When You Support Artists...

This post is dedicated to everyone who's ever bought my books. This is for those who support and love me because, without you, none of this would exist.

When you buy a book (or anything from any kind of artist), you're not just buying a product. You're helping them to keep going. You're helping to pay their bills, buy research materials, or replace a slowly dying computer. Without supporters, there would be no art.

Recently, I decided to clear out some of my stock. I had a couple of boxes of print books that I was using as a foot rest under my desk. They needed to be out in the world, being loved and read by other people. I also needed a new piece of equipment. So I listed the books on social media and was overwhelmed by the response. Thanks to all of you, in less than a month, I was able to buy what I needed.

The equipment in question is a Zoom H4n, a small multi-track recorder that, with a bit of studio wizardy can be plugged in to a phone. This allows me to record interviews without having to physically be with someone (and without putting too much pressure on my shaky internet connection and ageing computer). It's small enough to fit in my hand so can go wherever I go. It's perfect for what I want to do.

You're not just fans. You're not just readers. You're beautiful human beings whose constant support and encouragement are the engine in any artists life. You allow us to expand and try new things. You give us the opportunities to put out more of the work you love. Without you, this world would be far bleaker.

Thank you so much for all that you do, from buying books to writing reviews to just being there. You're an important part of my life and I hope that I get to share many more projects with you.

Let Your Weird Little Light Shine

Authors talk about a lot of things and one issue that I hear a lot is “I don't think this story is commercial enough”.

You know what? Who cares? If you're enjoying working on whatever you're writing, that's all that matters, right? If you believe in the story you're telling and the worlds you're creating try and put the “Will it sell?” aspect to one side. Enjoy the process and whatever is coming out of your mind.

If you put your frequency out there, people will respond. They'll find you and seek you out. They'll be attracted to the weird little light that's shining from your soul. The world needs a lot more of that right now. It needs people who believe in and enjoy what they're doing. It needs for like minded people to connect together through the arts.

This applies to everyone who makes something. If you want to make Bhangra infused trip-hop, do it. If you want to make a film about the life of a blade of grass, do it. If you want to make jewellery from straw, do it. Don't think about what will be if you don't go down that commercial route. Follow your heart and put out whatever you want to put out.

It took me a long time to realise that. There were many years where I thought that I had to follow the trends and write to those patterns in order to try and make a name for myself. Slowly it dawned on me that the stories I was writing weren't resonating well with me. Whenever I sat down to write, my brain felt foggy and my body felt tired. I slept a lot and did everything other than write.

Yet that all changed when I changed my tactic and began writing the stories that had lived in my mind for so many years. I found people who enjoyed them. I found others who offered to proofread or get the idea out into the world. I found a little community of others whose inner light is just as strange as mine. They may come and go from my life, but I love each and every one of them. I adore hearing from them and sharing ideas. They may disappear for a year or two but, whenever they return, they're welcomed with open arms. These people are my tribe and I feel so much better for having them around.

So write that strange story. Put those weird worlds on to paper. Send it out in to the world and see what happens. Create whatever makes you happy and try not to think of what other people will think. Because there'll be far more time to write that commercial bestseller when you more content.

6 Dave Grohl Quotes For Every Creative Person

Dave Grohl knows he's not the best singer-songwriter on the planet, but he certainly has a way with words. Especially when it comes to inspiring quotes. While most of them are aimed at musicians, they can also be used no matter what you do. Are you feeling a little deflated? Scroll through these classic quotes and see if inspiration strikes.

If you need a little more of Dave's wisdom, check out his SXSW keynote speech from 2013. It's essential listening for anyone who's feeling that creative funk.

Inspirational Interview - Emm Roy

To counteract some of the dark issues I write about, I like to find people, photos, articles, and quotes which make the world a lighter, brighter, and much nicer place to live. This week I've been honoured to speak to Emm Roy. Emm runs Pleasestopbeingsad over on Tumblr. I discovered her blog a couple of months ago and check in every day for a dose of cute and happiness. Her doodles and advice reach thousands of people and if you need a pick-me-up, or just want to smile a bit more, her blog is guaranteed to do it. Without further ado, please welcome her to the blog!

~~~

"Firstly, tell us a little about yourself."

Hi! I’m a 22 year old French Canadian illustrator. I like cats and drinking a lot of coffee.

“You run the amazing Tumblr blog Pleasestopbeingsad. What inspired you to start it?”

Thanks! It wasn’t always the way it is now. It started because I was in a bad place, and I thought it would be helpful if I had a drawing diary to chronicle my progress as I tried to heal and get out of that bad place. I also wanted to let my friends know how I was doing, so I decided to put it online in blog form instead of keeping a more traditional paperback diary. Eventually, it started getting popular, and I decided to switch the focus of the blog so it would be more about helping people and less about my personal journey.

“Your wonderful doodles make a lot of people smile. What inspired you to start drawing? What do you use to make them? On average how many do you draw a day?”

Again, thank you. I’ve been drawing for as far as I can remember. When I was younger, I was one of those kids who was always drawing in class or skipping class to draw. I mainly draw using a wacom bamboo create tablet and photoshop cs6. It’s hard to tell how many I make a day. “A lot” would be my best guess.

“Sometimes you speak about your daily life. Do you make time to draw every day? Is it an “Okay, for the next hour this is what I’m going to do”? Or do you just sit down and go for it whenever the mood takes you?”
I’m very into scheduling. I make schedules and I plan things so that I can be more efficient and maximize my productivity. Drawing is currently my only source of income, so I always make sure to organize my schedule so that I draw at least 40 hours every week. To be honest though, I’m always so excited about drawing and creating work that my biggest problem is scheduling myself time for rest and breaks. I find it a lot easier to draw than not to draw.

“What advice would you give to someone who wants to be creative but finds themselves with a block? How do you deal with creative blocks?”
I think one of the easiest way to be blocked is to set your expectations too high. I have friends who are very talented, but they want everything they make to be perfect, and as soon as they make a mistake or they reach a hard step, they start getting nervous and unhappy about what they’re doing, and they’re no longer enjoying it as much. It’s important to allow yourself to fail. I think people should try to make bad art just for the sake of it sometimes. It’s fun and it helps put perfectionism in perspective. I’m also a big fan of drawing and painting with other people. It’s an amazing feeling to be alone with your thoughts while working on a painting, but company can be a lot of fun too. I’m also a big fan of taking breaks. Everyone needs to recharge sometimes. It’s okay. You’re not any less of an artist if you need to stop making art for a week.

“You give out a lot of wonderful advice and I always find myself smiling whenever I see it. If you could give one piece of advice to everyone, what would it be?”

Be kind, but don’t mistake kindness for letting people treat you badly. There is nothing mean about standing up for yourself or putting yourself first. It only means that you’re extending your kindness to yourself.

“Many people will agree that the world’s not a great place at the moment. What do you think could be done to make it better?”

People need to be more considerate. So often we hurt people, not because we’re bad people or because we want to hurt them, but because we simply haven’t taken the time to fully consider the consequences of our actions (or lack thereof). I think we need to pause and reflect more on how we’re affecting the world. I believe that positive change can happen, but I believe that it happens in small steps. I don’t expect to end poverty, but I can donate a few dollars to someone who needs it. I don’t expect to end bigotry, but I can tell someone when their actions are hurting me, and I can listen when they tell me that my actions are hurting them. I’m a big fan of the idea that small steps are still important steps.

“The doodles are available in books! Where can we find them?!”

Right now, they’re only available on Lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/pleasestopbeingsad)

“More importantly, where can we find you online?”

you can find me at pleasestopbeingsad.tumblr.com where I doodle little things to make people happy
or at emmisnotshortforemma.tumblr.com where I draw things about my life. 

~~~

 Thank you so much, Emm! And everyone else, go and check her blog! Go now! You won't be disappointed!

Art Makes The World Go Round!

Occasionally I get sent artwork by really cool people who are into the books. Which awesome! It's great that people love the stories so much that they've taken time out of their busy lives to create something for me. It really touches me and makes me realise that the world really is full of great people.

So I thought I'd show you a couple of most recent pieces.

Based on my profile picture apparently! By Cawlm Selena Kauket

Another Steampunk'd pony for me. Love these guys so much! This one by Jane Sharp

This was created DURING the book launch by a very kind audience member. Best gift EVER!

And finally, the awesome Veetu Industries logo! Love it!

Thanks to everyone who creates cool stuff!