated imaginary shops (pun not intended ;)). Kelly Rand certainly gets to the point and explains the what's what extremely well and in a very positive manner. The other thing I really enjoy is that Kimberly Dorn, cofounder of the local (and amazing) Crafty Bastards and Handmade Mart, also contributes to this book, which tells me that it's extremely up to date and applicable for people like me (I was accepted to Handmade Mart last year, but couldn't attend because of other plans)! I appreciate the jump start this book offered me as I look down the remaining days of 2012 and begin to think about how I want to advance my small biz on 2013!
1) In this month's issue of Martha Stewart's Living I stumbled across a two page article called "This is Your Brain on Crafts." The article is not available online yet, but I'm hoping that this post might inspire you to pick up a copy next time you're checking out at the grocery store or sitting in a doctors office. I love MSL magazine for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because it makes me feel good about myself. I love MSL's aesthetic and it seems like it was designed with people like me in mind, which is nice, because I don't usually feel that way with magazines. MSL inspires me to bake from scratch, to try new herbs, to learn how to weatherize plans (I mean really, if it weren't for MSL, I'd have no idea what weatherize even meant). I just sorta love this magazine, to be honest, but this article really hit home.
When I saw the faux embroidered image partnered with this article, I was intrigued. It was a good thing, too, because it completely validated the time I spent sampling a new yarn yesterday instead of grading papers. It made me feel much calmer about the idea of needing time to crochet and be creative instead of attempting to maximize every second I'm awake during the day. Ultimately, this brief article is worthy of the 10 minute break to read and have a private conversation within yourself regarding how much time you spent crafting or creating and how that should be just as important in your daily routine as eating balanced meals and exercising. I loved it! It's already torn out and on the cork board in our office!
2) Hello Craft's Handmade to Sell was just published last month and has been flying off the DIY bookshelves. I picked up this book on a whim last month when I knew I wouldn't be able to get to it for at least a few weeks. Fortunately, I'm able to squirrel in a few pages every now and then before bed and I'm so happy I have it as a positive, thorough tip-of-my-fingers resource. My favorite component of this book is that it uses real, successful shops instead of fabricated imaginary shops (pun not intended ;)). Kelly Rand certainly gets to the point and explains the what's what extremely well and in a very positive manner. The other thing I really enjoy is that Kimberly Dorn, cofounder of the local (and amazing) Crafty Bastards and Handmade Mart, also contributes to this book, which tells me that it's extremely up to date and applicable for people like me (I was accepted to Handmade Mart last year, but couldn't attend because of other plans)! I appreciate the jump start this book offered me as I look down the remaining days of 2012 and begin to think about how I want to advance my small biz on 2013!
What have you read that has given you craftspiration?
Someone gave me that Martha Stewart article the other day and I thought it was terrific!
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