The Ultimate Art Question: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?

I get asked all the time, "Where do you get your ideas?" Frankly, there's no easy answer to that question. I get ideas from everywhere, any time, all the time.

Ideas are like trees, they start as a seed, grow fruit and give more seeds! They also have lots of branches to explore! What may seem like a random thought or a case of your mind wandering is sometimes the creative process brewing. Sometimes that little seed might not seem like much but it could grow into a mighty forest. Hey, Microsoft was just a seed in the mind of Bill Gates decades ago!

It's a natural ability in the human thought process to explore and to expand. Before you toss out a random thought stop and examine it - it might be the kernel of a brilliant idea! Of course, it might be just a brain fart, but if you immediately blow it off you'll never know where it could have led you. Make a practice of examining your thoughts before you ignore them, let them ease on down the road map of your head and see where they end up. If it's a dead end all you've lost is a bit of daydream time but it could fork off down a new path of creativity and even commerce.

Ideas are always popping up in my head. Ideas for new art, new products, a book, a business and the occasional brain fart which leads nowhere, BUT, I always make a note in my phone of each idea, no matter how silly or trivial. I add all these thoughts to my “think tank” file for future reference. If I find myself uninspired I go through this file to see if something there sparks another idea. I am surprised at how many times some of these stray "brain farts" fit in nicely with a current project I'm working on.

Ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime which is why I always have a way to record them. I use my phone since it's always at hand and has both a voice recorder and a sticky notes feature, but you might want to keep a notepad, sticky notes or even a mini digital voice recorder at hand. Ideas are fleeting and ethereal, they can disappear like a whiff of smoke. Capture that smoke, bottle that lightening because it might be the start of an explosion of greatness!

Keep in mind that you don't have to jump on each idea as it occurs to you. You can set it on a back burner and let it simmer a bit, come back to it when the time is right. To everything there is a season. Timing is a big part of successful ideas. That idea might not be ready to germinate in the now but there is a reason it came to you. Be aware that time is fluid when it comes to ideas! Maybe your future brain is sending back that idea as a bit of fertilizer - don't mistake it for b.s. - it might just be nourishment for the soil of your thought garden!

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Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
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ART, BOOMER POWER, LIFE & HOT DOGS

I've been busy this week designing graphics for another new project I started called The Boomer Power Crusade. Yeah, I know, another project? But I got all excited after a Growing Bolder Twitter chat at AgeOp on the problems facing Boomers in today's world and the best way for me to make any statement is with art!

The top design is the first one and was sort of my template for the series called "DOWN WITH AGEISM" - a retro styled graphic with the main element being a protest sign and an empowering message bordering the sign's statement. This design allows me to change the background graphic and the sign's message to create new crusade goals. I did up a few more (below) and have since been jotting down slogans for the rest of the series of Boomer Protest Art.

I have to be honest with you - this is a fun group of graphics and illustrations for me. I get to do the kind of graphic art that I like and I get to be a little smart ass at the same time. Happy, happy, joy, joy! I love tongue in cheek, in your face humor - as long as it's tasteful and not too raunchy!

ARTART

I also created another design for The Feisty Side of Fifty's soon to be launched Cafe Press boutique - Sixty, Sassy & Sensational (below) and I'm working on 3 more for Eileen which will be included in the next blog post. If my designs have a similar theme as Eileen's it's because Eileen, Joyce Mason (Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights) and I are going to be putting together another little project where we are all involved as a group (more on that later!)

Plus I'm working on a web design and web graphics for an ad client of mine. I don't really look for web design jobs, in fact I kind of avoid it nowadays, but if a client asks I'll do one for them. Frankly, I think doing web design as a profession is going to be extinct very soon - there are many online platforms that 90% of would be web owners can use themselves, including blogging platforms. (I myself will probably be testing out a new online web platform called Square Space for my next major website.)

BUT, that being said, there is still a huge market for a web graphics designer - because no matter how easy it is to put content on a website - making the graphics and art content requires more than a graphics software program. It requires a trained graphic designer. It doesn't hurt if that designer is also experienced in marketing and advertising! Yes, that would be me - d'oh!

While I've been busy creating, Pixel (my Yorkipoo) has been busy pretending to be a mother. She's in her bi-annual nesting mode and is hormonal as all get out. And I emphasize the "moan" part - she's whining almost non-stop. And she insists on carrying around her "baby" - a little hot dog squeeky toy that has seen better days. She will not drop it, she frets if it comes up missing and she won't even let go of it long enough to eat a cookie! Poor baby - the doggy estrogen is rampaging, thank heaven this only lasts a week or so! I'm forced to work with headphones on to block out the whimpering!

So, all my thoughts this last week have been centered around agesim, baby boomer art and motherless yorkies - all in a positive frame, of course!

VISUALIZE - VISUALIZE: I'm seeing lots of web traffic and moolah from all my new age oriented designs. I've already seen a huge increase in hits on my main 3 blogs and website from my new targeting campaign. I'm also visualizing the end of dental work and I'm ignoring the steps in between.

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Age is something that happens to all of us. We can let the gray hairs and the added wrinkles depress us so much that we give up. That is the fastest path to senility! I prefer to see my aging process as a natural part of life, treat it with humor and attempt to turn it into a whole new passage in my life. I'm not getting older - I'm becoming a classic and classics are worth more!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: Yup, already said it - I'm very grateful this Pixel-Mama phrase only lasts a week or so. I'm really grateful for headsets - OMG, am I grateful. I'm grateful for the inspiration from Growing Bolder for this whole new series of graphics - they are a great bunch of people over there and they actually pay attention to their members!

Now, you boomers out there, click on the images above - grab a tee or something for your home and Join the Boomer Power Crusade!
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Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
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WHERE'S THE ART TOOTH FAIRY WHEN YOU NEED HER?

The last few weeks have been difficult for me. I'm going through the process of getting some serious dental work done and the pain has been a pain, sorry for the bad pun! I don't know about you but tooth pain is the worst for me. I've had bleeding ulcers, I've had my ankle ripped open to the bone in a motorcycle accident and I've dealt with a seriously tweaked back for 20 years but they never got me down. But one darn bad tooth and I'm whining like a baby! And I have more than one bad tooth!

I actually have had to take a few days and not work - OMG, I must be sick, lol.

Even with some serious dental issues going on in the last few weeks I've managed to complete 3 new designs for my friend Eileen for her new Feisty Side of Fifty products (coming soon to a CafePress store near you!)

Eileen's blog is baby boomer themed and aimed at boomer women - and since Eileen herself identifies so strongly with the sixties decade, we're going with a sixties/hippie feel updated to today's over 50 women.

(The following 3 designs are copyrighted 2009 by Feisty Side of Fifty.com and All Rights are Reserved. No permission is given to share, distribute, copy, post, or reproduce without written permission from Feisty Side of Fifty.)
I can't wait to see these on some tees and cups and other fun stuff - hint, hint, Eileen, Spring is coming and I could use a few nice new tee shirts, lol!!

And, btw, if you want to sell products and need some great graphics and/or slogan help - feel free to contact me at NeedGraphics@popartdiva.com! I'll be happy to give you a quote.

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And I also designed a couple of recipe cards for The Martini Diva and The Diva of Tiny Foods this week - the Academy Awards are this coming Sunday, Feb 22nd. I'm a big Oscar fan and love to treat the night as a party and figure others might want to do the same so it's Oscar Fans week at both sites all week.

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And I've posted a piece of martini greeting card art on my Easy Greeting Cards site, The Cosmopolitan Martini Recipe and will be posting another later today!

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Plus I'm going to add another feature here occasionally - a revisit to some of my existing art! Today I'm revisiting THE MONA LISA MEETS MODERN CONSUMERISM:

From The PopArtDiva Boutique

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VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: Mostly I've been visualizing new teeth. But I have also been visualizing the kinds of food I'm going to get to eat again with them! Sore teeth and crunchy foods don't mix and I love crunchy!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Though I dislike having pain and having to take pain pills it has allowed me to catch up on some more reading and watch some movies I've been wanting to see. I haven't produced the amount of work that I usually do and I was beating myself up over it a bit (especially after taking some "me" days earlier this month!), but I think the universe might have a reason for this little dip in productivity so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, at least for the time being.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:

• I'm grateful I'm finally getting the teeth issue resolved. No, I'm not looking forward to the actual work but I'm casting my visions forward to when it's all done and over and I'm crunching on nuts and a nice juicy steak again!
• I'm grateful I have to time to be able to baby myself and my sore teeth right now. My usual work schedule is not one that allows for any amount of pampering or whining. Hey, it's okay to whine occasionally - just don't make a habit of it!
• I'm grateful it's something that can be taken care of. There are many people out there who suffer from illnesses that never go away. My issues are temporary. This is a blessing.
• I'm grateful for the fun designs that I got to do for Eileen at Feisty Side of Fifty - they're kinda cool if I do say so myself!
• I'm grateful for my little Pixel who comes up to me and gives me "boo boo kisses" when I'm hurting - how cute is it that my little dog is trying to kiss away the pain? Awww.
  

  From Pixel's MySpace

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Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.
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BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, ART, ART, ART - Back in the Saddle Again!

I'm not even sure where to start I've been so busy doing new art! Okay, I'll just dive in.

First, I did these really fun drawings above for my Post Card Party Invitations for my newest site Easy Greeting Cards - each photo links to it's particular blog page.

Then I redesigned those images to be put on party products at my online store The PopArtDiva Boutique's Fun Department:

I'm also in the middle of doing a series of pop art, Peter Max style designs for a line of products for Feisty Side of Fifty. The first one is below:

And I did up some new Valentine's Day Theme recipe cards for all my Valentine recipes at The Martini Diva and The Diva of Tiny Foods:

Not to mention testing out all those recipes - oh my, the martini recipes were SO difficult to try out, lol!! I did four dessert recipes for this holiday - all chocolate, that was tough to handle too -NOT!

I also did a couple of other recipe card designs for The Martini Diva, in fact I usually do 3 new ones each week, but this one I thought you'd get a kick out of:

I've also been doing ad work and a power point presentation for some clients - nothing exciting so I won't bother posting an image here, but this is the kind of work that pays the bills so I can't complain about it!

VISUALIZE VISUZLIZE: So, what have I been working on in my personal and artistic growth area? Well, to be honest, not so much. My recent move has upset my normal life flow and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things. I haven't been consciously visualizing much of anything - except maybe dinner!

It happens, folks. We can't always be on top of everything in our life all the time and maybe that's a good focus for my positive thinking post today. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK! Quit beating yourself up all the time for not being perfect! Maybe it's okay to visualize a day off!!

Actually I did visualize - I visualized a day off! I was so busy working that I needed a "me" day so I actually saw myself sitting out in the back, soaking in the sun, reading a book, and I saw myself primping and relaxing and watching tv! I planned some downtime. And guess what? That's what I did all day yesterday!!! It was freakin' great! I didn't touch my computers except to check my e-mail and then I SHUT THEM OFF! I even read a bit of Joy Luck Club again!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Sometimes working is not the best thing you can do. Sometimes not working is the best thing you can do. A fresh mind, a rested body and some downtime can do wonders for your attitude! I am much more aligned with myself after yesterday.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I am grateful I allowed myself not to do something! I am grateful it was warm and sunny so I could soak up Vitamin D for a while. I'm grateful for good books and good drama on television that shuts off my overworking little noggin. I'm grateful I got to watch Pixel snoozing in the sun. I'm grateful for DVD recorder technology that allowed me something else to watch besides the Super Bowl. I'm grateful for Sundays.

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Unless otherwise noted, all images and art on this site are © PopArtDiva.com 2002 - 2009. All Rights Reserved.

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EXCITEMENT CAN SOMETIMES THROW YOU OFF BALANCE

Two weeks ago I got a brilliant idea! I decided to turn some of my art into greeting or note cards that were print on demand - cards with my designs where people could download a file, print it out on their own computer and in a few easy steps have an original and fun greeting card to mail out - all for only $2! No running to the store for an emergency card, no five dollar run of the mill cards anymore - only Easy Greeting Cards by PopArtDiva! Cool idea, huh?

I got so excited that I spent almost every waking hour (and a few unwaking hours!) working on this new project and business! This, of course, threw me off balance - it took away hours from other projects and most of my own personal down time too. But I don't think about this when I'm chomping at the bit to launch new projects - it only hits me when my physical body begins to complain at the lack of balance and personal pampering time.

So today I want to talk a little about balance because my friend Eileen, from Feisty Side of Fifty, wrote a wonderful post about that exact subject that inspired me to reinspect the balance in my life - again.

Now, one of my largest problems in balancing my life is the fact that I love my work! This would seem to be a good thing - and it is - but it is also sometimes the factor in unbalancing your personal and business sides! As you can see from my experience with launching Easy Greeting Cards, I tend to lean towards working 24/7. This is a habit that tends to tilt my life a little heavy on the business side - making my personal side a little light in the final analysis. (Example: Below are other new designs I thought of and created and uploaded to The PopArtDiva Boutique during my Easy Greeting Card Marathon!)Why the Elvis image? Because January 8th was Elvis Birthday and I did a week long Elvis Tribute at The PopArtDiva Baby Boomer Blog!

Now, when I retired from the art shows I got an extra little gift called Weekends - for nearly 30 years a weekend for me was just a set of 18 hour days of extra work setting up a portable store and selling from dawn to dusk. Then suddenly I got Weekends back - my God, I didn't know what to do with all those extra hours! I was so excited that I took the first few weekends and enjoyed them! I did mani-pedis, I read the newspaper and books, I fixed some things - I puttered! Holy blooming cow, I puttered - little old type Triple-A, workaholic me diddled around doing nothing of value!

Guess what, I felt rested, happy and more energized for working!? Duh-oh - boink - slap me on the forehead. . . . getting rest is good for you??? So I decided right then and there that Saturdays were going to be, at least partly, time for catching up on my personal things and not all work.

Sundays - Well, Sundays were going to be sacrosanct! Sundays were going to be for me and only little ole me. My newly painted toes, my book reading, my boob tube watching, my lazing in the bed until 9 am, me, myself and I. And it was my day to post to this blog because this blog is about my art and creating a better life for myself through that art and (guess what?) - Balance!

Of course, being the little creative workazoid that I am - I got excited over some new art project and I violated my own rules - working on both Saturdays and Sundays ALL DAY - several times! It's so easy to slide back into old patterns, isn't it?

But two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward! And I'm getting right back on my Sacred Sunday Bandwagon today!! See - I am posting to this blog again and later I'm painting my little toes and watching a bunch of really pointless DVDs! Thank you, Eileen, for reminding me to keep my balance!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE: I see myself out in the beautiful California weather, having a luxurious lunch by the seaside - martini in hand, umbrella shading me from freckles and a lovely sea breeze ruffling my spiky coiffure - on Sunday!
I see myself taking a work day off to go to Disneyland for my birthday this coming week!
I see myself driving to the beach, lunch basket and Pixel on the seat, and great Beach Boy tunes playing to get me in the mood for Newport Beach, sun, sand and the sounds of the ocean
I see myself living a more balanced life as I pay more respect to my personal needs.

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT: Here's the funny thing about taking a little time for yourself and giving your personal life a little respect - it's the one thing that recharges you to work and give to others. A little well balanced selfishness is a very good thing! Mom, sorry, but you're guilt has lost it's flavor - I believe in good selfishness because I believe in me!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: I am so grateful for Weekends. I am grateful for Eileen reminding me to have Weekends and bring balance back into my life.
I am also grateful for the wonderful California weather and being able to sit outside and soak up a bit of sun when I take a break from work.
I am grateful for a happy Pixel who loves this weather too.
I am grateful for friends who give my life meaning.
I am grateful for you, my reader, for giving my blogs a reason to be written!

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A NOSTALGIC CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU - Peter Pan with Mary Martin

As A Special Holiday Treat for all you Baby Boomers
and Children Who Will Never Grow Up

I am presenting:
THE ENTIRE BROADCAST OF
PETER PAN
Starring MARY MARTIN
at The PopArtDiva Retro Baby Boomer Blog

YESTERDAY: PARTS ONE THROUGH SEVEN
TODAY: PARTS EIGHT TO END
SPECIAL SONGS from Peter Pan

ENJOY THE NOSTALGIA AND
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE
from POP ART DIVA!

NEW HOME, NEW ART & NEW BEGINNINGS

Though I've been a little remiss in posting here the last few months because of my big move home to California, I have not been sitting idle! If you remember from my last post at the end of October I was notified I would have to move by the first of December.

This created a lot of work finding a new place to live, packing and uprooting my life but it also gave me my opportunity to move back home to California. On top of moving I still had to maintain my sites, create holiday art for my online store, The PopArtDiva Boutique, and continue to write and create art and content for my blogs, as well as finish up a large ad campaign. So, I have been busy creating even while I was boxing up 13 years of my life!

Below are some of the designs I've done for holiday products (Christmas and Halloween art and designs are always fun), plus a really funny parody on Starbucks Coffee inspired by one of their mugs I got as a gift from a friend, as well as a sketch for the baby boomer comic book novel I'm working on. I also did about 50 ads for that big campaign but won't bore you with posting those!

Needless to say November was a very busy and very stressful month for me. I asked the Universe/God for a new home in California and I got it! Now, I didn't get exactly what I wanted. . . because I didn't ask for exactly what I wanted. And that is a big thing I learned recently, you really do have to "be careful what you ask for" - and you have to be specific!

I asked to be living in California and I am. I even did sketches of my kitchen, bedroom and my bathroom and if you scroll down to my previous post you'll see the sketches I created to help with my visualization of my new home. I have all these wonderful things and I love them, but I forgot to put them just a little closer to the ocean in my drawings and my thoughts! So I am living in California inland from the beach a few hours! See, you have to get those details in!!!

But, never fear! This is a temporary home for the time being, a respite and an oasis in my migration West while I wait for my beach home to manifest! Yes, it is coming and all that is required on my part is a little patience! (Oh, that word - patience - not my strongest suit! But that is a life lesson for another day - today I am focusing on visualizations and how to fine tune them!)

So, as I head into the New Year I am happily living back in California where the sun is gentle upon my face, Pixel has a huge house and yard to play in and there is a Trader Joe's down the street. That's because I asked for and saw those wonderful things in my future and brought them into existance. Now I need to add an ocean breeze and some sand under my toes to the picture!

AND I'm going to Disneyland for my Birthday next month! Why? Because when I saw that ad on TV I "saw" myself there for my 58th Birthday! I wanted it and I visualized it, complete with all my friends! I might be missing a little bit of sand for a while but I'll be happily getting my picture taken with Mickey Mouse and all my BFFs in three weeks!

VISUALIZE VISUALIZE:
I am going to be drawing up some pictures that have beach umbrellas, footprints in the sand and some flip flops nearby to bring my beach home closer and closer. I will also be visualizing myself working long hours at the computer designing ads and laying out my books. I will also be visualizing sun screen for Pixel - she's a blond and you know how they burn!

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT:
Though this is a wonderful house and it's in a beautiful area with rolling hills and civilization it's not exactly where I want to be forever. But it's fine for now and I'm seeing this as sort of an extended vacation in a beautiful country inn - something like a place I would rent to work on a book and have some solitude! I feel like I'm living in the French country side temporarily but when my book is finished I'll be heading back to my beach house!

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE:

• I am extremely grateful for my country house sabatical
• I am grateful for the California sun and even the little Winter Wonderland that came in and surprised me this last week with 4 inches of snow and snowflakes the size of a half dollar!
• I am really grateful for Trader Joes, movie theaters closeby, beautiful sunsets, martinis with friends and some great dinners!
• I am grateful I will be spending Christmas with good friends and I got to buy and wrap Christmas presents again.
• I am grateful for my Christmas Tree with Pixel by my side and Holiday Martinis by the fire
• I am grateful for new beginnings
  

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