Museum of Paper

Make Money While You Sleep and other Get Rich Quick Schemes

Most professional artists are not normally rolling in money. And people who do art as a hobby spend their money on supplies, books and things that will be helpful in making art.

So we as a group are often the targets of people who want to sell us stuff or sign us up for something that will - you guessed it - bring in some extra dollars.

When it's someone selling us a blogging platform or a workshop designed to help us in some way that's one thing.

And though you likely won't get rich quick at least it's honest cash; and you don't have to keep changing your email address or blog URL to stay one step ahead of Interpol.

Artists on LiveJournal and Blogger Should Jump Ship

Found in a piece about the system-wide Six Apart outage on 5/2/06

"Hope it stops soon though, a sustained livejournal outage is probably grounds for at least 4-5 suicides by distraught teenagers who can't blog about their day."

Well I guess this makes it official, even if insensitively put in the above quote. LJ is thought of by many as a bunch of fourteen year olds, which is a shame since so many creative people built their first blogs - then thought of as journals and by some still approached that way - on LJ.

This combined with the given that blogger/blogspot are flagged as being home to thousands of spammers and splogs seems like it just adds another log to the fire under multiple bloggers to build blogs on something other than the LJ or blogger/blogspot platforms - or move blogs already set up to another format.

You Can Take a Giant Step : Want to Get Known?

Want to Get Known? The interconnectivity of the blogging world is something that can exponentially increase attention on what you do; increase your blog readership; increase your visibility.

You, the Service you Perform, or the Art You Make can take a Giant-Step forward.

And being able to let someone else know that we have mentioned them in what we're writing is of great benefit to us - and to them. It gives each of us a nice hand up and a pat on the back as well without having to hold hands and sing kumbaya.

The way we do the job of letting them know that we're talking about them - without having to phone or email them - is through "pings" which provide a "trackback" to what we're saying  AND  who we're saying it about.

Now wait though . . .
    before your eyes roll back in your heads  I've prepared a quick (and easy I hope) "show and tell" on the subject.

If you go along with each step I think you'll soon get it. And if not? Heck - ask me questions!

. . . No brain cells will be injured in the process. Take a deep breath . . .

Let's start by setting up an example. We'll say that:

1.) I want to write a post (article) about something that someone wrote in their blog.  Of course I want to include a link so the reader can just click and see what I'm talking about.

My example to demonstrate this is at this blog entry. You can go ahead and click that now and then come back here.

2.) As you read through that entry you will find a link to the Everyday Economist

3.) My blogging platform (Typepad) has a function that automatically (no kidding) "pings" the Everyday Economist as a way of communicating to that blog that I just referenced it in something I wrote. 

Think of this automatic message as if it were just like my sister tattling on me, running immediately to her and saying "Mommy, Susan was saying a bunch of stuff about you."

With me so far?

4.) OK - so back in the bloggosphere - like magic - the beginning lines of what I wrote about him show up right there in his Everyday Economist's blog.  And even better - my words appear right below the entry that I'm writing about!

Imagine that a magic cloud appears over my sister the tattler's head . . . and in the cloud appear the words that I actually said about Mommy, right there where she - or anybody else - can see them.

A Professional Presence Online

I came across the Expose' site by chance and was very impressed with not only how clean and professional the format looks but with how artist-intuitive it is.

I also like that their set up allows you to display your entire collection of work online quickly - and easily. Plus, it seems like the cost is low. That's true especially when compared to other rediculously overpriced services I've looked at on one hand - and the others which scream "amateurish" on the other hand.

There is a tour that has more detail at: http://www.myexpose.com/tour/
If you want to try a month free just use the freebie code : 17904

Beyond this, are there other services that you'd like to share with us?

Beyond the freebie things for photo sharing like webshots, what groups or businesses offer something similar?

The Museum's readers would be particularly interested in them - especially any that you've had experience with that are a step up from the free options out there.

 

Explosive Outbreak in the Information World

I haven't harped on this in awhile - so just let me pass on one thing quickly before you stop reading.

"...you cannot afford to close your eyes to them [blogs], because they're simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself.  And they're going to shake up just about every business - including yours.

                  -- Business Week Magazine, May 2, 2005

Notice that this quote is from nearly a year ago. Can you imagine how much truer this is today?

Clue: the graphic from technorati -
click image to see it enlarged.

The bloggosphere has more than doubled in the eleven months since this was written.

Yes, the group who write blogs - and more who read them at least three times a week includes: grandmothers, writers, teachers, musicians, lawyers, classrooms full of your kids, decorators, TV actresses, football players, the corner grocer, my vet, and people who would either like to buy your work, exhibit your work, write about your work or take a class on how to do what you do.

In short, what Business Week said does too apply to you, me, your aunt Hattie and your kids' soccer coach. And it applies now even more than when they said it in 2005.

Free Tools Could Manage Even Bill Gates' Workflow

I clicked on this one it because I was looking for something focused on free / open source tools for making my time more productive in the biz side of life. I found it full of resources.

That old "I'm just an artist so I don't really use this stuff" bit just doesn't cut it anymore.

(If you don't ever use "to do" lists and brainstorming, you're the exception.)

Sketchbooks: Great Idea Generators + Danny Gregory's WOW Factor

It's one of those things you just wander into.

In my case I'd gone to visit Rachel Kitterman's lovely blog, Indigo Luna and after following a link to someplace else, the universe somehow guided me on a circuitous route of discovery.

At the end of the journey I can tell you that if you haven't seen the on-line pages featuring Linda Kemshall's Design Matters student sketchbooks, this is the day to check these babies out.

The short story? Expect multiple galleries with multiple photos and scans in multiple mediums.

More specifics about the Sketchbooks?
Color + Line + Unlikely Combinations = a wealth of seeds, ready to bloom forth with material to spark your own creative tangents.

But this is no time to dally reading what I think about them; just click on over and enjoy the contrast, shape, texture and more.

Oh - and do us a favor, would you?
If you know about more pages, blogs, etc that would be good to visit, would you add a link in the comments area below and tell us what you like about them?

My first choice for an "also visit" list is Danny Gregory
It's another WOW.

OK - Maybe WOW plus.

See his new book too - Danny Gregory: The Creative License : Giving Yourself Permission to be the Artist You Truly Are - as if his first book - Danny Gregory: Everyday Matters a stunning, Inspiring, a "Must Read" (*****) wasn't enough

What's in This Drawing?

I can't read a word of what it says, and I don't know how they create these flash image progressions. But I do know that for the sheer enjoyment of watching a drawing step by step, this animated art website is just amazing.

My question is, at what point in the process will you know what the picture is going to be? Since you can't understand the text (unless you read Russian) you won't be able to figure out the title.

Other images here are funny - some are cute - some are odd - and then there's what looks like the techno - anime influence - but they are drawings after all and you get to watch as they are created.  Have some mindless fun and just enjoy observing.

Building an Arts/Blog Community

The Problem

I had so many projects and samples and creative gifts I wanted to share, like:

• Artist Trading Cards,
• Flat Stanley-esqye flat artists who come visiting
• Post cards and Note cards
• Amazing stuff people make with my artistamps,
• etc

The Dilemna

It seemed as if I needed a format or some sort of structure to help organize and showcase these things for others to see too. It just wasn't right to keep it all to myself.

The amazing news is that some energy in the universe hit and it all came together in one huge lightbulb moment.

The Lightbulb Moment

Ta da! After the lightbulb hit I scurried right off and bought domain names for: MuseumOfPaper.com, MuseumOfPaperArts.com, and MuseumOfPaperArtists.com

THUS -The Museum of Paper lives - at least in blueprint form.
           (The concrete footers are being poured as we speak)

The Future / the Mission

Eventually the Museum Of Paper blog will :    

  1.) Play host to and publicize paper and mixed media art objects made by artists
        Think:

• flat stanley/artist projects,
• ATC swaps
• altered books
• etc

 

  2.) Showcase step-by-steps process tutorials

• Those who would like to gain some "face time" with lots of publishers, magazine writers, workshop organizers, buyers, crafters and artists out there in cyberspace might benefit from this.
• This may be #1 in a growing list of things you'll want to reserve your spot to get in on.

 

  3.) Deliver Podcast interviews and other info/classes right there from the blog.
          Wow, huh?

Good News! Author and artist Gloria Page: Art Stamping Workshop: Create Hand-Carved Stamps for Unique Projects on Paper, Fabric, Polymer Clay and More has agreed to be among the first interviewees!

4.) Host "Guest Member Blogs" and a Community Blog for some of the artists - most likely those who are the most participative in doing demos and tutorials for the Museum of Paper.    

• If you've wanted to start a blog but know that you can't keep up with posting 4 or more times a week - which is what blog consultants say is needed to keep the attention of your audience - this could be perfect for you
  
• Blogging in a "community" of other artists spreads the job of posting good content around and makes your job of holding up the sky a little easier. Stay tuned on this, or let me know you're interested in claiming one of a handful of "Founders" spots.
• email: museumofpaper@susanreynolds.com

5.) Provide information about products, techniques, ideas and more from folks like:

• Carole Pivarnick creator of Paperpourri interactive Zine in CD format
• Cheryl McVeigh of the fabulous onyxxpressions rubber stamps        
• Christina Gibbs of Skybluepink's heavenly do dads for non-fancy prices

If you'd like to play a part in some of this, from doing announcements in groups etc to helping to add content to the blog, let me know. I know that I won't be able to work with all of you, but I hope I can provide exhibit, writing, publicity and/or teaching opportunities for a number of artists over time.

For sugestions on staying updated, see the following post.