All about my Zazzle and Society6 journey, including graphics design hints and tips, effective promotional tools and showcasing some great products from me and other storekeepers.
Project PrintGREEN is turning 3D printers into on-demand gardeners after designing a “green” 3D printer in 2013. The printer produces living prints, printing customized objects in a variety of sizes and forms. The project was created at the University of Maribor in Slovenia, conceived of by students Maja Petek, Tina Zidanšek, Urška Skaza, Danica Rženičnik and Simon Tržan, with help from their mentor Dušan Zidar. The project’s goal is to unite art, technology, and nature, creatively producing living designs with the help of technology.
The “ink” in the machine is a combination of soil, seeds, and water which can be designed to print in any shape or letter. After drying, the muddy mixture holds its form and begins to sprout grass from the organic material. PrintGREEN’s slogan is a twist on the old conservationist motto, “think before you print,” telling their audience to “print, because it is green.” You can follow the project’s progress on their Facebook page here. (via My Modern Met)
all images by PrintGREEN
This is a guest contribution from Lorraine Reguly.
“Damn. It’s not perfect, but it’ll have to do.”
“Shit. I wanted it to be better than that.”
Have you ever felt that way before hitting the “schedule” or “publish” button?
I bet you have, during at least one point in your blogging career.
Writing is difficult for many people, and bloggers are no exception. Creating a stellar blog post is the goal, but drafting a blog post often takes a lot of time and frustration. Many bloggers know what they want to say, but just can’t seem to follow an outline or compose a post in a logical order on their first try.
Perfectionists, especially, suffer from this. I know this to be a fact, because I am the mother of all perfectionists! Not only am I a blogger, but I’m a writer AND an editor, too.
As such, I have pretty high standards, and I tend to edit as I write. Most of the time, it drives me crazy. I can’t stand making mistakes, and I hate typos with a passion. When I’m writing with a pen, the paper ends up looking like something a six-year-old might write, full of scribbles. When I’m writing on my laptop, the “backspace” key gets hit more than any other!
To tame my perfectionistic ways and combat overuse of that key, I’ve learned to approach writing by creating drafts first, using two incredibly innovative methods.
The first method is by using stream-of-consciousness writing. The second is by blindfolding myself.
Sometimes I even use the two together!
By definition, stream-of-consciousness writing involves writing down whatever comes to mind, ignoring typos, omitting periods, and basically separating the writing from the editing process. Stream-of-consciousness writing does not have to be logical or follow an order. Instead, rules can be broken and complete freedom from writing conventions should be had.
Psst. Let me tell you a secret. I don’t usually swear online. It’s a bit unprofessional, and the vulgarity of cursing often turns people off.
But guess what?
Swearing can attract people, too. Many people curse, and if they see you doing it, they’ll know you’re a real person, too.
Are you the same person online as off?
Do you “pretend” to be a little bit better, a little bit nicer, and end up being – or feeling – just a little bit phony instead?
With stream-of-consciousness writing, the best thing you can do is to be yourself, your TRUE self. Swear as often as you want. You can delete the curse words later. After all, that is what the editing process is for!
When writing this post, I thought of a few different opening lines.
Here’s an example of how I originally wanted to begin this article:
“Here we go again. More f@!*in’ advice from a damn guest poster.”
“Shee-iiit. She’d better deliver the goods.”
That is SO NOT ME!
But you have to admit, it IS kind of interesting. It also probably would have caused you to continue reading, right?
Either that, or it would have caused you to immediately move on to another post.
As you can see, I wasn’t willing to take that risk. Alternatively, for demonstration purposes, I included it in the body of the post. I wanted to show you that you can move things around when you are finished writing. Again, that’s what the editing process is for, and why posts such as how to edit your own blog posts have been written already!
1. You will not be burdened by the constricts of grammar and punctuation.
2. You will feel freer once you get into it.
3. You will appreciate and understand the difference between the writing process, the editing and the formatting process.
4. You can drop the F-bomb… as often as you like!
5. You won’t be judged on what you initially write.
6. You will get addicted to the freedom stream-of-consciousness writing affords you, and you will become more productive as a result.
7. The quality of your blog posts will improve! (Well, hopefully, they will!)
This is a great option for you if you tend to write and edit simultaneously – like I do!
To write while blindfolded, you would obviously have to be working at a computer in order to create a draft this way. I don’t know anyone who can write with a pen on paper while blindfolded!
To achieve the blindfolded state, there are many things you could do. You could simply take a scarf or a mask of some sort and cover your eyes, or create one using this template.
Closing your eyes isn’t enough; the temptation to peek is too great! By physically covering your eyes, you will be more conscious of the fact that you have to keep them covered in order to achieve your writing goal.
There are many other ways for you to “blindfold” yourself. You could take an old pair of sunglasses and paint them with nail polish so that you cannot see through them. You could tape paper over them. You could use a cut-up tea towel or pillowcase or some other soft material. If you have access to a dental or surgeon’s mask, you could cover your eyes instead of your mouth and nose with that. Get innovative. Make this exercise fun! Blindfolds come in many shapes and sizes!
1. You might feel a bit ridiculous wearing a blindfold, but the benefits that you will reap will be worth it.
2. You will have a better focus on your content, and won’t be distracted by any typos you see.
3. You’ll train yourself to write faster. Of course, you can improve your writing skills by learning how to type faster, too. ;)
4. You’ll have a greater appreciation for the various stages of editing and formatting a blog post.
Relevant links and images can be added when the bulk of your post has been written.
You can re-order the points of your post, fix the typos, and correct your grammar and punctuation then, too. For the third time, that’s what the editing process is for!
(If you need assistance editing your blog posts, you could always ask me for help. I’ve received recognition for my editing services from BookVetter, from a few authors, and from bloggers, and am rapidly building a plethora of testimonials from others for the quality of my services.)
Innovation when writing can help you create better blog posts.
What other things have you discovered that have helped you write better?
Let’s discuss them in the comments.
Lorraine Reguly is an English teacher-turned-blogger who offers both writing and editing services to anyone in need. She has been a guest blogger on various websites, is an author, and is currently giving away a free blogging ebook. She can also help you turn your ebook into a print book! Visit Wording Well for more details.
Opening image of typing hands courtesy of Naypong and FreeDigitalPhotos.net, although altered with text by guest post author.
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Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
2 Incredibly Innovative Ways to Draft a Spectacular Blog Post
The post 2 Incredibly Innovative Ways to Draft a Spectacular Blog Post appeared first on @ProBlogger.
Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
2 Incredibly Innovative Ways to Draft a Spectacular Blog Post
The post 2 Incredibly Innovative Ways to Draft a Spectacular Blog Post appeared first on @ProBlogger.
Salvador Dali, “The Ship,” 1942-43, watercolor on paper, remake by Justin Nunnink
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “The Day Dream,” 1880, oil on canvas, remake by Tania Brassesco and Lazlo Passi Norberto
Four years ago, Booooooom creator Jeff Hamada asked the internet to join in on an art challenge to recreate their favorite old master paintings as contemporary photographs. The Remake Project sparked many professional and amateur artists to create elaborate sets, paint their bodies, paint their friends’ bodies, and take their own shot at works by artists from Dali to Magritte. This collection of original paintings and their contemporary counterparts has now taken the form of a book released through Chronicle Books titled Remake: Master Works of Art Reimagined.
The book features side-by-side page layouts of a selection of works from the original contest, displaying the photographic re-interpretations next to their old-world inspiration. Photographs range from the strikingly similar to loose interpretations, a grand spectrum of re-creations represented from the project’s open call. Remake: Master Works of Art Reimagined is now available in the Colossal Shop.
Rene Magritte, “The Lovers,” 1928, oil on canvas, remake by Linda Cieniawska
Ramon Casas i Carbo, “After the Ball,” 1895, oil on canvas, remake by Tania Brassesco and Lazlo Passi Norberto
Jacques Louis David, “The Death of Marat,” 1793, oil on canvas, remake by Adrianne Adelle
Edward Hopper, “Nighthawks,” 1942, oil on canvas, remake by Bastian Vice and Jiji Seabird
