GMarks - Do you use more than one computer and wish you had all your bookmarks in one place? Firefox has a great add-on to sync and manage all your bookmarks.

mygazines.com - For those of you cheapskates, like myself, there is now a free place to browse, share, archive and customize unlimited magazine articles uploaded by you.

forwebdesigners.com - helpful links for web designers

jumpola.com - lists many of the sources a graphic/web designer wants easy access to

benjaminkrain.com- Inspirational photojournalist - Benjamin Krain

logolounge.com - you can quickly search through thousands of logos created by designers and firms known and unknown, as well as upload your own logos.

As blogs are now becoming more mainstream and not only being used by technical people, they are becoming a great, cheap advertising tool. A blog added to your website verifies your site as a trusted one, keeps visitors interested and coming back to read new content, and is more likely to come up in search engines. Visitors can now interact with the writer by asking questions and getting answers. You become more than just a website or a business, and visitors really get to know you as a person.

Blogging is different than a TV commercial or billboard AD because it is an activity that gets people involved and affects people in many positive ways. Two optimists joined together to use the power of blogging to cause major attention to the environment by creating “Blog Action Day” on October 15th, 2007; 20,603 Blogs participated and 23,327 Blog Posts (Google Blog Search) created 14,631,038 RSS Readers. The “Blog Action Day” also landed on TV stations in Greece to radio stations in Spain to newspapers in New Zealand.

With much success, it will be repeated again this year on October 15th, 2008, on the topic of poverty. As of today there are 2,630 sites registered to participate with an audience in excess of 4,566,280 readers. “Blog Action Day requires mass participation to work. With every registered blogger, the event reaches more people, grows in scale and creates more of a buzz. We rely solely on word of mouth (or keyboard) to spread so that means we need your help!”

Help promote this great cause with me and register your blog. Look out for my post on October 15th.

On the search for freelance work, I have been checking Craigslist.org. I have noticed some posts requesting finished designs and they will only pay for it if they like it, which usually gets a response warning other designers not to apply. This is called Spec work – work done in speculation that the designer may or may get paid. Any other professional that provides a service would not do work not knowing if they were going to get paid. Take a mechanic for example, you would not ask a mechanic to fix your car and only pay them if you like it.

Spec work not only hurts the designer, but also the quality of the work. Design is meant to be a collaborative effort between the designer and the client which is essential in communicating the right message. I like HOW’s suggestion to ask the client for a paid brainstorming session instead of a free ideas and suggestions. And even if the client does not hire you, you will at least be paid for your ideas.

On my search to learn more about spec work, I found on aiga.org two insightful downloadable sample letters on how to educate clients on why spec work is dishonorable. Another website on spec work is www.no-spec.com who’s mission is to educate the public about spec work. Hopefully the all of the public will start to see why spec work is wrong and unethical.

Some 30 days later, I have finished my first painting. As promised, here is the finished product:

What I love about this painting is not only the end result, but also what I have learned. Having a plan was essential, there is no way it would have come out the way it did without a good plan of action. Patience is key, unless you are going to paint like Pollock by throwing the paint around. I did not have a deadline since I was the client for a change, and it was wonderful and calming to paint a few hours each day. Once I started to become tired or agitated I stopped, because I knew if I continued I would make poor decisions and ruin the painting and craftsmanship. I did not want to rush through it, although, my husband did not appreciate the couch being in the middle of the living room so I could paint it hanging on the wall. I had no choice, I was out of room!

The style and subject that I choose I believe was a good choice because I could skew the tree without it looking strange, especially working with a large size canvas; and it was fairly easy to paint. One major lesson learned, was if you know you will need to be using the exact color over a large area, make sure you have plenty mixed and put it in a container with a lid. That way you don’t run out and have to try mixing the exact color, because it’s not possible.

I am very happy with my painting and proud. It definitely puts a smile on my face when I walk into my living room. The paint colors, size, and canvas material is what makes it original, even with using a famous picture as my inspiration.

Read “Painter? Well maybe.”

New and existing faculty of UNC Charlotte will now have all of the important information in one convenient brochure or sheet. I worked with a committee to create a helpful guide with “if-then” situations that faculty members might come across with students.

Click to download full size

Typical “if-then” charts contain the information in a box with an arrow, making it cluttered. I wanted to make it clear and simple, since it will be a reference that faculty will refer back to on occasion. I made all of the important programs, websites, office locations and phone numbers bold; so it is easy to skim through to find the information you need. On the back I also put a list of the same information so it is easily accessible. I wanted to make it look like personal notes, and have a reference to education.

Brochures were printed and handed out at the new faculty orientation, and the sheet shown will be a PDF sent out to all of the faculty. I thought it would be a good idea to both, because it is cheaper to send out a PDF to all of the UNCC faculty, and then they can easily print it themselves.

A common question that I get asked is, “Where do you get your inspiration?” I should really start answering, “Where don’t I get inspiration from? It’s everywhere!” There are many sources of inspiration for a designer/artist. From commercials, internet, peers, to everyday life. Inspiration is everywhere, you just need to realize it and capture it.

When I am in between projects, I try to spend my time searching around the internet using StumbleUpon and bookmarking my favorite sites with GMarks, browsing around AIGA.org, learning new tutorials for the different programs I use, picking up print materials that interest me, subscribing to graphic design firms’ newsletters, visiting bookstores to flip through graphic design books, purchasing graphic design books/magazines, and many others. Some of my favorite magazines: Communication Arts, HOW, Print, I.D., Step, and GD USA. While most are costly, you can usually get the first issue free, and cancel your subscription if you are not happy with it. Some of the books that have helped me are: “Graphic Design that works” by Rockport, “Stop Stealing Sheep & find out how type works” by Erick Spiekermann & E.M. Giner, “Best of Brochure Design” by Jason Godfrey, and many others. If I had the funds to fill a library of my own, I would. I like going to the bookstore to look through them and then buy cheaper from amazon.com.

When I’m working on a project, I can be going for a jog, out shopping, or watching TV and all the sudden and idea will just hit me; sometimes even out of the blue, which I know usually happens to most of us designers. When the mind is free to wander it will! I have a handy little note pad that I keep with me at all times, so I write my ideas down so I don’t forget them.

Where do you get inspiration from?

Click image to download

Click image to download

I got the idea to start doing pro-bono (for the public good) work from chatting with someone at a recent AIGA event. He told me to do as much pro-bono work as you can when you’re young. And I agree, the more experience you have under your belt the better. I’ve had some free time on my hands lately, and I thought what a perfect way to volunteer and advertise for free!

I found volunteermatch.org to be a very helpful start. No one was advertising for the need of graphic design services, but I found a few that had a call for newsletter entries, help at events, and various others that I knew would appreciate my services. I picked a few that interested me including: United States Equine Rescue League, Inc. (USERL), Teens against Violence (TAV), Shepherd’s Center East, and National Multiple Sclerosis Society - Mid Atlantic Chapter.

I created this poster and bookmark for USERL, which helps rescue horses in need. If you click the images you can download the PDF’s and please feel free to print the poster and bookmark to post or hand out.

I did things a little backwards, I started journaling before I realized I wanted to add a blog to my website. That is why I have past articles and I am just now making my blog live.

My mind usually never rests, I am always thinking up some new creative project that I want to work on. I enjoy learning new things, sharing with others, and continuing to grow as an individual and a professional graphic designer. This blog will not only be about graphic design, but also art, photography and anything else that falls under creative. I am a creative thinker at heart, and I did not want to limit this to just graphic design, because there is more to me than that.

Keep up with my journey of exploring my creative ideas. Please feel free to comment on the posts. Add this blog to your RSS feed! Thanks for reading.

– Amy Lynn

Ever wish you could go back to high school art class to paint pottery and have it fired, or even for the first time? I found a few local places:
Mudslingers Pottery - Concord, NC
Pottery Place Studios - Concord, NC
Meg-art - Huntersville & Mooresville, NC

I visited Pottery Place Studios, which is near Concord Mills, on Saturday for a friend’s birthday outing. They had a wide range of small to large pottery ready to paint; including vases, containers, sculptures, tiles and more. The price includes the pottery, paint, and firing. They had a large tile of all the available colors to see what they look like after they’re fired with one and two coats. It was very easy to do even if you have never painted pottery before. It was very relaxing outing and something new and fun to do. Most of those places even have ladies’ night, parties, and classes.

I get to pick up the tile that I painted in a week, I hope it turns out how I imagined. I will upload a picture of the finished product once I have it.

Last night at AIGA Charlotte’s Meet|Market event was the re|THINK poster exhibit. It was a poster competition for a way for designers to do their share to help save the earth. Posters were focused on inspiring the Carolinas to care more about their environment. There were many different styles, approaches, and ways to help the environment. It was hard to pick a favorite, but I like the picture of the tree with the thermostat the best; I think photography has a very strong power to make things seem real and true. You can view and purchase ($10 ea) all of the posters at rethinkposters.com.

I got inspiration from one of the posters, to put a bucket in the tub while I take a shower. It cuts down on half the amount of water I need to water my outdoor garden each day. I also like using my reusable bags to go to the grocery store, if I don’t have them on me and end up having to get plastic bags, I use them as my dog’s poop bags. I feel a little silly telling people I do these things, but doing small things not only helps the environment but it also makes you feel good, and hopefully it rubs off on others. What creative ways do you reduce, reuse, and recycle?

Some people may not see the point of helping the environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling, but I found two inspiring quotes:
“The choices we make as individuals are important, if only because I think humans work by example. What one person does, another will follow, and then we begin to see the numbers that will make a real difference.” Clare Harris, editor of New Consumer magazine.
“When the tipping point toward green shopping behavior is reached, when enough people change their behavior, then collectively we will make a difference.” CNN.com