A Page from Artful Blogging
Artful Blogging is a unique publication that features the most visually stunning blogs from across the internet through beautiful photographs and a patchwork of personal narratives. Editor Jennifer Taylor strives to capture the essence of each blog and explores how each artist started on his or her blogging adventure. In the Winter ’11 issue, she describes the process of blogging, as “being able to keep track of your creative journey.” Whether your blog’s focus is photography, writing, art, travel, or something entirely different, the process of documenting your experiences is one of inspiration and growth.
Editor-in-Chief Christen Olivarez reminisces about how her first experiments with art journaling formed her larger passion for blogging. “As a teenager, my best friend and I kept a notebook that we passed back and forth,” she says. “One of us would write something in it and the other would respond to it, then write something of our own. I loved being able to share my thoughts, hopes, and fears with someone and reading their response. I think that’s why I blog. It’s the same idea, but on a bigger level.”
Sharing and connecting with others is a key part of the blogging process—even if you’re afraid of what others might say. Managing Editor Beth Livesay enjoys having an outlet where she can write daily, but admits it can be intimidating at times. “Writing will always be my first love,” she says. “Having a blog where I can both write for myself and keep it open to others is a scary thought, but it’s a step in the right direction. Blogging is about sharing my gratitude for fellow artists and bloggers, but it also allows for self expression. After all, it is my personal writing style that is pinned on the web pages.”
A blog is a unique tool you can use to share your personal life in a very public space. If you’re ever feeling intimidated, think about why you started blogging in the first place, and just remember this: blog because you care about what you’re writing. Blog because it’s cathartic for you to mold thoughts into words. Blog because it’s the people, events, pictures, and experiences you write about that make life challenging and beautiful. If you love what you’re writing, your readers will too.
Want to win a copy of Artful Blogging Summer ’12? Leave a comment telling us what aspect of blogging you love the most, whether it’s writing, photographing, designing, or reading the blogs of your favorite creatives.*
Photo credits: Top: Karin Andersson, Artful Blogging Spring ’12; Middle: Glory Albin, Artful Blogging Summer ’12; Bottom: Jennifer Rizzo, Artful Blogging Summer ’12
*Contest is open to U.S. residents. Winner will be chosen at random. Deadline for entries is May 31, 2012.
Update: The winner of Artful Blogging Summer ’12 is Lisa Fulmer! Congratulations Lisa, look out for an email from us with the details of your prize.
Posted: Monday, May 14th, 2012 @ 9:19 am
Categories: Artful Living, Contests and Giveaways.
Tags: Artful Blogging, Magazine.
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i’m teetering on the edge of beginning a blog, trying to absorb what i need to know and getting the technical aspects of that blog inside my mind before just jumping into it. having this new issue would be a godsend right now as it would help me to refine and envision what i want my blog to be. i have a blog name…which is a good start, some photography in my cache and ideas tumbling out so fast i can’t keep track of them. maybe i just need a little shove that will get me off the safety of the ground and soaring towards possibility. i would love to win this artful blogging issue. thank you for the opportunity.
I blog at peek-to-peek@blogspot.com to share my daily experiences living in a rustic, uninsulated one-room cabin in the Rocky Mountains where I heat and cook with a wood stove, have no indoor plumbing and carry my water from a spring. I’m in the process of redecorating the cabin interior.
I blog because my thoughts in the form of my words on the page paint a much more accurate picture of my life than my appearance and my own spoken words ever do.
I never miss a copy of “Artful Blogging”! I started blogging to record moments in the life of my family and share them with friends. Over time my blog has slowly evolved to photography! Yes, I still post about my family, but more and more I share the awesome beauty of nature! Thanks for the chance to win the winter edition!!
I’ve been reading “Artful Blogging” to get some inspiration and courage to start my own blog. I love to write and have many craft and garden interests. I think I’m finally ready to take the plunge. First I’m going to organize the photos I want to use into a “blog photos” folder, and then I’m ready to go. Thanks so much not only for “Artful Blogging” but all of your wonderful magazines. Without them, life wouldn’t be worth living. LOL
I have been blogging since 2007 on blogger for the first four years and now on WordPress. A very long time ago, my 10th grade English teacher made us keep a daily journal and that started my journaling habit, but I quit when I became addicted to the internet. As part of my 12 step program (lol) and because I missed it, I decided to journal online. But the benefit of blogging is being able to include artwork and photos and that started my art journaling addiction . . . . so I blog online and now art journal in my sketchbooks.
I love many of your magazines and would be thrilled to win a copy.
I blog to share my artwork with others. Writing is one of my least favorite things to do and I’m hoping that through blogging that my writing will start to come easier and that my own voice will emerge.
I blog about my art adventures and experiments.
But I also love to share what I find on the Internet with my readers. When I get excited, and inspired, by a New Find, I do a blog post – hoping that others will also enjoy and benefit from my new discoveries.
What inspires me to share? Other unique blogs, DIY projects, mixed-media art techniques, Indie business advice and more!
I have blogged for several years on blogger (nmcreatrix.blogspot.com) and have recently changed to Word Press at http://www.creativitycontinium.com. This gives me a blog and website combination, but there has been a learning curve! I track my feelings, triumphs, artwork and pictures from all aspects of my life on my blog. And if it is shared, that is great, but I blog for myself.
Did you have enough entries for the April contest?
Hi Deb! The winners of the Pinterest Upcycled Contest will be announced on the same post Wednesday morning. Thanks for your patience!
I’m a novice blogger. I blog to share, photos, experiences, adventures, insight, learn and enjoy others blogs and stories they share. I like to write, read, enjoy primitive art, and new art for that matter; I have many interests. I continue learning and blogging is helping me to learn new skill set. I gave a lot of thought to why I was blogging and wrote an article, titled ‘Why Write, Why Blog”. Can be found on my blog
Blogging has become a daily gift for me. Blogging allows me to write, reflect on my life and share my jewelry with friends who are always there for me. Blogging helps me to be a better jewelry designer because it raises the bar for my designs and photography. Blogging also helps me to connect with other creatives and I am so grateful!
I have been thrilled with every Stampington Magazine I have every purchased. Thank you for making such a beautiful work!
I blog as a creative outlet. It is a way to reconcile motherhood, artistry and culinary passions. Through blogging I find many of the answers that might otherwise elude me – either via feedback from readers who post comments, or by simply being able to listen to my own heart when I give it a voice in print.
I blog as it is a fun and easy way to stay in touch with family and friends both near and far. It also allows me to connect with others who have the same passion for papercrafting and cooking that I have. People I would otherwise have never met and my life is so much richer for having connected with them through my blogging.
I blog to connect with others who share my passion for art and crafts. I like to display what I am working on and discuss how and why something works or doesn’t work. I love to read other blogs – so much inspiration and passion! thanks for the chance to win – I would love to win.
Part of the reason I blog is to keep a record of what’s going on, but besides that, I HAVE to write. I just have to!
Plus I’ve made some very special friends through blogging, and it’s how we keep in touch.
Not a very original answer, but it’s the truth. :)
The Marmelade Gypsy was originally intended to be an “art blog” but I found I was posting faster than I could produce art! It has since become a bit of everything — travel, entertaining, wine tasting, decorating, profiles and projects, and ultimately reflects me and all the things I love to share. The best part of blogging has been discovering like-minded bloggers — both those who visit me and others I discover on my own. Through these online relationships I have formed genuine friendships that transcend cyberspace. My blog friends have been supportive in challenging or sad times and enthusiastic in encouraging my creative endeavors. Thanks to the blog I’ve expanded my creativity and made new friends around the world, many of whom I’ve been privileged to meet. It’s no exaggeration to say that some of my blog friends that I’ve never seen face-to-face are closer to me and bring more to the table than many of the people I see every day! And that alone makes it more rewarding than I could have ever anticipated.
mainly, i blog to show my art. sometimes, i like to rant about the little injustices in life, like “new and improved” means smaller and the general conjugation of the verb “to be”.
I have been blogging for a few years now but have only just started to find my own way in the huge blogging world. I love the chance to share with other crafty minded people my work and be able to get inspiration from others and hopefully I can inspire others too.
It’s a very rewarding and loving thing to be able to pursue things you love and treasure and share it with others.
I Blog to share my art with the world. I blog so that my friends in the art community can know what I am doing and so that I can think and journal my thoughts and manage my pursuits of happiness. It is what I want to share with the world.
I blog to connect with others around the world who enjoy many of the things (like quilting, joirnaling, arting) that I do. It also keeps me focused (okay, it tries to keep me focused on my art).
I’ve been blogging for a few years now and in the beginning it was all about showcasing the company I was representing. Now I blog for the art/fun of it. I’ve learned so much from other blogs love the opportunity to see so many viewpoints while sharing my own. . .
I started blogging to encourage myself to exercise creative muscles (writing, photography) that don’t get nearly enough exercise at work. It is mostly a way to share with family and friends…and I have found some wonderful new friends as well.
I blog to feel connected to others and to inspire them. I, in turn, am inspired by my readers. It is a wonderful sharing that goes on. Being someone who suffers from chronic illness can be very isolating, and having a community who understands and supports you is very helpful. My blog is that community for me.
I blog to share my creations and maybe someone will get inspired by something I have done just as I am inspired by so many others. I want to let the world know I am here, I have done this, what was once on the inside is now out for all to see.
I blog to share and connect with family & friends, and to experiment with different creative writing exercises. It’s theraputic and fun! What’s not to love? :)
I blog, because it makes me happy. I love the creative outlet, it gives me a platform to release all my crazy thoughts and stories.
Oh, and to show off my recipes….
Where can you reach out and touch so many? Who knows how many ripples in the pond you make when you post or comment on a blog. When we share our lives, we encompass the common threads of humanity. We find our people, who perhaps didn’t exists for us, in our daily lives. It is a way to make new bridges over the foundations of who we are. All who blog eventually will make a ripple in the pond. This ripple will encourage, inspire, perhaps comfort someone’s soul.
I use my blog to document and receive feedback on my growth in art-making, as well as to connect to and learn from a wider community of artists throughout the globe. I would love to become a better blogger, not someone who just posts works as i create them, but one who really understands and engages others by using a blog to it’s fullest potential. I suspect the Artful Blogging magazine offers that kind of inspiration and education.
I blog to remember what I’ve done, where I’ve been, what I’ve made! I like to look back and see how much I’ve accomplished. I also use my blog to share my art with others.
I kept a diary as a child and I always had pen pals who lived overseas…..a blog is the adult version of both! I have kept a travel blog for almost 5 years (http://www.donaldandcathy.typepad.com) and I enjoyed it so much I started and art blog/everyday life blog (http://donaldandcathy.typepad.com/ma_vie_trouvee). I love sharing what I am doing as well as reading about and chatting with so many talented artist around the world. I have so many fun stories about people I have met through my blog.
I already own a copy of this lovely magazine so I don’t need to win but I wanted to share why I love blogging.
For the first time in ten years I have felt connected to my inner creative person. Suddenly I have become a writer again and a baby photographer as well. Taking time to sit in front of a blank screen, reflecting on the beauty of life and motherhood has made blogging an integral part of my daily fulfillment. Plus I love sharing recipes and learning to take pictures of delicious food has been my favorite success. Even if no one else reads my blog, it is my personal pinboard of meals, moments and life as a mom.
My blog is called Sentimental Reasons, and that’s why I blog… for sentimental reasons! I love capturing those little moments in mine and my family’s life that seem to flutter on by at such a rapid pace. I love to capture those moments through photography and writing.
I have more than one blog, and they each serve a different purpose. Think of it as different notebooks for different subjects. One’s work related. One’s a travel journal blog. One’s my “anything I want” blog. And, one’s the artsy fartsy blog. I enjoy visiting other’s blogs, too! We inspire each other to live the artful life!
I have been going through a challenging period in my life. I started blogging to help myself figure out what is next for me. I love to write and recently have discovered mixed media art. My blog is my outlet for both of these passions. I find that the creative process, whether it is blogging or creating art, is the best way for me to process feelings and keep myself in the present moment. I may start the process in a funk but find myself in a much more positive place when I am finished. Exercising my creative process keeps me grounded and grateful.
I began a blog over a year ago and have only 2 posts on it! I need inspiration and would like to learn what kinds of things are possible. I would enjoy having an issue of your wonderful magazine.
I initially began blogging in order for my kids to keep up with my crafty doings and since then it has morphed into actually having a few followers. Who knew I could mumble that much and for that long and actually have people READ it!!
I love to read other peoples blogs, it has always been a fascination of mine. I’ve started several but never really stuck to it. The end of April this year I decided to try again. My family is so big and spread across this great country that blogging was a way for me to let everybody know what is going on with my family.
My blog is here http://shelliesite.blogspot.com/
I guess in reality I want to be heard. I’ve always felt as if nobody was ever listening. Blogging is my way of being heard even if nobody is reading it my voice is out there.
I got into blogging because I thought it would be a great way to exercise my writing muscles & push my creativity. But the gift I’ve received from it, I was not expecting. I have made some fantastic friends from all over the world and for that I am so grateful. They have enriched my life, encouraged me, comforted me and laughed with me. And meeting them in person is the cherry on top of the cake!
Blogging is everything I love, wrapped up in one handy place – conversation, inspiration, validation, community, creative challenge. Thanks for the opp to win!
I am a rubber stamper first and foremost. I started my blog because I was reading others of crafters whose work I admired and was encouraged by them to share my own work. Since then I have started one to show my photographs (I love photography too, and would love to study it further) to keep them separate from my craft blog. I have been lucky enough to find really good friends through blogging, some of whom I have met in person and like even more now! I just love the way blogging lets you communicate with people all over the world with shared interests. Thank you.
I started an art blog about six years ago to have a place to share my work with family, friends, and whoever new wondered along. I have been very remiss in keeping it up due to personal issues but I’m ready to jump back in with some ideas for renewing and improving!
I love to blog because there are so many wonderful things to share.
I love to blog-or just write-so as to express myself and work out my feelings and turbulent thoughts through paper and through the web with the readers of my blog. Blogging is a form of art therapy for me, where I can share what I create and hear back from others on what they do similar to me or differently. Its a great way to get tips, stories, and so much more <3
I love everything about blogging, sharing pictures, sharing things that inspire me, sharing life travels and events. It is wonderful to be able to express your feelings, love, thoughts, pleasures and ideas. As of late, people have been asking me to take their pictures and i have been having a blast doing that, plus i get to share it on my blog.
It’s a way to put myself out into the world and share more than I would on a one-on-one basis. It is also a way for my daughters, who recently moved out and to different towns/states, to see what ‘old mom’ is up too.
I enjoy reading blogs and the “Artful Blogging”.
I am a communicator at heart. Sometimes I choose words as the method, other times art. Blogging lets me share my love of both words and visuals (with a splash of html coding!)
In addition to being a creative outlet, a connection to the world and gathering inspiration, blogging is a way to put yourself out there no matter how weird and wacky you think your thoughts are and to get validation that in all of our weirdness…we are really not alone.
I love sharing my art work, quilts, etc with my blog friends. I think it’s wonderful to be able to connect to women around the world who share the same interests. I would love to receive a copy of artful blogger.
Wow…I am taking a class right now about blogging called Behind the Scenes. This is exactly our homework for today. To blog and chart our journey and how we got where we are today! Amazing…I guess I am on the right track…serendepity!
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