Warning: This is a long post. If you take the time to read to the end, let me know in comments.

I closed my etsy shop, stopped directly posting on facebook and now use only two platforms - instagram and my website.

This was deliberate and intentional for a number of reasons.

Etsy is growing in leaps and bounds. The problem is, as they grow, you as an entrepreneur and artist, are getting smaller and smaller. The bigger they get the smaller we become. Their direction and strategies in the last year have made it clear that its about their profits - not yours. Understandably, etsy is a business like any other, looking after their own interests despite their lipservice to promoting artists. And for those reasons, I am out.

Younger generations are already showing that Facebook is no longer the “place to be”. I’m not saying that’s why I no longer post to facebook, but I do think facebook has had its time in terms of promoting artists and their work. Mostly, I am just tired of being hacked on facebook and finding it impossible to get a straight answer as to how to “unhack my pages”. And for those reasons, I am out. (You will still see some posts on facebook but they are auto directed there from my instagram account).

I love, - well loved, Pinterest in its first few years. I discovered a whole new world of creativity in any subject I wanted by just entering some keywords. But I knew it would end one day. I am growing tired of, amidst the creative ideas, advertisements on push up bras and tools I will never use. I still have my boards that I set up throughout the years and I still refer to them regularly. But I no longer post my own work there. And for those reasons - I am out.

Now I use only two platforms. This website (which includes my shop, my blog, my about page, my other services) and instagram.

I use instagram as my “new” pinterest. I follow people/artists who do work I love and I look for inspiration. If I am not inspired I “unfollow”. I don’t follow the reels and I don’t follow tic toc either. I do watch the occasional video of some talented people. I also like instagram for the challenges they promote. As with my last post, I participated in the 100 day challenge and it “forced” me to share work daily and I think that is a good thing.

At the end of the day, what I really want is to just get back to blogging. Blogging where people took the time to read about the people whose art they were buying. I love to hear about the artists I buy from - I want to know more about them and I want to support them.

Blogging was a place where we took the time to share ideas about the process, about new ideas, about sources of products we used in our art. And sometimes also shared some personal thoughts like I am doing here.

As I’ve said before, I have been online since 2008 and I still have a list of my favorite blogs - not websites - but actual blogs. Of all the people I have followed over the years only a few are still what I would call “blogging”. Many have adapted their sites to the new way of working with lists and shop photos and special promotions. Only a handful are still out there blogging like me.

One of them is Mary Ann Moss from Dispatch from LA. She has been at it as long as I have and I still wait to see what she is up to. She also shares her reading list and I have to say, some of the best books I have read have come from her lists. She also talks about retirement life (something that is close to my heart) and I have on occasion mused with her about going to CA and meeting up with her then. That’s what blogging did. It created real life relationships between people across countries and continents.

The other person I wanted to mention that I still follow and still read from start to finish is Austin Kleon. I suspect he has modified his site from what was a “blog” in keeping with the current day need for a quick read. Now his posts are itemized lists with links to read further on, on any given subject he wants to talk about (again that’s what blogging is/was). I pick the links I want to read but more often than not, after I have read his link to one source, I go back to his site hungry for more links to see what he is thinking about these days. If you don’t know Austin Kleon he is the author of Steal Like an Artist and other books but if you don’t know him, get a copy of that book - it’s a keeper.

So this is where, moving forward you will find me. I am here, always, on my site and on instagram with photos only.

I could not leave you without a few more pictures of what I am working on these days. I have been creating like a madman- just so you know.

But before I tell you more on that, I wanted to tell you about the journals I am using to create these works. I am using the same concept as the Midori style Journal. If you are not familiar with Midori have a look here. The concept is brilliant and the only thing I changed, was I created the covers with papers I loved, laminated the cover for sturdiness, and embellished the elastic band to make it more aesthetically pleasing than just an elastic band.

There are not many left in my shop, but I just purchased a lot of beautiful papers from Malaysia and the intention is to restock the shop with more of these. If you are ready for one of these now, let me know and I can create a custom one for you complete with the weight of paper you need.

So finally, I leave you with some of the work I have been doing in these handmade journals. See below for more inspiration.

Above - this is a collaged page created inside one of my Midori style journals. The paper I included is strong enough for the glue and color and penwork I added on these pages.

This journal is in the format of the original midori journal cover of 5 and 8.25. This long narrow version inspires new possibilities for creating in this size.

The above photo was pasted on the page and then colored with copic markers. Keep in mind the copics will bleed through the other pages so ideally, on your other pages you want to have glued on a full sheet of other collage work, like for example, a full page from a magazine.

Above - one of my favorite spreads - landscapes created by collaging different pieces of magazine layouts.

Let me know your thoughts on my long blurb above and tell me - what are you creating - and what journals work best for you to “art” in. Let me know - I may need to try out your favorites too!