My Favourite Op Shop Finds

I'm going to be completely transparent here and say this week's post was very last minute. All my Uni deadlines are next week and I've been focusing so much on getting them finished that I completely forgot about writing a blog post. In saying that, I've definitely been due for another photography style post since my last one was a couple months ago. I also really wanted to do a post that expressed my love for op shopping. So here it is! Here are my favourite op shop finds so far!

Floral Dress

 

Checkered Dress

 

Cream Coloured Skirt

 

Pink Off-The-Shoulder Top

 

Q: What's the best thing you've found at an op shop?

Sorry again for the last minute post! Once my deadlines are out of the way, I can assure you I'll be writing a lot more!

Thanks for reading!

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3 Great Places to Write

I don't know about you, but I always have a favourite spot that I like to write my blog posts. 

At the moment it's the dining room table in my house. It's right under a skylight so on sunny I get all that natural light and warmth. 

I feel like the location of where you write is something that can really make a difference to your writing. If you haven't found your ideal spot yet, this week's post is just for you! Here are 3 places I'd recommend writing in at least once! 

1. Library
I always feel the itch to write here. When you're surrounded by the works of so many incredible writers, it's hard to not want to put your own thoughts to paper. Inspiration is everywhere you look. I'm sure if you were to pick a book at random, you'd find at least one thing - whether that be a quote, a word or an image - that you could run with. The quiet in the library is also really comforting. Everyone is in their own little worlds. It's a great spot for those who are easily distracted by noise. 

2. Local Cafe
Cafes are perfect for those who like to snack while they work. I'm definitely this kind of person. If you don't mind background chatter or the sound of plates clanging, you should be able to write for hours here. There's always a lot happening in cafes but sometimes that sort of busy environment can help you to want to get things done. 

3. Outdoors
Natural light is really important to me when I write, as I mentioned in my intro. If I can't claim the dining room table (because another family member is working there), the balcony or front yard are just as good. If there's a park or field close by your house, you could carry a notebook and pen and sit yourself there to write. The combination of nature and fresh air are sure to start an avalanche of ideas and inspiration. 

Q: Where is your favourite place to write?
Thanks for reading!

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Blogging vs. Uni

Three weeks ago, I started my second year at Uni. 

It was inevitable this year was going to be harder than the first, I just didn’t realise how early on it would hit me. Since Uni started, my course work and assignments are all that I can think about. During the break, I didn’t have a lot to do work-wise. I definitely owe it to this blog for giving my creative side something to do during that time. I actually enjoy studying so having my blog was a great way to practice self-discipline outside of the classroom. Meeting the Friday deadline each week was my way of keeping my inner-student happy.

Last year, I had quite a good system for getting my blog posts and Uni assignments done on time. Because of this, I imagined this year to be a piece of cake.

Sadly, I can’t say it has been all that easy.

Yes, I still managed to get a post up last week and the week before, but I can’t say I was overly pleased with how they turned out. They definitely felt very slap-dash to me. To be honest, even this post feels a bit messy and all over the place. Probably because I’m multitasking between writing this and working on my typography posters in InDesign.

I know I’m not the only blogger out there who has to manage their blog alongside other commitments. It’s like both things are battling for my attention and when I dedicate too much time to one, I feel guilty for not tending to the other. It’s all about finding that happy medium.

I guess this post is another way for me to let you guys know that my content might be a little rough these next few weeks. Just until I get a handle on this whole balancing act thing. I really want to keep putting content out so I don’t think a break is necessary at this time. I think after 6 months away from Uni, I’m still learning to adjust to my new weekly schedule. There's no doubt that the more I work at it, the easier it'll get.

Q: What tips do you have for balancing blogging with other things?

Thanks for reading!

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My Procreate Drawing Process

I recently got Procreate on my iPad and have absolutely loved the program so far. 

Before Procreate, I created all of my digital drawings on Photoshop, using my Wacom Intuos tablet. Drawing on my iPad is such a different experience from drawing on my computer. Since I've already documented my Photoshop process on my blog, I thought doing the same for my iPad would be a good idea as well. 

Let me now if you'd like to see more drawing blog posts! 

Step 1: The Initial Sketch
For this step, I used the 6B pencil to quickly draw out how I wanted my picture to look. The image on the left was one I found off Pinterest. I attached it to the side of my drawing so I could constantly refer to it. 

Step 2: Darkening The Outline
The next thing I did was take the dry ink brush and go over all my important lines. This was in preparation for my next step which was adding colour. Having a sharper outline made me more aware of where I was colouring. 

Step 3: Colour And Tonal Variation

Once I'd finished colouring my drawing with the round brush tool, I decided to go in with the soft brush to give it some tonal variation. For this drawing, I started with the face and then worked my way outwards. 

Step 4: The Hair Texture

For the hair strokes, I used the dry ink brush again. I varied the thickness of the strokes to give the hair more volume. 

Step 5: The Sweater

Finally, I added some cross hatching on the sweater to somewhat resemble the material in the picture. 

And that's it! Here's my completed picture. I think this took around one and a bit hours. This process appears pretty straightforward however there's a lot more erasing and redrawing that goes on behind the scenes. I obviously couldn't include all of that otherwise this post would have been quite a bit longer! 

Q: Have you used Procreate before?

Thanks for reading! 

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How Important is a Blogging Niche?

If someone were to ask me what the first step to creating a blog was, I'd say decide on a niche. 

A friend came to me the other day with a very clear topic for the blog she was wanting to start. She knew what she wanted to write about and had a very obvious passion and excitement for it. There's no doubt that a niche gives a blog purpose and direction. When you're starting a blog from scratch, it's definitely dictates a lot of what you do. Everything from the header to the imagery to the colour palette of your page somewhat correlates to your blog's niche. There's a lot of pressure when choosing, knowing how much influence this one overarching idea has. 

For me, figuring out what I wanted to write about was the hardest step of all. For ages, I couldn't bring myself to consider the 'Lifestyle' niche. I feared it was way too broad. Yet even when I did manage to hone in on a slightly smaller topic, I was still left unsatisfied. I couldn't imagine myself writing about it for years and years to come. 

Which is another thing I want to talk about. 

Can you change your niche part way into your blogging journey? If you've spent so many years establishing yourself as a certain type of blogger and you suddenly decide you want to do something different, is that erasing all the hard work and effort you've spent getting your blog to where it is? That's a conundrum I'm sure many bloggers have found themselves in. Writing about something they love, gaining a good readership then suddenly falling out of love with it and only writing for their readers. In fact, I've seen this happen in YouTubers too. They post videos that they know their loyal viewers will love. Even if this means sacrificing their own happiness in the process. 

So how important is a blogging niche? I still think having a niche is a fundamental part of creating a blog however I don't think there's anything wrong with drifting outside of that niche or after a while, deciding you don't actually want a niche at all. This turned out to be quite the essay, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. 

Q: How did you decide on your blogging niche?
Thanks for reading! 

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