1- It takes a village.

I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase before but really, it’s so true. I know some of you are not as blessed with parents or in-laws who are enjoyable to be around or let them help out but if you have that or if you have friends that are available…make use of them! We’re really lucky to be living with my parents right now, my mom takes baby Jeff at least once a day and that time to rest, cuddle, work or get out of the house is a blessing. It’s also great to have someone who’s done it all before around, even though sometimes it feels like we’re doing everything wrong it’s still nice to have that experience around daily.

2-Alone time with your significant other is important.

I’m a firm believer in a “marriage-centered” relationship and focusing on your other half just as much as your kids. Scott, my fiance, and I had a really strong relationship before we got pregnant and it’s only strengthened more since. Take the time to nurture your relationship, which is really hard with a newborn. If nothing else, spend 10 minutes talking and cuddling in bed at the end of every day. It will help.

3-Figure out who is best at what.

One parent is going to be better at something than the other, that’s just how it works. And it’s okay. Take advantage of it. For us, Daddy is so much better at calming baby down and getting him to sleep, I don’t know why…I think it might be because I have the boobs and baby Jeff thinks the more he cries while I hold him the more likely I’ll feed him/let him comfort nurse. So most days and nights, Daddy gets to rock and bounce the baby to sleep and it works for us.

4-Get an App to keep track of feedings (and poos, pees, medicine/vitamins and growth).

I love having something that tells me the last time baby Jeff ate! Sometimes he’s really fussy and I know he’s not hungry yet because the app tells me it’s only been 35 minutes since he ate last. Trust me, don’t try to just remember it on your own…you won’t. I use my app to keep track of when we give him a bath, when I take vitamins or pain pills (essential the first 2 weeks when I was taking Tylenol constantly).

5-Bouncer or swing.

We received a swing at our baby shower which was fantastic! Unfortunately, baby Jeff hates the swing but we learned pretty fast that he loves loves loves to bounce! So we picked up a bouncer and we can usually get him to sit in it, calmly for about 15 minutes at a time. Get one, or both at first and figure out which your baby likes more and stick with it.

6-Take a picture (or two or three…everyday).

Look for those moments in the day that you look at your newborn and just think, “I want to remember this forever,” or “He’s so cute I want to eat his face,” or “I love seeing my significant other holding our child,” and capture that moment. The first month is overwhelming and hard but you’ll want to remember those feelings and those moments later and they can be far and few between.

7-Find something to occupy your time during long feedings or restless nights.

Sitting there thinking can be nice sometimes, but personally it’s rather detrimental to my emotional state. So I learned that my local library has e-books I can download to my phone. Love it! I also browse twitter, instagram and my reader during nursing sessions. Scott sits up with baby Jeff in the early mornings when he refuses to sleep without being held anymore and he has been watching movies on netflix. Find something that interests you and keep it close by while nursing or sitting with a restless baby.

8-If 1 thing calms baby well, give it to him/her often.

About 90% of the time, holding baby Jeff so he can see outside calms him instantly. He could lay and stare outside for hours (maybe…okay probably an hour at most) and be perfectly content. It’s awesome and amazing. Find something that is so entrancing and calming to your baby and use it, often.

9-Snacks for mom.

Keep snacks for mom nearby during nursing sessions. You get hungry. If there aren’t snacks nearby, be sure your significant other is around to get you food and water.

10-If you’re uncomfortable baby is most happy.

I hate to admit it but it’s true. Think of the most uncomfortable position to sit in for hours on end and that’s probably the only way baby will be calm and sleep. Get used to it.

11-Pick up at the end of the day.

I know the last thing we all want to do at the end of a day with a newborn is clean but it can really help your sanity the next day if you spend 10 minutes tidying up your most used areas.

12-Give yourself a break.

This has been a hard one for me! Sure, if you’re reading this you’re probably present or active online and on social media somehow. If you read my blog you probably have hobbies like art, photography, blogging etc and those things are great and might even be your job. But ya know what? You just had a baby! Give yourself a damn break and don’t stress or worry about your blog or your twitter for at least a month. Just let it go. Go look at your baby and tell me that isn’t better than staring at the screen, honestly.

13-Let him sleep however he wants to.

This might be a hard one for some parents. I know they say ‘back is best’ but sometimes, if baby won’t stop screaming while lying on his back…just put him on his side! It’s okay, I promise. For us, we don’t really have choice since baby Jeff has rolled to his side from his back since day 1. He very rarely sleeps on his back and that’s okay.

14-You can’t spoil a newborn.

This is common advice too and I think it’s true. Newborn babies were nice and warm and close to mom for over 9 months, it’s scary to suddenly be in the open world and have to be away from mom. It’s okay to hold your newborn 24/7, you won’t ruin him and make him needy for life.

15-Get out of the house.

Be a normal human for an hour and get coffee, go grocery shopping or go to a park. After a week home with baby Jeff, Scott and I got out of the house for an hour to get coffee and just be together. You can take the baby with you if you want but trips out alone are great too. You’ll be showered, in real clothes and interacting with adults. You might just feel human again even with the lack of sleep.

There are so many more tips, tricks and advice I (and most parents) could give but I don’t want to sound to preach-y or push-y ha! Trust me, I still have no idea what I’m doing but I’ve learned a few things along the way that might help some other lost new parents. Good luck!

(If you have a request or suggestion for a Tips topic, please contact me here or on twitter.)

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I have this book, 90 Days To Your Novel. It lays out methods for doing exactly that, writing a novel in only three months. This sounds utterly amazing, and I would love to do so, and I have tried, but I fear things keep getting in the way, and I always seem to make excuses to not do it. I never seem to be near a computer when I come up with that perfect scene, or when I am near one I find myself doing other things. Life always seems to get in the way. So here I’ve listed 15 of the biggest things that have taken my 90 day novel and stretched it into almost six years now.

1-Web-comics.

You say the story lines help to inspire you, that the out-there ideas really push your own creativity, but it took me ten minutes just to write this tip since I kept switching back when the woman wasn’t looking.

2-Video Games.

Every night I’d play a round of League of Legends thinking, “Oh, we’ll crush them quickly and make the enemy surrender at the twenty minute mark.” Three hours later, I’m telling the guys there’s plenty of time for one more round.

3-Self-Delusion.

I wrote three chapters yesterday, that’s gotta be what, like, twenty percent of my novel, right? I can take today off.

4-Pregnancy.

Not to place any blame here, and I always knew the baby was going to be a lot of work, I never expected a pregnant woman to need so much taking care of. Just helping her out of bed is a five minute process. The rest is trying to convince her to stop doing things and let me do them for her.

5-Job Hunt.

I have to apply to jobs every free moment I have. When not applying, I have to interview. When not interviewing, I have to come up with other ways to get work. Once I get a job, then, I’ll have the freedom to write.

6-Working.

Alright, now I have a job, making money. I not longer have to worry about creditors and the like. I get home around six o’ clock each day, sit down to a nice dinner, maybe watch a movie… and the day is over… I guess I’ll write over the weekend.

7-Weekends.

Awesome, now I can really sit down and write… but it’s such a nice day, I should be outside and active. Play with the kids, go out with the woman, socialize at the local social facility. Aaaaaaaaaaand, it’s Monday, back to work…

8-Staring at the screen.

Okay, so you’ve done it, you have found time in your busy schedule to sit down and write. Hopefully, your muse is just hiding somewhere nearby. Maybe if you will hard enough, she will appear and you can finally get to writing… it’s not working. Stare deeper into the screen, maybe she left something there to be found. The harder you will, the harder you stare, until finally that blank image is forever burned into your retinas. Maybe it will haunt your dreams, maybe it will simple consume your every waking moment… or maybe you will simply give it up as another bad job and try your luck next blue moon. Stupid muse, living on her own schedule.

9-Writing in your head.

That was one truly epic scene I just came up with, magical, moving, academy award winner for sure. I better write it before I forget. Okay, come on OpenOffice, the word open is in your name, do it faster… Okay good, now lets see… he was at school, and… and… okay, somehow he ends up in Tibet… I can fill the rest in later, anyway, he… *sigh* … nevermind.

10-Reading.

This book is so exceptional, I want to mimic their style. No wait this one is so much better. What if I combine this character with this other plot? What?! Someone already wrote that? I wanna read it! Three of the series I read have come out with sequels? Well, that’s another month gone.

1-Adding things to your to do list.

I haven’t cleaned out the pantry in at least three years, or the fridge in several decades. The pile of papers to file has now filled the entire spare bedroom, I should get on that. Oh yeah, paint the garage, wash the car, groom the cats, oh yeah, and write my book!

12-Distractions come in many forms.

The clouds outside the window make you imagine some of your characters going out for a picnic. A dog barks down the street and you wonder if one of them would even have a dog. Your wall is painted white, that one guy you were considering adding hated white! Your shirt is dirty, when was the last time you did laundry? Do you even have a washer?

13-Having friends.

Writing is a lonely thing because people who aren’t lonely always have something more interesting to do.

14-Not having appropriate liquid addiction.

Alcohol, coffee, or tea. Make your choice, as no choice is not a choice at all. I mean, what will you talk about with other writers if not the crisp refreshment that gets you through a long tortured night?

15-Not being completely motivated.

And here is the honest truth. That comic will be there tomorrow, so will all of these distractions, and probably new ones as well. This goes for not just writing but anything, if you want to write you can. Writing is not a fantasy, it is a job, hard, unattractive, and grueling. Fortunately, it is also an addiction. The more you do it, the more you want to. All you have to do is start, and force yourself to day after day until it is no longer work. It’s supposed to be your passion, so be more bloody passionate about it.

Sadly, as much as I want to be a published author, and thinking how amazing it would be to hold my book in my hand, the actual writing tends to be too much for me. I like my idea, I want to share it, I want to make something out of it, but I just don’t have the discipline for it. I’m the same way with blogging, it took me at least a month to write this post because I couldn’t bring myself to do it. But writing a story is different, I actually dream about my characters, and the world I’ve created. I talk to them in my mind, play out quick little scenarios of what they would do in my place throughout the day, sometimes I even find myself longing to be them. With that much invested, you’d think it’d be simple matter to put it to paper, but writing quite honestly is ridiculously hard work.

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(If you have a request or suggestion for a Tips topic, please contact me here or on twitter.)

So, in honor of our anniversary I thought I would write some tips on love and relationships this month. I’m not going to say our relationship is perfect, because it’s not however I think we do pretty damn well and I think it’s amazing that even after all this time, I still actually like the guy and hate hate hate being apart from him.

1- Talk

One of the most important things I can say about having a successful relationship is that you need to talk. I wrote last year in my Weekly Tips: Relationships post about talking as well. Here is a summarized version of what I wrote:
When I talk to friends or family or read on blogs/twitter about people complaining or asking for advice on their relationship, I get very frustrated. So many times I read/get told about how they don’t like x or y that their significant other does. And they always tell me they haven’t talked to their partner about their problem. Seriously, if you don’t feel comfortable bringing up a discussion about anything and everything with your partner there’s a problem. I tell my fiance everything. If I’m annoyed by something he’s doing, he knows it. If there’s something I think we need to fix in our relationship, I tell him. If he’s not paying enough attention to me, I tell him. If I don’t feel like kissing or cuddling, he knows. If I want more of something from him, I tell him.

You need to talk about the good and the bad, the doubt and the love, the ugly and the beautiful.

2- Find someone who understands.

I’ve known a lot of people who are in relationships where their significant other doesn’t understand something about them. Most specifically, depression, anxiety, OCD or other mental illnesses. They aren’t supportive or loving or they think it’s all “in your head” and so not only do you not talk (see tip #1), but having the most important person in your life not understand something so deeply a part of who you are can be tough. And probably something to avoid, in my opinion.

3- You don’t always have to be two peas in a pod.

It’s fantastic to be in a relationship with someone that you have similar interest to. Honestly, to a point it’s essential but that doesn’t mean you always both have to like the exact same things all the time. My fiance, Scott, is a huge gamer and I like games but I don’t feel like playing as often as he does. And that’s okay. It’s also okay that he’s not as in to blogging as I am. We spend a lot of nights sitting at our respective computers doing what we enjoy but still being together and talking.

4- Discuss the important things

Religion, politics, kids. Even if you don’t realize it right now, there are beliefs and dreams and goals you have that are ‘deal breakers’. You should discuss these important topics with your significant other, you don’t want to end up in a situation of being pregnant and finding out you have completely different ideals and morals. If you feel like you can’t talk about these things, you’re afraid of the reaction if you bring something up, that’s not a great sign either.

5- Go out every week.

My fiance and I spend a lot of time together. We’re currently expecting our first child so we’ve had each others attention for the past 8 years. But we still make time to go out on little coffee dates weekly and we will keep doing so even after we have kids. Even though we spend every day together, it’s nice to have some time set aside that we know is just for us being together and enjoying each other without having to worry about anything else.

6- Be independent.

Love is great but let yourself be independent. Don’t be in a relationship that you have to run everything by the other person, you don’t want to have to check in constantly or do things a certain way just because your other half wants it done that way. Compromise to a point, but still let yourself be your own person, have your own life and don’t let your other half change you to a worse you.

7- Be patient and don’t hold grudges.

There will be times when you fight or argue or just plain don’t like each other. I’ll admit that I’m notorious for telling my fiance that I love him but that I don’t like him right at that moment and that’s perfectly fine. Thankfully, he’s learned to be patient and I never hold grudges so even when we do argue (very very often) or are annoyed with each other, it’s over in a few hours or the next morning. Don’t hold a grudge with your significant other and pay attention to what they are feeling during an argument or rough patch too and be patient with their attitude and/or need for space.

8- Be spontaneous.

In the romance department. Buy each other little gifts, flowers or chocolate for no reason at all. Make your other half breakfast in bed (even if it’s just cereal and coffee!), give them a hug randomly or randomly tell them you love them for no reason at all. Let them know you’re thinking about them at the most random times of the day and that you appreciate them.

9-Have a marriage centered relationship.

Now, most of the things I’ve read about marriage centered relationships are from religious articles and sources but there’s no reason you have to be religious or Christian to have a marriage centered relationship. This is kind of a controversial topic I think but in my opinion it’s really important. Most people, after having kids tend to shift their focus to their children instead of their partner, which is great…until you get lost and your relationship with your partner suffers. If you have a rocky relationship with your partner and father/mother of your children, they will know and their lives will suffer too. Give yourself time to go on weekly dates, be spontaneous and patient and remember you love each other.

10- A good relationship can handle any distance.

I’m going to be honest, any sort of distance for any length of time is a total bitch. It’s hard and testing and sad. My fiance and I were long distance (500+miles) for over 6 years and it was the worst. But, not only did we survive…we are a better couple because of it. You learn so much about a person and discuss topics you might not in person when all you can do is actually ya know…talk.

11- Collaborate.

Try working on a project together…paint a room, write a book(or short story), build a bookshelf. How did it go? Were you frustrated with each other or did you have fun and enjoy it? You should enjoy it. This brings us back to talking and patience. If you enjoy collaborating and working on the little things with each other, it will be easier to work on your relationship and feel supported by your partner in your own ventures.

12- Adventures can spice things up.

If you’re bored in your personal daily life, you might end up bored in your relationship and that’s never a fun place to be! We all get bored, even if your relationship is solid and you work on it but daily routines can become boring. A change of scenery and a break of the mundane can liven up your life and your relationship. Take a weekend and hop in the car, drive in one direction for a few hours and see where you two end up. Find a new store to wander in, a new park to check out, go on a picnic if you haven’t in a while or go ice skating on a whim. Switch it up.

13- Be silly.

Yes, we all need to grow up at some point but we don’t always have to act like grown ups. Be as silly as you want to be with your other half, because they won’t judge you and it’s fun. Tickle each other, wrestle, make jokes and make funny faces for no reason. Don’t be afraid to let yourself go and just enjoy.

14- Respect and family.

Family is one of the most important things in life, so don’t rock the boat with your partner’s family! How they feel about you can and will impact your relationship. Be a good person, be respective and try to make relationships with their parents and siblings.

15- Talk.

My most important and repeated tip. Just talk.

There are so many ways to have a great relationship but even if you feel like soul mates, it takes work. It will always take work and more importantly…you need to want to take the time and energy to do the work involved. Don’t become complacent, or bored. You need to want to love and enjoy your partner for life. I hope these tips help you in your current and future relationships!

I’d like to thank my awesome fiance, Scott, for helping me out with this list of tips!

(If you have a request or suggestion for a Tips topic, please contact me here or on twitter.)

I’ll admit I have only guest posted myself on a select few blogs so far, I have had a lot of guest posters here at Like a Bird. Through having so many, I’ve learned the things I appreciate from guest posters and things I know I’ll try to do in the future when I guest post for others too. I hope you find these tips helpful when you’re trying to guest for other bloggers!

1- Come to the table with ideas.

Many times, bloggers are responding to a call for guest posters instead of just cold calling bloggers. Both options are great, but if you are responding to a call be sure you have ideas when you get in touch with that blogger. Your ideas don’t have to be specific but come prepared with an idea or two. It can be more specific like ‘tips on thrifting dresses’ or more vague like ‘jewelry’. If you are really unsure, check their blog to see if they have a guest post series with a specific topic and be sure to check past guest posts and regular posts for other ideas.

2- Respond in a timely manner.

When you email a blogger asking to guest post for them and they reply, be sure you email them back in a timely manner. I wouldn’t recommend any longer than a week, but 3 or 4 days would be best.

3- Follow guest posting guidelines.

Most blogs will have guideline for their posts and a certain way to submit a post. Some will want a bio and picture of you, some will want a specific word length. Be sure to read the guest posting guidelines either on their site or ask for their guidelines when you email the blogger.

4- Write in html.

Don’t give the blogger more work, they probably have enough to do with their own work. They don’t want to have to format your post for you. I’m currently working on writing up some tips on writing a post in html and submitting it via email but if you don’t know how to write a blog post in html, check out this style guide from zenhabits for a basic start.

5- Communication

Keep in communication with the blogger. If you are respond to a call for guest posters and the host blogger emails you back with topics for you to write about and you aren’t excited about any, email them back and tell them you aren’t interested in posting at that time. Most bloggers, when sending out a call for posters, are actually in need of posters so again, don’t leave the host blog hanging thinking they have you locked in for a space when you will never be writing it.

6- Use images and credit correctly.

Copyright is a very serious thing and images used without permission or used without giving proper credit can get you in a lot of trouble. If you plan to include pictures in your guest post (and you should), either use your own pictures or correctly source your images. Check out this post about crediting photos on frolic! if you don’t know how to properly source and credit your images.

7- Don’t half ass the post.

Don’t write your 2nd best material. Take your time with your guest posts and write good content. Remember that you not only representing the host blog but also yourself and your personal blog and/or business. If you have a certain image or branding you try to maintain on your blog/twitter/business, keep that image across your guest posts and don’t submit anything you wouldn’t post on your own blog. Don’t submit your post 1 day after talking to the blogger and getting the go-ahead, it will seem like you don’t care. Take your time, edit your post and make sure all your formatting is correct.

8- Write unique content.

Write something new and different. Try not to repeat topics the blog you are writing for has had before and don’t just copy and paste an old post of yours. The same as not half-assing your post, just because it’s not on your blog doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be unique and quality content. It does. Always.

9- Only query blogs that are similar to what you normally write about.

It’s kind of silly to be querying a sports blog if all you write about is babies. Sometimes crossovers can work, so if you’re a fashion blogger there may be a time to query sports blogs but for the most part, stick to blogs with similar themes and topics.

10- Read some of the posts on the blog you are guest posting for, before you offer to post with them.

Seems logical, if it’s a blog you don’t ready daily or often especially, to make sure the blog is similar to yours. But sometimes people forget to do this and it can really help you out when coming up with ideas, formatting and being personable/relating to the blogger themselves.

11- Get your post in by the deadline.

If you are answering a call for guest posters and not just cold calling with a guest post ready, then the blogger will probably give you a deadline. Meet your deadline. And if you can’t, email the blogger as early as you can to ask if an extension of a day or two is okay. Don’t leave them hanging.

12- Be sure to thank the blogger after the post is up.

Either via twitter, facebook or email. It never hurts to let them know that you would be willing to post again. For me, if I have a guest posting opportunity or a new series coming up, I would rather email and ask people I know that write well and have guested for me before than try to hunt down others.

13- Reply to comments

After you write your post and submit it to the host blogger, your job isn’t over! Be sure to check the post the day it’s posted (as well as several days-a week after) and reply to comments, view blogs from commenters and interact with your audience. You would do the same on your own blog, so be sure to do it on your guest posts too!

14- Promote your post. twitter, blog, facebook.

Again, you promote the posts on your own blog, so you should do it for a guest post on another blog as well.

15- Be yourself but pay attention to the host blogs style.

You want to be yourself, sell yourself to a point because usually we’re guest posting to generate readers to our own blogs, right? So you want to write in your own style but make sure you take the time to look at the host blogs style first. If they don’t usually swear, it might be for a reason so don’t include it in your post.

Good luck with your future guest posting opportunities and I hope these tips help get you more connections and spread your name around the blogosphere!

(If you have a request or suggestion for a Tips topic, please contact me here or on twitter.)

It can be really overwhelming to start art journaling, because really…where do you start? Well I hope these tips will help those just starting on the path of art journaling and even those who are a bit further along in the journey.

1- Art Journaling is personal.

Art journaling is almost like a diary. It’s a personal sketchbook that you can use for whatever your heart desires. And that means that it’s one of the most personal types of art you can create. When using your art journal as a diary (versus a visual diary of your day), you can pour your heart out onto the page. So be honest and truthful with yourself. Feel free to reveal secrets, goals, plans that you aren’t ready to tel the world. Experiment and fail, or succeed. Just remember, you don’t ever have to show anyone.

2- There is no right or wrong.

I’ve gotten stuck in this myself before. Worrying because my spreads didn’t look like the journals I was seeing pasted all over the web and in fabulous magazines. But you know what? That’s okay. There’s no one way to use your art journal. Use it as a memory book and paste receipts, ephemera or photos from your day inside. Use it as a visual diary and let out all your emotions onto the page. Use it as a experimental sketchbook for techniques you’ve always wanted to try. Use it to keep quotes, poems, artists, bands…things you want to remember. Sketch from real life. Use just words, or just paint, or just pen. Any medium, technique or purpose is right and just because your page is different from others doesn’t make it wrong. It makes it you.

3- Don’t be afraid to fail.

The best part about art journaling? You can try any technique or medium you want and if it doesn’t work, you never have to show anyway else. Better yet? You can just gesso over the page and start over again. One of the great things about art journaling is experimentation and remembering that it’s okay to fail.

4- You don’t need any fancy supplies.

Nope. Not one bit. I’ve seen people do beautiful, magical things with a lined composition book and pen. My go to supplies are a handmade journal, watercolors and tech pen. That’s it. Nothing fancy. Don’t let your lack of current supplies (or money to buy new supplies) deter you from starting an art journal.

5- Utilize prompts.

When you are first starting, sometimes it’s hard to know what to journal about. There are a lot of prompts out there on the internet, and also lots of art journaling classes around too. Check out Janel‘s 30 Day Journal Challenge, Browse the Digital Library on Art House Co-Op, read through Tammy‘s posts about Kick Starting Your Art Journal, Read the Prompts from Creative Every Day. I also have several*posts*with*prompts. And when in doubt, google!

6-Don’t be afraid of the blank page.

Or the blank book. For the longest time I would buy new hardbound sketchbooks and it would take me years to use them, because I wanted to save them for something perfect and never ever mess up in them. Well let me tell you a secret? It’s okay to mess up, it’s okay to use that sketchbook for something random and un-perfect. That’s why I really enjoy making my own books out of cereal boxes and mixed media paper, there’s no pressure. But if you’re still afraid, open up to that first page and just splatter paint until you’re satisfied. There, now the book had been marked and marred and is ready for use without fear.

7-Create your own zen space to work in.

Let your art journal time be youtime, not only will you be more productive and be more honest on your page if you are alone and comfortable, it’s a great way to relax and de-stress. So find your comfort place and work there. For me, I really love sitting at my computer desk or on the floor with a fresh cup of coffee, music playing on Pandora and surrounded by my paints. You might work better outside or in bed, where ever that comfort place is for you…find it and use it.

8- Keep trying.

It can take a while (years even) to get comfortable with your style, to realize what inspires you and what helps you in your art journal. I’ve been art journaling for almost 5 years now (off and on) and am just now getting comfortable in what I’m doing, with the way I work and the tools I work with. It might not click right away, you need to experiment and keep trying.

9- Give yourself a project or weekly schedule.

Especially when starting something new, it’s always good to give yourself a project or specific goals. But start out small. Try doing a journal page a day for 30 days (or 15 if that seems too daunting!), try to do 1 journal a week for the next month (or two). Give yourself a theme to work with for a whole journal. Promise yourself you’ll finish one book before starting another. I think I’m a goal-aholic but they really can help.

10- Get Involved.

Art communities are fantastic and it’s so great to be involved and active in the community. Not only are a lot of the prompts, projects and e-classes I’ve listed above going to help you connect with other art journalers, you can join flickr and search the groups for like minded journalers, also check out this great art journaling community. If you’re on twitter, ask your followers if they art journal and start emailing with them about it, you can also search #artjournal and find more journalers!

11- Take a class.

I’ll admit, I haven’t yet taken an art journaling class but I did first learn to do art journals in high school art classes. I have heard fantastic things about some art journal classes and they can be a great way to start journaling if you aren’t sure where to begin. Check out these e-classes: Classes Kara Made * Art Journal All Year * Photo Journals * 21 Secrets. There are a ton more art journal classes out there, these are just a handful of the best I’ve heard about.

12- Seek out the advice of experienced art journalers.

The art journaling community is all very friendly! Most art journalers love to share ideas, tips and tricks so don’t be afraid to reach out.

13- Get rid of your inner critic

Because your art journal can become like a diary, and because you are experimenting with new techniques and mediums…it’s so important to learn to let go of your inner critic. That little voice that is always telling you that you suck, that you can’t do anything…yeah that one. Shove it away, push it down. Maybe create a page that’s like a comic book and your super hero inner artist beats down the inner critic so you can work on the rest of the pages without him or her around. Whatever you need to do to release that part of you, try.

14- Look for inspiration and ideas but don’t let it overwhelm you.

Sometimes, when I’m really stuck on what to do in my art journal, I’ll look at the work of other art journalers as well as artists (painters, photographers, mixed media, illustration etc) to help get my creative muscles flowing. A prompt that says “try a new technique” is fantastic, but sometimes we need to brainstorm and see some techniques others are doing. But the most important thing to remember is to not get bogged down by thinking “I’m not good enough!” or “I could never create that!” As I said, art journals are unique and personal so don’t let what others do influence you too the point where you don’t want to work anymore.

15- Just do it.

So what are you waiting for? Get Journaling!

(If you have a request or suggestion for a Tips topic, please contact me here or on twitter.)