Getting out of your artistic comfort zone can be really scary. It can be intimidating to pick up a new medium and try to learn a new skill. But artistic growth often thrives when you get out of your comfort zone. If you want to try new things and push your creative boundaries, here are some tips that can help you do so.
Try a New Medium to Expand Your Artistic Comfort Zone
Trying a new medium can be scary but it’s one of the quickest ways to break out of your comfort zone. If you’re a painter who works with acrylics, why not try watercolor or oil paints? If you like to draw with just your pencil, try out pastels, colored pencils, or even charcoal. Try clay sculpting if you usually stick to drawing on paper. Try scrapbooking if you enjoy designing online. There are so many options to try out.
My favorite thing is to go to a craft store and pick a craft I wouldn’t normally pick up. That is how I got into punching needling and embroidery. There are so many avenues you can go down and luckily it’s easy to look up help when things get tough. By working with different materials, you will challenge your skills and maybe ignite a new passion.
Collaborate with Others
Partnering with other artists introduces you to new techniques and perspectives. It can inspire new ideas and approaches to your art. Getting together with an artistic group will give you an opportunity to try out new methods. If one artist uses a certain medium that you are not familiar with, let them teach you their skills. It’s always good to bounce ideas off of others to gain knowledge and perspective on a new medium.
Attend Classes Outside of Your Artistic Comfort Zone
Enrolling in a class or a workshop outside your medium can open up new avenues for exploration. There are many resources online that can help you such as YouTube, Masterclasses, and sometimes even your local community college. There are also in person classes at your local craft store, libraries, or even museums that you can sign up for. Embrace a new venture, don’t let the fear of failure hold you back from trying new things.
Embrace Failure
When reaching outside of your artistic comfort zone, making mistakes is a natural part of the creative process. If you don’t make mistakes then you’re not learning. Each mistake is an opportunity for growth. It’s okay if you try something for the first time that doesn’t meet your expectations. At least you’re stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new.
Stepping out of your artistic comfort zone is a journey of exploration and self-discovery. By experimenting with new mediums, seeking feedback from others, and trying new things, you’ll not only enhance your skills but maybe find a new passion for a new craft.
When using images to market your business, photography tips can make a big difference in sharing your brand’s image with the world. Don’t just take any picture — take the right picture. And think before you snap. Planning out your brand or product photography will make this time well spent. Think about all the places you will use the photography (ie social media, ads, website, etc) and plan your shots to show your product in the best way possible.
1. This Photography Tip Starts Before You Take a Picture: Understand Your Brand and Your Market
Understanding your brand/market is the first step to knowing what kind of photos you need. Get an idea of what you want to convey to your audience and what values you want to
display. Something to help you understand is to create a mood board of photography styles you like or just an overall aesthetic. Websites such as Pinterest is perfect for creating a mood board.
2. Invest in High-Quality Equipment
Make sure you have a good camera and lenses that can help you with your photography. There are many lenses that would better suit your needs, depending on what you want to shoot. Do some prior research on what cameras are best for what you want to achieve. Overall, when looking for a camera, this website that can help with figuring out what camera would be the best fit.
3. Learning the Fundamentals Is A Photography Tip To Start With
Composition techniques will help you make visually appealing photos and help with your overall image. Framing and using the rule of thirds is very beneficial when you are taking photos of products, people, and places. Learning these techniques will elevate your photos and give a more professional feel to them.
4. Use the Best Lighting
Overall natural light develops the best results. Depending on the time of day, it can make or break your photos. Choosing morning or later evening times when the sun is lower, results in a softer light and a better image. If you want to shoot inside invest in soft boxes and flashes. For product photography, it’s best to have bright lights and a solid background to get that professional look.
5. Highlight Your Product or Services
Showcase your products and services in action and show how they can benefit your customers. Focus on capturing your brand and the overall message you want to convey to your audience. Photography tip: Show your product or services in a real-life setting, capturing action shots or setting up a still life.
6. Biggest Photography Tip: Edit, edit, edit!
Use editing software such as Lightroom or Photoshop to enhance your images. Adjusting brightness, highlights, contrast, and colors will ensure your photos look professional. There are also photo editing tips on YouTube for those who want to get into editing more. And finally, here is a website that has some photography tips and tricks for a beginner.
Photography Tips Can Help Make Your Brand Stronger
Overall, you can create solid brand or product photography by taking the time to plan out what you will need, learn the photography tips, and use your time and resources efficiently — to make your brand stronger.
Finding inspirational websites when you’re designing for a brand can be tough, especially if you don’t know where to start. I have compiled a list of some of the best websites that you can use as a resource to give you some ideas when you’re stuck next project.
Behance is a great resource to use if you want to see how some big designers display their portfolio. You can explore a wide range of creative projects, discover new trends, and get inspiration.
Dribbble is another great resource that is similar to Behance. It allows users to showcase their projects at any stage of their production. It is also great for UI/UX and web design trends.
Finding fonts is always time-consuming. They categorize fonts in certain styles so it is easy to find inspiration and the best fonts that fit your design needs. Creative market is a great place for not only fonts but other creative assets.
Typewolf is a great resource for font pairings, and finding similar fonts that you like. It is also a great place to keep up with font trends and see the fonts you like on mockups.
Pinterest is a great resource for all things considering branding. You can keep your ideas organized within your various boards and pins and even look at the boards of others. Once you find things that interest you, the algorithm is great at suggesting images that match your taste and interest.
Instagram is great for finding accounts that can give you inspiration on current trends and projects. Various accounts post their own projects or accounts that keep up to date with trends. There are also a lot of educational videos or posts that can help out with future projects.
Coolors is a perfect website for all things color. You can generate your color palette as well as find colors that match your current colors. You can also explore color palettes that are trending. It is also helpful because it has all of the color codes you would need for a project.
Colorhunt is also very similar to Coloors where you can generate your palette and explore others. You can also look up tones and hues that will give you various palettes of those colors.
Finding Help From Inspirational Websites
Once you visit all of these websites, you’ll see that there are loads of resources out there to get you started, whether you are researching color, type, logos or branding. These resources can also be helpful when you’re trying to take your brand to the next level. Seeing what has been done, and what the possibilities can be can inspire you to create an even stronger brand.
I’m the type of person that will take a photo of anything and everything. But how do you change your everyday photos into something more professional and refined? With a few adjustments and knowing what your iPhone is capable of, you can achieve something worth putting up, even for your brand’s marketing photography. Here are some tips on how you can upgrade your iPhone photos!
Try different angles in your photos
Shifting on where you take the photo can really change the way it looks. Try crouching or flipping your camera upside-down so your camera is closest to the subject. Another tactic is walking around or going directly on top of the subject. These can make for a professional, unique look!
Play in rule of thirds
The “rule of thirds” is important because it creates a good visual balance between the subjects in the frame. It makes your background or foreground visually appealing. It also helps if you have a lot of empty space to make the result a bit more intentional and artistic. Just work with your subject like it’s in a 3×3 grid in the corners or middle. You might be surprised on the different compositions you can create with just one object.
Get the right lighting
The truth is, lighting can really make or break your photography. Try playing with the direction of the light if you have control over it. Playing with shadows can really add some depth to your photos. You can also have multiple light sources and even throw in a color filter.
Edit, edit, edit your photos
Editing is what is going to make your photos pop. My favorite software/ apps to use are Lightroom or VSCO because they have great free options. Playing with the exposure, contrast, highlights and shadows can change the overall feel of the photos. You can make a photo appear richer and vibrant by pulling in highlights, and adding in contrast to reveal hidden details. Play with the colors if you want to make the overall mood of the photo warmer or a bit on the colder side. Another thing I like to do is add some grain to the photo to give it a vintage film feel.
I hope these tips help you excel when you are taking iPhone photos! Don’t be afraid to try new things with your editing. You may never know what you can capture as you create!
Small businesses are the heart of America, but what would it look like to start a small business in the post-pandemic world of today? Life in corporate America has changed drastically since the start COVID-19 pandemic. Turnover rates have skyrocketed and a growing sense of burnout has people looking for flexible, fulfilling enterprises. So, when the 9-5 isn’t cutting it anymore, why not become your own boss?
Turn a passion into a money making machine that pays the bills and gets you out of the office. My personal friend, MJ, did just that. She created Ambrosia and Honey, an online art shop specializing in fantasy novel merchandise. I got the inside scoop on how MJ turned her drawings into a successful, growing company, as well as the hardships and victories she encountered along the way.
1. What made you want to start your small business?
I started to read again after graduating college. I loved reading as a kid but school took up too much of my time and that passion got put on the back burner. A few months after graduation I got a job as a concept artist and was living with my parents. I had tons of free time after work and was burning through several books every week.
After 6 months working I realized that I really don’t like working for a company. No matter how cool the assignment was, I found that I could never bring as much passion to my job as I did to my personal work. I got into a bit of a bad place where I wasn’t sure what I truly wanted anymore. My goal was always to become a concept artist so why wasn’t I happy?
That was when I discovered the bookish community on TikTok and Instagram. I found so many other people that loved to read as much as I did, as well as other artists who created amazing bookish shops. I thought to myself “well I could do that.” And so I did!
2. How have your priorities changed from when you first started?
I don’t think my priorities have changed as much as my goals have. Originally I started the shop with the goal to share my art and maybe make a few extra bucks on the side to pay for gas, seeing as I drove 45 minutes to and from work every day. I was already creating fanart for myself, I figured other people might like to see it too.
Well as it turns out a lot of people like to see it and the shop is now my full time job! My current goals are more in the realm of expanding the company so I can keep up with the demand and creating even better products. My small business priority has always been quality over quantity.
3. Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out in your small business?
I would have done preorders from the start. I didn’t realize that social media engagement didn’t equal actual sales so I ordered way more product than I actually needed.
4. What has been the hardest thing about starting your own business?
The hardest thing has probably been the accounting and business side of things. The art comes easy but the legal things you have to take care of are incredibly frustrating and time-consuming.
5. What is unique about your small business?
I think the fact I make art based on books is pretty unique. Most fan artists make work based on tv shows, films, or anime but the bookish community is relatively niche. My work itself is another thing that separates me from other bookish shops. The majority sell apparel, candles, or jewelry while I sell decor.
I combine digital painting with 3D elements to create something that’s never been done before. Of course this isn’t to say those shops are bad — on the contrary! My fellow bookish shop owners have become some of my dearest friends. I just mean to say mine is slightly different from the rest.
6. What do you look into when making a new product for your business?
I have an entire notebook full of ideas I can’t wait to show everyone! Often times they come to me while I’m driving or when I’m about to fall asleep. That’s the easy part; scheduling is the main problem.
Due to how time-consuming each launch is, I’m only able to do one every few months so I have to be very strategic when they’re placed throughout the year. Seasons, holidays, book release dates, etc. all play in to what I choose to design and when. I definitely get inspired by my fellow bookish shops but my work is different enough from them that I generally just to my own thing.
7. How do you market your business? What is the most useful/successful?
Social media is essential to my small business! I personally use both TikTok and Instagram. Understanding how the algorithm works is the best skill you can learn in terms of marketing. Good lighting, engaging captions, and posting at the right times will take you far. If you don’t know where to start, look at other accounts to get inspiration.
8. Any advice to someone starting a small business?
My biggest piece of advice is to be approachable! Let your followers get to know you and create a community. Post relatable content with insights into your personal life. Pull back the curtain and show what’s behind the scenes. People want to follow people, not brands.
Are you ready to start your own small business?
Starting a small business is no easy task, but it might be just what you need if you’re feeling bogged down by the corporate machine. They say if you’re good at something you should never do it for free, and if you’ve got passion and determination it can take you where you need to go. We’ve even got more tips for marketing your small business to help you get started.
Hopefully these tips can help you or someone you know who is looking to start their own small business! Huge thanks to my friend MJ. Remember to check out her shop Ambrosia and Honey online, and don’t forget to shop small!
As a graphic designer, you are always focused on making brands for someone else. Listening to clients describe the vision and personality of their company, you then make a cohesive new brand that fits what the client described. It’s the same routine every graphic designer has experienced day in and day out.
But why do people say it is important to create a personal brand? Even though you are focused on creating and designing brands for someone else, you have to step back and focus on who is selling that work: you are. Your personal brand can demonstrate your strategic thinking and creativity to potential new clients. So what is your personal brand currently saying about you? Maybe its time to take it to the next level.
Break the process for yourself down into simple steps
Here are 5 ways to help you brand yourself better as a graphic designer, and benefit by standing out from the crowd this year.
1. Define who you are
One of the hardest things about creating your personal brand is defining who you are. But if you ask yourself some questions it could help you define it and put it into words.
Out of all of your work, which is your favorite design that you have done?
As a graphic designer, what motivates you?
Where do you excel?
What do you want your clients to feel when they first discover you as a graphic designer?
How do you present yourself every day?
2. Establish your audience
Who do you want your future clients to be? Try to build a personal brand that reflects the audience you want to work with. Look up fellow designers and see how they handle this themselves and market to their target audience (clients, agencies, etc).
3. Study brands you like
Just like you would research a company for a new project, take a look at other designers and creative agencies that you like. See what they are doing regarding their brand and take notes on how to enhance your own brand.
4. Image is everything
Start creating social media updates that reflect your enhanced brand. Make a website where you can showcase all of your past designs in a personal branded format using such platforms as Behance and Dribble. Be judicious when you choose work to show off. You’ll want to highlight work that most reflects the work you want to do in the future.
5. Interaction on social media
Posting regularly about clients’ work or your personal work will give you a presence on social media. This way you can keep up with the audience’s reaction and trends in the design world. Keeping up to date with coworkers or potential clients gets your name out there. Building those connections can help you get future work opportunities.
Your new better brand will get you further
Once you brand yourself more effectively, you will have created a strong impression and help future clients know who you are. It can persuade their decision to work with you. Branding yourself as effectively as you brand your clients is a way to help plus-up your career and focus not only on the work you do now, but the work you want to do in the future.
