Five years after that, here are some art journal pages from 2012:

And another 5 years later, here are art journal pages from 2017:

Add 5 more years and these are from 2022:

Which brings us to today (2026), a jump of four years:

Watch the Video

In this video I walk you through one of my biggest art journal learnings: Don’t ignore or cover up things you dislike in your art journal! Learn how to improve your work through trial and experimentation!

Art Journaling Learnings for You

Here’s a quick list of the major points I’m trying to communicate in the video:

• Your art journal is a low-stakes place to practice problem solving. A page that is not working is not a failure. It is an opportunity to practice the same decision-making skills you need for larger, more emotionally loaded artwork.
• Start by naming what is and is not working. Before fixing anything, pause and ask: What do I like? What do I not like? What’s working? What’s not working? That gives you a practical path forward instead of just a vague feeling of dissatisfaction.
• Solve one problem first. You do not have to fix everything at once. In the video, the first major problem is the empty space. Choosing one problem gives you an entry point.
• Use your art journal to take risks. Adding a made-up chair, working around the steam, adding unexpected bananas, changing the background, and trying awkward color choices are all examples of small risks I took in the video. Those are risks that teach you something.
• A rough middle stage is normal. The page does not have to look good from the beginning. In fact, the messy middle is often where the real work happens.
• Your taste develops through repetition. You learn what you like by making lots and lots of art, not by thinking your way into a style.
• Mistakes teach you how your supplies behave. Wet paint versus dry paint, dragging black into color, layering opaque paint, using collage, wiping paint away — these are all technical lessons that come from doing.
• Color is something to explore, not master once and for all. There is a distinction between colors you personally like and colors that actually work together in a piece.
• Reflection turns the page into a lesson. Writing in a studio notebook — or any kind of notebook — is key. Making the page is one kind of learning, but taking notes helps you carry those lessons into future work, which leads me to…
• You cannot learn from your art journal if you do not pay attention. The big artist takeaway is not “make pretty pages.” It is: make the work, notice what happens, reflect on it, and build a creative practice from those observations.

Let me know if you have takeaways of your own!

Want More Art Journaling?

Be sure to visit the art journaling archives of this blog for literally hundreds of art journaling related posts and tutorials. And I have several online art journaling classes that you can take!

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. My unexpected takeaway from putting together this post: Who knew that I was such a pink-loving person?!

The post Why Fixing Art Journal Pages Builds Creative Confidence appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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What is Collagraph?

The word collagraph combines “collage” and “graph” (meaning to write or draw). A collagraph is a printmaking technique in which the printing plate is created by building up a textured surface (a collage) on a rigid support, rather than carving or etching into a plate. To make a collagraph plate, you start with a sturdy base such as mat board, cardboard, or acylic sheets. Then you glue materials onto the base to create textures and shapes. The resulting print captures the textures of whatever materials you’ve glued to the plate.

This is a collagraph plate I made (it’s designed to be an abstracted landscape):

And here is a print from that plate (you can find it in my online shop if you’d like it for your wall):

In the close up shots you can really see the amazing level of detail that’s possible with collagraphs!

This is not the same piece…

…but you can see how a simple frame really makes the collagraph “pop.”

In my opinion, collagraphs are a wonderful bridge between collage, drawing, painting, and printmaking — perfect for my mixed media loving heart.

What is Tetra Pak Printing?

Tetra Pak is a non-recyclable material often used for shelf stable liquids such as soup or juice or milk.

(As a side note, a year or so ago, I asked if any of my neighbors were willing to drop off their Tetra Pak cartons on my front porch and every few weeks I get a paper bag filled with empty containers that would otherwise end up in a landfill. It’s a win-win!)

A Tetra Pak carton is made of layers of paper, plastic, and aluminum. When you cut the carton open and lay it flat, the shiny interior surface can be used as a printing plate.

You can scratch and/or cut into the Tetra Pak to create your design, as well as cut around it to create a shaped plate.

The plate is then inked, wiped, and printed onto damp paper using an press or, in some cases, hand pressure. You can watch this short video I posted to instagram to see the process:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer • Artist (@balzerdesigns)

Is Tetra Pak Printing Collagraph?

Kind of, but technically, no. Here’s the distinction (and it’s really about how the plate is made, rather than how you print it):

• Collagraph: You add materials to a plate to create texture. The plate is built up through collage. The texture comes from what’s glued onto the surface.
• Tetra Pak Printing: You draw, scratch, emboss, or incise into the surface. Ink settles into the scratched and embossed areas.

That said, there is some overlap. For an art history or printmaking purist, a Tetra Pak plate is not a collagraph. For practical purposes, however, you’ll hear it grouped with collagraphs because it’s a low-tech textured plate made from found materials.

Wrap Up

Let me know if you’d be interested in a class on either collagraph or tetra pak printing at home. Both are super fun and surprisingly doable in a home studio.

Thanks for stopping by!

The post Collagraph and Tetra Pak Printing appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

Comments

• In reply to Jamila. Ha Ha! I totally hear you! Would you ... by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
• In reply to jill greenbaum. It's on my list of things to work ... by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
• I’d love a class on making Collagraphs! by jill greenbaum
• A collagraph class would be very welcome. But a tetra pak ... by Jamila

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• What’s the best paint?
• What’s the best way to start?
• How do you know when your painting is done?
• What colors should I use?

Most of these questions don’t have a universal answer. It boils down to your personal preferences.

Why Personal Preference = Your Art Style

I think personal preference sometimes gets dismissed as unimportant. We treat it as if it’s arbitrary. As if our own intrinsic likes are somehow less valid than a technical rule or an expert opinion — i.e. “You’re supposed to do it this way.” However, I don’t think that’s true at all. My preferences shape almost every decision I make in the art process.

For instance:

• I prefer matte surfaces to glossy ones.
• I prefer high contrast artwork.
• I prefer artwork that shows evidence of the artist’s hand.
• I prefer a paintbrush with stiff bristles.
• I prefer an art process that balances planning and improvisation.
• I prefer vertical or square orientation in artwork rather than landscape.
• I prefer artwork with lots of movement.
• I prefer intense detail to wide open spaces in artwork.
• I prefer layered artwork.
• I prefer artwork that is emotional rather than intellectual.

None of those preferences are universal. None of them are “correct.” But taken together, they are a huge part of what makes my work look like my work, a.k.a. my style.

How to Begin?

If you don’t know where to start and you want some guidance, start with a trusted teacher, YouTuber, blogger, friend, etc. If you don’t already have a trusted source of advice (and everyone should have a few trusted sources because one person — even the greatest mentor on earth — can’t be everything to you), test out what a few different artists recommend or teach and see what resonates with you.

• Do you think the way they think?
• Does their energy inspire or confuse or intimidate you?
• Do you speak the same artistic language?
• Do they push you to grow or just tow you along in a safe space?
• Are their preferences similar to your preferences?

Group classes with lots of teachers are a great way to test this out. Also, asking other artists you know for recommendations can be a good place to start.

Once you have your favorite trusted sources, it’s easier to take recommendations on supplies or techniques or ideas without fear. But, keep in mind that recommendations are always a starting point, not a final answer. You have to figure out your own personal preferences in order to get to your own personal art style.

How to Determine Your Personal Preferences

How do you figure out what your preferences actually are?! Well, there’s no magic trick and there’s certainly no short cut. You simply need to make lots and lots and lots of work. And pay attention. Attention is key. Without noticing and reflecting, you’re simply making stuff. You’re not actually learning and purposely moving in a certain direction. Reflection is key to growth. This is a hill I’m willing to die on.

Beyond making lots of finished artwork as a method for establishing your personal preferences, testing materials and techniques is worthwhile and important work. (There’s a whole section on this blog about exploring art supplies.)

I think part of every art practice should be trying materials or techniques that other people swear by and discovering whether or not YOU like them. In other words, it requires gathering evidence. I think that’s one of the reasons I love swatching supplies, making charts, keeping studio notebooks, and repeating exercises.

I’m not looking for the right answer. I’m collecting information. I’m trying to better understand my own reactions.

• Do I like this?
• Do I dislike it?
• Why?

The older I get, the less interested I am in finding the best way to do something and the more interested I am in finding the way that works for me. Not because my way is better, but because it’s the best way for me at this moment. The last part of that sentence is important: at this moment. Personal preferences can and do change and that’s great. The key is to pay attention and adapt and adjust with thought and care.

An Example: Using a Chart to Determine Personal Preference

In this video, I walk you through a simple collage paper chart and why it’s something every collage artist should make because it helps you to establish your personal preferences:

Final Thought

Personal preference is one of the most valuable things an art practice can teach us. Not how to follow directions. Not how to replicate someone else’s results. But how to develop enough self-awareness to make choices that reflect our own tastes, interests, and curiosities. Expressing your personal preferences when you make art is one of the major ways that you make your artwork authentically yours!

Thanks for stopping by.

The post Finding Your Art Style is All About Establishing Your Personal Preferences appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

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• In reply to Yvonne. Yay! Glad to hear it! by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
• Hi Julie, Thank you for that great idea, I will definitely be ... by Yvonne

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Patchwork vs. Quilt

For the most part, the pieces in the exhibit were not quilts – strictly speaking. A quilt, by definition, is three layers: a top, batting, and backing. Many of these are only the top. In fact, they displayed a few of the patchwork pieces in clear cases in the middle of the room so that you could see the back and the front, as you can see below:

About Chinese Patchwork

Here’s a bit more information from the MFA’s website:

“In rural Chinese villages today, women are creating dynamic patchwork textiles, as their mothers and grandmothers did before them. This art form, which evolved from ancient Buddhist and Daoist customs of monks dressing in patched rags to project a sense of humility, is rooted in practicality, with the fabrics serving as bed and window covers, door curtains, and children’s clothing. The vibrant abstract compositions demonstrate creativity and fine artistic sensibilities that flourish far beyond the borders of established Chinese art canons.

This exhibition presents nearly 20 kaleidoscopic Chinese patchwork textiles, which are rarely seen outside the villages where they are made. The textiles, coming from the Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces, reveal a wide variety of compositions, patterns, and techniques, which reflect local styles and individual aesthetics alike. Visitors can explore the historical impacts on materials and designs, and discover the personal histories and artistic intuitions behind the works. Improvising with available cloth, riffing on patterns, and injecting their own creativity, the makers have produced stunning and inspiring imagery. Though viewers familiar with American quilt patterns may be surprised to notice many similar designs, these Chinese works represent a tradition all their own.”

This is a photo they had on the wall of a patchwork piece hanging in a doorway:

And here is an example of what it might look like with light streaming through when you’re inside:

A Peek at the Exhibit

Here’s a look at some of the patchwork pieces that I liked the most from the exhibit:

Final Thoughts

You might enjoy reading THIS article from the MFA’s website where the question of purposeful design is discussed a bit. The women who make these quilts are working improvisationally with intention.

Personally, I felt like the exhibit gave me permission. For many years, I’ve love piecing quilt tops but hated doing the actual quilting. In fact, I have several patchwork tops (like this one and this one) that I’ve wondered if I can simply stretch over some stretcher bars and call done. And I feel like after seeing this exhibit, that the answer is YES!

What do you think? Can patchwork be an art form all by itself without the quilting?

The post MFA Boston: Chinese Patchwork (Quilts) appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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When I look back over the major pieces I’ve sold in the last five years, almost all of them have been reworked. Here are a few examples:

Some of them have been reworked many times. I’ve painted over them, collaged into them, cut them apart, changed the composition, altered the palette, and completely shifted the direction of the piece long after I originally thought I was “done.”

A Mindset Shift

At this point, I no longer think of reworking as fixing failed art. Rather, reworking is a core part of my practice. I don’t need to fear failure because I know that failure isn’t an end point. It’s just a stage along the way.

I think there’s a tendency to imagine artmaking as a straight line: you begin a piece, you work on it, you finish it, and then it remains permanently fixed in that final form. But that has never really reflected my experience in the studio. My work tends to evolve slowly. Sometimes very slowly.

Time is an Art-Making Ingredient

No artwork is garbage to me. There’s always a way to rethink it, remake it, resurrect it. But, I need time to learn, to change, to get some distance because:

• Sometimes I don’t know how to fix it.
• Sometimes I love it when I make it, but no one else does and I can’t understand why.
• Sometimes I’m missing the skills to fix it.
• Sometimes I can feel that there is something interesting happening in the work, but I don’t know how to finish it.
• Sometimes I’m frustrated and need a break.

Whatever the reason, I put it aside. Not as a failure, but as something unfinished to revisit later.

I think time is one of the most underrated tools an artist has.

When I return to older work, I return with more experience, more technical knowledge, and usually a clearer understanding of what I actually care about visually. Distance allows me to see the work differently. I can separate what I intended from what is actually there on the page or panel.

Very often, I discover that there was something compelling in the original piece all along. It simply needed editing, contrast, structure, or a different context in order to fully emerge. Watch the video for more:

The Process of Revision is a Process of Layering

The process of revision feels deeply connected to how I understand creativity in general. It’s iterative and accumulative. When I rework a piece, those earlier decisions don’t disappear completely. They remain underneath the surface. You can often see traces of older marks, textures, colors, or compositions. I love that accumulation. I think it gives the work a sense of history and complexity that would be impossible to create intentionally in a single sitting. It’s one of the many reasons that I love collage! That collage paper brings so much depth and character to the work.

There is also something psychologically important about reworking art. It requires letting go of the idea that artwork must be preserved in its current state. Sometimes the only way forward is to paint over the section that took hours to make. Sometimes you have to cut into a piece that is “fine” in order to give it the chance to become something much better.

That can feel uncomfortable. But it is also incredibly freeing: the more willing I am to change a piece, the more alive the work becomes.

I think this mirrors life rather beautifully. We are not fixed. We are constantly changing, rethinking, revising, and becoming. Why shouldn’t our artwork do the same?

In Conclusion

So if you have old work tucked away somewhere — paintings you abandoned, drawings you never resolved, collages that almost worked — I would encourage you to look at them again.

Sometimes the work isn’t bad. It’s simply waiting for the artist you are now.

If you’re interested in purchasing the piece from the video (or any other work), please visit my online shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

The post Why Reworking Old Art Is Central to My Creative Practice appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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That said, experimentation in art can sound big and dramatic and scary. Like you’re supposed to radically change your materials, or start working in a completely new way, or take on some ambitious project where everything is uncertain. If you’re already unsure of yourself, it’s easy to talk yourself out of it before you even begin.

What I’ve found is a more useful way of experimenting. It’s smaller and less risky. I call it: micro-experiments. I’m sure I’m not the first or only person to come up with this, but it’s a notion that really works.

What is a Micro-Experiment?

A micro-experiment is a tiny shift inside something you’re already doing. It’s not a big commitment.

It’s not a new direction. It’s just a question you ask while you’re working, such as:

• What happens if I add just one more color?
• What happens if I don’t mix it this time?
• What happens if I move the surface instead of the tool?
• What happens if I only do this halfway?
• What happens if I repeat this step twice instead of once?
• What happens if I use less than I think I need?
• What happens if I let it sit longer before I touch it again?
• What happens if I switch the order of these two steps?
• What happens if I use the “wrong” tool for this?
• What happens if I stop trying to control the outcome?

None of those questions require courage in the heroic sense. They don’t demand a leap. They’re small enough that you can try them without overthinking it.

A Micro-Experiment Example

In this video I started with one idea: could I “tea-dye” some paper with acrylic ink? I ended up discovering that I could marble paper with just water and acrylic ink!

The results were unexpected and very welcome!

Why Micro-Experiments Work

When you keep your experiments small, you lower the stakes. You’re not trying to make something good. You’re just trying to see what happens, making a shift from being focused on outcome to curiosity! (As a side note, I truly believe that curiosity is my superpower and the key to all success I’ve ever had in my life. I often tell my husband that I’ll know we’ve done a good job raising our son if he turns out to be a curious person. So far, so good! This photo is one I shared to my instagram stories recently.)

When you do a micro-experiment, instead of needing a block of time and a clear plan, you can experiment in the middle of whatever you’re already doing. One piece of paper becomes five slightly different versions. One technique becomes a series of variations and over time, those small variations start to add up.

You begin to notice patterns. Certain colors behave in ways you didn’t expect. Some combinations fall flat. Others feel like something you want to come back to. You start to build a kind of personal knowledge that doesn’t come from tutorials or classes, rather it comes from paying attention to your own work. (This is where I look at you sternly and tell you that a key part of this process is maintaining some kind of notebook where you write stuff down. But more on that in a moment.)

You Start to Build Tolerance for Uncertainty

A lot of hesitation in art comes from wanting to avoid doing something “wrong.” Micro experiments make that almost irrelevant. If the goal is simply to try something, then nothing is really a failure. It’s just information. This is where I think the idea of “wasting supplies” can start to shift for you. If you approach your materials as something to preserve, you tend to use them carefully, if at all. But if you approach them as part of an ongoing process of learning, then using them — even in ways that don’t lead to a finished piece — becomes the point. You’re not using more supplies than you would otherwise. You’re just using them more intentionally.

Writing is Part of An Art Practice

As I mentioned before, one thing that helps me make the most of these small experiments is writing them down. Not in a formal way with step-by-step instructions, and not every time, but often enough that I can look back and remember what I tried. It doesn’t take much. A sentence or two. A quick note about what changed. Sometimes just a reminder that something surprised me.

That record becomes a kind of bridge between one experiment and the next. It keeps ideas from disappearing, which they tend to do if you rely on memory alone.

Final Thoughts

What I like most about micro-experiments is that they don’t require a particular mood or mindset. You don’t have to feel inspired. You don’t have to be confident. You just have to be willing to ask a small question and follow it and that’s a much easier place to begin.

Thanks for stopping by!

The post The Power of Micro-Experiments: Discovery of How To Paper Marble with Just Acrylic & Water appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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My project was called “100 Days of 1 Object” and it was all about making art based on the same vase of (fake) peonies over and over again.

I’m not going to share all 37 pieces today, but I will share a grouping that I just listed in my online shop.

Why Did It Take a Year to List Them in My Shop?!

There are a few reasons that it took me so long to get them up for sale and they’re (almost) all related to the fact that being a businessperson and an being an artist are two different jobs and I like one a lot more than the other. (I’ll let you guess which one.)

Cutting Custom Mats

When I embarked on my 100 Day Project, I didn’t think about making stuff to sell. I just thought about making stuff. And as a result, I didn’t make the artwork a standard size that would fit in a standard pre-cut mat. So, that meant that I need to cut custom mats for every single piece of art that I made. Cutting custom mats isn’t hard (I use a Logan mat cutter), but it’s time consuming and there’s math and measuring.

Scanning & Photographing & Editing & Listing. Oh My!

As the title above suggests, there is a lot of technical labor to get done.

• Scanning Artwork: I like to scan artwork on paper. I feel like the colors are more accurate when you scan and there are no funny angles or weird lighting issues. I bought a super high quality large format Epson scanner fifteen years ago and it still does a great job!
• Photographing: Even after scanning, I need to photograph the artwork in its mat and bag so that the customer can understand how the artwork will look when they receive it, as you can see from the photos below:

• Editing Images: All photographs and scans need to be edited. Most of the time it’s simply cropping and color correcting. Plus I save a full resolution version and a low resolution version with a watermark (for the web). I watermark my photos because they often get separated from the source. How many times have you seen something you loved on Pinterest or elsewhere, but you can’t seem to find the source for the image? I always want people to be able to figure out where the original image came from. I do my editing in Photoshop.
• Listing Artwork: I try to keep this pretty simple – a description of the artwork and then the photos I’ve edited for the web. I didn’t do any mock-ups of the artwork in a frame, because it just felt too time-consuming, but I do sometimes add those into the mix — especially for bigger pieces.

I made a quick one for this blog post, so that you’d understand what I was talking about:

Photos like these help the customer to envision what the artwork might look like in their home or office or business!

One Very Big Art-Related Reason

I needed time to fix up some of the artwork that I didn’t love. I’ll let the video walk you through that:

The Artwork

Here’s a closer look at 15 of the 37 pieces from my 100 Day Project!

You can find all of these for sale in my online shop!

Thanks for stopping by!

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The post Peony Artwork from My Failed 100 Day Project appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

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The Price is at Its Lowest Possible Point

There are enough students that we have reached the lowest possible price for class!

Yay!

If you were to take a four-day-class with me at my home studio, the price would be almost double what Dillman’s is charging. So, it’s quite a good deal!

What to Expect from Class

We will be making three different types of books, decorating pages and papers using a variety of mixed media techniques, and having a generally fabulous time together!

I wanted to share a bit more about how each day of class will go:

• Class runs 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm each day.
• Bonus: The classroom is open 24-hours/day for you to use any time!
• Every student will get a 20 page booklet that I’ve put together with instructions, diagrams, and room for taking notes.
• Each day begins and ends with conversation.  At the beginning of the day we come together to discuss the plan for the day, answer any lingering questions, and share a laugh or two!  At the end of the day, we share what we’ve made, clear up any confusion, reinforce the lessons of the day, and keep the joy going!
• We will be working on both book forms and mixed media techniques every single day. For instance, on the first day of class we will spend the morning making collage papers as well as painted and collaged pages, and then bind the pages together in the afternoon. 
• Each of the 4 days will feature new techniques and ideas being demonstrated. 
• You can expect 4 awesome days packed with learning, camaraderie, and joyful creation!

I am a big fan of allowing students to do their own thing. So, I will offer lots of live demos as well as personalized suggestions and advice, but you are welcome (and encouraged) to create in your own style.

What to Expect from Dillman’s Art Workshops

I haven’t been to Dillman’s before. But students (and teachers) come back year after year because the quality of the workshops and the teaching spaces is so good! (The photo above is from their brochure about their classes.)

From their website: “Studios provide students with personal table space, standing room, mirrored demonstration area with seating, and wash-up area along with fresh coffee everyday.”

I talked to a colleague of mine who has taught there for many years and she says she loves teaching there. The facilities are great, the staff is kind, and the students are wonderful.

What My Students Say About My Teaching

You don’t have to just believe me when I say I’m a great teacher worth traveling for! Here are what a few of my former students have said:

​​​​​​​“Just took a class with Julie this past weekend and it was awesome. She is real and her classes build from easy techniques into the more difficult. I highly recommend taking a class with her!” — Jay

“​I just took an AMAZING in-person class with Julie. She designed the projects so we would not only have guidance and direction, but also have freedom to explore what interested us. it was so much fun, and left me with so so so many ideas to chase. Thank you so much, Julie!” — Florence

“Julie paces the class so new techniques are broken down into achievable parts. The classes are filled with techniques so your end product is unique rather than a cookie cutter copy. Your individual style shines through. I like how she has students gather together at the end to share our work.”  — Nancy

I hope to see you in class!

The post Making Mixed Media Books: In-Person Class appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

         

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The Art Books I Bought

Point Character Drawing by Taco

A drawing reference book focused on comic-style figures, with an especially in-depth section on hands, perfect for improving a skill I’ve always struggled with. I couldn’t find version 1 (the one in the video) for sale in English, but the new volume is HERE.

The World of Rubens (1967 Time-Life Book)

A vintage art history book filled with images and context about Rubens’ life and work, offering insight not just into his paintings but into how his era understood art.

Exploring Dimensional Quilt Art by June Barnes

A fiber art book packed with sculptural textile ideas and techniques, full of inspiring projects (like Möbius strip forms) that I’m excited to experiment with in my own work.

World Textiles: A Visual Guide to Traditional Techniques

A richly illustrated reference book that explores global textile techniques, patterns, and materials. I think it will be great for generating ideas and understanding how designs are constructed.

The Best Contemporary Quilts: Quilt National 2001

A collection showcasing top contemporary art quilts, offering a wide range of innovative work and a gateway to discovering artists to research further.

The Best in Contemporary Quilts: Quilt National 1999

Another volume of cutting-edge quilt art that still feels surprisingly contemporary, reinforcing how strong ideas and design transcend time.

The Book Tools

Rotating Book Stand

A hands-free adjustable stand that holds books open without damaging them, making it much easier to study, sketch, or take notes while working.

Scotch Book Tape (Archival Repair Tape)

A clear, acid-free tape designed specifically for repairing books, helping stabilize damaged covers while staying nearly invisible and preserving the book long-term.

How to Use Art Books to Learn

You can’t just look to learn. It’s easy to flip through a book, admire the images, and feel inspired. It’s also easy to close the book… and go right back to making the same work you were making before. And it’s not because the book wasn’t good. It’s because inspiration needs to be processed.

When I bring a book into my studio, I treat it like a tool to be used. For me, that means taking notes. Not highlighting. Not underlining. Actual notes. I write down:

• Ideas that interest me.
• Techniques I want to try.
• Questions that come up.
• Quotes I find meaningful.
• Thoughts that relate to what I’m reading.

For me, the act of writing forces me to process what I’m seeing. For instance, if I see something I love, I ask myself, “What about this is interesting?” Is it the color scheme? The structure? A particular pattern? This thought process allows me to really dive into what I personally and uniquely want to create and why.

In addition, I often sketch from books — focusing on interesting compositions or juxtapositions. Sketching is just another method of processing ideas. So is doing the exercises in a how-to book. It’s one thing to read about how it works and it’s another thing to actually do it. Any time you use your hands to create something, it’s naturally being processed and translated through your own personal filters.

If you’re an artist, you’re a do-er. And so, I believe, you must do in order to learn because the goal isn’t to collect inspiration. The goal is to use it to move your work forward.

Wrap-Up

Several years ago, I posted a Book Club video that demonstrated exactly how I use art books to learn. If you enjoyed this post, you might find that one interesting too!

So before you go, let me know: What’s an art book that you love and highly recommend?

Thanks for stopping by!

The post Thrift Store Find: 6 Art Books for $12 and Here’s How I Plan to Use Them appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

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This is a photo of my studio today:

Yes, it’s messy, but it’s actually NOT disorganized.

For me, being organized comes down to three very practical things. None of them are complicated or require a ton of heavy lifting, but they do take a little bit of intention. I’ll take you through all three of them in today’s blog post.

Disorganization Can Stop You From Being Productive

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You sit down to make art. You have an idea. You’re ready to start. And then you can’t find the thing you need because your creative space is totally disorganized. So you start looking. You open containers. You retrace your steps. Maybe you get frustrated enough that you decide to reorganize everything. And somewhere in that process, the energy you had to make something…just leaks away.

I think this is one of the quiet ways that we stop ourselves from making art.

Not because we don’t have ideas. Not because we don’t have time. But because our space makes it just a little bit too hard to begin.

Watch the video for my tips:

Organization Tip #1: Zone Your Art Supplies

Everything you own should have a general “home base.” Not a hyper-specific, perfectly styled location. Just a place where that category of thing lives. For example, all of your paints zoned together.

In the photo above, I’m using rolling carts. If you’re working at a kitchen table, this might be a set of bins or drawers. If you have a larger space, it might be a particular shelf or area of the room.

Whatever your space constraints, the goal is simple: when you need something, you already know the direction to move in. If you’re not sure how to start, pick one category (whatever you use most) and gather all of it into one place. That’s it. You don’t have to organize everything at once. Just start by creating one “zone.”

Organization Tip #2: Label Everything

I know this sounds obvious and yet most people resist it. A label means you don’t have to remember.

Every time you have to stop and think, “Where did I put that?” you’re using up energy that could be going into your work.

Keep in mind, you don’t need a fancy system. A piece of tape and a permanent marker works just fine. If you want to use something like a label maker, rock on. The important thing is that when you open a drawer or look at a closed box, you immediately know what’s inside.

Organization Tip #3: Be Aware of What You Own

This one is less obvious, but it’s equally as important. If your supplies are hidden away, they tend to disappear from your consciousness. You forget they’re there. This might be controversial, but I believe that when it comes to art making, the only wasted money is the money you spend on art supplies you don’t use. If they’re stuck in a box or being saved for a project that’s “good enough,” what’s the point of owning them?!

So part of being organized is making sure your materials are visible enough that they stay in your awareness and therefore get used! That doesn’t mean everything has to be out on display. But it does mean thinking about accessibility: clear bins, open shelving, labeled drawers, etc.

I Love Drawers for Organizing

Drawers are my ride or die because you want your materials to feel available to you at all times. If you have to move three boxes to reach what you want, most of us will be too lazy to do it. And the flip side of things being easy to pull out is that they have to be easy to put away. If putting something away requires too much effort, like if you have to stack things just right or rearrange a whole drawer, you’re not going to do it. At least, I’m not going to do it.

So, let things be a little messy inside the system. A drawer doesn’t have to be perfectly arranged to be useful. It just has to contain the right category of things.

The easier it is to reset your space, the more likely you are to keep it usable.

The Goal of Organizing: An Infinitely Usable Art Studio

In my opinion, the goal of organizing is to achieve a usable studio. Not a perfect studio. Not a beautiful studio ready for a magazine feature. A usable studio.

Because when your space is super functional, you sit down and can start making right away. You don’t lose time looking for things. You don’t feel overwhelmed before you begin. You simply get to work! And when it’s easier to start, you start more often, which means you make more art. It’s a snowball effect with one good thing leading to the next!

If your space has been getting in your way, you don’t have to overhaul everything.

1. Pick one category.
2. Give it a home.
3. Label it.

See what changes because small shifts in how your space functions can have a surprisingly big impact on how often you use it. In the end, that’s what matters!

So, here’s to making more art with more joy! Thanks for stopping by!

The post If You Can’t Find Your Supplies, You Can’t Make Art: 3 Organization Tips appeared first on Balzer Designs Blog.

          

Comments

• In reply to Peggy Joyce. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the ... by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
• This is spot on Julie….my work space looks almost exactly ... by Peggy Joyce

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