As you can see, my Friday FIVE didn’t make it by Friday this week, but it’s a good one, so I’m NOT waiting to share …
ONE.
I’m reading this book. It is Seth Godin’s most recent wake up call to stand up and stand out. If you ever read Seth’s blog (and you should) then you know that he is uniquely wired to sense the future and prepare people for it.
I particularly like the way he talks about ART: ”Art isn’t something sold in a gallery or performed on stage. Art is the unique work of a human being, work that touches another. Seeking new ground, making connections between people or ideas, working without a map—these are the works of art, and if you do them, you are an artist, regardless of whether you wear a smock, use a computer or work with others all day long … An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And, an artist takes it (all of it, the work, the process, and the feedback from those we seek to connect with) personally.”
I have two copies of The Icarus Deception to give away. If you’d like to get to know the artist inside of you, or you simply need some validation and encouragement for the art you are putting out there, let me know in the comments!
TWO.
I haven’t talked much about Echo Park’s Photo Freedom line. I need to. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have partnered with Echo Park. Our goal is to spread the Photo Freedom philosophy and help people simplify their storytelling. Believe it or not, I’ve been using divided page protectors since the days of Simple Scrapbooks (the book) in an effort to speed up the creative process and document extended stories. While this approach is hugely popular right now, thanks to the brilliance of Becky Higgins and Project Life, it has been a trusted solution for a long time, and these kits are perfect for scrapbookers like me, who still love traditional 12×12 layouts, but also love mixing in the convenience of Project Life scrapbooking. These initial kits are just the beginning and while I won’t have any input on product design, I will contribute ideas in the area of product direction and even more important (to me) I will lead the effort at Big Picture Classes to support these products (an the people who use them) with the education they need. So, for example when someone purchases a Photo Freedom kit, they are invited to visit a special landing page at BPC to learn more (bigpictureclasses.com/photofreedom) and the product packaging also includes a promo code for 50% off of my eBook, Photo Freedom.
I will share more information soon, but wanted you to see the first Photo Freedom kit that is the result of a licensing agreement with another company. The birthday kit above features favorite designs from the girls at Glitz. Future kits will feature Jenni Bowlin and Graphic 45 and you can look forward to additional products down the road. EP’s art director, Jody Hunt is coming to my house for a visit, so he can see first-hand my studio, my creative process, my Library of Memories system and the tools and products I use and love. Armed with this experience, he’ll be set to build a robust system of Photo Freedom products.
Have I mentioned the fact that our industry ROCKS?!
THREE.
Go HERE to purchase beautiful letter press prints like these, that I have hanging in my office upstairs. I can’t remember how I stumbled upon Hijiri Shepherd and her work (maybe Uppercase Magazine?) Anyway, I think they are gorgeous and I’d love you to learn and see more!
FOUR.
Let’s hear it for (healthier) Sprinkles!
You’ll get to hear much more of my journey to better health in the coming weeks and months, but you need to know that I’ve become a whole-foods enthusiast, so I’m looking for healthier alternatives to some of my most FAVORITE treats.
These sprinkles, from Williams Sonoma are made with all natural dies (edible plants, such as beets, spinach, red cabbage and others.) They are MORE expensive, so prepare yourself for that, but I LOVE them and will totally sprinkle these on my chocolate mousse that I make with honey and ripe avocados (recipe coming soon!)
FIVE.
Ok, this final pick is a totally Wendy find. She takes such good care of me! I signed up for this monthly healthy snacks subscription within 24 hours of Wendy’s email. We received our first Healthy Surprise box on Wednesday this week and I’m sold. Here again, not the most affordable snacking out there, but if you’re looking for a variety of gluten-free, soy-free, raw and/or vegan goodies and you don’t live in a BIG city with a Whole Foods market down the street, then you might want to check this out. I brought several of my new snacks with me to RootsTech and it was SO nice, not to have to worry about where I was going to get food I can eat!
I love companies that find a niche and then serve it well.
p.s. If you want a copy of The Icarus Deception be sure to tell me why!
