Archive | inspiration

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #51-60

david yow stagediveSo, there I was, sitting in one of my favorite coffee shop/grocery stores, eating my date rolls and bananas, listening to The Jesus Lizard and drinking coffee. I thought to myself “Self, it’s a pretty typical Wednesday.” The location may change, but the modus operandi is pretty consistent. A few phone calls, some doodling, a bunch of work and a bunch of daydreaming. Daydreaming can get me into trouble, but as I mentioned earlier – it has to be done, and by God – I’m going to give it my all.

As I sat there basking in the glow of my wonderful little freelance life, I looked out the window for an hour or three – I don’t remember – and I found myself to be yearning to be set free from the shackles of my desk (booth.) And oddly, I was shackled there. Granted, the view was great, the coffee was pretty good and I didn’t have anyone telling me I HAD to sit there. I could pack up my Moleskines and my mouse and laptop and stand up and go somewhere else (another coffee shop, home, etc.,) but I also have these clients that expect me to actually get their work done. In the words of Cheech “Responsibility’s a heavy responsibility.”

But there’s a freedom that can’t be ignored. If I wanted to get up and spend a couple of hours out in the beautiful mountain air – I can. That’s terrific. But I also know that with that freedom comes a big responsibility. It’s not even that I have to answer to clients – I have to answer to myself. I have to end the day knowing that I put in a good effort. If I go to sleep knowing that I’ve not done a square day’s work, I have a hard time looking at myself. My cubicle isn’t in an office somewhere. My boss doesn’t have to come out and holler at me. My cubicle, my boss – all that yelling, is in my head. And it goes on 24/7.

The person with the “job” gets to shut it down at 5 and leave. It’s finite. The freelancer is a freelancer all day every day. It never rests – and that can be a serious shackle. You have to find ways to shut it down and regain a bit of life outside your freelance “job.”

And so – I give to you 10 ways to shut it down and escape the office. These are really some serious perks – but you have to be serious about taking them. Your down time is important for your sanity. Leave your “cubicle” and enjoy these:

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 51-60:

#60 – Kongregate.com – Shut off the email, turn off the phone and spend 10 minutes playing absurd games. Zombies, castles, guns, towers – you name it, they’ve got a game for it. Let’s see you play Abobo’s Big Adventure while you’re workin’ for the man.

#59 – Nature – it’s all around us, yet it can be ignored. I happen to live and work in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I’ll bet you do, too. Get out and stretch your legs, get some fresh air. It’s the ultimate in analog.

#58 – Take Your Shoes Off and Wiggle Your Toes – Sounds crazy, but give it a try. Take your shoes off and stretch your feet out and wiggle your toes. Get some blood circulating in your feet. You’d be surprised how invigorating that can be. You don’t have a cube buddy to complain about the smell. Just don’t do it in a coffee shop or restaurant. Or, at least don’t get caught doing it.

#57 – Change Your Shirt – tired? Stymied on a project? Hop up (if you’re at home) and change your shirt. Again, sounds weird – but a fresh shirt feels great, smells great and can kick-start your brain. The idea is to break the routine, take a few minutes off and “reboot.”

#56 – 3 Day Weekend – Oh, yes. You know what I’m talking about. If you can do this – do it. Take 3 whole days and don’t work. On anything. It really clears the brain, and you’d be surprised how many great ideas you can have when you’re not pressing yourself for ideas.

#55 – 4 Day Weekend – Really. If 3 is awesome, 4 is awesomer.

#54 – Tense Up Every Muscle in Your Body – take 2 minutes. Spend 10 seconds tensing every muscle, then 10 seconds relaxing every muscle. This gets the blood flowing and can relieve a lot of tension, which can help the ideas and the motivation flow. You can’t really do this in the traditional office setting, as you look rather odd doing it. You can do this in a coffee shop or in public if you don’t mind people looking at you and wondering what’s up. I don’t mind that look. I get that look anyway – no matter what I’m doing.

#53 – Blog – Start a personal blog that has nothing (or very little) to do with your job. Complain, review movies, post dumb lists – whatever. Just take some time to do something that has very little to do with your “job.” It helps restore sanity.

#52 – Clean the House – again, it’s about getting out of your routine and away from your “desk.” If you’re at home, a bit of cleaning can really help clear the cobwebs. It also helps you keep the place clean. Double prizes. If you’re working mobile, clean out your backpack or satchel or car. Just stop and clean and organize. Good for the soul, good for the psyche, good for the environment. Having tunafish rotting behind the speaker is NEVER a good thing.

#51 – Facebook – GASP! I said it. It can be a good way to get your head out of the cyclical thinking thing, get you away from working and it can kickstart ideas. It’s not JUST for time-wasting…

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #61-70

fga Lately, I’ve seen an awful lot of these “What My Mom Thinks I Do, What Society Thinks I do, What I Really Do.” The majority of them are a bunch of unfunny, horribly obvious puns. Some make me giggle, most just make me roll my eyes. The truth is that everyone thinks they’re a rock star – but the concept of what these different jobs are is usually miles away from reality. They’re getting to be all over the place. I haven’t seen one for a sewerage worker, but I’m pretty sure everyone knows, understands and accepts the reality of that job.

In the interest of following trends, sheeplike – I made my own. It’s unfunny and horribly obvious. But – this is my blog, so I do precisely whatever I want.

I might joke about it and piss and moan about it – but this really IS a fabulous job. A lot of the myths about freelancing are based in truth – because when it works, it’s a beautiful thing and a marvelous career and everyone should be jealous. When it doesn’t work – it sucks, but that goes for anything. When it’s good, it’s good – when it’s bad, it’s bad. Weird how that works, huh?

And without further prevaricating about the bush, I present to you the truths based on the myths…

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 61-70:

#70 – You Can Work Any Time You Want. Sounds great – and it’s TRUE! As a friend of mine once said “You get to pick any 80 hours of the week.” That’s the truth, folks – but you really are flexible. You can’t just slack 24/7, but you have the luxury of picking your hours.

#69 – You Don’t Have Anyone to Answer To. Yeah, right. Ever had 30 clients all at once demanding that something be done on Friday, and it’s 4:30 Thursday afternoon?

#68 – You Get Paid Tons Per Hour. Yes – I get paid a lot per hour to do what I actually do. Unfortunately, for every hour I can bill, I normally have about 2 hours that I can’t bill – administrative stuff, sales, promotions, etc. So, divide my hourly into thirds and you’ll start to get the picture. If I could BILL 40 hours a week, I’d be a very happy man. Well – even happier than I am now.

#67 – You Get to Pick What You Work On. To an extent, that’s true. But when you’re first starting or when things get lean, you lose a lot of that ability to choose. Needing to pay an electric bill will surely make you think long and hard about taking that crappy menu redesign. Know what I’m saying?

#66 – You Get Paid to Be Creative All the Time. See #68. I don’t consider billing and sales as being creative. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not a huge fan of paperwork.

#65 – You Get Lots of Respect, Professionally. Yeah, sure. I get just enough respect from 10% of people who understand and value my skill to keep my psyche stoked enough that I don’t become suicidal when the other 90% of the people I come in contact with in the professional realm disrespect or belittle what I do. “Oh, you’re a graphic designer? Yeah – my nephew is, too. He’s got a fast computer and a copy of CS5!” I’ve actually had people say that to me. Tres Respectful!

#64 – You Can Work from Anywhere. Yes. This is true. But this can also be a drag. Ever tried to discuss sensitive business information or schmooze a client over the phone from a coffee shop? It’s louder than you think and the chairs aren’t always comfortable. Also – have you any idea how many graphic designers there are sitting in a coffee shop at any given time? I don’t want to give away my business secrets to “competition.” Working mobile is cool – but it’s really got a lot of downsides, too. And it can get expensive. But, I’m rolling in the dough, right?

#63 – You Don’t Have to Dress Up to Go to Work. No, I don’t. And it’s great. I can wear Black Flag tees and Chuck Taylors all day, every day. Chili stain on my shirt? BIG DEAL! Oh – until you run into a client who you’re trying to appear professional to. You might not have to wear a suit and a tie – but you can’t look like a complete bum. I know this from personal experience.

#62 – You Don’t Have to Deal with Co-Workers. You’re right. I don’t have to deal with the 10 other people in the office – I just have to deal with the hundreds of people that I’ve met and who have employed me. You might have to put up with some schmucks in your office, but at least you have a relatively finite number of people (and the problems attached to them) to deal with. I have hundreds of personalities to maneuver around. There’s something to be said about the regularity and predictability of the insanity you have to put up with, too.

#61 – No Boss. Wrong again. I’ve got a hundred bosses, plus I’m my own boss. And as a boss, I’m a complete jackass, too. Worse than your boss.

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #71-80

101 perks of freelance designDay three – and if you’re still with me, I applaud you. I’m not real sure I’m with me these days. I’ve been absolutely covered in work (yippee!!) and blogging has been a bit of an afterthought. I really do enjoy it, and the written word fascinates me to no end. There’s a power to words that can’t be understated. It’s one of the reasons that typography can be so powerful. But, I digress. (You expected me NOT to digress?)

Since I’m so slammed, I’ll try to focus these “perks” on ways to procrastinate. There’s really a lot of ways, and – let’s face it – we all procrastinate. I’ve found, though, that the ways in which you procrastinate determine the sustainability of the period of procrastination. See – if you’re doing something that actually benefits you, it’s not really procrastination, and you can keep it up longer and folks will leave you alone. This does not include playing the Xbox. Sorry.

When you’re a Freelancer, you can use your time to procrastinate in ways that ultimately can benefit your business/career. Thus, that procrastination is a perk. If you’re stuck behind a desk doing “The Man’s” work, your procrastination might benefit you, but you’re robbing time from “The Man.” And, well – theft isn’t cool.

So, here are a few procrastinational* perks for freelancers. (Complete and utter time wasting tomorrow. *Yes, I make up words.)

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 71-80:

#80 – Pinterest. This is actually pretty damned cool. If you subscribe to some like-minded folks, you can sit back and watch inspiration and reference material scroll by at the speed of broadband. Check mine, see some of my repins, and you’ll find some really cool folks. This can be a HUGE time suck – but it can also be a great place to find reference.

#79 – Sketchbooks. Ok, I know I keep on harping on this one. But – get yourself a sketchbook and start doodling. You don’t have to be an illustrator to have a sketchbook. But, I can get lost for hours on this. I can open up my sketchbook and start drawing the strange monsters in my imagination and the stranger monsters in the coffee shop around me and be lost for the better part of a day. The plus in this is that it clears out my brain and I’ve come up with the best ideas while doodling. Try it. It’s refreshing.

#78 – Twitter. Yeah – this is a perk available to everyone, but it’s a great outlet for Freelancers. You don’t have to do a bunch of selling or SEO/Search crap here. Just be yourself, connect to the like-minded and let it rip. You’ll attract folks by osmosis, and it’ll help you grow your business and brand. Plus, you stay up-to-date on what everyone’s up to, in to and what’s hot on the streets. Win!

#77 – FreelanceSwitch.com. In some ways, a competitor, but – credit where credit is due. A lot of great info and resources. Check ‘em out.

#76 – Daydreaming. Face it. This is a 100% must. If you’re not daydreaming, you’re in the wrong business. Just do it.

#75 – Blogging. This one is hard for a lot of folks – but if you do some sketchbooking and daydreaming, you’ll come up with ideas. You don’t have to be super eloquent – you just have to be consistent. This will benefit you in a bunch of ways: it’s a mind dump, it’s great search engine fodder, it gives clients a better view of who and what you are and it allows you to better articulate what makes you the right choice for the work you’re pursuing. Again, I know this is kind of “work” for a lot of folks – but it offers a huge return on your procrastination investment.

#74 – Facebook. No, I don’t mean chatting up old girlfriends or trying to find new ones. I’m talking about the business side of Facebook. You can approach prospective new clients in a more personal and less threatening way. Chat ‘em up and “consumer” their Facebook product. If you keep showing up, you’ll eventually be implanted in their psyche, and they’ll be that much more likely to hire you when the time comes for the services you offer. Name recognition, easier “cold calls,” and a lot more. Beneficial!

#73 – Googling Competition. See what they’re up to, see what you can “borrow” from them, and see where your strengths lie in comparison to theirs. You don’t want to rip them off, and I think there’s plenty of work to go ’round – but you can certainly learn from what they are – and what they’re not – doing well.

#72 – BoingBoing.net. This one can be a time-waster, too – but it has some wonderful info in a variety of areas. Good for a brain cleansing session, or for ideas and inspiration. My personal home page.

#71 – Taking a Shower Any Time of Day. This is one of the best perks. Lately, I mostly shower after hitting the gym, as I work largely mobile and I wind up a the gym at odd hours. This is exceedingly cathartic for me at any time of the day. Even if you’re already clean – there’s something about stepping away from all of the electronics and sketch books and phones and other nonsense that helps the ideas really flow. In the words of Perry Farrell “Water hits my neck, and I’m pissing on myself. Standing in the shower, thinking.” I don’t really recommend pissing on yourself – that’s just kind of gross. But, the rest of the sentiment is spot on. Get clean, get warm and get to thinking.

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #81-90

100 perks of freelancingAnother day, another post chock full of…

Well, it’s full of something. Because I’m full of something.

Today is Valentine’s day, so I’m going to focus on stuff that is Valentines’ related, heart-shaped, about love or things that are sexy. I’m nothing if not sentimental. And by sentimental, I mean black-hearted and spiteful. But, that’s a personal issue that we really shouldn’t get into here.

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 81-90

#90 – Harney & Son’s Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. I don’t know for sure, but I’ve got my suspicions that this stuff has crack in it. It’s like drinking a hot cup of those little red candy hearts. I absolutely adore this stuff, and I’m a very, very staunch coffee guy. My son agrees that we could drink this stuff all day, every day. You can try it at Sbux inside Barnes & Nobles. You can also order it. HELL YES.

#89 – Craphound. I love these books. I’ve gotten all of the reprints, and I use them regularly. They’re great reference for all my conspiracy theory posters and doodles, plus they’re very punk rock. Break out a copy of Craphound and you’ll be the target of suspicion and strange glances. Sweet.

#88 – Loving my job. Yeah – I love this job. What’s not to love? Freedom, poverty and real control over the end product. Sure beats the pants off of bagging groceries.

#87 – Naps during business hours. I’ve got this quilt that my Aunt Elaine made for my wife and I. It’s this grand affair with squares and a million colors and hearts. It’s tattered and worn, but it’s warm and it’s my favorite. Give me that thing, around 3:00 in a sunny, quiet house and I’m a happy, sleepy boy. Sometimes, a 15 minute power nap can make the difference in having a good, productive afternoon and sitting around in a haze. Napping is a business investment. You have to be rested to be creative. Really – try it.

#86 – Cardio during business hours. Get your heart pumping, take a break from the electronics and get moving. I’m a big advocate of the gym (especially now that I’m getting older) and I know from personal experience that a healthy freelancer is a happy, productive and energized freelancer. Walking back and forth to the coffee pot is NOT the proper amount of exercise – unless your coffee pot is a couple of miles away and you run.

#85 – The love and support of my family. If you’re a freelancer with a family (oh – and I’m going to start posting more in that vein,) you know how good it feels to have your family behind you. If you’ve got that support and you work hard, you’ll succeed. If your wife isn’t happy with your career choice, you’re going to have a hard time. My wife and kids are awesome, and they put up with a lot for my “job.” Hope you have the same.

#84 – Love songs. This goes back to music and headphones and the ability to listen to music as much as you want without a manager looking at you angrily. Music feeds me all day, every day.

#83 – Quotes About Love. I post a lot of quotes on Twitter. One of my latest favorites: “Do what you love and tomorrow will pay the rent.” ~ Felix Sockwell

#82 – Twitter Love. Speaking of Twitter, I get a warm feeling when my Tweets get reTweeted. Viral communication is really very, very cool – and it can be a huge boon to freelancers. Tweet regularly – how else can you reach thousands (potentially millions) of people of like mind – FOR FREE? That’s worth loving, right?

#81 – Getting to see my babies grow up. With my first son, I was in the belly of the corporate beast. I loved my job, and I had a good time doing it – but I missed a lot of my son’s “firsts.” With my other 3, I’ve been able to be there for the big stuff. A lot of the time, I worked out of the house, so I could stop and interact and see what they were up to. Now, I work mobile, but I can generally show up when something cool is going on – so I get to see my kids’ stuff. That’s important, and it’s one of the biggest things I love about this “job.” My kids and my wife and our family is my heart…

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #91-100

freelance graphic designerI’m starting a list of reasons that Freelancing kicks ass. This is just as much a reminder to me as it is a list for general consumption. You see, I’m like everyone else (in a creepy Herman Munster-esque sorta way) in that I constantly fail to see how good I really have it. I cry and whine and mope about my job – but really, how freaking awesome is this? And still, I get my panties in a wad…

So, I’m making a list of the Top 100 – But really, there’s about a million.

Anyway, without further adieu:

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 100-90

#100 – The coffee is infinitely better.You get to pick what you drink, and I’ll bet you don’t pick anything close to office coffee. That stuff is essentially paint stripper and caramel color.

#99 – Pajamas are viable business dress. That’s right – I’m the Hugh Heffner of freelance graphic design.

#98 – Headphones. If I have to explain this, you’re not worthy of being a freelance designer.

#97 – Spending 3 Hours Reading About Milton Glaser is Kosher. It’s research – not slacking. This is a concept that I’ll be returning to very, very frequently. There is a big difference between screwing around online and actually looking for inspiration and resources. One is very important – the other is crucial to your business.

#96 – Your boss rarely looks over your shoulder. Actually, if you can look over your own shoulder, I’d love to meet both of you.

#95 – You can pick the people you work with. I’ve done the corporate thing enough to know that not everyone in the business world is a lovable eccentric like the folks on The Office. Some of them are downright evil. When you’re a freelancer, you can avoid the evil. If you’re stuck in an office with someone, avoiding them can be problematic, uncomfortable and dangerous.

#94 – Melt Banana  at ear-splitting level at 4:00 on a Monday. See #98, above.

#93 – The smell of fresh Moleskines. Man, I love my notebooks, and the scent of these babies is like nothing else. It’s freelance crack.

#92 – Dafont.com. If you’re a fontophile like me, it’s like wandering into a candy store on free day.

#91 – People watching. If you work mobile (I do, mostly,) you get to see some pretty great stuff. Weirdos, geeks, freaks and some genuinely funny stuff. When’s the last time you got to see someone break up with their boyfriend in a coffee shop? Me – last Thursday. It’s entertaining, and in a lot of ways – good research. You get to see what kind of crap the general public is up to. Oddly, I’ve found that most of the world isn’t a 40-something doofus who thinks The Young Ones is the funniest show. EVER.

Did I miss something? Contact me and tell me your goodies. If I use ‘em, I’ll give you credit. Backlinks YO!

lemonade…

sent to me by a good friend.

please watch it. if you’re a freelancer, you’ve been given a blank page.

make it a masterpiece…

Great Graphic Photostream…


Wim Crouwel
Originally uploaded by Alki1

Stumbled upon this gal’s photostream. From what I can gather, she’s a retired graphics and photography teacher somewhere in the Northwest US. Very cool stuff to see – a lot of “antique” design stuff. Amazing how good design stands up over time.

Check it out!

Freelance Inspiration Does Not Necessarily Mean Freelance Motivation…

tony_robbinsI’ve got a problem.

I am constantly inspired.

I’m inspired from a great number of sources. Truth be told, my sources for inspiration are so diverse, and my pool of inspirations is so large, I could blog about nothing BUT inspiration and never run out of topics.

Nature, my kids, movies, paintings, books, magazines, conversations, dreams, depression, punk music, phone calls, pop culture, yadda yadda yadda…

While that inspiration is great (and crucial,) that inspiration can be fruitless, because I have a problem with motivation. Well – that, and there’s just not enough hours in the day to fully flesh out my ideas and inspiration.

Motivation is crucial in any field, but especially in the Freelance World (capitalized for effect.)

Without motivation, you get nothing done. All the best designs in the world, all the best thoughts and ideas are worthless without the desire to get them “on paper.” Without motivation, you can starve, go homeless, upset clients, make a bad name for yourself, etc…

So what do you do to get motivated?

Good question – and one that’s largely impossible to answer. Motivation, like inspiration, is so individual that it is hard to paint solutions with a large brush.

What do I do to get motivated? Well – a number of things. And maybe this will help you get motivated:

  • I look for fun in every project: If the project is boring (or perceived as boring,) I have a hard time getting motivated for it. If I can find something fun in the project, I have more of a tendency to hop on it and knock it out – because it’s fun. So – build in some fun to every project. It might be hard, but really – design and creativity is fun, no matter how dry the project is.
  • I look for the financial gain in every project: I hate to admit it, and this is certainly a very un-artsy sentiment, but money is a great motivator. Money allows me to spend time with my family, drink expensive coffee and keep myself in guitar picks and India ink. Money can be a big motivator, as can lack of money. You’re doing this as a business – and businesses need to make money, so never be ashamed of using money as a motivator.
  • I look to every project as a way to build a relationship: I’ve met a lot of great people in my freelance career. I’ve heard great stories and seen some really interesting things while working. I enjoy hearing stories and seeing how my art and design affect people and their lives. Design is powerful, and seeing it touch people can be a great motivator for me.
  • I look to the process as a motivator: There is a ritual to design. There’s something about the feel of the paper, the sound of the keyboard, the accumulation of Post-it notes and doodles and stuff on my desk that excites me. Sometimes, just getting the process going can be a huge motivator. And the comfort and excitement during that process is enticing enough sometimes to motivate me to get rolling.
  • I look to the end product as a motivator: I’ve made some really cool stuff before. I like sitting back after a project is done (sometimes long after it’s done) and seeing the finished piece and saying “Cool!” It’s rewarding. That reward can be a big motivator.

While motivation is not nearly as sexy as inspiration, it’s probably a little more important.

I’ve told my son (14!) that intelligence and talent are meaningless without followthrough. I’m guilty of the same problems of my teenager. I’m not a worker bee-kinda guy. I like thinking and noodling and idea-ing things up, but the actual work is not my favorite part.

Getting motivated is so important, and so often ignored in favor of inspiration. They’re intertwined, to be sure, but they’re also separate entities that need to be nurtured apart from each other.

Now – you’ve read this, I’ve written it, and now I’m inspired to be motivated. Hopefully, that inspiration will be transformed into motivation to be motivated. If you can be motivated to be motivated, motivation will be an inspiration to be inspired and you’ll wind up inspired and motivated and probably a little tired, because an inspired, motivated freelancer spends way too little time sleeping and too much time being motivated by inspiration, and inspired by that motivation.

(yes, I need to lay off that expensive coffee…)

Inspiration for Days…

pdfmagI love magazines. I’ve used them for years for a variety of purposes.

I’m not a big reader (for the most part) and the brief stories and blurbs keep my A.D.D. on full stoke.

I like pictures, and I use magazines to make collage drawings (on canvas, for all you analog types like me.) Cut-and-paste, the old fashioned way.

And, I find the typography and the different layouts fun and inspiring.

The big problem is that my wife does not like my stacks of magazines all over the place, and the subscriptions can get to be a little costly. So – I’m down to just a few real subscriptions. You’ll take my Mad Magazines away when you pry them out of my cold, dead fingers. Nowadays, I do the “green” thing, the “digital age” thing and get a lot of my magazines in PDF format from PDFMags.com.

Now – some of the magazines are clinkers, but there are some really, really beautiful magazines out there by individuals, design houses and mainstream sources, and this place seems to have them all – and from all over the world, too…

You can read and look and browse for days. They’ve got it all laid out very nicely, very searchable and super-organized. I’d list some of my favorites, but there are just too many to list.

Design inspiration, photography inspiration, typography inspiration – almost anything you can think of.

Now, instead of giant stacks of magazines, I have a single hard drive stuffed to the gills with magazines from Poland and Portland. Atlanta and Austria.

My wife will have to find other stuff to complain about. Like my inability to get the Mod-Podge out of the carpet from a late-night sketchbook collage session…

Check it out here!

The Perfect Gift for Your Favorite Freelance Design Webmaster…

(hint, hint)

I colleague of mine (check her out here) clued me in to this the other day – custom engraved moleskin sketchbooks at engraveyourbook.com.

I’ve mentioned before that I use sketchbooks and paper and pencil and pens extensively, and I think it’s a good idea for everyone out there. Wether it’s just for notes or for actual sketching and illustrating, it’s a great idea to always keep all your great ideas, bad ideas, magazine clippings, random thoughts and general doodling in a place that you can go back and use it as reference, idea starters or just for chuckles.

You are an artist, after all.

Now, you can keep all your ugly thoughts in one beautiful, custom place.