Archive for December, 2010
Lifetime Learning
While it may be a cliché, being a lifetime learner is one key to remaining in the creative stream. It’s not because you will learn something so totally different that will completely change what it is you do now, but your perspective will change enough that you will look at what you do with a fresh vision.
I was raised around pets, and my childhood contains many profound lessons provided by hamsters, dogs, cats, fish, turtles, pigeons, frogs, and parakeets. Somewhere in there is a message from one very frightened raccoon, but we won’t talk about that one. But my current Zen master is Charles-Monet, my Applehead Siamese cat. By watching him, I learn so much about life, because he certainly tells us humans what it feels like to be scared, contented, inquisitive, avoidant of new social situations, and the like.
If my cat can learn how to ride an elevator, I certainly can learn any number of things that seem daunting. He only has a brain the size of a walnut; we artists have the capacity to imagine the unimagined, translate it to the physical world, and present it with all its emotionality intact.
What things do you want to learn in the next two years? What kind of plans have you put in place to help you achieve your goals? If Hips For Hire can help you with your goals, be sure to let us know how we can help.
Happy Holidays from Hips For Hire
Thank you for your support of Hips For Hire. From myself, the artists, my new art community Sabaki LLC, and Charles-Monet, we wish you a meaningful holiday season, filled with friends, family, and opportunities to beautify the world.
I may take a cue from Beau the Pug (my sister’s dog) to take time off to rest, recreate, and spend time with friends and family. I’ll be back with more events, tips on running your small art business or creative projects, featured videos, and the usual fun stuff. In the meantime, please help support Hips For Hire by sending friends my link and asking them to subscribe to the blog, or follow us on Twitter.@HipsForHire
Happy Holidays!
A Gift That Keeps Giving from Elsepage.com
An ad came across my laptop today, which looks like a good one. While you may be busy buying and making gifts for friends and family, there is something YOU should get for yourself (or hint for someone to get you) this year if you are an artist with work to share: a website.
You know who you are: a free-spirited person who loves creating, and you’ve been putting off starting a website because of time, money, or know-how. Make a New Year’s resolution to put the excuses behind you, and start thinking about a website that allows people to see your work, including video clips of your most recent accomplishments. If you don’t know why you should do this, read my blog post on the subject.
There are many free website platforms from which to choose, with templates that allow you to plug and chug, but here’s an affordable one one with a few more choices. Elsepage.com is in beta, allowing you an unbeatable price for starting your website.
Start your artistic biz with a professional website
Face it, some of you are gifted at design and wouldn’t dream of having someone design your website for you. And others of you just think you’re good at design, but if you listen to your friends and colleagues, they’ve been hinting at you to back away from the computer and leave it in the hands of a professional. Elsepage.com gives you a professional website, or a personal one if that’s what you’d like. Better yet, maybe you have someone in your band, dance troupe, or artist circle of friends who really needs something like this to organize photos, videos, upcoming events, and blogposts. You can purchase an Elsepage.com site and gift your friend for under $30.
Of course, here at Hips For Hire, I’ve been offering coaching and “light” webblog services to get you going as an artist. But I couldn’t resist pointing you to Elsepage.com for those of you who need a little more to get started, but don’t need premium services with coaching for your small art business.
Check out Elsepage.com, and let me know how your experience with their beta program treats you. And while you’re at it, subscribe to my blog here at the top of the page, and follow me on Twitter @HipsForHire, where we’re all about art and beauty (and food and wine, baby!).
My Favorite Feed Of The Moment: The Oatmeal
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Hey bro, are you a flower? August 7, 2014
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Today, illustrated. July 31, 2014
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I am here to teach you about animals in space July 30, 2014
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