[Via Pinterest; original source unknown]
No Lovely Web Links today (can you believe I didn't bookmark a single link this past week?), so instead, I'll just remind you how awesome you are.
Happy Thursday!
Life Lately: Disneyland!
This week: Hiking to the Hollywood sign; and spending two days at DISNEYLAND! We found zebra print mouse ears (eek!), hung out by the pool, explored Sleeping Beauty's castle, consumed far too much coffee (when there are free refills, this girl's gonna drink!), went on roller coasters over and over and over, found the secret door, spun the teacups so quickly that we got dizzy, and enjoyed an amazing light show when the sun went down.
Happy Friday!
Lovely Web Links: May 24, 2012
+ This advice to young designers is wonderful. A great read for anyone in a creative field - young or not-so young.
+ I want these metallic shoes.
+ Arrested Development fans - enjoy all the chicken dance sequences in one place. (I got Nate hooked on this show...we're currently watching through the entire series on Netflix!)
Happy Thursday!
What links are you loving this week?
Happy Thursday!
Beauty Matters
[Artwork by Kelly Rae Roberts via Pinterest]
Hello friends! I'm back from my adventures in Disneyland. Can't wait to share photos with you on Friday! As I slowly adjust back to reality (wait, reality isn't riding rollercoasters all day?)I thought I'd leave you with this lovely collage from Kelly Rae.
It's true, by the way. Beauty does matter.
Happy Tuesday!
Life Lately: May 18, 2012
This week: hanging out with Nate's family on a cold beach in Malibu; enjoying a visit from Lisa; preparing for a week of AWESOME with Beth (she and her hubby arrive tomorrow, YAY!); figuring out this gorgeous song on piano and realllly wishing I had a piano of my own to play more; and making some minor aesthetic tweaks to my blog layout (there are five - see if you can spot them!).
Apparently I didn't photograph much of my week - I will do my darndest to be more camera-happy next week. (And even if I don't, I know Beth sure will!) We'll be hiking to the Hollywood sign, spending a couple of days in Disneyland, going to a Dodger's game, and checking out the famed Santa Monica pier.
Lovely Web Links: May 17, 2012
+ The best grey paint colors, according to Ryan Gosling. (Who wouldn't want his input when painting a room? This guide would've been super helpful about a year ago, when Nate and I tried to paint our bedroom grey and ended up with lavender. Ugh.)
+ Elsie shares great (and creative!) tips for getting organized.
+ I love Lisa Congdon's 365 Days of Hand Lettering project. This one is particularly lovely.
+ How to turn your blog into a brand. Great advice from Bri!
+ Graphic design resources (I love that they're not afraid to spill their secrets!) from a couple of the most talented ladies in the biz.
How is your week? Come across anything interestawesome? (That was supposed to be a combination of interesting and awesome. It did not work, and is neither interesting or awesome.)
Happy Thursday!
Listen to Your Heart...
[Photo by andifitz via Gabriela Fernandez]
Sometimes listening to your heart does take you all the way to California. And let me tell you, it's a pretty rad adventure! Especially when the people you love make the cross-country trek to spend time with you. Sorry for the radio silence on the blog this week, folks - between Nate's family coming to LA for a few days, a visit from our wonderful friend Lisa Francis, and preparing for my bestie Beth and her husband Scott to come visit us this Saturday for a whole 8 days (eek!) life has been pretty busy. Awesome busy, but busy.
Looking forward to sharing photos of our adventures (we're going to Disneyland!) and more art with you soon.
Happy Wednesday! xo
Life Lately: May 11, 2012
This week: Getting cozy at my desk for a big freelance project; making Red Wine Chocolate sauce; enjoying the world's biggest bag of coffee; rocking some cute (thrifted!) faux snakeskin footwear; and checking out a photo spread in this month's BHG by Burnham Design that I helped shoot (and by "helped", I mean I fetched lunch and returned products to stores. All part of the glamorous life of a freelance designer!).
What are your plans this weekend? Nate's family is in town so we're packing up and heading to the beach tomorrow! I'm excited to spend a little time in the sunshine.
Happy weekend!
PS. Are you on Instagram? Come find me! I'm lesleymyrick. xo
Lovely Web Links: May 10, 2012
+ A real-life Instagram camera. If this ever goes beyond a prototope, I WANT.
+ Puglypixel has a great tutorial on how to create a static website with Blogger.
+ New to blogging? Here's how to start your blog with a bang. (Psst...my husband just started a blog! Take a peek at nathanmyrick.com.)
+ What to do when morals and creativity clash? Remember, the world doesn't need more stuff - it needs your stuff.
+ The new May issue of Lonny Magazine is out today! Woohoo!
6 Reasons Why Comparison Can Wreck Your Business
[Quote via Pinterest; original source unknown]
Good morning! I'm thrilled to present a special guest post from Create Hype - a fantastic resource for women entrepreneurs. In once of their recent emails they presented a list titled 5 Reasons Why Comparison Can Wreck Your Business - and it struck such a chord with me that I wanted to share it with you here. The team at Create Hype was kind enough to even add a sixth reason, just for you!
*****
It's natural to compare your work to others but does it really do you any good? We argue that it does the opposite for 6 reasons.
1. You don't know what's going on behind the scenes. Nobody is going to blog about their product flopping, how they're struggling to pay their rent, and why they are contemplating closing their business. All you will see is the successes, the good news, and the pictures of their family.
2. Everyone has different goals. We all set individual end points and goals so there's no point comparing where you are now to where someone else is because you don't know where they're going.
3. It won't help you get out of a funk. In fact, it will likely push you further into one if you're currently struggling with seeing your successes and feeling like you are moving onward and upward with your business.
4. Most business owners need to double their prices. Don't assume that just because every jewelry maker you know is selling their necklaces for $20 that you can't sell yours for $200.
5. Everyone has a unique market. Copying someone's product or marketing techniques will get you nowhere because your market will not be the same.
6. There’s a fine line between inspiration and copying. While you may intend to be inspired by someone’s work, you run the risk of eventually being inspired ‘too much’. This can quickly lead to copying and that generally leads to legal battles, nights of tears, and your fans wondering why you’ve suddenly changed your brand and your vision.
This is not to say there is not a time and place for comparison. Certainly when doing market research, you need to look at what others around you are doing. But remember that everyone is different and you can't declare a business 'successful' or 'better than mine' just by reading their blog and looking at their site. There is always a story going on behind the scenes.
Action: Take a week and unsubscribe, unfollow, or ignore all of the people you view as your competitors/similar business owners. Instead, spend that time focusing on your own work. You may be surprised by how much freer you feel. You may also find yourself overflowing with new 'crazy' ideas.
*****
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you compare yourself to other bloggers, artists, entrepreneurs, etc.? How do you overcome the temptation of comparison? Have you found comparison to be a positive or negative thing for your business?
Happy Wednesday!
Creative Inspiration: Mary Ann Moss
Boy, it's been a while since the last Creative Inspiration post! Do you ever go through phases where you're super inspired, and then the desire tapers off? I have definitely been in an art slump, if you will. Being busy with interior design blogging and social media for work, as well as freelance graphic design projects on the side hasn't left me much space for dreaming about art. But friends, let me just say...June will be ART MONTH! I'll be home by myself for much of the month (Nate is heading back to Minnesota to volunteer with CTI) and I'm looking forward to sprawling out on the living room floor and finishing these canvases, among other things.
Until then, I'm trying to re-kindle my desire to make art. And these gorgeous travel journals by LA artist Mary Ann Moss are kinda doing the trick. Photos + handwriting + travel ephemera = awesome.
[Journals by Mary Ann Moss via Mae Chevrette]
A Room Design Inspired by Matisse
This week on Style Illuminated, I had some fun designing a room based on a famous artwork by Henri Matisse. Check out the post here to see the original artwork, and how it inspired this living room design. (I love that design inspiration can come from anywhere!)
Life Lately: May 4, 2012
This week: Leading worship at Mosaic with the hubby and awesome friends; obsessively painting my nails (I even experimented with this cool chevron design that's gotten popular on Pinterest!); and eating my very first dinner at an LA food truck. The spicy shrimp tacos and coconut pork tacos from Komodo were ridiculously awesome! Pretty sure I dreamed about them last night...
Follow me on Instagram for more adventures - I'm lesleymyrick. I'd love to follow you too! xo
And of course...May the 4th be with you. (Ha! It's Star Wars day!)
Happy Friday!
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