12 Projects: February Summary

Wanna know more about 12 Projects?
This month's project was a little different, not very dramatic, but hella needed for this month. I decided a reflective project was on the agenda, and began a journal. The aim for February was to write something every single day, whatever happened. It could be a diary entry, a to-do list, a short story, a poem, random thoughts or feelings. Just get it down on paper and put it out there into the world. This idea was small and personal enough to connect me deeply to it, but open to enough interpretation that it was freeing, and felt intensely creative.
So how did I do? Pretty well actually. I wrote a lot of diary entries, which felt really nice. Knowing nobody would be reading those words could have felt pointless since I'm used to blogging, but it didn't at all. It really made me reflect back on each day, and how I was doing. Plus I noticed that even just taking five minutes 'me time' to reflect, improved my thought process each night and helped me come up with some of my most creative ideas lately. I took stock of my day, and what had gone well/not so well. I honestly think this made me a more positive person this month!
I also wrote a little more for a fictional fantasy story I've been working on and off of, for the past year. I wrote small scenes, character backgrounds and developed the plot a little more. Since I was a little girl, my dream has been to write my own book, and this story is just bursting out of me sometimes. It'll take me years to finish I've no doubt, but it feels so wonderful to work on it when I can.
And then I've wrote some other things. I don't even know what to call it. Poetry sounds so lame and pompous to me, a little. And that weren't the purpose anyway. I wanted various writing to accompany some Artwork I'm creating, and this seemed pretty perfect. I've shared a little below, and I may share the finished Art when I eventually get around to it.
To be honest I realise that this project isn't impressive at all to the outside; you guys peering in at my monthly creativity bubble. But it's been so gloriously beneficial to me and I've thoroughly enjoyed it, so I definitely see it as a successful month. But fear not if this is not your thing, I already have March's project planned and oh my.. It's very DIY/kitschy/hopefully Pinterest-y. You'll love it ;)
Let me know what creative things you've all been up to this month? :)
* * * * *
Tall, dark, and persuasive, a glint in your eye,

Walking through these streets, a child of the night,

Anticipating the pain, so hard to let go,

Somebody save me, I’m getting pulled in deep.

Festering, fire breathing, fucking hatred on my skin,

Crawling through the moonlight, where do I begin,

I’ll follow you still, dragging me down again,

Barely breathing, my heart’s a raging traitor.

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Confidence Update

Source
Last month I wrote about how I wanted to improve my confidence, and the small steps I could take towards feeling more comfortable in my own skin. I've definitely given plenty of things a try, and found some success already which I wanted to share. 
Being brave; I've put myself purposely in situations that intimidate me a little, but that I know will be good for me. Offering to take on new responsibilities at work really paid off, my boss was impressed and told me how well I was doing, and I felt productive, inspired and more confident.
Spreading a little joy; I've really made an effort to find happiness in each day, and be thankful for something. I've encouraged people around me, gone out of my way to cheer someone up, and complimented at least one person everyday. It feels amazing! I'm the happiest I've maybe ever felt.
Stopping comparison; This one was the hardest for me. Whether it be wishing I looked different, was as successful as other people, or as funny/smart/creative; it was very difficult to stop. I have found though that I at least counteract these thoughts immediately, with more positive ones. I've made an effort to look nice, and complimented myself in moments of doubt. I've tried to remember that I'm in a much better place than I was a few years ago, and so I'm already successful in many ways. And as for being funny? Ahh well, you can't have it all.
Tricking my body; This one is quite funny because it works on two levels. I have began doing power poses at times when I feel most vulnerable or insecure, and it has helped. Mostly because I feel ridiculous, but it makes me laugh. Either way it stops me stressing out or caving in to insecurity. I also smile a lot more at strangers too, it's nice. Try it.

Those are the small steps I've taken so far to build up my confidence, and I think it's going great so far. I'm actually going to my first blog event ever in three weeks, and I'm so excited but I definitely think it'll be a test for my confidence.
Wish me luck!



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20 Lessons From My Twenties (So Far..)

In April I'll be turning 27, which is terrifying. But I'm starting to reflect on some of the things I've learned so far on this journey through my twenties. Mostly that we all mess up, and stuff is never as important as we think it is at the time. But some other stuff too I thought I'd share..

1. Your metabolism will slow down. Try not to sob over old photos of yourself from when you first thought you were 'fat'.
2. Candles and cushions are exciting. You'll obsess over them at some point and buy a shitload that you don't really need.
3. Working 9-5 feels a lifetime longer than study hours of 9-3.
4. People are now getting pregnant on purpose. (This is weird..)
5. You realise you don't care if you're 'popular' or not anymore, in any social setting.
6. Staying in, pampering yourself and getting an early night is now considered a treat, not a bore.
7. You don't have to pretend you like anyone for the sake of it. (Unless maybe it's your boss..)
8. Work is now important to you! No longer is it just something to pay a bill, or get you out at the weekend. You now probably care about what you're doing with your life...
9. ..As does everybody else. Family now expect you to know what you're doing. Fuck.
10. You will wonder how you managed to shop/drink/go out so much as a teen, with a crappy part time job. Now you might work full time and barely go out once a month. How??
11. Staying out until 4am when you have work at 8am, is no longer hilarious and spontaneous. It's annoying and upsetting. It still won't stop you, but you'll moan for days.
12. Being different is okay. In fact you now revel in those quirks of yours.
13. DIY is actually awesome.
14. You remember things from your teen years, and are convinced they weren't that long ago... Surely I didn't leave school that long ago?!
15. If you're in a relationship, people will assume and ask when you're getting married/having babies.
16. That being said, you will attempt to plan your life (Ha!). Remember that episode of Friends where  it's Rachel's birthday and she's talking about her life plan? 'If I want kids by 35, I'll have to get married by 32..' - Yeah we've all probably done this.
17. Eyebrows are so important. I'm sorry to my teenage eyebrows, I totally ignored you.
18. You're no longer embarrassed to buy condoms or pregnancy kits.
19. The idea of housemates now fill you with dread. It's not a cool slumber party with your besties all in one house. It's arguments over who does the dishes and being sick of their face.
20. You'll never regret taking so many photographs. Keep it up!




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Straight Talking, Sexist, Unhealthy Relationships? Moomin.. Is That You?

Have you ever found yourself re-watching an old TV show that you used to love as a kid, and being amazed at how naive you clearly were? Like cartoons that clearly had warped jokes in them, or sexual innuendos that are completely lost of children (thankfully). Well recently I had a similar experience. I had bought Gary another collectors edition of a Moomin comic book, and we had a giggle finding some rather questionable content hidden within the pages.

A Touch Of Silk

Sometime I come across a product so surprisingly wonderful and unexpectedly perfect, that I know I simply must share it on here immediately. And the best bit? It's only £3.99 from Superdrug.
I've tried one or two products from the Vitamin E range before, and not been disappointed at all so far. So when I seen the Moisture Boost Facial Serum last week, I popped it into my basket and decided to give it a go. 
I cannot express enough to you guys how amazing this little bottle is. I've never been one to use serums much before, but I can see I'm definitely converting now. I'm sure there are many fantastic expensive ones out there too, but this one is going to be a keeper for me for a while I bet. I only need two small pumps to cover my whole face and it absorbs within moments; leaving my skin the silkiest and smoothest it's ever felt. Ooh la la. As if that weren't good enough; it gives a very subtle, but beautiful glow to my sometimes dull skin. And when I begin to apply my makeup, it applies easier than usual. Blending is suddenly less rigorous, and I seem to get more from my makeup because of this beautiful serum.
I thoroughly recommend you all give it a try if you're looking for a purse friendly serum to become part of your daily routine. I have normal to dry skin mostly, and this works miracles for me. I'd love to hear how this does on oily skin though, so let me know if you've used this?
Lots of love,



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Lovely Moments

1. Receiving the most beautiful flowers from Gary. 2. Leaving work on Wednesday and realising I had four days off work! 3. Getting some wonderful compliments on Twitter lately. Especially from Jess. 4. Sending Mum a Valentine's card & making her smile. 5. Re-watching old Gavin & Stacey episodes; they never fail to make me giggle! 6. Receiving such a heartfelt Valentines card from Gary. It made cry.. I'm a soppy cow! 7. Constant chatting over Whatssap with Laura. Everything from Drag Race to blogging to makeup. 8. Working in my Art Journal again. It helps my creative juices flow! 9. My writing challenge this month has been lovely, and very therapeutic. 10. Getting some sweet compliments on my rainbow nails; they took so long! Totally worth it. 11. Being able to enjoy quiet moments reading, blogging, writing, whatever. Everything is usually so rushed. 12. Enjoying Danielle's 'Day In The Life' post. She's a beautiful photographer. 13. Enjoying a morning of taking photographs for various posts. I don't usually have the chance to do many. 14. Cuddles in bed with Gary in the evening, listening to podcasts together. 15. Bringing a smile to a friends face with an unexpected card in the post :) 16. Actually getting a Saturday off with Gary, to browse around town. 17. One of my favourite bloggers, who I genuinely respect - saying on Twitter they love my blog. Oh my gosh! 18. Buying a new little sketchbook and feeling inspired. 19. Going for mum's for a Sunday roast dinner :) 20. Planning Amsterdam adventures! - I seriously cannot wait for all the photography opportunities. What's made you smile this week? :]

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Get To Work On Your Blog

Sometimes people ask me how I've done something in particular with my blog, or they don't even realise they can fix something up on their blog with just a few simple steps. For a while now I've been resistant to do a post like this, because I didn't feel I was in any position to help people with technical things or anything to do with HTML. But I do get asked some of the same questions on a regular basis, and I do enjoy helping people wherever I can. So I decided to put a quick post together, explaining some of the things you can do to alter certain aspects of your blog; should you want to. 

Please let me be clear about a few things; I am no expert. I myself am learning all the time and there are way more knowledgeable people out there you can turn to. I have in fact turned to other bloggers such as Cat and Toni, from time to time. But I hope I can help some of you with these simple tricks! Also, I'm afraid everything I mention will be in regards to blogger only, as I have never used Wordpress and therefore cannot be of any use with it, sorry! Okay, let's crack on shall we?

1. CENTERING YOUR HEADER;

In Blogger, go to TEMPLATE > CUSTOMIZE > ADVANCED > ADD CSS

If you used "INSTEAD OF TITLE AND DESCRIPTION" for your header, copy and paste the following code - 

#header-inner img {margin: 0 auto !important;} #header-inner {text-align:center !important;}

and save. Your header should now be centered perfectly.

However, if you used "BEHIND TITLE AND DESCRIPTION" for your header, copy and paste this code instead -

#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

and save.

2. CENTERING ALL WIDGETS;

In Blogger, go to TEMPLATE > CUSTOMIZE > ADVANCED > ADD CSS

Copy and paste the following code -

.widget {text-align: center;}

Save, and all your widgets should now be centered successfully.

3. ALTER THE SPACE BETWEEN WIDGETS;

In Blogger, go to TEMPLATE > CUSTOMIZE > ADVANCED > ADD CSS

Copy and paste the following code –

.widget {

margin: 5px 0 0 0;

}

Save, and all your widgets should now be spaced to 5px. 

You can change this number to anything you like!

4. CREATING AN AUTOMATIC SIGNATURE;

In Blogger, go to SETTINGS > POSTS AND COMMENTS

You'll see a 'POST TEMPLATE' option. This is where you state what you want your signature to be.

You can use the <center> tag to keep everything centered if you wish. You can add images, text, links. Whatever you want your signature to be. So for example, mine is like this;

So what I've done is center the whole signature, add an image, and then added my social links at the bottom. I do think this takes a very basic level of HTML understanding, so if you're still unsure of what all that means, I'd recommend visiting a helpful site like W3 Schools. They teach you all the basics of HTML and CSS to get you started :)

And there you have it; the very basic tips I use no matter how I change my layout, to keep things organised and looking nice. Hope this helps, and I may feature another post in the future with more tricks, if any of you find this helpful.

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Authenticity In Blogging

I have to say, last Sunday's #lbloggers chat was an awesome one. It was based on the theme of authenticity in blogging, and how honest we do/don't have to be, within our posts. It brought up some good points, and I felt I'd love to talk about some in more depth here.

What We Share; It is my belief, not only that your blog should be a place where you talk about whatever you like, but also a place where you can hide whatever you like. Only you define your blog, and what you include in it's content. I've shared some very personal things on this blog and not once did I feel like I had to, to be 'authentic'. I've also kept a lot private; whether it be sensitive issues, something I simply don't want on my blog, or things I just don't think have a place here. None of this alters my authenticity as a blogger. You, as a reader, will have a perception of me. But as long as I am always true to myself on this blog, I am authentic. I may not tell you what is bothering me one week, I may not share what is going on in my life. Or maybe I'll share everything. This is all my choice here, and your choice for your own blog. 
Editing Our Lives; So whether it's editing my photographs to look brighter/cleaner/more interesting, or editing my words to only share certain thoughts on a subject; neither makes me less authentic. In fact, we spend our whole lives editing ourselves for different people and different situations. If you go to a job interview and you dress smarter, and only talk about the great things you have done - this does not mean you aren't being authentic or 'real'. And nobody expects that anyway (at least not normal, reasonable people). I act differently to friends than I do my family, and I share different details of my life with my colleagues than I do my boyfriend. I share a part of my life with you guys reading this, but it's never going to be the whole picture. We edit all the time. It's okay, it's normal, it's expected. As long as you aren't lying, you're still being you.
Getting Creative; The whole reason and driving force behind this blog for me personally, is to be more creative. Regardless of whether I'm sharing my Art Journal with you guys, writing about a new beauty product I love, or just plain rambling; I'm being creative. I put a lot of thought into each post, I take my time and plan my words, I try my best to take a photograph as best as I can, and I'm constantly brainstorming new ideas. It's a creative outlet, and that's the greatest pleasure for me. However I'd like to address this creativity a little. Sometimes I embellish my descriptions of experiences or thoughts, I can take hours editing photos to look more beautiful or interesting, and sometimes I'm influenced by other bloggers. I don't believe any of this makes my blog less authentic. In fact, I think it strengthens it. When I present a photograph like the one in this post, I'm not expecting you to believe I have a beautiful apartment with flowers adorned everywhere. When I get creative with my writing; it is only for the pure joy of it, because I relish each word building a story or a picture in your mind. And when I address something on this blog that another blogger has featured, I give full credit, and I do it because they have inspired me in some way.
Finding your own voice through a blog can be hard, and I sure know I'm not even half way through my own journey there yet. But every part of me that I share, every photograph I edit, every word I write; is authentic. Because it is all a part of me; what I love, who I've been, and who I want to be. The beauty of blogging is that these decisions are all 100% made by you, for you. Make your own rules, stick to what your gut tells you, and revel in it.



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Light Me Up

A lot of people associate Monday mornings with moans, plenty of coffee or absolute dread. Now while I can relate to this a little sometimes, I mostly associate Monday's with really tackling dull, tired skin/eyes. I call it my 'double highlighter' day. Basically over the weekend I like to make the most of every single free hour I have, and this means a lot less sleep for me. I do it every time, and I can't say I even regret it much. I'm getting shit done, and it feels better than having an extra few hours sleep (just about..!). But come Monday morning 5:45am, the dull skin and tired eyes are really on a roll. That's where the light in my life comes in. After trying many products over time, I've come to love the following three more than any other for banishing the Monday blues.

We have Benefit High Beam, MAC Lightscapade Mineralize Skin Finish, and BareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener. My trio of light!
I use a little of the BareMinerals Eye Brightener before and after my foundation, to really tackle my dark circles. I then apply small dots of High Beam on my cheek bones, blend it in with gentle circular motions, and finally sweep over with the MAC powder. The finished result is always one to be proud of. A beautiful, bright glow hiding any traces of the weekend behind me.
You'd never even know.
Do you have any holy grail products to get you through the week? Particularly Mondays?



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The Sharpest Truths Of Love

It's been the first visit to my Art Journal in a long time, and I was influenced slightly by Valentines Day. I'm very much a romantic, and I'm in the best relationship of my life. But I do find the idea of 'perfect love' a little annoying. Nothing is perfect, especially when it comes to relationships and love. Accepting someone's flaws, compromising, and valuing yourself just as much as the one you love is an important lesson in growing up, I believe.

It's okay to put yourself first, and very important to stay true to yourself throughout any relationship in your life. This took a long time for me to learn, but I feel my relationship is the better for it, as am I.

Hope you all had a wonderful week ♥

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Rose Gold Obsession

I don't know how this rose gold fad got started; probably some Pinterest worthy home went ape shit crazy with it and pretty much everyone loved it and tried to copy. I dunno. Either way I'll admit I'm totally on board with it, I want it everywhere. I want it on my face, I want it in my wardrobe, I want it in my home and I want it in my Art. 
In fact, I'm considering doing a rose gold makeup look to feature soon.. And I've already ordered a rose gold spray paint online for my next big project for March. I'm going all DIY up in this bitch, haha. Spring demands some DIY dontcha think? :)
If you feel like following me on Pinterest, I regularly pin away all things rosey and pretty. I kinda just wanted to address and share this obsession with you guys today. Are you loving it as much as me? Link me to your Pinterest boards, Instagrams, whatever.
And have a lovely Valentines Day you gorgeous lot! ;)


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A Valentines DIY

I hope I've expressed enough already in this post that Valentines should simply be a time to show loved ones around you that you care. But if not, let me say it one more time; Let's stop assuming Valentines is just for couples. It's a fantastic chance to spoil your mum, visit a friend who needs cheering up, or even spoiling yourself for the whole day!
Should you find yourself wanting to gift someone with something personal and quite special, I've just the thing for you. In the photographs above you can see something I made for Gary a few months ago. I wanted something to hang in our new home, from me to him, which expressed my love. So I kept it simple; covered a canvas with the colour of love, and filled it with words that describe our relationship, my feelings, or love in general. I had such a great time making this, and it felt very therapeutic too to be honest. Once it was finished I let it dry and then hung it on the wall as a cute reminder of all things Gary and Jemma.
If you'd like to try this yourself, the beauty of it is you decide which words you fill the canvas with; which means it'll be oh so personal! You could fill with reminders and representations of love, like me. Or you could fill with a poem, or song, or maybe a quote you particularly connect with? Whether you're giving this to a partner, friend, family member; I'm sure they'll see the time, effort and care that went into this and love it!
What do you guys think?




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Oh Hey, Hello.

Bonjour everyone and happy Thursday! Hope you've all been having a spectacular week! You may notice I seem a little bit chirpy, and that's because I now have a whole four days off work. This may not sound like much to some of you, but I am practically over the moon! I plan on having an actual lie in (oh my lordy), being as creative as possible, seeing Mum and catching up on blogging of course :)
So far this week I've enjoyed starting my next project, becoming slightly more confident each day (more on this soon..) and taking misty photographs during the cold weather, like the above ^ I don't know why I really like that photo, but I do. Also, you can see my beautiful flowers that were waiting for me after work last night from my lovely boyfriend Gary. He's such a romantic! I was thrilled to be surprised by this lovely bunch. Also, I'll do that typical blogger thing soon and take really great photos of them for blog posts, haha. Has to be done doesn't it?
Which also means I'm super excited for Valentines Day :) Gary and I always make it a lovely day, but as I mentioned in this recent post, it's just a day to show love to anyone! Which is why I've posted out two cards to friends just letting them know how awesome they are, and a Valentines card for my Mum! Yes, that is cheesy but I hope to make her smile. Since Dad died I always feel extra bad on Holidays for her (not that Valentines is much of a holiday lol).
Anyway, keep up with me on Instagram for daily snaps and updates. Otherwise, I'll be banging out plenty of posts in the next few days, so be sure to come back!
Much love,


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To Buy Or Not To Buy?

So recently I was sent the Nokia Lumia 735* to try out and review. Let me be clear immediately here, I was not paid in any way, I do not get to keep this phone, there was no compensation for it. There. Now maybe you'll stop thinking this post is an Ad, lol.  So why did I agree to do it? Well to be honest, I'm in the market for a phone. Or at least I will be in a few months time. So this seemed like a great opportunity to try out one and see if it works for me, before committing to it. You never get that opportunity otherwise, so I thought I might as well take full advantage.
Now I need you all to know I'm someone who LIVES on my phone, seriously. I know many of you can relate here, but I need to tell you how bad it is. I check Instagram as soon as I wake up, reply to tweets on the bus to work, spend the day glued to my phone throughout work (I'm allowed to), reply to emails almost instantly, shop on my phone, make notes on my phone, listen to music... everything. It's definitely not recommended. But that's the way it is. So it's important to me that I have something easy to use, full of useful functions, looks and feels nice and keeps up with me. Here's how the Nokia Lumia 735 did on trial...

The Good: The sleek, beautiful design. Orange isn't really my thing, but this gorgeous bright design does appeal to me. I seen online it also comes in bright green, which looks BRILLIANT. And the thin, super sleek style felt amazing to use, I definitely prefer the feel of this to my current phone. As for the camera, this phone boasts to be the 'selfie phone'. And I will admit, the facing camera was better quality than what I'm used to. It does well in low light, and keeps things sharp. 

The Okay/Bad: The normal camera view however, well.. I kind of expected more. It wasn't bad by any means, but it just wasn't great, you know? I really felt more of an effort could have been made here since they tried so much with the selfie cam. The main thing I didn't like though was the usability. At first I thought it'd be because I wasn't used to this totally different phone, but after two weeks I can confirm I just don't think Windows phones have cracked it yet. They've mastered beautiful designs, but functioning day to day just isn't cutting it for me. I didn't like that the menu was hidden off to the right of the screen, where you swipe it back and forth, rather than as an option on the 'home' screen. It didn't seem to pull my notifications in immediately from my apps, even though I could see them popping up on my existing phone. The sound quality through headphones was great, but not so good as a speaker. (Although this is not very important to me.)
The Verdict: While there are many great things about this phone, I don't believe I would purchase it myself. I liked it very much, and found a great deal to admire. But ultimately I think I'd go for something else. I think it's fantastic value for money as a mid-range phone, and would recommend anyone within a mid price range to try it. But I use my phone so much, I'm willing to pay out more for something that I'll love everyday.

Do any of you have this phone? If so how do you find it? :)


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DIY: Rainbow Nails

I'm so proud of my new nails! As many of you already know, I'm not the best when doing something that requires patience and a steady hand; as you can see from some slight smudges shown in the photographs. But I really did truly try this weekend to create something extra special for the week ahead. I've broken this down into a few steps for you guys, and trust me; if I can do this, you can too!
You will need; 4 Colourful shades of nail varnish. 1 White nail varnish. 1 Top coat nail varnish. 1 Roll of washi tape. 1 Toothpick/or White nail pen


1. Select the colours you would like to use to make up your rainbow. 2. Start by using the washi tape to cover each nail, leaving only one 'stripe' of nail still visible. 3. Fill in this stripe with one of your chosen colours. 4. Wait for this to dry, then remove the tape. 5. Reapply more washi tape, this time leaving another stripe of nail visible. 6. Carefully apply another stripe of a different colour. 7. Repeat until nails are completely filled with colours and dry, then apply the top coat to seal. 8. Use a nail art pen or a toothpick to draw on your clouds at the base of your nail. 9. Wait to dry, and then apply another top coat. 10. Tidy up all edges, and viola! You have a set of beautiful rainbow nails :]
I hope you guys enjoy this little DIY, let me know what you think or if you'll be trying this one ut yourselves! :] Have a great week!





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February Interview 2#

I had the incredible good luck of being able to interview Michelle from Creature Type; a Style, Illustration and Fashion blog. I've been a fan of Michelle's blog for a long time, and her work is incredible. I feel very grateful she took the time to speak to me, so I'd love if you all went and visited her. 

Enjoy!

1. Could you introduce yourself a little to my readers? :)

I'm Michelle Volansky, an illustrator and graphic designer from St. Louis, Missouri. I work daily as a production designer at a culinary magazine, do freelance illustration and design work, and sell my handmade goods at craft fairs at on Etsy. My style is very feminine and colorful and I love playing with textures and pattern.

2. How did you get into Graphic Design and Illustration?

I've been an artsy kid my whole life, always enjoying drawing most of all. My first dreams in life were to teach art or be an animator, but during high school and college I realized that I most enjoyed working on still images and became more interested in illustration. Graphic design and illustration just went hand-in-hand for me and I thought design would be a practical, lucrative skill.

3. As an Artist/Designer; what inspires you?

I'm inspired by other creative people, fashion, interior design, patterns, color, and pop culture.

4. Could you name one of your heroes?

I'm not sure about heroes, but some of my favorite artists who inspire me to try harder every day are Mary Blair, Alphonse Mucha, and Glen Keane. :)

5. You have a fantastic sense of style, does it come naturally or do you really make an effort?

Thankfully, my style has always come naturally to me. It's never been something I've obsessed over. I think if you just draw a lot, your style will materialize organically. 

6. If myself or one of my readers wanted a custom illustration from you, are you open to that?

Definitely! I do lots of work for people who want portraits of themselves, pet, and/or family and illustrations for blog headers and other design elements. I do currently have a waiting list, but if you're interested pricing or snagging a spot on the list, you can always email me at creaturetype(@)gmail.com.

7. What is a typical day like for you?

On a typical weekday, I go to my design job at the magazine until around 4pm. After work, I always try to have dinner with my boyfriend and try to get some other work done--illustration work for clients and myself, any freelance design work I might be working on... close to craft show time I'll be busy working on sewing, printing, and jewelry making.

8. Do you have any advice for people wanting to work in a creative industry?

My biggest advice for any creative person is that if you want your art to be more than a hobby, you've gotta be ready to HUSTLE. Life doesn't get easier after school and you have to be a self-motivated go-getter or else nothing will happen for you. This is the area of my life/personality I work on the most. I could always be working harder, longer, and smarter! :)

9. Through the internet and blogging, people's lives can sometimes seem beyond perfect. Is there anything you struggle with which perhaps people wouldn't realise?

Haha, well, people probably I assume I'm more professionally successful than I feel I am. I know I'm always looking at other bloggers thinking "Wow, how does this person make enough money on their work/blog/shop to survive full-time?" My ultimate goal is full-time freelance so I get really jealous of those people, but I often later realize that they don't actually support themselves. Sometimes they work day jobs or multiple part-time jobs they don't ever talk about on social media. Many times they're supported by spouses or parents. This can be a relief but also really disappointing. I think like, "If they can't make it, how will I ever?"

I just try to remember how lucky I am to be able to do so many different creative things and support myself with art & design skills, even if they aren't 100% on my terms. I'm very privileged to even get to do that and I have an attainable goal to work towards. 

10. Can you name your proudest moment?

I like to think my proudest moment is yet to come, but my proudest in recent memory was Strange Folk Festival 2014. I was asked to design the promo illustration for the event, so I got to see it used on websites, printed promo materials, t-shirts, and even a billboard(!!!). I collaborated with other people and made patterns for fabric, nail stickers, and tote bags. I worked so hard to make awesome things for an event I love participating in and shattered my sales goal. It felt so great! 

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