How do you talk about yourself?

I've been settling into a bit of a different routine these past few weeks. My christmas cards are printed and selling on my Etsy shop (thanks to all those who made some purchases!), and as I mentioned in my previous blog post, I've starting thinking about and preparing (read: worryingworryingworrying) for the Spring One of a Kind Show in March 2016. Most of my days have been spent planning, researching and giving myself lots of time to create and experiment.

Christmas season feels to be in full swing, and  it's the time for lots of catch up lunches, coffees and dinners. And while it's actually been a bit of a challenge to manage my social calendar (yes, insert eye roll here), it's been really nice to get some balance to my otherwise holed up creative lifestyle.

Whenever I'm in this 'creating' stage, I often feel stumped in conversations about 'how things are going' or 'what I'm working on'. It's so hard to put into words... especially when this time for me is sodamnstressful. I could say  "I'm utterly lost", "I've accomplished so much!", "I've accomplished nothing!"- they would all somehow apply!

I've addressed a similar difficulty in a previous post about getting out of my head and connecting with others. I've come to realize that my bigger struggle seems to be HOW I talk about my work. C has previously called me out on it; I have this tendency to primarily discuss all of the issues I'm facing with my new business, how much I'm working, how stressed out I am. Some of it comes from an earnest desire for advice from others, but most of the time, I think it's a weird sort of compensation..but for what?

The more I thought about it, the more I realised I've always done this, and it seems that so many others around me do it too! I can recall many conversations that hover around 'Work is so stressful, I'm working ALL the time,' and it made me think- Is everyone actually that unhappy? Or perhaps this is instead a form of social bonding, like saying "We're all in this together"? Seems like an awfully sad way to connect, and ofcourse not necessarily honest.

I read this interesting article about how modesty was embedded into this writer's life - and the way she portrayed herself was a direct result of this pressure/thinking. I wonder if something similar is embedded in my brain. Do I tend towards negativity for fear of appearing overly confident or pleased with my work? It's probably so heightened now that I'm putting my creative self out there!

How lame, to be such a rain on my own parade. If I noticed it in someone else, I know my response would be immediate, indignant and adamant. "Why are you putting yourself down?!"/  "Be proud of everything you're doing!"/ "You know, the results don't matter as much as the process"

But hey, awareness and acknowledgement is the first step to changing anything right? It's hard to talk positively about something that at times fills my mind with a plague of worry and doubt, but I'm making a honest effort to atleast be aware of it (and hopefully nip that negativity in the bud).

This week is all about getting some Christmas cards mailed out, play with my new printer (yay!), and draw, paint and carve the rest of the time :)

Happy Tuesday all!

xo

Pri

Slow down September

Have you experienced the surreal feeling when time goes by so fast that you're aware of moving moment to moment, but allofasudden it's the middle of the month? That's what the past two weeks have felt like to me! I've been to the east coast of Canada, attended two weddings, started practicing Italian script (the writing, not the language ha!), and worked in between it all while battling a cold. And time has flowwnn. Now that I've taken some time to stop and reflect on the past two weeks, there's so much to share! I was so excited to contribute some calligraphy and design to both weddings, and so happy to see the work live and in person! I posted some pictures to my facebook page, if you want to take a look.

As a practice, I'm trying to take note of inspiring sights around me and document it when I can. Although I feel I only scratched the surface of possibilities, I ended up taking a bunch of pictures of the breathtaking scenery in and around St. John's. We had gone on a hike and I couldn't get over the picturesque views (and the wild blueberries everywhere!) I had to zero in on the leaves - so many varieties and so beautiful!

I mentioned earlier in my post that I've challenged myself to studying the art of the Italian hand. I took a class earlier this year at the IAMPETH convention with Heather Held, and was immediately fascinated by this playful and beautiful script. So I'm going to work on this script every day for the next 6 weeks - it will be fun to document and see my progress!

Here's a video I did of myself writing out my company name in the Italian hand (a faster version can be found at my instagram account) This video is done three times the original speed, but is still about a minute long :)

[video width="640" height="640" mp4="http://www.papertrailsdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/Sequence-01.mp4"][/video]

I wrote this out with a Gillott 404 nib and Walnut ink on Rhodia blank paper. The Italian hand feels a lot like drawing, because the 'blobs' are sometimes added at the end, kind of like adding some shading or touching up a sketch. :) Ah, I'm loving writing in this style!

I'm looking forward to more indoor time and continue to create my cards and art prints. I hope the rest of this month goes by a LITTLE slower. :)

Have a happy Monday and great week ahead!

xo

Pri

5 calligraphy classes, 4 long days, 3 pen holders, 2 dozen nibs...and a flourished bird on a quill

Hi all! Two weeks ago I was in Tennessee, attending IAMPETH's calligraphy convention. I think it's taken me about a week to recover! I had such a good time, met a ton of very talented, friendly calligraphers, and learned a LOT! Oh, and bought MANY supplies back home with me!

I learned Spencerian and Italian scripts, the basics of flourishing (which I SO needed), arm movement writing (take some of that pressure off my wrist!!), and brush lettering (portable calligraphy! what!). I bought three pen holders and lots of nibs and inks- which I have been so excited to use the moment I got back home!

In my flourishing basics class, we drew this flourished bird on a quill (hence the title of this post!):

I also promised that I would share my pangram that we exchanged at the convention- so hereit is. Note that this was before my flourishing class!! For those who don't know, a pangram is a sentence that uses up all the letters of the alphabet ("the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is the most common one).

Honestly, I'm so grateful that I gathered the courage to put myself out there and go to this convention. I thought I would feel left out, or too amateur- but the incredible hospitality of this organization and the attendees made me feel welcome and involved right away.

So now that I'm back and somewhat settled in, I've been working on a couple of invitation designs. Also, I've got Christmas on the brain (title says it all, doesn't it?)- I have to get started on new batches of cards- all occassion ones and Christmas. I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by...not enough hours in the day!

For the rest of the week, I've got some calligraphy projects to work on, cards to start sketching out, business card designs to finalize (omg, still!!), and a print day for my linocut, which has been sitting around for months! phewww Oh, and we're off camping on the weekend- 2 day portage trip! Eek!

Have a happy week,

xo

Pri

ps. Can't remember if I've posted this previously, but here's the link to the IAMPETH website, which has amazing free tutorials, notes, and tips for a beginner in calligraphy! It's one of the ways I got started- give it a try!

Finding and breaking routine

Hope you are all having a good week!

I spent the early part of this week in Deep River, ON, a wonderfully idyllic town where the air is fresh and the mosquitos are plenty. It was the first time that I tried to work 'remotely' (when I wasn't able to close my studio door and block out the outside world for hours at a time).  It was semi-successful, but as much as I hate to admit it, a part of me longed for the daily routine I have at home, especially when I have a lot of work to get done.

I have a love-hate relationship with 'Routine'. The word itself sounds so boring, like you're going through the mundane motions of the day without thought or appreciation of life. But I have also realized the importance of establishing a routine for a small creative business, and how it can free your mind to think about less mundane things. It's funny though, how exhilarating and tempting it is to just break from routine, to go to the beach instead of sit in front of the computer, or for lunch instead of sorting your workspace. Getting into a routine seems like it would lead to substantial fulfillment in the long run, while running away from it fulfills in a shorter, more intense way (and maybe not as lasting?)

My routine typically changes everyday, and I think I may need to find a better one in the coming months, when I plan to create create create! I have a lot of plans right now, and have to see them to fruition. The task will be trying to not let the beach trips, vacations and catch-up lunches get in the way!!

I found this awesome article with routines of famous writers, and think this is so inspiring! I wonder how successful they were at sticking to it...

Do you have a routine? What's it like and do you feel that it liberates you or ties you down?

I'll be finishing up some work on my website this week, and preparing for my upcoming trip to the IAMPETH convention in Tennessee (which I'm SOEXCITED and SONERVOUS about!). We were given the chance to participate in an envelope exchange with other members (and bring to the conference, I guess as a sort of icebreaker). Here are some pictures from that exchange.

I also received some BEAUTIFUL envelopes in the mail from this exchange- it's such a treat to get a hand written envelope and note among all those flyers and bills!

Have a happy Friday and wonderful summer weekend!

xo

Priyanka

reflecting on printmaking

Since I started on my printmaking journey almost two years ago, I've been constantly learning and appreciating the art, artists and medium.I remember being surprised to learn how prevalent it has been over hundreds of years (Picasso! Andy Warhol! Edvard Munch!).

Over this course of time, I have also been asked many, many questions about this new trail I've started on- How did I get into this/Why printmaking/What's printmaking? :) I will be talking about my printmaking journey on this blog, but if you're itching to know more about this super cool art form, you can check out Open Studio's website (I've talked more about them below).

There are a few reasons that printmaking is personally rewarding and fun.....

1. It's a source of constant inspiration and learning. I have only just scratched the surface (pun intended) with linocuts, woodcuts and screenprints- there is so much more to learn, and so many awesome ways to create an image- it's going to keep my entertained for years :) Not to mention the variety of gorgeous handmade paper I get to experiment with! A linocut/woodcut/screenprint adds a new element to the process of drawing and painting, and has it's own effect to the image (the way you carve, the amount of paint you push through the screen...etc)- it's so exciting to see!!

2. As a small business owner, it provided me a way of reproducing my work but also staying true to selling genuine handmade products. This was a big struggle of mine, when I knew I wanted to make greeting cards or art that I could sell. The idea of scanning and digitally printing the work just didn't seem to fit. I love that I can be a part of the process from beginning to end.

3. It's a wonderful community. I've been primarily involved with the awesome community at Open Studio. This amazing not for profit studio was where I first took my introductory classes in printmaking, and now I'm hooked! I use the studio occassionally, and volunteer on their board as treasurer. If you're ever in Toronto (at Richmond St. and Spadina Ave, to be exact), I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful place- they have galleries that showcase exhibitions from print artists, and a huge studio space in the 401 Richmond building. You can also peruse their print sales gallery, which has some amazing (and affordable!) artworks.

Printmaking and calligraphy is a funny art combo, but I love switching gears between carving tools and nibs. :) I'm working on getting my first linocut print up in my shop, as well as a bunch of screenprinted cards-- stay tuned!

Here's a peek into my process of creating a linocut print at home.....

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

xx

Priyanka