…and that means I have a new MDS video for you along with a bonus PDF. This week was all about preparing for my yearly ‘reset’, which is something I’ve undertaken to help me assess how the year is going. I thought you might like to be included since many of us start the year off with a big BANG of inspiration and great intentions and then find ourselves either biting off more than we can chew or wandering off to pick wild flowers. Sometimes both. In my case, both. :) I will be working on my personal ‘reset’ throughout the latter half of May and the first couple of weeks of June, and then I’m going on vacation!

Yes!

Me!

On vacation! I will be away-from-keyboard from June 11 – 17!

Huzzah!

When I return, I will start implementing the changes I need to make to create the best, beautifullest, most amazing second half of 2012. If you’d like to do your own personal reset, I invite you to grab the free PDF and work on it at your leisure!

Some of these changes will include:

Creating new space to work in that doesn’t include dogs underfoot.

Using a new setting on my camera that means transferring files doesn’t take an hour or two.

Putting less pressure on myself to be all things to all people.

Getting BOD as streamlined and financially viable as possible by eliminating unnecessary spaces/expenses.

Moving the archive over to this space so that everyone can access it without the bother of password protection.

Writing love letters instead of newsletters.

Taking more time for myself so I can actually complete the classes I’ve signed up for/paid for.

Finding more paid work doing what I love.

Counting less on donations, which is scary and frustrating.

Nurturing my relationship with my husband and making more time to spend with him.

Creating Sacred Sundays during which my spiritual well can be refreshed.

Working five days a week instead of six.

So, here’s what you need to know:

The newsletter will morph into love letters on the BOD Blog at http://bookofdays.org. The content will remain pretty much the same: Two videos a week with my musings for basic members and three videos a week with my musings + PDF for premium members. The delivery will change, though. Instead of a costly newsletter service, I will simply post everything here at Book Of Days. Makes sense, right? I don’t know why I didn’t do it this way in the first place, but I think at the time I started BOD I a) had no idea how big it would become and b) wasn’t feeling safe about putting my stuff out there without password protection. Shift-o, change-o ~ we grew enormously (1260 + people getting this content) AND I am feeling completely safe in the world these days.

Some of you will still want e-mailed reminders, and that’s awesome because we can make that happen. I will be setting the blog up so you can ‘subscribe by e-mail’ and that will mean when I post the content here, you get it automatically. What this means for me is that I no longer have to compose the newsletter, copy/paste and adjust the code in the old archive, and then send out notifications everywhere. All I have to do is blog. Period. And that’s going to save me a metric butt tonne of time.

Even better, though? It’s going to change the flavour of my writing. I’m not entirely comfortable with a ‘newsletter’. It feels market-y and kind of yuck to me. I want to write as I would naturally write if I were blogging. I dislike the way my posts have devolved into “Here’s your video and some stuff you can buy”. It isn’t me. It isn’t Effy-Tastic. It’s meh.

When I sign in to blog, I *feel* differently. I feel like I want to open my heart and love on you. I feel like I want to share *myself*. I also feel less like ‘market–y person promoting’ and more like Effy, writing.

I’m positive you’re going to notice the difference, and *love* it.

The other change you can expect is that I will be discontinuing the Sunday live art stream. It isn’t workable anymore, and my family wants weekends *with* me instead of weekends tiptoeing around me because I’m working. That’s not only a fair request, but it is *really* good for me to have two solid days off. A refreshed Effy is a happy Effy and a happy Effy makes great videos.

I will be finding a more suitable time to live stream ~ most likely on a weekday afternoon ~ but I may opt to do them twice a month instead of every week. I will keep you posted, but until further notice, there will be no stream. I know you respect my time and want me to have good rest and family connection, and I appreciate that so much about you, so thank you. xo

And that’s really, about it.

The only thing that’s up in the air right now is if it’s doable to move all the existing content over here. It may be too much of a time suck, in which case, that content will remain available in the Premium programme, but disappear everywhere else. That would suck rocks, BUT, so would spending days and days moving content, saving photos and then re-uploading them. This is meant to make all our lives easier, not harder.

Not moving everything over would have an added benefit, too. It would give us all a sense of fresh start. It would mean no one is stressing to ‘catch up’. The altered journal tutorials would be available to one and all, and we’d start fresh where we are, BODing from *this moment in time* forward. Of course, once we have months worth of content here, people might start to feel a little like they ‘have to catch up’ again (so not what I want for y’all), but I will do my best to remind you all gently and regularly that what matters is that you start *where you are*, not back in January.

Cool Beans? I thought so! Here’s this week’s video.

A quick note: Vimeo (our video server) is having issues today due to a buggy roll out of a new platform. We are *not* switching to YouTube as our host unless absolutely necessary, but lets all hope Vimeo gets their poop together. *nods*

I listen to Anugama while I art and so can you!

And that’s all she wrote! I’ll see you on Wednesday if you’re in BOD-P! Otherwise, I will typing to all you BOD-B lovelies again this coming Friday. If you miss me in the meantime, you can visit my blog or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

PLEASE NOTE: The newsletter will be phased out by July 1st, 2012.

Love & Glitter,
Effy Wild

Please tip your art barista!
Thank you! 

When did you start art journaling?

I have been art journaling off and on for a few years now. I’ve had a few frustrating starts and just couldn’t get a good flow going. About a year and  a half ago I found this series of youtube videos by Teesha Moore that broke through whatever wall needed breaking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx1z9Y3D7j8

Her style resonates with me because collaging was my first art love. One of my fondest and earliest memories is of collaging with my father and twin sister when i was five. We had piles of National Geographic magazines spread out across the floor, it was tons of fun. From then on I have always been doing something creative. My dad also bought me a little Brownie camera when I was about 11, he always encouraged my creativity.

From that moment with the Teesha Moore videos, which was about a year and a half ago I have been art journaling quite a bit. Since BoD I have had more of a regular art journal practice. I love the practice of it and having this lovely volume documenting this period of my life. I intend to keep it up. It will be nice to have volumes to look through as time goes by.

Do you maintain an art ‘practice’ or are you a seat-of-the-pantser when it comes to your art?

I’m pretty seat-of-my-pants. But practice-practice-practice is what it’s about. I don’t have a structured routine – but I pretty much art every day and I do have goals. Like I wanted to learn how to draw and how to draw faces so I took Suzi Blu and Tam http://www.willowing.org classes and practiced a lot. I surprised myself with the drawing of the turtle and the snail. All of this practice brought me to the point where that painting was just there inside of me. [Thank you Lettie Cox - who told me that joke one day when I mentioned I was feeling blue.]

What do you enjoy most about Book of Days?

The community! The amazing support of these beautiful women gives me strength and joy and inspiration every single day – the laughter, the love and the encouragement. I have learned SO much from you Effy and from everyone in the group. I am so very touched by the way everyone jumps to support a sister in need.

What are your favourite supplies?

I would love a really nice set of acrylic paints but they are so frickin expensive I just have what I have and get what I can get. Neocolor Crayons are super yummy!! Love love LOVE them!!

I am loving stencils these days and totally dig the ones I got from Lisa’s shop http://artistcellar.com/

[I also got some STEWART GILL® ALCHEMY from there and DIG it!!! Very sparkly and awesome! It is in the hair of my little star girl. Great to add sparkle to eyes too.

They also carry the Uniball Signo White Gel Pen – which I love for journaling. I think I’ve tried every white pen and this one rocks. I do like a correction pen too – which is fun for doodling – but you have less control over it. The signo is a must-have for my bag.

Sakura souffle pens – awesomeness for journaling – so you can write in lavender, yellow or peach or light blue, etc. – gives you some cool options other than white.

My favorite supplies are constantly changing. And there is a list that is always growing…pan pastels…water brush…there is always something new to try. :D

Where can we we find you on line?

http://tralasong.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/diane.scobie

Here’s a lovely journal flip by Diane on YouTube