The time has finally come for Doing it the Open Way to close its doors. I’ve loved this little blog, but I feel like it’s time to move on to bigger and better things! On that note I’d like to introduce my new site, Open Way Designs:
All of my old content has been migrated over, so you’ll still have access to all the fabulous stuff that came before… and I have big plans for more great things to come your way over the next few months.
Thank you so much for all of your continued support!
D x
Today the fabulous Daisy, the Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogger behind Daisy’s World, is going to talk to you all about how (and why) she tries to keep inspiration and creativity in her life. So without further ado, over to you Daisy!
Hi all,
Daire and I were both looking for bloggers to write guest posts for us and we thought it would be a good idea to write one for each other; she requested a post on creativity and inspiration so today I’m going to share the things that inspire me and the creative projects I work on daily to keep me busy.
I am a Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogger over at Daisy’s World. Daire and I were both looking for bloggers to write guest posts for us and we thought it would be a good idea to write one for each other so today I am going to share the things that inspire me and the creative projects I work on daily to keep me busy, while she tells my readers how fashion inspires her artwork.
Inspiration
I think it is extremely important to be inspired, it keeps you focused and motivated in achieving your personal goals. I would love to own my own house one day, have a successful blog and an enjoyable job. I use the below tips to keep me moving in the right direction in accomplishing these. Hopefully you will be able to apply them to your own life.
Other People:
Whatever you are hoping to achieve you can be inspired by other people. If you are trying to lose weight for example, other success stories will keep you motivated and prove that your goals are achievable. You can look at why they have been successful and use those tips yourself. I use this in my blogging – I may like a person’s writing style, an idea they have used or how they have designed their blog. I will never copy an idea but I will develop it in my own way to suit me.
Travel:
When you travel it gives you time to re-evaluate your life and realise what is important. You will see the world in a new light and it may make you change your opinion on your hopes for the future. Being away from home and travelling makes me appreciate my friends and family, as I miss them when I am away.
Experiences:
The more experience you gain the more you will realise what makes you happy. Gaining work experience from several companies for example, will help you decide the career that is best for you. I have only been blogging for three months and since then I have written about several different topics. I have done this so I am able to discover which category suits me best and which topics I will continue to write about.
Words:
The words of others can be really powerful and can change the way you feel about a situation. One quote that I like is ‘Stop waiting for things to happen. Go out and make them happen’. This quote really encourages you to take charge of your life and confirms that you need to work towards your goals if you want to achieve them.
Creativity
It is important to be creative to show your individuality. Whether you like to write, draw or make, it is fun to be unique. Writing a blog in itself is creative – I have set up a website where I write, edit and develop my ideas, and in order to stand out it is important to be different. At the moment I am into nail art, it is a fun way to make different designs with many colours and techniques. I would like to introduce more creativity into my life. This year one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to make something; whether it is a gift, something for the home or something to wear, I plan to make something.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my guest post today. I would love to know what inspires you and how you bring creativity into your life.
Love Daisy x
Thank you for visiting us today Daisy, we hope to see you again soon!
D x
So… what have I been up to this week…
Well I managed to get my evil assignment out of the way (we had to adapt a short story we’d written into a script for stage, radio or screen). I chose to write a screenplay, and I can tell you, I do not have a future as a screen writer! Painful is the only way I can describe it!
On Thursday I guest posted for my friend Jo – ‘50 things to make me read your blog‘, if you’re looking for a few tips on how to keep your readers interested, you should definitely check it out!
Yesterday I met up with a bunch of lovely creative and crafty bloggers in the centre of Nottingham, it was so much fun! It’s the first time I’ve met up with any bloggers ‘in real life’ and it really wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be!
[I’m practically glow in the dark, I didn’t notice the spotlight above my head!]
We had such a great time talking about all things crafty – I’ll be posting about the day more in-depth later this week, so stay tuned!
I’m still managing to stick to my daily ‘15 Minutes of Mixed Media‘ challenge – if you want to see some of my creations then check out my Instagram feed and if you’d like to play a long, tag me (@dairecharlotte) in your photos and I’ll come and cheer you on!
I’ve got back into the swing of the whimsical reading challenge I’m hosting, after a little time away from it and I’ve also been working on a TOP SECRET project, that I can’t reveal yet, but I promise you’ll be the first to know!
So what have you all been up to this week? Feel free to leave me a link to your posts in the comments below – I’m always looking for new reading material!
D x
As I mentioned last week, Beth from plasticrosaries.com recently tagged me in her ‘2013 in Review‘ post, and even though I’ve already summed up 2013 elsewhere, I thought I’d play along anyway…
1. Your top 5 new favourite blogs to read in 2013 (you’re totally tagged if you’re listed here – no pressure of course but putting it out there…)
Satchels and Pearls (ok, I’m biased. This is my friend Michelle’s blog, and she gets bonus points for making me Auntie to the cutest dumpling ever!)
Girl XOXO (I love the combination of bookishness and blogging tips. She takes really great photos too!)
iHanna (Her blog is just full of creative inspiration, and her archives are filled with fab tutorials!)
Rae Missigman (A fairly recent discovery, but now she’s definitely one of my favourite mixed media artists)
The Tangerine (The brain behind the Book Chat)
And of course there are the great blogs I mentioned in my last round up post, and thelovely lady who tagged me in this post.
2. List Your 5 most read blog posts in 2013
The Art of Benin (I still can’t understand why you keep coming back to this one!)
Myth and Magic Notecards (I have the fabulous Julie Fei-Fan Balzer to thank, as she featured my tutorial on her awesome blog)
Documented Life – Staying Organised in the New Year (I’m pretty impressed… this one ranked at number 3, despite being published 5 days before New Year’s!)
De-stressing with Doodles (My oh-so-sophisticated method of stress management…)
{21 Secrets} Doodling Our Way (And the first installment of my 21 Secrets 2013 portfolio)
3. Name one blog you wish you had found sooner
Hands down Jo Gifford a.k.a the Dexterous Diva – I think I’d have mastered the art of blogging waaay sooner! (Plus, she’s lovely!) Did I mention I’m guest posting on her blog today?
4. Your favourite blog post of 2013
I really loved creating the art for The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and the Giraffe Note Cards Tutorial and I LOVED taking part in Love Triangles 101, check out my review of Before I Met You or When Love Triangles Just Don’t Count for a taster!
5. What would you like to improve (if anything) on your blog next year?
Plenty! I have a list of goals for my blog that I’m constantly adding to. One of my aims for the year is to write 10 guest posts (if you’re interested, let me know!) I’d also love to hear any thoughts you have on how I could improve Doing it the Open Way. Is there anything you’d like to see change?
6. Name one blog you have a blog crush on.
Alisa Burke’s blog is amazing – her outlook, her design, her voice, her imagery, her features…. everything is just gorgeous! She’s currently running a course on blogging if anyone’s interested?
7. How often do you post?
I go through phases… I vary between every other day and once in a blue moon. One of my aims for 2014 is to become a much more consistent blogger.
8. Share your first post of 2013
Bienvenido 2013 (also known as an introduction to my whimsical reading challenge!)
9. Name one thing you would be doing if you weren’t typing this post right now.
Coffee! And probably working…
10.What have you loved the most about blogging this year?
I’ve loved getting my mojo back – I actually want to blog now! I’m really enjoying learning how to do new things and make little improvements. I know it’s a slow process, but I’m feeling very inspired!
And with that I conclude the looking back, from this very second, it’s all about 2014!
D x
As I mentioned when I was talking about my aims and intentions for 2014, this year I’ll be continuing with my whimsical reading challenge, if you need a refresher of the rules, check out this page. Today I thought I’d share some suggestions for the ‘Family Relationship’ category; there are tons you could pick, but here are a few I would recommend:
Mama Rose’s Turn by Carolyn Quinn
This fabulously written biography tells the story of Rose Thompson, the infamous stage mother of burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee and actress June Havoc. Rather than mulling over the already well publicized lives of her daughters, Quinn looks into the wild and controversial life of the woman who shaped their destiny.
Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
Most people say their favourite Dickens novel is Great Expectations, but this is mine. I’d never been that interested in reading his work before I was given this as a set text, but I have definitely been converted! Check out my review (link above) for more ramblings.
Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler
Feiler’s memoir documents his battle with an aggressive form of cancer, and the way he chooses to deal with it – by putting together a group of men to help raise his twin daughters after his death. I know I’m making it sound quite morbid, but it’s more of a celebration of all the men that have influenced his life.
The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke
This was one of my favourite books read in 2013. I first decided to read it when I start the Richard and Judy Summer Book Club challenge, and I’m so glad I did – I absolutely loved it. The story starts as Katie finds out that her sister has died while travelling of what appears to be a suicide. Overtaken by grief, she uproots her life and follows in Mia’s footsteps, with only her journal as a companion. It’s indescribably well written, hugely emotive so unbelievably worth reading.
Granny is my Wingman by Kayli Stollak
Granny is my Wingman is based on the blog of the same name, and tells the story of Kayli and her Grandmother’s experimentations with online dating. It’s a fun light-hearted read.
Mother’s Curse by Thaddeus Nowak
This is the first instalment in a fantasy series by Thaddeus Nowak, which follows the quest of Stephenie, a princess with a curse, attempting to flee her evil mother and find her brother. Throw in a lost city, a ghostly love story and a few big betrayals and you have a recipe for fantastical excellence. Enjoy!
There really are soo many you could pick for this category… what would you go for?
D x
How have you been enjoying the first week of 2014? It’s been a pretty busy one for me, so I have lots of things to tell you!
I hope you have a really great second week of the year… I’ll talk to you soon!
D x
Back at the start of 2013 I shared a few resolutions with you, of things I wanted to accomplish over the past twelve months.
I’ve had a crazy, crazy year. I’ve been promoted. I’ve bought a house. I relinquished my dog love and adopted a cat. But did I manage to do what I intended? Let’s see…
– Art Journal Every Day:
Unfortunately this is not something I managed to stick to. I can honestly say that I really, really noticed the difference when I had a break from arting. I was unmotivated, I was grumpy, I was just not my usual delightful self. I have a new project in mind for 2014 that hopefully will help me stick to a ‘daily creativity’ regime (more on that below)!
-Update my blog at least 3 times a week:
I haven’t managed to stick to this one either, but I have definitely been going in the right direction. This year I have published 178 posts (that makes the weekly average 3.4, so if we were going by averages, I can tick this one off!). However, recently I’ve been focusing on blogging less and promoting more. I feel like it’s really worthwhile, because as much as I enjoy writing for myself, it’s really great when others read and enjoy your blog.
– Join the Quirky Crafts Design Team:
I was an active member of the QC design team for ten months, but unfortunately due to work and study commitments, I just didn’t have the time to keep going with it. It was such a great experience though, and a great way to flex my creative muscles! I think these were my favourite things I made while on the design team, which was yours?
– Host my own reading challenge:
I can check this one of my list! If you follow Doing it the Open Way you’ll know all about my whimsical reading challenge – you should come join in with me, it doesn’t have a time limit on it and I’ll definitely be carrying on next year!
– Take part in a few awesome arty workshops:
Where do I start… I’ve taken part in Life Book (by Tamara LaPorte), 21 Secrets (by Connie Hozvicka), Inky Doodles (by Michelle Houghton), Whimsy and Wonder (by Alisa Burke) and I’ve been working on a ton of others that haven’t been blogged about yet (including a bunch I bought in Traci Bautista‘s sale)
– Help my darling dunce-of-a-baker boyfriend bake every single thing from the ‘Step-by-step cakes’ book I bought him for Christmas:
We baked one thing, and it tasted like feet, so that book has been banished to the back of the shelf. Hummingbird Bakery and Lorraine Pascal all the way…
I’ve also accomplished some other ‘less planned’ things – I managed to complete a ‘blog every day’ challenge in May, I’ve totally refurbed Doing it the Open Way, I reached my reading goal of 50 books and I’ve embarked upon the final year of my degree. All in all, a lot has been done, and I know a lot will be done this year too. So (finally) these are my aims and intentions for 2014:
– Read 50 Books
I managed to smash this one last year, reading a total of 66, but since moving I have quartered the time I spend on public transport (which used to be the time I used to do all of my reading). I think 50 will be a challenge, but I have so many unread books on my shelf that I think I should at least try!
– 15 Mixed Media Minutes
This year I’m going to make a solid effort to build up a daily creativity practice. I was initially inspired to do a year-long creative challenge by iHanna (last year she managed to do 365 collages – one per day!), but I wanted to be a little bit less specific (as I know how ‘flitty’ I can be). I later found that one of my favourite 21 Secrets teachers Rae Missigman did a similar challenge last year, and recommends it wholeheartedly, so that’s good enough for me! I bought myself a shiny ladybird timer, and I have a studio filled to the brim with art supplies, so there’s nothing holding me back! I’d also really like to try filming some of my efforts – is that something you’d be interested in seeing?
– Work Through A Writer’s Book of Days:
Book of Days is a writing companion, a book of 365 daily prompts designed to help cultivate a habit of writing. I’m unlikely to share the results of these prompts here on the blog, but it’s still something I’d like to work on.
– Open An Online Shop
This one will be a lot of work, as the contents of the shop will be artwork and handmade crafty things, but when I finish my degree (in May, woooo!) I’ll have time to burn. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and I’m convinced 2014 has to be the year!
– Keep Going With My 52 Things
You may remember that on my birthday last year I made a list of things I wanted to get done by the time I turn 25; I’ve made a start but there’s still a long way to go!
My aims and intentions tend to shift as the year goes on, but at this moment in time, these are the things I’m hoping to see through. I might have more a chance of sticking to them this year – the Documented Life project will certainly help!
So how about you guys? Do you have any resolutions for the New Year, or do you prefer to take things as they come?
D x
P.S. Jo over at Dexterous Diva is currently running a competition to win some great prizes – all you have to do is share a blog post featuring your New Year’s Resolutions… check this page out for more information!
Well Christmas is finally over (and I really enjoyed my non-Slimming World friendly dinner J) – I hope you had a fabulous day filled with family, fairy lights and festive foods! I’m currently sat on the sofa in my onesie (thank you boyfriend, best present ever!) thinking about all of the projects I have to look forward to next year. I’ll write more in-depth about all of them at a later date, but today I just wanted to tell you about Documented Life.
Check out this post by Rae Missigman, where it is explained much better, but essentially it is all about spending the next year building an art journal/planner with weekly prompts, and a great community of artists to chatter with on Facebook.
While getting excited about getting started, I’ve also come across a few other posts about becoming more organised in the New Year – I always say it’s very important to think about what works for you… if you copy somebody else’s way of organising their life, it could just mean creating more stress and less time for you in the long run (which totally defeats the object!). I usually make a binder like this, but for 2014 I fancied something a bit different.
Here are a few ideas of other creative ways to get your year in order:
Alisa Burke shows us a snapshot of her gorgeous yearly planners, with sections for monthly calendars, blog post ideas and to do lists.
Traci Bautista shares a tutorial for her favourite way to plan and schedule blog posts (and I’ve tested this method – it really works!)
iHanna has a collection of DIY planner resources here, as well as a tutorial for a cool and quirky diary made from an old binder.
Or if you fancy something less homemade, check out Gala Darling’s ode to the filofax .
Lisa Jacobs has a 2014 Workbook and Creative Business Planner for sale here (it’s available in both printed and digital format).
How about you? Do you have any grand ambitions of being extra organised next year? I’d love to see the different ways you keep on top of everything 🙂
D x
So this is the second instalment of the bookish survey I found on the Perpetual Page Turner (for the first part, click here).
New favourite book blog you discovered in 2013?
Hmmm… there are a few… I really love A Novel Idea (I participated in their event ‘Love Triangles 101‘ earlier in the year, which was a lot of fun) and Semi-Charmed Kind of Life (which hosts some really great reading challenges).
Favourite review that you wrote in 2013?
I don’t really have reasons why, but I think my favourite was Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende. However, the ones that you guys seemed to enjoy the most were The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke and The Sculptor by Gregory Funaro.
Best discussion you had on your blog?
I really enjoyed the Non Fic November discussions we all had, I think this one was my favourite. I also had a lot of fun debating the pro’s and con’s of love triangles with you.
Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
Ooooh that’s a tricky one… Armchair BEA was amazing… I just wish I’d have found out about it sooner, I ended up cramming it all in over a couple of days. I also really enjoyed the Mother’s Curse/Daughter’s Justice blog tour (partly because I got to rediscover my love for fantasy, partly because the author interaction was great).
Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?
I think maybe my best book blogging moment was pulling off Non Fic November… it was such a lot of work, and I was so unbelievably glad when it was over, but I definitely got a little buzz from pulling it off! The best moment from my ‘book life’ was reaching my reading goal on Goodreads… over the past few years my reading habits have slowed a lot, but this year I really managed to pick up pace again 🙂
Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
My most popular post of 2013 wasn’t even one that I wrote this year… and it definitely wasn’t one that I’m particularly fond of, but The Art of Benin is a popular with those studying the Arts Past and Present with the Open University. The next two most popular were two of my arty posts, the ‘myth and magic’ note card tutorial I published a while ago, and how doodling helps me to de-stress.
Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Is that a trick question? All of them!
Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
I discovered a couple of really fun book memes this year, particularly Top Ten Tuesday and Book Chat – they’ve led to me making some great book blogging friends, and helped me to find some fab new blogs to add to my daily reading list! I also discovered NetGalley this year, which has been a really good way to discover new authors, even it has added a lot of ‘review pressure’.
Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
Well as I mentioned before, I managed to complete my goal of reading 50 books this year. I also stuck to one of my New Year’s Resolutions by hosting my own reading challenge (that I will be continuing with next year).
All in all, I’m glad with the way my blog has developed over the past 12 months, even if it is getting progressively less ‘bookish’ and leaning more towards the creative side of things… I’ve really enjoyed redesigning the layout of my blog, and learning so much more about how to generate great content and work on the visuals… I’ve even become brave enough to share Doing it the Open Way with everybody I know (which was a HUGE step for me). How about you? I’d love to hear what you’ve enjoyed doing to your blog this year. Do you have a favourite post you’d like to share?
D x
Doing it the Open Way 