welcome!
Scroll through the recent posts or view the archives and search the blog.
How to create faux watercolor hand lettering in Photoshop
If watercolor is part of your brand’s aesthetic, it’s important you learn how to use watercolor in a digital form so you can continue to make branded graphics without having to hire a designer. This will save you time, money, and will add another tool to your creative entrepreneur toolbelt!
Copyright Basics for Artists
It’s important for anyone who creates original work to know the basics of copyright law in the United States (check out your county’s individual laws if you’re from outside of the United States). You’ve taken the time to create something unique and original and you don’t want others to just take your work and profit off of it without your permission, right? Of course not! So let’s learn the about copyright law for creatives now, so we can all keep our work protected.
Create a blog header with pre-drawn illustrations, clip art, and fonts
In this week's quick tutorial, I'm going to show you how to make your blog header using existing illustrations/clip art and an existing font. The hand-drawn look is awesome, but I realize not everyone wants to make graphics from scratch!
7 Ways to use hand lettering in your blog design
I'm all about DIY graphics. Hand lettering is the perfect way to add a personal touch to your blog design which will help your blog stand out from the crowd. There are lots of places to use hand lettering in your blog design. Here are some of my favorite ways!
Make your own hand lettered blog header: design tutorial in Photoshop
Creating your own hand lettered blog header is a lot easier than it sounds. Plus, it's fun! There's something super rewarding in getting your hands dirty and creating your own blog graphics. There are a lot of hand lettering styles you can try to create your blog header. For this tutorial, I'll be working with the popular handwritten style, because I think it's a great personalized option for lifestyle blogs. Learn how to add black and white lettering, or even colorize your work to match your blog's color scheme!
8 Must-have blog graphics for your blog's visual branding
Whether you're just starting a blog or you're looking to redesign your blog, it's important to have a few basic graphics and images in place. After you choose your perfect color palette that truly represents who you are, you're ready to move on to your graphic suite. In this post, I'll go over 8 must-have graphics for your blog: header, logo (yes, these are different!) favicon, a blog stamp, a title image template, a blog post signature, a unique sidebar about box, and sidebar buttons for featured posts.
Digital Drawing Made Easy with iPad or iPhone and Paper by FiftyThree
Learn how to create digital drawings easily with Paper by FiftyThree app using the transparent background feature. Add handwriting and doodles on top of images using Photoshop and PNG exports.
How to Choose a Branding Palette To Match Your Personal Style
Color palettes are extremely important for the visual branding of your blog or website. It can immediately convey the mood of your site as well as hint at your target audience. A color palette can set you apart or cause you to blend in.
In this post, I'll share tips on how to choose a color palette for your blog that matches your personality, and I'll explore the reasons behind my own blog-recolor choices!
How I grew my email list 6x by using content upgrades
I've watched my email newsletter list grow by 10-20 subscribers daily since the beginning of 2015. In this post, I investigate how this is possible despite my erratic posting schedule. In the end—it all comes down to content upgrades! Read the post and download the free list of 15 content upgrade ideas.
I Quit My Job: Here's My Plan for Passive Income
Big changes are coming my way this fall: I quit my job, and I'm relying on my passive income plan! Read the post to see where I plan to focus my energy, what I intend not to do a lot of (client work), and what my financial goals are.
Traveling and minimalism
Traveling can bring us closer to the understanding of minimalism. Have only what you absolutely need and absolutely love.
How to Argue Yourself Happy
There's something so simple about happiness that is always true but is hard to remember. We can hang motivational quotes and snippets around our house, on our desktop backgrounds, on sticky notes on the fridge, but ultimately there's nothing more reassuring than reading a passage about happiness.
People Are Abstract Art
Every person, by definition, is undefinable. We’re all so complex; you can’t put a label on us.
My miracle morning
In comes Hal Elrod’s miracle morning. Here’s how it’s a game changer for productivity, happiness, and focus.
Easily create a color palette in Illustrator from a photograph
Color palette inspiration can come from anywhere. A lot of times, beautiful, harmoniously-colored photography is a great place to start. In this tutorial, I walk you through the best and most fool-proof way to develop and build a beautiful color palette from a photograph using Illustrator and the crystallize tool.
Create confetti by creating a custom scatter brush in Illustrator
Adding “confetti” to your artwork is a great way to add depth, dimension, and interest. It's easy to create your own confetti in Illustrator. Follow my tutorial to create your own digital confetti by creating a custom scatter brush in Illustrator.
Meal Planning for Working Moms
Meal planning was always impossible for me for whatever reason. I could never plan far ahead enough, leaving me with whatever was easiest to make for the night, or just reheating leftovers. Somewhere along the line I learned how to meal plan for the week, and it has a lot to do with my bullet journal.
Everyone's Got to Start Somewhere
Everyone's got to start somewhere. You can't compare yourself to others who are months or years ahead of you.
The Importance of Design Reviews: Giving Criticism and Getting Feedback
If you're a designer, there's always room for you to improve. It doesn't matter if you work at an agency, if you work for yourself, or if you are somewhere in between; developing your skills and taste as a designer is important to maintain your value. Always be growing! Giving and getting feedback can be awkward or painful. Here are tips for giving and getting feedback on your creative work.
What's the point?
What’s the point of having a creative business? A side hustle? Pursuing your passions? Do you ever lose sight of why you do what you do?