Tag: graphic design

Climbing the mountain of social media

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Photo by Riccardo on Pexels.com

When you try and try but you still fail. Or feel like you do. Having success is like climbing a mountain. The difference is that if you fall of a mountain, you get killed. Success doesn’t mean fame and fortune. I’m talking about something as simple as posting on social media. You can plan in advance. Take courses about how to get followers and how to turn them into clients. But all that hard work doesn’t pay off, no matter what you try. You want to give up because you feel it’s a waste of time. They say it takes time, but how long does that mean exactly? I don’t have years to wait for something to happen.

There is mixed advice available online regarding social media. Some say you don’t need a lot of followers, and then they offer advice on how to gain more followers. Using social media for business and personal use is different, but having followers is important in both contexts. I have a feeling I only attract weirdo’s or people who aren’t very active. I have two Instagram accounts: one personal, which is in English. The other one is a business-related one, which is in Finnish. I feel I’m the only one liking my posts on my personal account, and the same goes for the other. I don’t get any comments either, even if I ask for them. Perhaps my posts are boring and no one notices.

Climbing the mountain of social media takes too long, and it feels like it will never yield any results. You should post regularly and comment on other people’s posts. I know I haven’t done it much, but I have nothing to comment on. Writing posts isn’t easy either. It feels like a waste of time when I get no reactions or a lot of them. I want to find graphic design clients on social media. I even tried to sell digital products, but no one seems to care about getting the link to the store. Social media is a mountain that many want to climb. However, since millions aspire to reach the top, you must stand out.

Posting online doesn’t pay you the bills, and that’s all I get. I can’t start a business without clients, and there are no jobs to apply for. Some people have found clients on social media, so it’s not impossible. I just need to be a little bit more patient. I hope it won’t take years because I won’t have it. I need to set some goals in life, rather than staying stuck in one place. Everyone needs an income from something, and I hope it’s on the mountain of social media.

Split in two or more pieces

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Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Pexels.com

Ever thought you’ve taken too much to handle at once? That there isn’t enough time in a day to do things? You wish you had more time. You almost need to split yourself into two or more pieces to do it all.

Sometimes, I think I have too many things to think about and don’t have time to concentrate on all of them. I’ve had so many other things on my mind lately that I have had no time to blog. In addition to personal things, I have different social media accounts on Instagram to keep up with. Before, I had two, but now I have three for various purposes.

I use one in English for personal use. The other two are in Finnish and are for the graphic design and photography business. A few weeks ago, I started a faceless marketing account where I would sell digital products. It makes me think I took too many at once. One of the accounts doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I’ve been focusing on the new account recently. I was tired of waiting for someone to get in touch on the older business account. I found an easier way to make money than trying to find clients. I don’t really want to do what many other graphic designers do, like visual identity. Actually, I’m split between what I want to do because I want to do many things. I’ve got to get some income somewhere, so why not try to sell digital products? I want to use my graphic design and photography skills to help people.

If you organise your time, you can get more things done during the day. The main thing is that you make time to relax. What you didn’t have time to do today, you can continue tomorrow. There is a time and place for everything.

The secret I’ve been working on

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Photo: AI image

What have you been working on?

Daily Writing Prompt

You know, when you have a lot of extra time, you do things you usually are not known to do. It’s not a big secret; it doesn’t matter if people find out. It won’t have a significant effect on the world. Maybe it won’t even reach other people. You only do it for fun anyway as a way to relax. I’m going to tell you what I’ve been working on.

I’ve never been a good drawer like my parents were. My late dad painted with oil paint when he was younger, and he even tried to sell some paintings. He always drew when he was a kid, so he got a lot of practice. He said that was how he got good at it. There are quite a few paintings made by him at home. He drew from photos. He sketched first and then painted with oil paint. He gave up painting when he got occupied with work, and he didn’t think there was any point in wasting time on it. Just as well since there was no place to paint anyway. Also, because the paint had a strong scent, I couldn’t be in the same place because of it.

When I was a kid, I painted with water paint, but I stopped when I became interested in other things. I didn’t think it was much fun to draw anyway. You need to like it, or you will only get frustrated. I got some kind of resentment towards drawing when classmates had disapproving looks when they saw one of my drawings. From 2009 to 2011, when I studied graphic design, I didn’t like drawing at all, and I didn’t know what or how I should draw something. We had subjects about different drawing tools and styles. Even if the teacher did help, I still didn’t like drawing. Anyone can draw, but how many can draw very well? That’s another question. I’m not a painter; I’m a photographer. Stick to what you know, I’ll say. People who are good at doing art and illustrations should do that.

The secret is that I started drawing and painting again. I bought pens and watercolours, but I already had a paintbrush that my dad once owned. I don’t care how they turn out. I only do it for fun. Maybe it will pass. At the moment, it’s something I’ve been working on. I give you a few examples of what I have done and what tools I’ve used. As I said, it’s only practice and for fun.

In the first picture, I used crayons in the background and then painted with Dual-Tip Art Markers. You need a thick paper with those pens, or they will get through the paper. I finished the drawing with a 0,45 mm line micro pigment ink pen.

flowers in a vase

My latest purchase is watercolours. I sketched all the work with a pencil first and then painted it. It’s easier that way because you know what it will look like. I did one with the paintbrush, but it didn’t go well, so I won’t show you that. That will remain a secret.

Drawing and painting things by hand are more manageable than doing them on a computer, and they look more natural, too. I leave the excellent drawing and painting to those who do it best. This won’t be a hobby for me; it’s only something I do now. In a way, it’s fun to do this again. I try to learn how to draw by searching online, but it never looks like the teachings. Maybe my visualization ability isn’t as good as it should be when it comes to drawing. In other things, it isn’t a problem. Perhaps it’s meant to be. Some are good at drawing, and some are not. Anyone should draw or paint no matter what level they are. It’s one way to relax when you have nothing else to do.