10 New year resolutions for creative folks.

I love the idea that in the new year you can start a fresh, do all the things you wanted to do the year before but life got in the way. Well I'm going to try to make time for new things next year, things that can inspire my creativity! I've tried to keep the list to simple things that we can all do that will help our creativity flow...

• Keep a journal or sketchbook. I know alot of people will find it difficult to know what to put in them but there's plenty of inspiration on Pinterest, (you can check out my inspiration board here) or you can buy journal prompt books like 'wreck this journal' by Keri Smith.  

  

  
  

• Read more creative blogs. My current favourite creative blogs are A beautiful Mess, Lets do something crafty and Make it your own. In 2016 I'd like to find more inspiring blogs! 
• Go see more art. If you take the time to do a little research you can probably find loads of art in your local area. Last year I didn't take enough advantage of the Artist Open Houses, but next year I plan to see more, its free and you probably get to meet and chat to the artist. 
• Try more crafts. This is were following the creative blogs comes in handy. This year the new crafts I tried were, making tree decorations, making christmas crackers and biscuit decorating. There's so many things to try, and even if it doesn't work how you planned, at least you tired and you can always improve!
  
• Network with other artists/ creative folk. 
• Go explore! Take a long walk somewhere new, let yourself get lost, who knows what you may find. 

  

  This is the downs where me and my dog, alfie, like to explore!

• Make a collage for new projects. Find images, quotes, adverts, anything that inspires your new project and make a collage! 
• Take more photos. (and no I don't mean just selfies) 
• Write a letter. Don't use facebook chat, or text, pick up and pen and paper and write a letter. There are charities that encourage you to write to people, for example, www.postpals.co.uk where you can write a letter to a sick child. 
• Try out creativity booster games. These games are designed to get your brain thinking in ways, to come up with ideas you may have never thought of. Here is a website to trycreativitygames.net

So there we have it, 10 new years resolutions for creative folks!

Hope you all have a wonderful new year and don't forget to check this blog for new posts every week!

Becky x

Making earrings with a glue gun!

I simply love making jewellery, and last week I took a trip to my favourite shop, Hobbycraft! Of course I probably spent a little too much, but I did get quite a few pieces for my jewellery making, which I see as an investment! ;)

I watched a few youtube tutorials on how to make charms using a glue gun, it was difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, it's an easy way to make some lovely earrings! 

The glue gun was from Hobbycraft (£5 I think) and the glue sticks were £1 from Tiger (bargain!)
Glue guns are so useful if you're a keen crafter,  and if you can even get different coloured glue sticks! 

For the most recent earrings I've made, I've been using a silicone mould by Gedeo, which I bought from Hobbycraft. It comes with small moulds of hearts, circles and squares, and they're the perfect size for earrings. The larger moulds are great for necklace pendants. 

Once your glue gun is heated up, just squeeze some glue into which ever mould you fancy. Leave it to dry for a few mins and then it should easierly pop out of the mould. Trim around any excess glue and now you're ready to decorate /colour! 

To colour the earrings I use a few coats of nail varnish, and then a clear one to add an extra shine!

Once coloured I use super glue to attach the earring backs to the charm I've made. 

Red rose stud earrings.

Other ideas:

While the glue is still wet in the mould, add a small nail art design, these are some little fruit ones I found. They were from the pound shop but are available online. Make sure you push the fruit down so it's visible through the glue.

  

Here are some sweet little strawberry earrings I made. 

Use glitter to add some sparkle to your earrings! This can be done by using glitter nail varnish or by adding glitter while the glue is still wet.

Use vintage pictures of flowers! Push them into the glue while it's still wet. (Make sure the flowers are the same size/shape!) 
Thanks for checking this tutorial out! Keep up to date with me via my instagram @beckynetleyphotography 

Dealing with criticism.

As a lot of people do, I struggle with dealing taking criticism, even if it's trying to be constructive. Even when I know people are trying to be helpful, it still stings to hear the things that could or in their opinion need to changed. The reasons I think criticism is difficult for most of us to swallow is because 

1. It makes us doubt ourselves and our skills
2. It can make us feel belittled 
3. It can make us angry if the personal has no knowledge of the subject they are criticizing 

The difficulties of being creative. 

The reason I never went to university was that I didn't want tutors telling me that I shouldn't do a certain project or that my idea wasn't want they wanted to hear. I didn't want their criticism! To me that kind of criticism can be damaging to your creativity, it can crush any ideas you have. It actually wasn't until I left education that I was naturally able to develop my own style. 

When someone criticises your artform you can choose whether or not to take their ideas on board. If they are an expert in the field and you value their opinion then its probably useful to you to listen. But on the other hand if they have no knowledge of your skills and you don't agree with what they are saying then you have every right to dismiss their ideas. 

I personally feel that there are few right or wrongs within artforms, and most criticism is just people's personal opinions, which can still be painful to hear.  

Heres some ideas to help you deal with criticism:

• Figure out whether it was destructive or constructive criticism. If it was constructive try to keep in mind that they are only trying to be helpful. 
• Keep yourself empowered.  You have every right to say 'no I don't agree with this and I wont take it on board', it is your life afterall!
• Bite your tongue and let them explain. If it's a friend or family member giving you feedback, its easy to become defensive and snap back but take a second to listen to their reasoning, is there anything useful in what they are saying. Remember that they are only trying to help you.
• Accept that you're not perfect - But no one is!
• Keep a compliments journal. If criticism has caused you to doubt yourself, keep a journal of all the compliments you have received. I bet they outweigh the negative opinions! 
• Check out some advice from experts (see the video below for some great advice)

The best and worst business/freelancer books I've read.

Over the years I've read many business books, trying to find ways to help me get clients and provide a great service. Some books just state the obvious while others offer some genuinely useful advice and ideas. Here are some I've read and my thoughts on them.  

Best for: People who are keen to be entrepreneurs and make alot of money doing it.
Review: While this book did have some good ideas about running a business, alot of it was about running a team and getting a loan. While this is great for many business, it didn't really offer alot for me as a freelancer. I did however learn some good techniques for assessing your process every 6 months.  
Score: 4/10

Best for: Anyone wanting to pursue a passion!

Review: This easy to read book is great for anyone who has a dream. Its not strictly aimed at business people but anyone who has goals. Its written well, directly and gets straight to the point. It doesn't go into alot of detail on how to achieve the goals as such but its a motivational booster!

Score: 5/10

Best for: Anyone who wants to get ahead in business. 
Review: I had seen the author Shawn Achor on a Ted talk about this very book, before reading it. I really enjoyed it and decided to give the book a go. The book talks through 7 main principles that help people get ahead in their work. Theres alot of information to take on board but all very interesting! Check out his ted talk below if your interested. 
Score: 7/10

Best for: Entrepreneurs and freelancers

Review: This is probably one of my favorite business books. Its easy to read, and gives you step by step tools on how to achieve things. One of the main things I've learnt from it, is that people buy YOU as the business owner/freelancer. If people like you, and you make them feel good, they're more likely to use your services than someone else!  I keep refering back to the book whenever I get stuck! 

Score: 9/10

Best for: Freelancers

Review: I read this book a while ago and I cant really remember much of it, so I don't think it really taught my anything new. Alot of the freelance books make the same points which can be quite obvious. 

Score: 2/10

For future reading:

• The 4-hour work week by Timothy Ferriss 
• No contacts? No problem. How to pitch and sell and freelance feature by Catherine Quinn
• Creative Inc. The ultimate guide to running a successful freelance business by cho IIasco
• Like a virgin by Richard Bandson 

The creative person's 'quit list'.

I came across a blog today called 'Cordelia calls it quits' written by a lady who gave up her day job to pursue her passion. Shes got tonnes of great articles to check out when you're lacking in motivation, Click here for her site. Anyway on her blog she makes a list of things that shes going to quit, for example things that don't benefit her life or help her to pursue her goals. This gave me the idea to write a list of things that we should probably quit as creative people to help us develop our practice. 

Lets get started...

We need to STOP..

1. Judging ourselves. Although seemly impossible to do, we have to practice being non judgemental of our work and just enjoying the process of making. After all thats why we started right?
2. Comparing work. Again we're all guilty of this and sometimes it can motivate us, but most of the time it just causes unnecessary worries about ourselves and our work. There is probably someone out there comparing their own work to yours and wondering why they can't be like you! 
3.  Being impatient. The best things in life take time, like great art work or a steady freelance business. I often get impatient, wondering why I'm not a full time photographer yet, hoping that it'll suddenly happen over time. But of course I know it doesn't work that way, and although its been a slow process, I've definitely come along way from when I started out, I just need to remember this. 
4. Feeling guilty. Just because you're not doing a 9-to-5 job and some days may be slow doesn't mean you need to feel guilty about doing something you love. If you enjoy it but work hard then what is there to be sorry about? 
5. Second-guessing pursuing your dream
6. Worrying about the future. Enjoy the now! (Learn some mindfulness techniques for this!)
7. Perfectionism. Sometimes I'm a super perfectionist with my work, and if I show it and I'm not 100% happy with it, I will always judge that photo. I need to get rid of this idea and just enjoy the process of creating it. 
8. Letting people take advantage. When you're starting out in a creative career path, you usually do things for cheap or even free! (God knows I did my fair share of freebies) This can become a little bit of habit, but you have to learn your worth! You need to remember that you are doing them a service, and you deserve the right pay for that. 
9. Saying YES to every job, even though its not worth it. Saying yes to a job even though, for whatever reason you are doubting it, don't do it, its often more trouble than its worth. 
10. Being fearful of showing our work.

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I'd love to hear any ideas you have for your creative quit list!

Many thanks to Cordelia's great blog for inspiration and motivation! 

http://www.cordeliacallsitquits.com/

11 ideas to supercharge your creativity

We all get days when we lack ideas and inspiration and creativity seems like a distant memory. Well never fear, here are some ways to supercharge your creativity and get productive! 

                                                                         Pinterest

This is one of my favorite sites for inspiration. The site lets you save ideas onto different boards (like mood boards) which is handy if you have a number of projects. You can search ideas, follow other pinners boards, and even have secret boards for things you don't want other to know about! 

Its also a great way to network, as it allows you to upload your own work, either from your computer, or your website.

If you have pinterest already, check my boards out here

Experiment. 

Try out new techniques, materials or styles. Explore different ways to get creative! Join a new group, research artists and their techniques, give it a go yourself. Even if you don't think you'll be any good, we all have to start from somewhere.

Keri Smith Books

These books are great fun, whether you're artistic or not. Last year I started 'Wreck my journal' and had such fun that when I finished it, I made my own journal, following the lines of Keri Smiths idea. Each page gives instruction on what to do to that page, for example, 'fill this page with circles'. The books urge you to get creative and use your imagination.

Example page from 'Wreck this journal' 

My decorated cover.

Allow randomness. 

Ever had a crazy random dream? Bet it was probably the most creative one you've ever had! Keep note of any random ideas or thoughts. Doesn't make it if doesn't make much sense, it could lead to some amazing work in the future. I carry a little note book with me whenever I travel just incase a great idea forms!

Give yourself a starting point or a set of guidelines. 

If someone said 'just draw anything', that could be a little overwhelming! So getting a starting point narrows your ideas down so that you can really focus on what to do. Starting points can include simple words, colours, sayings, objects or a theme. Another way of narrowing down your ideas is to give yourself some guidelines, for example not being able to use a paintbrush, or must use another body part other than hands.

Try not to think to much about a concept. 

Concepts are great but this is about getting those creative juices flowing! Sometimes we can just create something and then realise that it reflects how we're feeling, and we notice the concept after. But don't stress if you cant figure one out, art doesn't always need it, if you enjoy making it, then thats the main thing!

Go to an exhibition

As simple as it sounds, its not something we often remember to do. Even going to sit in a cafe and check out the art on their walls can bring inspiration. Don't forget the Brighton Fringe Festival this year for some great exhibitions, many of which are free!

Other ideas include:

• Watching a film that inspires you. (One of mine is 'the nightmare before christmas') 
• Going for a walk 
• Starting a blog! Start writing about something that you really enjoy or find interesting. My blog has really helped me research things that I wanted to share with my readers. 
• Do something you enjoyed as a kid. Eg Finger Painting, paper mache, Fimo!

PS I've hit 1000 views on my blog! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this, I hope you get something good out of it.

Becky x

Warrior

Artists that turned pain into art.

Art, for many people is a form of therapy, an outlet of emotions to difficult to form into words. If you've seen any of my personal work, I'm sure your aware that I use my own difficult emotions, and struggles with my mental illness in my work. I've recently become fascinated with other artists work that they may have created in difficult stages of their lives. Its crazy how much you can relate to a piece of work, without any words, you just get how the artist was feeling! 

3 Famous artists who suffered mental illness:

1. Pablo Picasso. 

Picasso's 'blue' period was between 1901-1904 where it is thought that he suffered great depression. He reflected this in his paintings through the blue period in which is used a lack of colour, sticking to blues, greys and monochrome. 

2. Vincent Van gogh 

Van Gogh reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals frequently. This is personally one of my favorite pieces of his work, reflecting himself being 'imprisoned' by his thoughts.   

3. Bobby Baker. 

Bobby Baker's visual diary through her struggles with her borderline personality disorder are honest, imaginative and very surreal. I was lucky enough to attend a workshop based on her style as part of her exhibition 'Diary drawings: mental illness and me:1997-2008'. 

Below are my personal favorite pieces of art work that (to me) depict emotional pain that I can relate to:

Anxiety by BeethyPhotography

Unknown artist. 

Artist: Shin Kwang Ho.

Ceramic sculptures by Nakita Naik.

Hope you guys find these inspiring and decide to do something creative whenever your down, believe me, it really can help! 

Next weeks blog post: 'Philosophical theories on art' 

Becky x  

Photography bucket list!

I can't believe that 2014 is almost at an end! Its been a whirl wind of a year, with so much going on professionally and personally in my life. A new year is an opportunity to review the things that happened in the past 12 months, and plan to be more successful in the future.

This got me thinking, what about all the things I want to photograph, not only the next year but over the course of my life. With this in mind I decided to make a photography bucket list. If I'm ever stuck for ideas I can turn to the list for inspiration. I haven't yet tired some of the things on the list as they are technically challenging or I don't yet have the right equipment.

Below is some of the inspiration for these goals. 

#2 Glitter. (Unknown artist)

#4 Underwater shot (photo by Jvdas Berra)

#21. 50's inspired shoot (Unknown photographer)

#13. A mermaid (Tim walker)

#11 A nude. (Man Ray)

Hope this post has given you some ideas for your own photography bucket list, check out pinterest for loads of inspiration!

Happy New Year everyone! x