So before you bust out those trowels, take a look at some ground rules for making and keeping a successful garden journal.

What is a gardening journal used for?

First things first: why should you make a journal or notebook for your gardening? First and foremost, it’s about setting yourself up for success. Your garden journal can help you plan exactly what’s going where before you buy seeds or break ground. And once the plants are in, more uses keep sprouting.

The gardening journal’s a great place to keep track of timing for important tasks. Watering, pruning, harvesting (yum!). Establish a schedule ahead of time, and tweak it when you learn more about what’s working and what’s not.

Speaking of what’s not working, your journal can help you document problems. You’ll have a better understanding of what needs to be addressed during the growing season, and it can help you plan preventative measures and remedies for the following season.

And as for what is working, one of the best things about garden journals is they serve as a permanent record of all you’ve accomplished. As you keep developing your garden and your skills year after year, you can look back and see how much you’ve grown—literally and figuratively.

Contents of a gardening or planting journal

The possibilities are kind of endless, depending on how you garden and what you hope to get out of your garden journal. Here are a few gardening journal ideas to help you plan out sections you need and how to use them so you’ll get the most out of your garden—and your journal.

• Sketches: Plan exactly what goes where, and keep a record of your garden layout from season to season.
• Plants to try: Identify new plants to include in your garden, and include key requirements for sunlight, water, warmth, etc.
• Logs: Record when you plant something new, transplant something not new, or divide your perennials. Note their progress with daily, weekly, and monthly observations on their growth, bloom times, and more.
• Photos: Leave plenty of room for pictures of the fruits (and veggies and flowers) of your labor.
• Plant sources: Where’d you get those lilies? Which greenhouse has the best annuals? And who has the best deals?
• Expenses: Keep track of your spending (and if you’re selling produce, your profits!), and get a better idea of how to plan for next season.
• Reminders: Jot down any notes and ideas for future projects, and get a jump on next season.
• Season recap: Summarize how things went. List which plants were successful and which to avoid in the future. Set reminders and plans for next season.

Make it yours

If you’re making your own garden, it only makes sense to make your own garden journal. With a personalized gardening notebook, you can:

• Include only the sections relevant to your garden, and those you plan to use.
• Print your own garden’s layout on custom pages, for consistency and to save time sketching.
• Strike the perfect balance of blank, lined, and grid pages to suit your need.
• Create custom covers: make the first in a matching series, or try color-coding them by year (or by zone or plant type).

And of course, you can proudly say that, just like all those plants you grew, you made this garden journal yourself!

Get started sowing the seeds for your garden journal. Make your gardening journal or notebook today. Check out our blog for creative journal or notebook ideas.

The post Garden journal ideas appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Every creator has a story behind their story. We sat down with a few Blurb authors to learn more about what inspires them, their favorite part of the book-making process, and why they choose to publish with Blurb. 

Megan 

“Best Coast Cookbook”

Tanner 

“Alma Carioca” 

Elabs

“Highs and Lows“

Cassie

“Omi’s Kitchen” 

Chris 

“Beauty in the Wild” 

Support indie authors and creators in the Blurb Bookstore

The post Blurb Creator Stories appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Tell us the story behind The Out Mag? How did it come about and what are your hopes and goals for the magazine? 

We first began The Out Mag as a response to COVID-19. We began 2019 by setting up Carlow Pride Festival. It started out with six people joining forces to create a positive moment for LGBT+ people in our small rural town. At the very beginning of this journey we estimated that we would have about 100  to 200 people at our main event. We had no budget and no funds. But we asked ourselves this question “Why should we move to bigger cities to be  LGBT+ people? We can stay in our small rural towns, safely”. 

What happened?

The entire town was ready to move on and tell the world; Carlow is a fantastic place to live. The entire town was painted rainbow. And 3,500 people turned up to our main event. It’s the biggest outdoor event ever held in our region. Hundreds of people reached out to us saying that we changed their lives. Young people came out to their parents at our event, and a woman in her 60s went home that evening and told her family she was a lesbian. The youngest person at our event was 2 weeks old and the oldest was 99! Our first pride was dedicated  to the people who moved away and never came home, the people who didn’t live to see a rainbow flag flicker in the sunlight in our once conservative and religiously restrictive town.

When COVID-19 hit, our  event for 2020 was cancelled. This left a huge gap in our normally very sleepy county. So we had to create something to celebrate LGBT+ people and document our unique history. The Out Mag is like a rolling history book. It documents the lives of LGBT+ people in a positive and meaningful way, showing the many jobs and successful lives that are here in Carlow. We’ve been told that the magazine and festival have helped saved many lives.

How did your team of creators and editors find each other? 

One evening I decided I was having pride. I remember feeling like the country was going back in time. Unless I stood up for what I believed in, all that progress could be taken away. I posted about setting up pride on Facebook, and I held a public meeting. There I found Sally, Ciaran, Robbie, Tom, and Ryan. Since then we have all joined together to be part of The Out Mag. We are all volunteers, we all have other jobs and businesses, or are retired. The rest of the team on the magazine was found thanks to our local volunteer centre. 

By the time the magazine came around, I knew what roles would suit people. The magazine is a separate project and people had the option to not be part of it if they felt it was too much work for them. But everybody stepped up to the plate.

How do you decide which content pieces to feature? What goes in to your editorial decisions?

Every week we have a story meeting where I pitch stories, and ideas for interviews – and see who would be interested or comfortable interviewing that person. We always wanted to be open and for many people who feature in our magazine, it is a right of passage. It can be really scary telling your truth and trying to forget and forgive the scars of your past. Carlow wasn’t a nice place for many people, including me. So it has been a full healing moment for us all. 

Our whole mission is to tell the stories of people in a truthful and honest way. We never change the words of the people who feature in our stories and we give those people full control of each piece. We don’t want to be the news, we want to be historic.

Tell us about the process of curating and designing your magazine. How do you choose the layout, sequence of content, typography, and color palette? 

Because we are a voluntary organization and we all have full-time jobs outside of this, I decided to take on the task of learning how to graphic design and layout the magazine. The first issue was during the very first lockdown of COVID-19. I watched YouTube tutorials and somehow managed to create issue one in a way that was fashionable but also true to who we were.

When issue one was published online we were called by our local newspaper who wanted to print it as a pull-out magazine. I decided to use this opportunity to say to them we would be interested but we would create one especially for them, issue two. Issue two was printed and published locally (12,000 copies). It was the very first self published LGBT+ magazine ever featured in an Irish newspaper and a copy of it resides proudly in the new exhibition of our local museum. How did it get in the museum? We got an issue framed and turned up with it with a photographer! If you don’t ask you don’t get! The framed issue is now owned by the state. 

How do you choose the imagery for the front cover?

To make the process fun for everyone who work on the magazine, everyone who contributes as an article writer gets the chance to have their story as a cover feature.

If it turns out that someone we selected wasn’t ready for the cover, or didn’t feel safe doing so, we respect everyone’s opinion so we then select someone else. We are currently in the process of competing issue 4. This issue will be also printed in the local newspaper (14,000 copies).

How do you promote your magazine to new audiences?

We have very limited means, so we chose to do a preview email for people in local government and supporting businesses. Then we promote posts across our social media channels. We do find it hard to get the word out. This project engages everyone on our committee and team. It helped us all through lockdown to engage with each other and also connect with new people and make new friends. We hope that our project will give rise to other small towns to help combat depression and isolation amongst minorities.

Why did you choose to offer a print edition as well as online issues?

We first decided to offer a print edition with issue 2 through our local newspaper. Issue three went back to being a fully online version and now issue four will also be printed in our local newspaper at the end of June. The reason we use Blurb to print our magazines is because lots of people around the world wanted access to a paper published version. We felt that this was a great way for people to get a high end edition of a magazine so they can keep it as a keepsake. We have a large following of Irish ex-pats living across the world.

What were you looking for in a platform to create and print The Out Mag?

We wanted a reliable and user friendly publishing platform that offers cost effective printing for us. We also wanted a high end finish. This is why we chose Blurb.

It feels like The Out Mag is very well supported by your local community. How important was that as a goal or in making the idea of a magazine a reality?

We didn’t start out with any support. In fact, the first two issues of the magazine were created on free software by myself. The second issue received advertising to cover the cost of printing. We are a bit for profit. So we cover the shortfall in money. Luckily the Irish government saw the huge value in what we do locally and helped cover the entire costs of issue three and four. They also purchased all of our software and everyone on the main team a laptop. Issue four is set to be our very best issue yet.

What advice would you give another group looking to make a magazine? What do you wish you’d known when you started?

I would say listen to your own gut. We knew what we wanted to achieve as a group and we stuck to that. Even if obstacles are thrown in my way, I never give up. Quentin Crisp once said “Don’t try to fit in. Be yourself and eventually people will try and fit in with you!’ This is true for us. We got the hard work done and now we are using this moment to our advantage, creating the world we want to live in. 

Inspired to launch your own magazine project? Download BookWright for free to get started today.

The post The Out Mag: Celebrating LGBTQ+ Life in Ireland appeared first on Blurb Blog.

1. How did you come up with the idea for Lolly & Oliver? 

Becoming a new mom last summer inspired The Lolly Stories series. I began making smaller paintings on paper in order to accommodate an unpredictable infant schedule. The Lolly character sprung from one of those paintings and I instantly fell in love with her—she was a little girl I wanted my own daughter to know. One work led to another and after laying a few of the 4”x4” paintings side by side, a story emerged. The Lolly Stories: Up was the first book then came Lolly & Oliver. 

2. What was your process for writing, painting, and building a narrative? 

The painting comes first. I’ve always worked in series so instead of thinking of an individual painting, I think of the body of work as a whole. The narrative unfolds with each work. This way of working lends itself really well to making a storybook. 

3. Tell us about the process of designing your book. How did you decide on the book size, layout, typography, cover style, and number of images you wanted to include? 

I wanted the book to be available for purchase and I wanted it to be affordable. To keep the cost down and still have good quality color images, I chose the 5”x8” trade book option. I like the idea of my books being collectable as well so I use the same basic template for consistency. I love Garamond font because of its readability and it reminds me of fonts used in books from childhood. Another nod to my childhood library is using a different shade of yellow for each book cover to pay tribute to Golden Books which I adored!

4. What first inspired you to explore your paintings in book form? As you created a series of books, did your creative approach vary with each new project? 

Over the last few years, storytelling has evolved into a huge part of my studio practice. It first began by giving works longer, more descriptive titles. That led to writing super short narratives (one or two sentences) for each work. Eventually, that morphed into each painting being one part of a larger story. 

By this point I had been making simple photo books of my work to use as catalogs, so I felt comfortable with book-making templates. It just made sense to turn an exhibition catalog into a storybook and Blurb had all the tools I needed to make it happen! 

5. What advice would you give another artist who is thinking about making an illustrated book? 

Give it a shot! If anything, it’s a great way to document work. 

Turn your visual art, stories, or creative work into a professional-quality book with Blurb. Find the perfect format to fit your project. 

The post From Paintings to Storybooks: A Conversation with Layla Luna appeared first on Blurb Blog.

How did working on such a personal project compare to your professional work? Any challenges or surprises?

This is an interesting question to answer because my “professional work” has been in law enforcement. I have been a police officer since 2007 but recently completed a bachelor’s degree in digital media and photography. Without going back to school, this book would never have been created. I have wanted to put it together for almost a decade.

My father passed away in the summer of 2011. My brothers and I received these letters from a family member shortly after he passed. I put each letter in a protective sleeve in a binder which I go to a few times a year to re-read. But I always felt guilty that I was the only one with full access to the letters. It wasn’t until this past summer, after completing my new degree, that I finally had the time and the skills to archive the letters and create this book the way I felt it deserved to be displayed. 

The majority of the creative work that I’ve completed has been photography based, archiving and restoring images. This was the first time I used that background for documents. I found it to be similar to archiving photographs with less restorative work that needed to be completed, but certainly more enjoyable because I was re-reading the letters again as I worked on them. 

What inspired you to create a printed book rather than (or as well as) having a digital archive of your father’s letters?  

I wanted my brothers, their children, and my father’s siblings to have access to the letters. I did create a digital archive of the letters but having a high-quality copy of the letters in your hands to read was more important to be able to give them than sending everyone a digital copy. After putting the letters in chronological order and seeing how they flowed together, I knew it was always going to be a physical book.  

“This is my proudest creation. An archived collection of my father’s letters to his mother during his time in the Marines. Over 100 pages of his words and his handwriting and I could not love it more.” 

@_kathleen_kelly_

How did you decide on the format for your book? What were you considering as you chose the size, paper type, and layout? 

I wanted to get the layout and paper size as close to the original letter size as I could without a lot of extra white space around them to really put all the focus on the letters. The matte finish made for easier reading, without the shine of a glossy finish. I also wanted the pages to look as realistic to the original letters as possible.

What tips would you give someone working on a family project like this? 

I would say to really just take your time with it and really enjoy the process. I typically tend to work as fast as I can on projects, due to the limited time I usually have to spend working on them. But with this, I did not give myself a timeline or a deadline.  

Are personal memories, stories, and moments an important source of creative inspiration for you? Where else do you look for ideas?

I love being able to tell a story through photographs. It’s great taking the photographs themselves, but I also love looking back at family photos and being able to archive them or bring them back to life with restoration. I think surrounding myself with these very personal images is a huge source of inspiration in the work that I complete. I spend a lot of my time looking at old photographs or taking my own. Whether that is on my personal time or at work as our department’s crime scene photographer. I think all of those images have a way of coming through in my photographs and other digital artwork.  

Thinking about creating a photo book or keepsake of your own? Find the cover style and paper type to fit your project. 

The post Dear Mom Love Johnny: A Family History in Letters appeared first on Blurb Blog.

What inspired this book project?

My mother, Dorothy Nixon (née Markham), was born in Haworth in Yorkshire, England, and lived in the village for most of her life. As a young girl, she learned to play piano and used those skills for many years as a dance class and pantomime pianist.

She was also a poet, writing about local people and places known to her, often using the vernacular language, or dialect, of the West Riding. Her poems inspired me to photograph these places, such as the moors around Haworth, the reservoirs, and Top Withins, the farmhouse described in Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights.

My Mum is now in her nineties and resides in a care home. My plan to bring her words and my images together while she is still with us has finally come to fruition with this family photo book, Cobbled Together.

Tell us about your creative process for Cobbled Together. Why did you decide to use black and white images? How did you determine the flow and layout of your mother’s poems with your photographs? 

I made the photographs for Cobbled Together during visits to Haworth between 1985 to 2016. I initially selected them to fit in with Dorothy’s words. However, I also wanted to relate visually to my childhood roots in the village and connect with the family that has grown from them. 

The creative process began several years ago through the efforts of my sister, Sally. She put together the original compilation of our Mum’s poems, gathered from hand-written pages, notebooks or already typed-out sheets. (Dorothy was a medical secretary in her working life.) I curated a selection of the poems and then digitally converted my old analogue slides. 

I decided to go with black and white images for several reasons. As I photographed the reservoir featured in The Navvies, I imagined the construction work in the 1920s. I could only visualize that in monochrome. The views through a ginnel (archway), down Main Street and across the graveyard to the Brontë Parsonage all reminded me of my youth spent in those places and again, black and white was right. Finally, there was the influence of two well-known and highly regarded photographers, Bill Brandt and Don McCulllin, who made photographs in Haworth in the 1940s and 1960s, respectively. 

Nan Goldin has said that “the art is not photography, the art is editing”. I agree with that. Creating a narrative through the sequencing of a series of photographs is one thing I like the most about making books. In Cobbled Together, I needed to get the poems in the right order. Then came the pairing with images, achieved by creating a maquette before moving onto the digital platform, using InDesign.

Finding the right photograph to pair with a poem was sometimes a challenge, such as Dorothy’s funny poem, The Octopus. But then I realized that I had one that was just right; a picture of a metal mollusc on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. According to some accompanying notes Dorothy wrote with this poem, it was drafted in the car as she drove past this exact location on her way home from a family visit.

For the poem Wash An Set. I didn’t have a photograph of the hairdresser or salon mentioned, so I made some fun out of a connection with a “curly permed” Yorkshire sheep, reflecting and drinking from an old bathtub.

How does your experience working on a personal collection compare to your experience making professional photography books? Any challenges or surprises? 

Some of the best photography, whether it’s landscape, or portraiture, comes from intense personal connections with people and places. Sally Mann, for example, shows that so well in her work with her own family in Virginia. I wanted to show photographs of places in and around Haworth that mean something to the villagers and the thousands of people who visit there because of the Keighley & Worth Valley steam railway, the Brontë sisters, and the beautiful literary landscape of the Yorkshire moors. So, in that sense, it was rather like my other published documentary work. But it was also critically important to include people in that geographical setting. Including members of my own family was a natural choice.

A nice surprise has come from old school friends and people from Australia who have contacted me to say they were related to some of the men who worked on the reservoir one hundred years ago and named in The Navvies.

What tips would you give someone else looking to collaborate on a family project like this? 

If you can find someone in your family to collaborate with, as I did with my sister Sally, it’s going to be more rewarding for you and others. There’s never too early a time to start gathering materials, be it words or images. Make notes; caption your photos! Make photos frequently and make them candid, not always posed. That way, much more of their character will come out. 

Why are books an important part of your professional work?

Individual photographs, like the portraits displayed in people’s homes, are, of course, an essential part of photography and something I include in my professional work. But it’s in sequences of photos where the stories come through. I teach a university course on writing about images and communicating them together is something I particularly enjoy. I’ve got to a point where I don’t feel that I have properly closed out a photographic project unless I have produced a book.

About the Authors

Haworth Lass

Dorothy Nixon has lived most of her life in Haworth. She now resides in a Care Home in Bradford, Yorkshire. Several of the poems in Cobbled Together were published in local poetry anthologies and featured on BBC Radio Leeds. Dorothy’s Hiya Dortha, the last poem in the book, describes her life thus far in 28 lines. 

Haworth Lad

Dr. J. Ashley Nixon was born in Keighley, then whisked a few miles up the Worth Valley to Haworth, where he lived for over twenty years. Ashley is a photographer, filmmaker, writer, and teacher at Mount Royal University, living in Calgary, Canada. He has a Ph.D. in ecology from Coventry University and is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. 

Website www.jashleynixon.com

Social media @JAshleyNixon

The post A Family Project: Cobbled Together appeared first on Blurb Blog.

What inspired you to explore your ideas in zine format?

From girlhood to womanhood, imagination has been my favorite place. I come from a big family of storytellers who are amazingly talented at recreating past lives with colorful caricatures, dramatic reenactments, and captivating oratory illustrations. When I wasn’t listening to family griots, I was escaping to fantasylands in books, magazines, music, and the wonderful world of Disney. I have been hypnotized by the power of story and style, and have fantasized about mastering this magic since my beginnings.

In 2003, I became a racial justice activist and my attention shifted to fighting peonage in prisons, stopping voter suppression, and eliminating racism in education. I started to see my imagination as childish and art as a luxury pastime that I couldn’t afford. I did continue writing, but I focused on nonfiction essays instead of poetry and creative stories. I wasn’t conscious of what was happening to me at the time, but college was an unintentional cult of classism that inadvertently segregated the perspectives and preferences of the “educated” elite from the everyday working-class human being. Formal works of writing like scholarly articles, essays, nonfiction literature, and formally published creative works, trumped self-published, abstract, rudimentary, and independently-researched pieces. I absorbed the hegemonic values of university communities as a student and sought validation of my genius by way of proximity to the “educated” and social elite of notable literary and cultural circles. I channeled more of my energy into written works than into my visual artistry, pitching my pieces to major publications and sharing them with work colleagues. My words were often celebrated, and sometimes appropriated, by thousands of teachers and professionals across the nation; but they were only selected for print by two small publications in the span of ten years (2010 – 2020). My self-esteem was nearly obliterated.

In 2018, after 15 years of being an activist and educator, I realized that a depression/repression was quietly living in me. I was wearing dark clothes, preferring sleeping to existing, and had come to see my years of heavy drinking as simply a part of my Texan personality. I enrolled in art classes with Afro-Caribbean painter, Nicole Angelica, as a form of therapy. After 3 sessions, she encouraged me to submit works to an exhibition at the African American Museum of Dallas called #ustoo Phenomenal Women, curated by Jennifer Monet Cowley. I was surprised when I was later selected to exhibit because I had only been in art practice for a month, but the invitation was healing nonetheless. Acceptance into this extraordinary artist community felt like a rebirth of sorts after so many years of rejection with my writing. I submitted to other exhibitions and was selected for seven more shows in Dallas, New York, and San Francisco between 2019 – 2020. The Universe gifted me a renewed identity.

I revisited my written works with fresh eyes from this world where the rules of society didn’t exist. Suddenly, submitting to major publications no longer made sense to me. These messages were designed for a specific subset of eclectic radically-thinking spirit beings who are not the mainstream. Zines, therefore, were more appropriate as a medium connection to my intended community. 

Zines are for rule-breakers and nonconformists… for unicorns and out-of-the-box oddballs… for free spirits and revolutionaries… And as a Black Woman exploring a unique, inconvenient, and complex life of disruption, confusion, and revelation…  As a Free Being breaking boundaries; interrupting the status quo; pioneering new thinking… An Infinite Energy inviting conversation about decolonization and freedom and self-professed divinity… 

Zines are for me.

How did the process of curating and designing your zine compare to other creative projects? How important was collaboration to this project? 

Whether I’m designing and selecting artworks for an exhibition; combining video clips, music, and oration into a short film; or crafting a visual journey into a printed zine; my creative approach is generally the same for each initiative. I start by gathering every artifact that I have for a project and I hover over it for several days or weeks (or months in some cases). I evaluate the energy that each item evokes in me and sort according to my reaction. The pieces that spark the most activity in me are force-ranked into a temporary hierarchy. Then I intuit a sequence using the visual elements as anchors to the overarching narrative.

The primary objective of this zine series is to promote self-study, which is a practice that extends beyond investigation of the mind and spirit, to the human form. The pictures of me in the zine are a visual study from the photographer-genius, Krystal René. Of all of the photographers that I’ve had the privilege to work with, Krystal has the strongest intuition. She’s a spiritual scientist who sees the unspoken and captures the soul. Her photos always feel more like mirrors than images and are so fundamental to this project that Born Again in fact could not exist without her contributions.  

The works of visual artist, Quel Hynson, are featured alongside the story “The Legend of the GhostMan.” I shared the poem with her and asked her to illustrate her reactions, making her work a representation of self-study in relation to society. The violent interplay of black, red, white, and gray in the illustration of the GhostMan, juxtaposed against the smooth strokes of vibrant yellows, reds, blues, and greens of the Sun People, seem to scream subconscious truths about the state of the human condition she has witnessed. Her artistic interpretation is absolutely magnificent, and is by far the most progressive element in the project.

It could be easy to assume that the philosophy of self-study translates into a form of fierce individuality, but that is simply untrue. Life has taught me that it is impossible to know oneself without the compliment and contrast of the other. The collaboration with Krystal and Quel kept Born Again accountable to this universal truth, allowing the self to perform as plural and multifaceted.   

How would you describe the relationship between art and activism? 

In my world, art is the language of the spirit; freedom is where the spirit lives, and activism is the embodiment of it all.  

My art is activism.  I use visual journals to counter patriarchal and colonialist misrepresentations of history.  I use language to take ownership of definitions and identity. 

My activism is art.  It is organic, unplanned, and intuitive. It is colorful and calculated and has a signature style that no one else can mimic.

I dare say art and activism are synonymous.  I struggle to think of a form of art across the entirety of human existence that hasn’t been transformative in some regard. Even works that exist simply to annoy the general public are an expression of the creator’s quest for, or demonstration of, freedom.  

Art is (the pursuit of) freedom.

Activism is (the pursuit of) freedom.

What advice would you give another artist who is thinking about creating a zine series? 

Do it. 

The only “right way” is your way.  

And if you feel hesitant and find yourself wondering if anyone would care to read them, or if you’d be rejected, or ridiculed, focus on the one person who is looking for the words you are holding in your soul.  

And if you need more inspiration, read Mary Helen Washington’s forward to Zora Neale Hurston’s masterpiece, Their Eyes Were Watching God. It is a beautiful reminder that sometimes we may just be ahead of our time.    

The post Art and Activism with J LeShaé appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Browsing the work of great book-makers is a beautiful place to start, so we rounded up five exceptional coffee table books by photographers, artists, and designers in the Blurb community. Each author found a powerful way to showcase their best work, tell a visual story, and utilize high-quality materials. The results are stunning. Take a closer look and get the creativity flowing. 

A Collection of Paintings, by Monica Garwood 

Layflat Hardcover, ImageWrap, 8×10 inches
Made with Adobe InDesign Plug-In

Each one of Monica Garwood’s portraits contains the emotion and mystery of a whole story; together, her paintings and illustrations form a truly mesmerizing volume of work. The Layflat design lends a dramatic, elevated feel to every page, so her depictions of powerful female icons, unique vignettes, and bold patterns stand out in a big way. Notice how she pairs the images on each spread, occasionally weaving in behind-the-scenes shots and techniques, too. We love her creations and just had to ask her 10 questions about her Layflat book and creative process. 

Sketches and Sundries, by Abigail Halpin

Layflat Hardcover, ImageWrap, 8×10 inches 
Made with Adobe InDesign Plug-In

Step inside the creative world of Abigail Halpin, one sumptuous Layflat page at a time.   

Her vivid illustrations, original page layouts, and personal storytelling make Sketches and Sundries a captivating artist book. She arranged her photos and text according to visual themes and creative process, so you also get a glimpse of the backstories that inspired her drawings. Plus, check out her interview with Blurb to learn how she made the book and what inspires her work as an artist, illustrator, pattern maker, and textile designer. 

Iceland, by Oleg Ershov

Hardcover, ImageWrap, 12×12 inches
Made with Lightroom

Talk about breathtaking images. This hardcover collection of fine art photography by Oleg Ershov takes natural landscapes to a whole new level. He captured these majestic panoramas during 10 photo expeditions to Iceland from 2009 to 2017, and we can’t get enough of them. From afar, the photos almost have a dreamy, painterly feel. Up close, the large square pages reveal all the crisp details and depth in brilliant, full color. You absolutely have to peek inside this book. 

Another Selection of Paintings, by Allyn Howard 

Layflat Hardcover, ImageWrap, 7×7 inches
Made with BookWright

Explore the whimsy and natural wonders of Allyn Howard’s paintings in her beautiful Layflat photo book. Though compact in size, this charming hardcover edition is brimming with life in vibrant animal scenes, floral patterns, and iconic portraits that are bound to inspire viewers of all ages. For more insights on her creative life as a professional artist, illustrator, and designer, read our Q&A with the author. 

Lost & Found, by Liz Kamarul 

Hardcover, ImageWrap, 8×10 inches
Made with BookWright

Some road trips are so epic, they call for a photo book all their own. In Lost & Found, you can see the incredible sights and go behind the scenes with Liz Kamarul on her RV trip across the USA. She documents every angle of the adventure, from natural vistas to her traveling pet companions and the stunning interior of her home on wheels. Want to know more? Here’s the full interview. 

Ready to start your own photo book project? Try a free template or design your pages from scratch. 

The post 5 Coffee Table Books We Love appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Blurb Trade Books, as I’ve written in the past, are a remarkable format for self-publishing. With various paper, cover, and print options, you have near-endless possibilities for a book project. This versatile format is a popular choice for journals, family memoirs, cookbooks, guidebooks, art catalogs, lit journals, illustration, and design portfolios; the list goes on. The Trade Book can be almost anything you want it to be. 

So where do we begin? Why not make all of these things? Right now, like today? Well, that is one approach. But I find that many people get stymied by too many options and this is where our beloved limits come to life. 

Your Challenge: Make a 8×10 inch Trade Book 

I’m going to set a limit you for today. Trade Book. 8×10 inch. You are ONLY going to make a Trade Book. But why? For one, it’s an ideal format for projects that combine text AND images, so you can showcase your drawings, stories, photos, and designs in a professional-quality book. Secondly, Trade Books comes in sizes that are standard for the book industry, making them easy to distribute and sell anywhere. Those 8×10 pages are also large enough to show detailed illustrations and create photo layouts with images in landscape or portrait mode. 

Now, you do have the option of paper and cover types, but these are the only options I’m leaving up to you. Want to mix and match mediums? Stories and drawings? Poems and photos?  Choose a paper type and print option to highlight your content, whether you’re printing in color or in black and white (I do recommend Standard printing for photos or image-heavy projects). You will also decide whether to print a hardcover or softcover version and how many pages it will have. That still gives you a great amount of design flexibility to keep things interesting. 

Know what else? A Trade Book publication makes a great portfolio, a mailer, a giveaway, or in my case, a business card. Yes, I use Trade Books as a business card. I create books that showcase the range of photography I create as well as some of the writing I do. When I meet someone I want to work with, I hand it over. The return has been remarkable because a compact Trade Book shows that I can encapsulate an idea, that I can edit and sequence my work, and that I have an understanding of basic design principles. 

So, the next time you’re feeling stuck because you can’t make up your book-making mind, then think about creating a few parameters for your project. Set a page count. Stick to softcover. Giving yourself a framework frees up your mind to think about all the good stuff that will go on your book pages. This book challenge can be the spark that lights your creative fire and finally allows you to see your work in print. 

Ready to embrace this creative challenge? Start your Trade Book project today.  

The post Dan Milnor: Setting Creative Limits appeared first on Blurb Blog.

2021 Visual Themes  

We see four visual aesthetics standing out this year, which offer a creative response to the strange and unique times we live in. Some artists will lean into wild, unconventional, and disorienting designs, while others will embrace a more optimistic, energetic, and comforting vision. 

SURREALISM

There were many parts of 2020 that didn’t feel real and begged the question: Is this really happening? So, surrealism is going to be one of the top design themes in 2021. There will be lots of dream-like scenarios and visuals common in surrealist art—bizarre juxtapositions, psychedelic objects, deconstructed shapes, and jarring angles of cubism. The mood in the room (and on bookshelves) will be just outside reality, where the imagination runs wild. 

ROMANTICISM 

When times are tough, it’s only natural to crave more idyllic landscapes and pastoral scenes. The spirit of romanticism in art is nothing new to artists and poets, but this time around the creative mood will be characterized by quiet simplicity. Instead of the ornate, opulent stylings of the Victorian era (swirling scripts and decorative fleur de lys), it will be more focused on minimal, yet serene beauty (dreamy backdrops and graceful lines). This vibe is all about comfort, resilience, and connection. 

MAXIMALISM 

The year 2020 turned up the volume in all areas of life—and creatives can’t shake that feeling. We got to know every inch of our homes in vivid detail, sometimes yielding beautiful discoveries. One popular theme for 2021 will be: more is more. Picture vibrant wallpaper patterns come to life. Get ready for immersive illustrations and closeup views. This maximalist trend spans modern and historic eras of art and design, so it’s not surprising the aesthetic is back. Who doesn’t love a zoom effect? 

FUTURISTIC 

The literary scene is no stranger to futuristic landscapes and out-of-this-world imagery in science fiction, fantasy, and thriller genres. Now more than ever, those technological tropes and wild images are resonating in the design world—and in our everyday lives. We move through days filled with devices and pixelated images, calling to mind alternate realities. For some, the current creative mood is filled with adventure, curiosity, and innovation, with an edge of excitement. 

2021 Book Cover Design Trends 

Keep an eye out for these design elements, color trends, and typography styles that will be hitting bookshelves in the months ahead. 

01 Bold Patterns & Prints 

One trick to attention-grabbing covers: go big and bold. These books refuse to blend in because they boast all-over prints and patterns in colorful hues. And yes, the design fills every square inch of the front and back cover. Dots? Check. Stripes? Check. Abstract designs and geometric shapes? Check. When you find a pleasing pattern you love, sometimes you have to go all in. 

02 Natural World  

Getting outside and finding quiet moments in nature has become more meaningful than ever after spending months at home. In 2021, creatives and designers will be looking for ways to honor our deep connection to the natural world, and its inspiring flora and fauna. Book covers will try to capture that sensory experience in photography, paintings, or illustrations. Think lush greens and natural color palettes with vibrant gardens, trees, and animals. 

03 Hidden Letters   

We all crave a little mystery, especially when it comes to discovering a new book. Designers may be tempted to interrupt, obscure, or even hide parts of letters in the book title to create extra suspense. Adding a blur effect to the typography also suggests that not everything in this story is as it seems. No wonder this cover style is already popular in the sci-fi and thriller genres.

04 Lo-Fi Graphics 

Right now, the creative world is riding a powerful wave of nostalgia. So don’t be surprised if you see book covers boasting pop art, pixelated images, and sticker art–the kind of lo-fi design elements that call back to the early software and tech visuals of the nineties and aughts. Look for checkers, grids, tiles, cartoon graphics, and computer-style fonts that all lend a vintage feel. Combining analog “old school” elements of design with digital “future” mediums is all the rage, and now it’s trending on book covers. 

05 Oversized Fonts  

If you have something to say, say it loud. That’s the design strategy for books with oversized or distorted typography on the cover. There could be giant lettering in part of the title that screams, LOOK AT ME. Other ways it could play out: tilted or stretched-out text effects that catch the eye or even appear difficult to read. Some letters may be too big for the design frame—literally pushing the boundaries of the book cover. 

06 Artistic Sketches

While the aesthetics of book covers have long revolved around pairing crisp typography with high-design graphics and flawless photography, a new approach is taking shape. We’re seeing cover art and illustrations with a more handdrawn feel, like pencil drawings you’d find on the pages of a sketchbook. The images range from scribbly ink to smooth watercolor effects, but they all favor raw, natural lines over the stark, polished designs of the tech world. 

07 Collage & Organized Clutter

Everyone knows the experience of having multiple tabs open on a computer. Starting in 2021, some designers will be bringing that digital effect to book covers. It could look like classic collage, with cutout images pieced together in surprising ways. Or you might see pictures and text stacked on top of each other, creating partially hidden layers. Visually, it creates tension and intrigue, proving there can be method to the madness. 

08 Vibrant Color Combos  

Say goodbye to quiet color palettes and ombre patterns of pastels that smoothly blend into deeper shades. Another new trend in book design that’s bound to stand out this year: bold contrasts and unexpected color pairings. Creatives are leaning into saturated spectrums and vibrant hues on book covers, a formula designed to brighten things up and boost anyone’s mood (which is exactly what we need these days). 

Which design elements are you planning to feature on your next book cover? Start your one-of-kind project today. 

The post 2021 Creative Trends appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Feed that need for art, storytelling, and design by exploring one of these DIY home crafts projects—and make them your own.

1. Travel photo book

When you think of your favorite places, what images come to mind? Relive special road trips, adventures, and outdoor treks by gathering your memories into a travel-inspired photo book. This can be a wonderful craft to do at home. Make it more of a hands-on project by scanning tickets, postcards, and mementos to accompany your photos and give them a travel journal feel.

2. Recipe journal or cookbook

Maybe you want to design a custom journal where you can document new recipes, flavor combinations, and food illustrations. Or maybe you’re keen on making a family cookbook with color photographs and personal touches—grandma’s recipe cards, stories, and handwritten notes. There’s no right or wrong way to collect your culinary ideas and inspiration. For this home DIY home crafts project, just follow your gut!

3. Holiday portraits

Everyone has a favorite time of year, often tied to holiday celebrations or gatherings with friends and family. On that special occasion, you were probably snapping photos all day (or all week long). Now it’s time to turn those seasonal memories on your phone or camera into beautiful wall art prints, a fantastic craft to do at home. Holiday portraits also make the perfect gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, or just because.  

4. Baby keepsake prints

When you welcome a little one into the world, every moment you spend together is precious. Capture the sweetest memories or milestones by making a keepsake photo print of baby’s first giggle or first steps. For this DIY home craft project, try our archival-quality canvas wall art for a beautiful combination of texture, warmth, and rich colors. Or, consider a baby keepsake book to document important milestones and share them with loved ones.

5. Family magazine

Each member of your family has a unique story to tell. For this fun DIY craft to do at home, get the adults and kids together to create a family magazine, filled with drawings, photos, games, songs, and memories. Use one of our magazine templates to get a head start on your page layouts, then scan and upload your feature images and text. Celebrate by sending a copy to friends or relatives.

6. Nature photo wall art

You can draw a lot of inspiration from the flora and fauna in your own backyard, garden, or local park. Try zooming in on the details or go for sprawling panoramas. Your photographs of landscapes, animals, and patterns in nature can become original works of Wall Art in just minutes. Display your prints alongside fresh flowers or seashells on a shelf dedicated to the natural world.

7. Coloring book

There is no age limit when it comes to the joy of coloring. So why not invite everyone in the house to join the fun? For this at-home craft project, make your own line drawings, and scan them to create pages in your one-of-a-kind coloring book. The creativity continues later on when you sit down to relax as a group or on your own, adding all the vibrant hues you love.

8. Pet portrait or collage

Shine the spotlight on your animal pal by making a piece of wall decor inspired by their sweet and silly antics, a perfect craft to do at home. Choose one photo that represents their personality best and turn it into wall art, or collect and scan a group of photos to make a special collage. See which kind of print—canvas, acrylic, or metal—is the best fit for your pet portrait.

9. Children’s book

Are you a fan of tall tales, big adventures, and colorful pictures? Unleash your imagination by writing, illustrating, and self-publishing a children’s book of your own. Start by making a storyboard to see how the story and drawings will fit on each page. Then print and share your creation with young readers everywhere.

10. Kids art portfolio

If your child’s playful drawings, paintings, and school craft projects are piling up at home, transform them into a kid’s art portfolio book. For this DIY home crafts project, scan the individual artwork, choose a favorite image for the cover, and make a keepsake book you and your child can enjoy for years to come.

11. Idea journal or notebook

Talk about endless possibilities for this at-home craft! A custom journal, notebook, or sketchbook is a wonderful creative tool for brainstorming and collecting inspiration. Quotes. Magazine cutouts. Photos. Poems. Drawings. A list of dreams and goals. Make every page your own.

12. Grandparent memory book

A grandparent memory book or memoir is a great DIY project that you can do with the entire family. It’s a wonderful way to document family history and celebrate the life experiences of your loved ones. You can put together a memory book like a scrapbook, adding photos, newspaper clippings, stories, holiday memories, and memorabilia. And don’t forget to include a family tree drawing! Print copies of your keepsake book to share with relatives near and far. 

13. How-to book

Help others find crafts to do at home with a how-to book. Knitting, gardening, writing, photography, design, woodworking—the hobbies and activities you excel at can be the subject for your next book project. Share your knowledge and expertise with other creatives by combining photographs, diagrams, and tips to make a magazine or guidebook for beginners.

***

Let the DIY home crafting begin! What’s the perfect format for your new print project—photo book, magazine, notebook, or custom wall art? Blurb is here for all your self-publishing, crafty needs!

The post 13 crafts to do at home appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Here are some creative ways to decorate an exposed brick wall.

1. Lean into it

An easy and super versatile way to decorate a brick wall with larger prints is to lean them up against wall, rather than drilling holes for hanging. Prop up a single accent piece on the floor or mantle, or layer a smaller print in front of a larger one to create added depth and visual interest. Leaning wall décor looks right at home in lofts and industrial-style spaces or in more traditional settings.

2. Incorporate mirrors and metal

A great way to make any space feel larger (and brighter) is to incorporate mirrors and metallic artwork. Polished metals, like brass, gold, bronze, or silver, can add a beautiful brightness and reflective quality that contrast with the rustic brick surface.

Find your creative edge with an ultra-modern Metal print. Try Metal Wall Art.

3. Use open-backed shelving

Want in on a great design secret? You can have plenty of storage and display space without sacrificing a view of those bricks. Just use an open-backed shelf to show off your custom Wall Art, photo books, and keepsakes. This can also make a smaller room look more open and spacious because you’re not interrupting the brick wall with solid pieces of furniture.

4. Add bold colors and bright accents  

Maybe all your brick wall needs is a pop of color. Go for bold graphic designs, vibrant prints, and colorful geometric shapes to lighten the mood. Joyful wall décor can provide the perfect contrast against the natural grid pattern of light or dark brickwork. Think: blue skies, sunny green fields, cheery flowers, or group portraits with brightly hued backgrounds.

Glossy Acrylic prints catch the light and play up brilliant colors. Create Acrylic Wall Art.

5. Introduce soft lines and textures

Sometimes the rugged look and feel of bricks can be too overwhelming or dominate the space visually. Adding photographs or artwork with soft, swirling lines and fluid patterns is one way to break up some of the sharp edges created by a brick wall. Fluffy rugs and pillows help too! 

6. Mix up your materials

Variety is the spice of life—so it can also liven up your interior wall art and décor. Mix and match the materials, textures, and fabrics of your featured art work to create even more visual interest. Decorate your brick wall by working in plants or complement the earthen brick by adding wood and ceramic pieces next to your photos. Hang string lights around Canvas, Acrylic, or Metal prints for a touch of drama.

Make your own Canvas Wall Art to bring instant warmth and texture to the room.

7. Keep it classic with black and white

Black and white artwork stands out beautifully against brick walls. Display one signature piece, a stylish trio, or a whole gallery wall of black and white photographs, art prints, and paintings. Using a simple, classic color scheme for your Wall Art creates a unified look that is truly timeless, whether paired with contemporary or vintage décor.

8. Create a mini gallery panel  

A mini gallery panel is a great way to decorate a brick wall, but what if you have some smaller drawings, paintings, and Blurb prints you want to display together without drilling too many holes? Mount a large wooden, plywood, or wire grid wall panel to the brick wall first, then add your collection of wall décor. This also makes it easy to rotate in new pieces whenever you like.

Finally, how do you hang things on a brick wall? If you don’t plan to hire a professional, you will need to consider the condition of the bricks as well as the weight of the artwork before you proceed. Here are the basics:

1) Use a heavy-duty drill with a masonry drill bit, not a lightweight electric drill

2) Wear safety goggles

3) Drill into the mortar, not the brick, to allow for easier repairs

4) Insert a plastic anchor

5) Drill a screw into the anchor, leaving room to support the hanging hardware

You’ve got a few wall art ideas up your sleeve now, so it’s time to put your best photographs and designs on display. Start creating unique wall art prints for your favorite rooms.

The post 8 Brick Wall Décor Ideas appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Making your own wall art is a great first step. A touch of color or a relaxing image can put you at ease and inspire a positive outlook. Meanwhile, multicolor patterns can stimulate the brain and keep things exciting. If your home office setup needs a little makeover, start with these DIY home office wall art ideas.

1. Color by mood

Whether you’re seeking a quick energy boost or a moment of calm, the colors you surround yourself with can make a big difference in your outlook. For this office wall art idea, bright orange and vibrant green can be energizing, yellow is often uplifting, and blues can range from breezy and serene pastels to cool and confident royal blue. (Don’t believe it? Try a little test run. Everyone has colors that are naturally appealing or off-putting.) Pick one or two signature hues you love, and create custom office home office wall art in the same shades.

2. Family moments

Putting meaningful memories on display can provide just the right balance of comfort and inspiration in the middle of a busy workday. So why not add a personal touch to your home office? Turn photos from a family vacation, holiday gathering, or special occasion into beautiful, one-of-a-kind office wall decor and create your own visual story.

3. Vintage style

When it comes to interior decor, are you drawn to furniture, art, and design with an antique vibe? Play up the retro style by making one-off pieces of DIY home office wall art and decor in the same vein. Scan and enlarge vintage family photos to create new keepsake prints. Use a floating shelf to display black and white photos alongside unique objects de art, old-school sports memorabilia, or classic movie mementos.

Choose canvas prints to evoke the classics with a warm woven texture and painterly feel.

4. Calming neutrals

Some people work best in a room with fewer visual distractions. If colorful photos and bold patterns break your concentration, opt for more subtle office wall art. For this idea, think crisp white decor, black and white photography, and wall art in neutral shades (cream, tan, or gray) as these neutral colors can provide a fresh, calming backdrop. Plus, this color palette fits in with any style of decorating, from rustic to retro to ultra-contemporary.

5. Abstract thinking

Bold stripes. Geometric prints. Shapes and patterns in nature. There is so much visual inspiration to be found in the world of abstract art. Seek out compositions that catch your eye, and decorate your home office walls with original prints made from your own abstract photography, paintings, drawings, and designs.   

Try a metal finish on your wall decor for an edgy, modern look.  

6. Gallery wall

Having a hard time choosing just one piece of home office wall art? The answer to your design woes might just be the more pictures, the merrier! Put together a mix of photos, inspirational quotes, drawings, or paintings, and arrange them to create a stylish gallery wall display. Go for a perfect grid with art prints that are all the same size, or mix it up with large and small pieces in different frames and finishes (try metal, canvas, or acrylic). Enjoy watching your collection grow.  

7. Statement piece

If designing and arranging multiple pieces of wall art feels overwhelming, keep it simple. A single powerful image may be all it takes to capture the imagination. Add instant style to your workspace by turning one photo you love into a large piece of wall decor. Maybe it’s a panorama travel photo that soothes the mind, or a vibrant illustration to stimulate new ideas.

Go for a glossy acrylic print to increase the wow factor of your wall art.

8. Nature lover

You may not be able to pop out for a stroll in your favorite natural spaces every day, but you can still bring the beauty of the great outdoors inside your workspace. Use photographs of your favorite landscapes and seascapes, local flora and fauna, or beautiful vistas to create custom home office wall art prints. It’s an easy way to add a breath of fresh air and a new viewpoint to the room (you could even think of it as another window).

9. Photo collage

Take a cue from visual artists and designers who know the creative power of a mood board, and make a home office wall art display of pictures and objects that inspire you. A visual collage can function as a unique decoration on its own, or it may also help you organize ideas. The concept is easy: Gather photos, drawings, quotes, and imagery that relate to a particular theme, project, color, or feeling. Your theme could be as simple as “people I love,” “dream destinations,” or even “turquoise.”

10. Just your type

Sometimes a few simple words do the trick to help you refocus and recharge. You can design your own artwork using an inspirational quote or motto, or a single word that makes you smile. Choose the font, color, and imagery that capture the sentiment best and fit your decor. Best of all, typography and text-based graphic art never go out of style.

***

For more wall decor ideas and inspiration, explore the blog. If you’re ready to create a wall art print, choose a design tool to get started.

The post 10 home office wall art ideas appeared first on Blurb Blog.

01 Garden & Harvest Photography

One of the joys of cooking is using fruits, vegetables, and herbs fresh from the garden. You can also bring that natural beauty into your home with seasonal photographs – garden and harvest photography makes great kitchen wall décor. Try turning photos of your own vegetable garden or fruit trees into lovely wall art or print images from family trips to the pumpkin patch, apple orchard, or farmers’ market.

02 Family Recipe Card Series

Food has a beautiful legacy in many families, including recipes that have been passed down through the generations. Instead of tucking away those treasured recipe cards, turn them into unique DIY kitchen wall décor. Enlarge the original handwritten notes, frame your favorites, or design a keepsake collage combining recipes, memories, and photos of your loved ones.

03 Art & Memorabilia Shelves

Floating shelves are a great way to decorate your kitchen walls. Display photos, cookbooks, and mementos while adding personality to your kitchen walls. This is also the perfect spot to show off any unique culinary objects or antique utensils. You can easily rotate out items as the seasons change or you update your décor.

04 Inspirational Quotes

We start each day in the kitchen—even if it’s just to grab a cup of coffee or a quick bite—so it’s a wonderful place to instill a little inspiration and positivity into your routine. Decorate your kitchen walls with inspirational quotes and sayings. Make it extra personal by documenting words of wisdom from someone in your family, or go with your favorite quotes from writers, artists, or creative thinkers you admire.

05 International Café Art

Some of our fondest food memories are created when we’re traveling to new places and open to discovery. Maybe you stumbled upon the perfect cappuccino or a dynamite dessert, or you’ll always remember the charming sidewalk cafés in a distant city. Relive those culinary adventures and special moments each day by creating your own DIY kitchen wall décor from your top travel photos.

06 Menu Wall Décor  

Whether it’s a special birthday dinner or a classic holiday feast, there are some meals you will always remember (and look forward to eating again). Document the dishes from your most memorable, home-cooked feasts and design a set of menu-themed kitchen wall art. Use the lettering style, text color, and illustrations that fit your kitchen décor—from rustic to modern, vintage to industrial.

07 Abstract Still Life Photos

Get your favorite foods ready for a close-up! This photo project is a fun twist on the classic still life. Break out your macro lens or use the macro setting on your camera to capture all the intricate textures, colors, and patterns of fruits and veggies. Then print your abstract creations to create intriguing kitchen wall décor.

08 Food Alphabet Prints

Want to make your kitchen a place that inspires a love of food and learning? Design a set of food alphabet art prints featuring your favorite foods (A is for Asparagus!). Inspired by the classic ABC books, this DIY kitchen wall art project is not just a playful idea for families with kids, it can be a stylish addition to any home. You can make simple, colorful acrylic, metal, or canvas prints for a contemporary look, create illustrations with a vintage feel, or use your own photos.

09 Kitchen Word Art

Sometimes all we need is a reminder of the simple joys that bring us together. You can’t go wrong with kitchen wall décor based on simple kitchen sayings, like “Gather” or “Eat, Laugh, Love.” Think about your own family traditions and moments you’ve shared together as inspiration. Then create an original wall art print that captures your style: clever, quirky, classy, joyful, or serene.

10 Gallery Wall

When in doubt, go all out with a gallery wall. For this DIY kitchen wall décor, gather photos, paintings, illustrations, and mementos that you love—in all different sizes—and arrange them to create a unique wall display. You can build your collection around a certain theme, decorative style, or color—or simply make a visual collage that inspires you.

11 Word Collage Wall Art

The kitchen is a place for experimenting with new foods and flavor combinations, where innovative ideas come to life in delicious ways. Express your creative side—or get the whole family involved—to create a collage of words and illustrations that celebrate your home kitchen. For this kitchen wall décor project, try a simple black and white design for a contemporary look, or go for a big, bold color palette.

12 Color by Theme

If you already have a kitchen color scheme, use that as inspiration for your kitchen wall art. Make a vibrant collection of food photography, illustrations, or abstract designs that coordinate with the room. Want to put people in the right food mood? According to color psychology, green is associated with health and abundance, yellow is cheery and comforting, while orange and red can make people hungry. But you don’t have to overthink it—just have fun!

What’s your favorite way to decorate a kitchen wall? Start creating your original design now, or keep exploring the blog for more wall art inspiration.

The post 12 DIY Kitchen Wall Décor Ideas appeared first on Blurb Blog.

1. Where did the idea or inspiration for AG23 come from?

AG23 was a true collaboration between myself and Dan Milnor. Beyond, as a brand, is defined as politically centrist. I wanted to build a project that was unconstrained by politics and brought people together from different points of view. Dan was on board and provided an amazing point of view based on his experience and energy.

2. How did you decide which pieces of work to include in this first edition?

The first issue was special, but I have to be honest. We are just getting this off the ground, so we leaned almost exclusively on Dan’s network. He is tied into an amazing group of creatives from all over the world. These are the people that were brave enough to be the first contributors to this unique project.

3. In a digital age, why did you decide to produce a print zine?

Well, honestly, AG23 is both. Remember, our print material expands out to a micro-site and provides infinite possibilities. I believe that print, to be effective, must be a fusion with the web going forward. True interactivity allowing for people to digest as they want is our goal.

AG23 image credit: Michael Lundgren

4. Why did you decide to print AG23 with Blurb’s Large Order Services team and how did they help bring your project to life?

The plan was always to use Blurb’s Large Order Services team. They have the matte cover we were looking for and the print run was always planned at 2000 per issue. That, and Dan’s time, energy, and experience are the pieces Blurb provides to the collaboration.

5. How did you decide on the size, format, and paper type for this project? What factors did you consider when making these decisions?

The intent was always to make it a trade journal, so it could be a “non-precious” item that people throw in their bags and take notes on. Tactile and consumable. The paper had to have weight and take ink in the manner we wanted as the art is truly important. I’m very happy with Issue One and how it turned out.

6. What is the best thing about collaborating on creative projects? What are some of the challenges?

This question is easy. All of my projects are creative projects so I know of no other way to do things. If it isn’t a creative approach, it simply doesn’t resonate. The challenges vary by project. For AG23, it was learning the professional photography and art community. There was a lot of mistrust between possible contributors and our concept because they have been burned by businesses in the past. It is much easier to get buy-in now that we are through the first issue and people see that we are doing exactly what we said we would do. In short, we seek to leave everyone better than we found them in so many ways.

7. How will you be marketing and promoting AG23?

AG23 will be marketed in various ways. I treat the effort as a separate brand from BEYOND (as a sub actually), and allow AG23 to be a sponsor in our many yearly events. It has the micro-site and will have Instagram pretty quickly. There are also plans for a newsletter and we are seeding the first issue to “taste-makers” in various communities/industries. Dan and I will allow the effort to grow organically past this as it isn’t for everyone. Our tribe will find their way there and we will celebrate them.

8. Where does your team look for and find creative inspiration?

Wow, everywhere. Anyone who knows Dan knows he is a voracious reader and always on the move. I travel every week and find inspiration in the funniest places. It all starts with people for me. And, I guess, looking to history to find inspiration more often than not. All of this ground has been walked on, it is just our turn to do so.

9. Are there plans for a second edition? If so, will you do anything differently?

Absolutely. We are budgeted for two more issues this year. I hope to grow it to a quarterly effort. As for different, we have no rules. That was rule #1. So, heck yeah, every one of these issues will be unique and provide something special. What that will be . . . I couldn’t begin to tell you.

10. What advice would you give someone looking to start their own collaborative project?

Pick a goal and don’t quit. That seems to be the difference between the doers and the talkers. As well, only positive energy can be used to build something. Cut out the negativity the second it is identified and get on with creating.

Got an idea for a magazine project of your own? Connect with colleagues or friends in your creative community, and start collaborating!

The post The Story of AG23 Zine: Made with Large Order Services appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Put on a kid’s art show  

If you have school-age kids, chances are you have a fast-growing collection of paintings, drawings, and crafts galore. For this fun activity, sit down together with the kids and have them sort their artwork into piles by color, theme, or favorite subject (have older kids do this on their own). Choose one room as a gallery for all the artwork, or group pictures into smaller collections around the house. Kids can add tags with titles or descriptions to complete the display. Don’t forget to put out snacks before the family tour begins!

To keep the inspiration going, take photos of their creations to make a kids art portfolio book or turn into unique wall art prints.

Make a magical mini-garden   

This easy project is not only a fun activity for kids to do at home, but it’s also an easy one. Spread out newspapers on the kitchen floor and bring the wonder of nature inside for a day! Help your child fill one flowerpot (or more) with potting soil. Add a small plant to each pot (or try seeds, for a lesson in patience!). Then bring on the garden magic by having kids add sparkly painted rocks, colorful fairy houses, paper birds, or plastic animals. Popsicle sticks make the perfect signposts for labeling tiny landmarks.

Act out scenes in a favorite book

Everyone can play a special role (or maybe two) in this version of storytime. Have your child select a book, choose someone to read aloud, and let the kids play their favorite characters. Costumes, props, and nametags are highly encouraged! Get creative using blankets for oceans, and furniture for castles, or make it up as you go. For more involved stories and scenes, kids may want to rehearse before the big performance.

Create pet portraits

Our animal friends make adorable subjects for a portrait series. For this activity, encourage older kids to take a variety of photos (close-ups, panoramas, mid-action) and practice basic photo skills (composition, focus, and zoom). Younger kids may simply draw or paint their furry pals instead. Try an “A Day in the Life” portrait series with pictures of snack time, special tricks, favorite toys, naptime, and silly adventures.

Use the best images to make your own wall art or together or create a pet photo book together.

Plan a treasure hunt

Nothing beats a classic game of hidden treasure, complete with clues to solve! One person (or team) selects an object as a treasure and hides it in another room. Then they create a series of clues (written, verbal, or drawn in diagrams) to give to the second person, one by one, until the treasure is found. Creating and following clues is a great activity that encourages kids to practice color, location, and descriptive words.

Create monster mash-ups

There’s no age limit when it comes to monster crafts! Gather up a mix of your child’s favorite drawing and craft supplies (colored paper, paper plates, crayons, markers, pipe cleaners, glitter, string, bottle lids, pompoms, googly eyes, you name it). Then let the imagination run wild, making an array of cute and funny monsters with 3-D features (sure, a cat with dragon wings and ladybug spots!). Use paper plates and create eyeholes to make wearable masks.

Did your kids create a new loveable character? Encourage them to write down their monster stories and help them create a kids book.#

Design cards for a memory-matching game  

Most kids have played a version of the memory card game, but it’s even more fun with a handmade deck. Create unique pairs by drawing the same image on two cards, or cut larger drawings in half to make pairs with a top and bottom (shortcut: try using magazine pics). Shuffle the cards and arrange them in rows face down. Each player turns over two cards, hoping to find a pair. If they find a match, they get a second turn! If not, the cards are turned over and the next player begins.

Make your own coloring pages

Keep little hands busy with a drawing activity that leads to even more fun. Line drawings they make today can become coloring pages tomorrow. Younger kids can practice their outlines by tracing existing illustrations or household objects. Scan and print their drawings, pass them around, and see how each person in the family brings the same picture to life with color! This fun activity is perfect for the aspiring artist.

Got a passionate illustrator in the family? Collect those pages into a coloring book (just like Jesse Oleson Moore did in The Unicorn Coloring Book).

Choose a creative theme of the day

This fun activity is perfect for all aspiring writers, reporters, and art directors! When the creativity gets going, this project might even spill over into a second or third day. Start by picking a favorite subject or theme (animals, colors, activities, books, places, foods, friendship, family trips), then invite family members (or just the kids) to contribute a story, drawing, photo, game, or song. Some children might want to do interviews, design puzzles, or create top-10 lists of facts to go with the images.

Once you’ve created 20 pages (or more), scan the photos and stories to make a family magazine. Print copies to share with friends and family, near and far.#

Make a set of bookmarks

Inspire a love of books and reading with a super simple and fun project. Cut out strips of paper or card stock 2 to 2.5 inches wide. Kids can draw their favorite story characters, animals, or patterns, or practice writing the alphabet. For extra color and texture, glue fabric on one side. Experiment by adding colored paper shapes or collage magazine cutouts. Create extras for friends and family, so you can slip one inside a gift book.

For even more creative ideas and fun activities for kids to do at home, keep exploring the blog. If you can’t wait to start a new book project, download BookWright today.

The post 10 Easy & Fun Activities to Do with Kids at Home appeared first on Blurb Blog.

1. Take a daily photo (hint: try something new)

Even if you take a lot of photos, this can be a great creative challenge that can be done at home. This creative idea requires little effort. Try a new subject matter each day to mix up your habits. Instead of selfies, focus on inanimate objects or colors. If you always photograph flashy subjects, find something ordinary and capture the details. Look a little harder at everything around you. Food, furniture, and pets. Colors, textures, and patterns of light. It’s about retraining the eye.

Make a photo book on your phone 

2. Collect inspirational quotes

We process a lot of information each day, so it’s easy to miss some pretty wonderful things being said. For this creative activity, write down inspiring quotes or phrases when you come across them.

Read biographies and interviews featuring artists and creative thinkers you admire. If your eyes need a break, tune into your playlist and listen to song lyrics until something catches your attention, then make a note. Return to this collection of quotes anytime you need a creative boost.

Find more journal ideas

3. Take coloring breaks

Yes, coloring books for adults are real, and they are a wonderful creative activity. This allows you to take a break from your workday while immersing yourself in a playful visual exercise. Color inside (or outside!) the lines as you please, or add on to the designs. Just let yourself get lost in a magical world of shapes and colors.

Here’s one of our favorites in the Blurb Bookstore.

State Flowers of America Coloring Book by Sylvie Lee

4. Create pet portraits

You’ve probably already got a head start on this one—who can resist pet portraits, right? Training your lens on your favorite animals for a few minutes is a creative activity that can make any day more enjoyable. Plus, you can practice your photo skills. Zoom in on the whiskers, ears, eyes, or tail. Use different compositions and backgrounds. Try capturing animals in motion. Soon you’ll have enough portraits to fill a photo flipbook!

Get ideas for a pet book

5. Do a mini drawing session

Drawing can be a great creative activity to do at home, which can also have therapeutic benefits. Set aside a bit of time (even 10 minutes) to draw. You can work from a photo, or something in front of you, or your imagination. Try colored pencils one day, then ink or charcoal the next, or stick to the art medium you love most. The trick is to start small (so you can finish), keep it simple (one animal, one face, or one leaf), and make it a habit. Every doodle counts!

Learn how to make a comic book

6. Start a recipe journal

Food is a big part of the day—and it can fill us with comfort, joy, energy, creativity, or nostalgia. If you’re looking for a food-related creative idea, a recipe journal can be a fun way to record your favorite meals, family recipes, special ingredients, or new culinary ideas. You may have enough to create a custom cookbook. Fill it with notes or sketches just for you, or print a special version to share with friends and family.

 Design your own cookbook

7. Try free writing

Writing doesn’t have to be a big deal. It’s a creative activity that can be both simple and rewarding. All it takes is one word, and you’ve started! Try 10 minutes of free writing to loosen up (write down your first thought, then keep writing without stopping, editing, or trying to “make sense” of it or plan a story). Start a new page for each session, and don’t read the previous pages until the next day (or week). Over time, you’ll discover recurring themes or patterns that you may develop into a larger poem, story, or book!

 Get tips on writing a poetry book

8. Start a creative collaboration

Here’s a creative example of a fun activity you can do with others. Send an image to a friend or family member to start a creative exchange, and invite them to send one back that relates. You can choose a theme together (like places, colors, moods, animals, activities, foods, or favorite things), and in a few weeks, you’ll have enough memories for a collective photo book. Keep it funny and sweet, or go for a truly artistic vibe—whatever inspires you.

Make a best friends photo book

9. Read one poem or one paragraph (slowly)

Sounds too simple? That’s because it’s the opposite of what we’re trained to do most of the time (do more, do it faster). This creative exercise is all about the power of slowing down. Poets and writers know all about it. Read each line carefully, and give yourself time to enjoy the imagery, metaphors, and rhythm of the language. For extra creative points, pull a random book off your shelf and open it to any page. Begin reading!

10. Focus on nature

You don’t have to go far to find signs of nature. Staring out the window at the sky, clouds, trees, or passing birds can be so relaxing it actually makes room for creative thoughts to flow in (just ask any daydreamer). Better yet, step outside, even if it’s just in the backyard, and really study the leaves, raindrops, or an intricate new spiderweb. Spend a few minutes admiring natural wonders, and before you know it, you’ll be ready to jot down an idea, start a new drawing, or take a photo (see exercises 1 through 10).

***

Looking for more visual inspiration? Explore the Blurb Bookstore to see how writers, artists, photographers, and designers put their creativity into print.

The post 10 creative activities to do at home appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Over the past decade, the vast majority of my best work and projects have all been collaborations. I’ve created joint, creative partnerships with writers, poets, designers, and others coming from the far reaches of the creative world. Working with these folks showed me both the limit of my skillset and, more importantly, the wealth of future possibilities.

New possibilities

Just over a year ago I was approached about doing a Zine collaboration. A “Zine” is an informal magazine, and believe it or not, there is an entire global Zine community that is currently exploding in popularity. My first response to this project was “No, I am too busy.” In addition, the partner, in this case, wasn’t a fellow photographer, designer, or illustrator. They were in fact the director of a clothing brand.

The director in question was Rick Elder from Beyond Clothing. I didn’t know Rick at the time nor did I understand his persistence. But the more Rick kept appearing in my life, the more I began to envision the possibilities, and the more I wanted to do the project.

One of the things that intrigued me most was the fact that this collaboration had very little to do with me and almost everything to do with the work of other creatives. The mission statement was simple; “Promote understanding through dialogue and art.” Rick and I began to scheme about how we could accomplish this mission, as well as how we could amplify the work of the contributors, while simultaneously building a community of like-minded people.

Navigating a new world

When a project like this comes along it is very easy to get mentally sidetracked by the romantic side of the equation. Seeing the first copy of our beloved Zine rolling off the presses to the delight and wonder of the contributors would be dreamy. But suddenly I was confronted by the reality of the logistical side of things. Things like the legal requirements, design requirements, website requirements, printing requirements, finding contributors, creating a submission portal, editing, creating submission guidelines, and a range of other issues quickly became front and center. Not to mention, someone has to pay for it all.

You have to really want projects like this because they are complicated, at times stressful endeavors. But as you get closer to the goal, closer to your idea becoming a physical, tangible object that has the potential to really become something greater than the sum of the parts, it all becomes entirely worthwhile.

Here we are now

So, a year later we are finally seeing our goal come to life. AG23 Zine is an offset printed, 6×9, softcover Trade Book, with #70 paper and a matte cover. We were incredibly fortunate to land Zoë Sadokierski as the designer and we were equally fortunate to land nine incredible contributors who have provided stories on a truly diverse scale. Blurb’s Large Order Services team is handling the print run (2000 copies) and our web team has the accompanying website up and running.

Now comes phase two of the plan; the marketing and promotion of the work inside the Zine. We want people to know these artists and their stories. For Rick and I, and everyone else involved, this is a long play collaboration. We are envisioning multiple issues for 2020 and already imagining ways we can continue to grow this community.

Collaborations almost always push me outside my comfort zone, and AG23 is no exception but ultimately, they all lead to new experiences and new knowledge and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Feeling inspired? Connect with your creative community and start your collaboration.

The post The Power of Creative Collaborations: AG23 Zine appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Here’s a batch of our best pet photo book ideas to get you started.

1. Big Personality

Do you have a critter that just loves to be the center of attention? Put your special friend in the spotlight by collecting snapshots of their big personality in action. Maybe your pet loves to greet friends and family with a display of affection, or they can light up a room with a crowd-pleasing display that says, “look at me!” Have fun creating a photo book that keep all eyes on your pet’s over-the-top persona.

2. Welcome Home

The first few days and weeks with a new pet in the home are full of curiosity, excitement, and discovery—that goes for the humans and the animals! There’s nothing like those early pictures that show your new family member exploring cozy corners, windows, mirrors, colorful toys, and fellow pets as they settle into their space. To make your pet photo book of first moments extra personal, add captions or include blank pages where everyone in the family can add notes and stories about their favorite photos.

 3. Pet Buddies

Is every day full of surprises (and tender moments) thanks to a lively duo, trio, or troop of animal friends in your home? Highlight all the activity of this special group of sweethearts (or troublemakers) in a dedicated pet photo album. Get ready to oooh, ahhh, and giggle at all the playtime, cuddles, and moments of mischief caught on camera.

4. Favorite Things

Toys, treats, songs, sounds, furniture, cuddly blankets, spots for perching—you know better than anyone else all the things that make your pet happy, from morning to night. Chances are, you’ve already snapped plenty of photos of your animal pal in a state of bliss. Create collages of their favorite things, or organize your pet photo book in the style of a “top 10” list to make it extra playful.

 5. A Kid’s Best Friend

Children and animals can become instant friends, leading to all kinds of hilarious and sweet moments. Photos that capture this growing friendship are a must for any keepsake pet photo album. If the pet has been in your child’s life for several years, try arranging photos chronologically to document their time together, from day one to one-thousand and beyond! Encourage your child to add handwritten stories and memories with prompts or questions, like “Remember when. . .”

 6. Fun Adventures

From backyard adventures to weekend road trips, some animals are at their happiest when they’re on the move. For pets that love to venture outside, fill your pet photo book with pictures of them enjoying different cities, landscapes, and seasons—spring puddles, summer lakes, autumn leaf piles, and wintry snow drifts. Even if your pet stays indoors, there will be hilarious and sweet moments to record on the go: crawling, paddling, jumping, racing, or flying through the air!

 7. Holiday Moments 

When the forecast calls for Halloween costumes or sprigs of mistletoe, do you include your pet in the festivities? Whether you give your cat jingling stocking stuffers or you dress up your pup in holiday gear, collect all those holiday-themed photos and create a heartwarming pet photo album to enjoy throughout the year. This kind of memory book also makes a perfect gift for family members of all ages, who will love seeing their cuddly friends on display.

 8. Lasting Memories 

It’s always difficult to say goodbye to our dearest animal companions. After the passing of a pet, some people find that reflecting on happier times and celebrating a pet’s life can bring solace in the midst of sadness. When you look through a photo keepsake of beautiful moments, you will be reminded of the very special bond you shared. A pet photo album is a great way to keep their memory alive.

9. Mood Book

Some pet behaviors are rather mysterious to us, while others are outright entertaining or endearing. Just like us, animals go through their own cycle of moods each day, which can provide some great photo ops. Think about all the pictures you’ve taken of your cute critter at rest, at play, excited, sleepy, exploring, and everything in between. Maybe there are certain facial expressions or silly poses from their daily routines that make you smile? Those quirky close-ups could fill a whole pet photo book!

10. Unique Tricks

Dogs, cats, and birds have definitely been known to put on a show for adoring audiences—maybe you also have bunnies or guinea pigs that know a trick or too? Whoever is performing, it’s bound to be adorable! If your pet happens to love dancing, bobbing, or singing for treats, get it on camera and create a pet photo book that proudly displays all of their one-of-a-kind animal antics.

Turn these pet photo album ideas into a creative project for the whole family, and put your special memories in print! Start a new photo book today.

The post 10 Ideas for a Pet Photo Album appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Whether you are passing down family history in a grandparent’s book for grandchildren or helping your family make a photo book for grandma and grandpa, you will end up with a cherished gift perfect for any occasion. From photo albums to interactive journals to scrapbook-style keepsakes, here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Family tree book

A family tree book is a great idea for a grandparent memory book because it can bring multiple generations together and create a precious heirloom that everyone will enjoy for years to come. Start with a drawing or diagram that shows your family lineage, and build your pages around it. If you are making a book for grandchildren, you can complete all of the genealogy information you know or leave branches blank so you can fill in the names of ancestors together and make a family activity out of it. Keep the conversation going by adding vintage photos, newspaper clippings, mementos, and text to bring the stories and memories to life.

2. Holiday photo album

Everyone can join the fun of making a holiday photo album to share, which makes this idea extra special. Think of all the seasons and celebrations that brought your family together. You might discover enough photos and stories from one holiday gathering to build an entire family photo album, or you may create a book of your favorite memories collected over the years. In addition to group portraits, remember to include fun candid shots of everyone decorating the home, getting all dressed up or donning costumes, preparing (and eating!) family recipes, and taking the adventures outside or on the road!

3. Grandparent journal

This type of memory journal lets you capture decades of family history in an heirloom-worthy book while encouraging family members to connect and interact in the process. Fill the book with writing prompts and questions that inspire grandparents to tell their story, from childhood to adulthood. Include prompts like 

• What are your favorite childhood memories?
• What are your proudest achievements?
• Which memories always make you laugh or smile?
• What do you love most about being a grandparent?

Consider titling your keepsake journal “Memories for My Grandchild” or “A Grandmother’s Story,” and leave space for grandkids to add stories of their own. Then have fun strolling down memory lane together!

4. Family recipe book

A family recipe book is a good idea for a grandparent memory book because it can also be a meaningful gift that celebrates your heritage and can be enjoyed (savored, really) on a daily basis. Just think of all the stories and traditions that are created in the kitchen and passed down at the dinner table. You may choose to organize the book by maternal or paternal sides of the family, by type of dish, or by theme (everyday favorites or holiday treats). Scan the original recipe cards or cookbook pages if you have them, and include photos of everyone cooking and eating together. Add special notes about favorite meals, such as who created the dish and specific occasions when it was served.

5. Words of wisdom book

Inspire grandkids and family members long into the future with a book of quotes, life lessons, and milestone moments that shaped your life. This is the ideal keepsake to record in-the-moment thoughts as well as past experiences—all the advice, hopes, and dreams a grandparent might wish to pass along to their family. Consider adding photographs and memorabilia or a list of favorite books, songs, or places. You can organize this memory book by themes such as friendship, love, career, or family. An avid storyteller might even transform a collection of anecdotes into a grandparent’s storybook.

Choose a bookmaking tool

Once you’ve gathered your photos, stories, and mementos, it’s time to select a bookmaking tool that’s right for you. If your grandparent memory book has a mix of text and images, download our free desktop software, BookWright, to make a custom photo book or trade book. With premade templates, it’s easy to create professional-quality layouts—no design experience needed.

To create a fast and easy photo book on the go, use the Blurb Mobile app to autoflow images from your Facebook albums into premade layouts. Adobe fans will want to check out our Adobe InDesign Plug-In and Adobe Lightroom Book Module, which lets you make a gorgeous photography book without leaving your workflow.

Which kind of grandparent memory book inspires you? Create a one-of-a-kind keepsake gift for the next birthday, holiday, or just-because day!

The post 5 ideas for grandparent memory books appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Tell us about your experience of drawing comic books and comic book characters.

I started drawing comics in 1985. I had been out of art school for a few years and showed a Marvel editor, Carl Potts some of my work at a comic book convention. He said, “You’re OK; I’ll give you some work.” So, I worked at Marvel and DC Comics along with Dark Horse over the next 15 years. During that time, I got to do everything from Greenberg the Vampire, Spiderman CyberComics at Marvel and AOL, to Martian Manhunter, and Batman for DC.

I found I loved telling stories with pictures, and working with writers was fun. The 80s comic book scene was very loose, and people were trying all sorts of different things. Throughout the 90s, the field closed up, and we became much more limited in what we could do, so I ended up moving on to web development and eventually teaching in San Francisco.

Now, after leaving teaching, I have the time and space to devote myself to my own comic book projects. I’ve worked on an adaptation of Julius Caesar, a series of Abstract Kirby comic books, and I’ve started a practice of coloring my life drawings and structuring them into comic book pages as fodder for social media.

How did you develop the comic book style illustration technique?

Well, it starts with basic drawing skills—being able to draw a large range of subject matter from cars to flowers and everything in between. But you also learn from the people around you. Carl Potts was a great editor who introduced me to some European artists and talked about storytelling and drawing, so I learned a lot from him. Marvel’s editor-in-chief at the time, Jim Shooter, had a lecture on storytelling that he gave to all the artists. He went panel by panel through a Jack Kirby comic book. Jack’s the guy who created Black Panther, FF, most of the Avengers, and the original X-Men—basically, he was the creative driving force behind Marvel. It was a profound foundation on which to build knowledge of how to draw comics.

What was the most difficult thing to learn about how to draw comics?

For me, the balance between being an artist and working in a commercial field is something I still haven’t mastered. The “artist” mythology is about doing your own work. But then, in a commercial field, you have to do what sells. Balancing the two as you move through life is really difficult. If you’re lucky, you turn into Mike Mignola, the creator of Hellboy. He certainly didn’t expect his creation to last 25 years and generate three movies. How much of that was plan and work, and how much was luck? I don’t think we ever truly understand the balance of these things.

Right now, I’m trying to teach myself how to “write” comics, so I’m not just an artist who co-plots but can maintain creative control over the whole thing.

How do you collaborate with other comic creatives?

Commercial comics are really a group activity no matter how much you think you’re doing by yourself. Editors and publishers control the money. Inkers, colorists, and writers all impact the work in different ways. When you start working on your own projects, it becomes about the community you build to support you, emotionally and creatively. Social media helps you make those connections, but just having a group of artists to chat with, even if it’s only about your cats or politics, is really important.

What’s your experience of the steps needed to create a comic book?

All the steps that go into making a comic book, like outlining, character design, script, illustration, and coloring, can be done by one to four people. For me, that’s what makes comics more interesting than most other commercial mediums. A movie can have a few thousand people involved with all the effects. An Avengers comic is a writer, an artist, and a colorist. With print-on-demand, one person can even do the publishing, get the books, and hand sell them to stores. I think it’s really important to understand all the steps and not try and just be one of the cogs in the wheel.

Do you have any favorite formats or materials for your comic books?

I’m so old I like comics on newsprint that you can roll up and stick in your back pocket. But I’m a real sucker for the artist editions, where comic book pages are printed at the size they’re originally drawn.

How do you go about publishing your comic books?

I use a direct-to-print service that takes PDFs and sends me back books. It’s a great way to do niche projects like Julius Caesar or Abstract Kirby. I don’t have to go broke printing a ton of books, but I also have print copies to sell at shows and give to friends.

Have a PDF comic book ready to print? Use our easy PDF to Book tool.

Where do you see the future of comic books, both indie and mainstream?

The young adult and teen market is booming. There’s a lot of wonderful light cartooning being done for kids outside of the superhero market that is also selling really well.

Tell us about some of your favorite comic book projects.

The two Batman projects I did in the 90s were probably two of my favorite projects; Batman: Run Riddler Run and Batman: Jazz. I worked with the writer Gerard Jones and the legendary editor Archie Goodwin on Batman: Jazz. It was about a jazz musician loosely based on Charlie Parker. Our guy had gone off to Paris, gotten himself clean, studied modern music, and come back to Gotham to play. Initially, we had Bruce Wayne running around the clubs and investigating everything, but at some point, one of us said, “let’s have Batman go to the jazz clubs.” So, I got to draw Batman listening to jazz and wearing a hundred-foot cape.

Then Archie, the editor, said: “Can you make the 48-page story into a 75-page, 3-issue story with splash pages and big panels?” So I was totally free to explore visually. I had just purchased a computer and colored the job myself, so it has lots of collages and experiments in color. It’s also probably the only comic that references not just Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie but Picasso’s Three Musicians too.

There’s also a Martian Manhunter mini-series I did for DC. I got to redesign the character as a real Martian, and while that form has mutated over the years, I got to put a little weird into the DC Universe.

Another significant comic book project was Networked: Carabella On The Run, which came out of working with non-profit Privacy Activism, just as social media began taking over the internet and when Flash was still a viable tool. I made it into a webcomic and used Flash to play with the layout. Then it got printed as a book to distribute in schools. It featured a bunch of college students fighting against big. It even starred a few students from my classes.

What I consider my best work was born out of a series of comics I created called Abstract Kirby, which started out as abstract explorations of Jack Kirby’s work. They’ve now moved into a wider exploration of abstraction and its relationship to the philosophical ideas of Buddhism.

Any advice for aspiring comic book artists?

It’s a cliché, but always carry a sketchbook with you and practice drawing everything from cars, clouds, and coffee shops, to people on the bus, cyclists—the whole wide world. It’s important because you’re not always going to be drawing that one thing that you love to draw all the time. Stories always go to new and unexpected places. So, the more skill you develop drawing kitchen plumbing (or anything!) will help you invent wild and crazy spaceships.

There’s no magic book tool or paper when it comes to drawing comic books. The key is time. If you put in an hour a day, you will be a better artist in a month, in a year you’ll be even better, and in four years you will have improved a lot. Look at your day and figure out how much time you have to devote to drawing. Not chatting on the internet and drawing, not watching tv and drawing, just drawing. And do that every day, religiously. Schedule 15 minutes (or whatever you can do) of drawing time and make that your number one priority.

Thank you, Mark, for being so generous with your time and giving us something to geek out about. You can keep up to date with Mark’s new creations at markbadger.org or by following him on Instagram.

Ready to start your own comic book? Start laying out your project with our free desktop tool, BookWright.

The post Mark Badger on how to draw comics appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Whether it’s college, high school, or second grade, you’ve got a great reason to celebrate and commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime milestone with a school days memory book. Read on for some great theme ideas and tips for making a graduation photo book that rises to, and elevates, the occasion.

Pick a theme

We’ve got enough graduation photo book ideas to fill a spiral-bound notebook here, but one easy way to narrow things down is to decide whether it’ll be a book about graduation day (and/or the parties), or a look back at the student’s year (or years) in school. 

For the former, you’ll want to make sure you take enough great photos to properly document the event, including all of the most important faces and moments. Have an idea of what you want to include in your book, and keep that in mind while you’re shooting. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to find, frame, and capture great shots, but it can’t hurt to learn a bit about how to take better photos in preparation for the big day. 

If your graduation photo book is more of a retrospective, your biggest (and most fun!) task will be collecting the photos you’ll use to tell the story. Depending on how deep your theme runs, this could mean just scrolling through your phone’s camera roll or digging through old memory cards and reaching out to your network of friends and loved ones to assemble the ultimate anthology. Whatever approach you’re taking, make sure the photos you select are high-quality and high-res enough for print. 

Most of today’s graduates grew up in a world where there was always a camera within reach, so you may find that you’ve got a virtual mountain of photos to choose from. Remember, you don’t have to include everything—a short-but-sweet graduation book can hit the highlights, and it’s a great route to take if you intend to print lots of copies to share. But if those highlights are hard to narrow down, and you really want to go big, Blurb offers large book formats with hundreds of pages to rival any textbook. 

Graduation day

Naturally, you’ll take a lot of pictures of the big day. If you’re making a graduation day book out of the whole affair, you’ll want to take more. Document the lead-up. Find a good angle for the diploma handoff. Seek out and snap plenty of shots of the friends, family members, and teachers in the crowd. And aim to collect a nice mix of posed and candid moments. A good event photographer is everywhere—but do make sure to be present in the moment yourself, and respect the wishes of more shy subjects.

Achievements

Graduation is a big achievement, and it can’t happen without a lot of other achievements along the way. A graduation photo album that chronicles those wins makes for a great way to recognize and encourage the grad’s hard work and encourage them going forward. From first-days-of-school, to blue ribbons, to the successful driving test, if you’ve got photos of moments that make you proud, now’s the perfect time to bring them all together. 

Extracurriculars 

Graduation isn’t all about a successful string of report cards. Some students forge their most important memories (and huge parts of their identity) on the field, volunteering, performing—the list goes on. If extracurriculars like sports, band, or theater were central to the grad’s time in school, a custom graduation book is a good idea for a theme that can do those pursuits way more justice than any one-size-fits-all yearbook. 

Friends

The grad isn’t the only person graduating, and their friends likely played a bigger part in their formative years than any academic subject or sport. They were there for the carpools, the sleepovers, the road trips, and maybe a breakup or two. Building a graduation photo book around the grad’s circle of friends and their exploits is a great reminder of how important these bonds are—and can even serve to strengthen and preserve the friendships as they move on to new endeavors. 

Personalize it

One thing that’s great about making a personalized graduation book is that you can truly personalize it. Beyond the theme, the book’s layout and content can reflect the interests and passions of the graduate. So if they’re heading off to art school, a look back at their student’s journey from crayons to oil paints can really hit home—and the book itself can include artistic flourishes to carry the theme. 

This will probably come naturally for the grad who’s self-publishing their own graduation book. If you’re making a book for someone else, think about who they are and what they love throughout the bookmaking process. 

Add features and extra touches 

Notes, captions, and quotes

A graduation book doesn’t have to be strictly a Photo Book. Have some editorial fun with it by including text that helps tell the story and provides context. Did something hilarious happen right after that photo was taken? That detail would make for a great caption. Did the valedictorian say something that really defined the day? Quote them on the final page. Remember you can also scan and insert just about any document or piece of artwork among the photos. So that first misguided (but beautiful!) attempt at drawing a horse can live on forever.

Room to write

You may want to leave some space for friends and family to write their own notes for the graduate, especially if the graduation book is being unveiled on the day-of. This could be an open-ended blank page or two for signatures, or a more structured prompt like advice for the graduate, favorite memories, or some fill-in-the-blank statements. It’s a great way to involve all the most important players and make an already personalized graduation book even more personal. 

Graduation day and parties

Even if your book project follows a different theme, graduation day can make for a great final chapter, and put a nice bow on things. If you plan to include it, try to take some shots that account for the overall theme you’re following here, too. Gather the team for a group shot in their gowns, or have the dance squad strike their favorite pose.   

Blooper reel

Generally, you’ll want your graduation album to feature photos that portray your subject(s) in a good light. But nobody’s perfect, and including some not-ready-for-Instagram bloopers can liven up a page or two. The regrettable haircuts. The DMV-quality school photos. The irresistible laugh so big the braces actually showed. These character-building snapshots might’ve been embarrassing at the time, but they can actually help tell a more honest, heartwarming story about growing up. Of course, your mileage may vary; do make sure those bloopers come from a place of love. 

Make the book

When you’ve got your plan in place, and your content gathered, the next fun part is turning it into an actual graduation book. Blurb’s free BookWright software includes everything it takes to lay things out for publishing, and it’s easy to pick up and get started. That said, you’ll still be making important decisions along the way, and each page is an opportunity to make the book even more special. Set aside some time, and your book will keep improving with every click.

We’ve got lots of resources to help you make a great photo book, and most of BookWright’s tools are self-explanatory. But here are a few things to keep in mind as you set out on your bookmaking project: 

Choose the right format. You’ll select the trim size (book dimensions) upfront. Different trim sizes and bindings allow for different page counts. So be sure to check the dimensions and confirm you’ve got the size you had in mind, and the pages you’ll need for everything you intend to include.

Fix your photos. Not to say they’re broken…but a lot of people are surprised when they place two photos next to each other and find that they’re distractingly different after they’re printed. BookWright can help identify photos that aren’t high-res enough to print properly at a given size and offers single-click image correction to help ensure that the colors pop.

Remember the cover. It might be a simple line of text or the best shot from the top of your photo pile, but you’ll need a well-designed book cover and title. Everyone’s process differs, and you should never judge a book by its cover—still, the cover should never be an afterthought.

You’ve graduated!

That’s Graduation Books 101. Remember: your final assignment should be a fun one. Use the graduation photo book tips and ideas you’ve learned, and you’ll wind up with a finished product worthy of honors. Done right, a graduation book is something you’ll want to revisit more often and display more prominently, than any diploma. 

Ready to make your graduation photo book a work of art? Get started and make your photo book today!

The post Graduation photo book ideas and tips appeared first on Blurb Blog.

There are hundreds of yearbook ideas and themes to choose from, ranging from nostalgic, to future-focused, to pop culture. Your yearbook might feature a combination of topics, or you may choose one theme for your entire book. Starting with the cover, think about ways to incorporate your theme(s) into your yearbook page spreads, from the table of contents to class photo pages and social pages. Try using the same colors, graphics, and typefaces throughout the book to create a cohesive story from all your various sections about the year’s events.

10 Yearbook Ideas

Whether you are designing a yearbook for elementary school, middle school, or high school, these yearbook ideas will help you create a masterpiece that students will treasure for many years to come.

1. Add a section for school trips & travel

So much happens over the course of a school year that it really is an adventure. Celebrate the journey that your students have taken together with highlights from school trips or travel-themed content. Include fun maps, images of far-off places, and inspirational quotes that remind them of how far they have come and how far they will go.

2. Make a collection of quotes

This is one of the most popular yearbook themes. Collect quotes from the student body and teachers to use throughout your yearbook. You could ask them specific questions, such as what their favorite memory was from the year, or their funniest moment. Students will love having the chance to contribute a personal message to the yearbook!

3. Design your own emojis

Your students will love a yearbook filled with customized emojis. Use them as captions for pictures, on the cover page, and around action shots. Let your imagination run wild and have some fun creating personalized emojis for your yearbook based on your school mascot.

4. Celebrate your favorite games

Create a yearbook dedicated to the games that your students love to play, whether it’s board games or video games. The cover could be a play on the board game Life or based on a Monopoly board. Or you could gamify the student body, turning them into video game characters and superheroes.

5. Include storybook characters

We all have favorite books and fictional characters that teach us about growing up, getting along, and going on adventures. Fill your yearbook pages with colorful designs, inspirational quotes, and whimsical characters from stories you’ve read together.

Side note: It is illegal to use copyrighted art without permission. As an alternative, invite your students to create drawings and stories inspired by the books they love. This idea can work with any set of popular characters, as long as you only include artwork created by your students. For essential illustration tools, make sure to check out our blog.

6. Make a list or photo collage of best moments 

Poll the students for their favorite highlights from the school year and then create yearbook pages around those school day memories. Perhaps it was the winning touchdown at the homecoming game or the senior prank that left everyone laughing. Fill your book with plenty of memories and include quotes from the student body.

7. Create a book of student artwork

Show off the incredible talents of your student body in a yearbook filled with their art. For added fun, have a contest among your students to design the cover art of the yearbook. The other submissions can then be used throughout the inside pages. It’s a creative way to get everyone involved.

8. Show the year in reverse

Start from the end and move back in time, capturing every memorable moment from the school year. Include dances, sports events, science fairs, etc. You could also incorporate elements of pop culture from the year, such as popular songs, movies, and books. The last page of the book can be filled with pictures from the very first day of the school year.

9. Highlight sports, clubs & special activities

Most yearbooks include a section dedicated to the school’s sports teams, special clubs, and musical groups. Take it one step further by making sports, music, and creative activities the overall theme of your yearbook. Have fun weaving team colors, on-stage highlights, and song lyrics into your yearbook design.

10. Dedicate a section to the graduates

Show the new grads how proud you are by creating several pages to celebrate their achievements, talents, and unique personalities. This could be a space where students can celebrate a goal they achieved, include a fun fact about themselves, or note one of their favorite things. Make it extra special by leaving room for student autographs.

Site note: If you’re interested in creating a graduation photo book, check out our blog for ideas.

So there you have it. 10 creative yearbook ideas and themes to inspire your own tribute to a year of school life. Get started on your yearbook today with Blurb’s free tool Bookwright!

The post 10 Yearbook Ideas: Themes, Pages, Covers & More appeared first on Blurb Blog.

From their first bath to their first time at the beach, there is so much that you don’t want to forget. We’ve rounded up our ten favorite baby book ideas. Each memory book offers a unique way to document important milestones in your little one’s life that you will be able to share with them for years to come.

1. Letters to your baby

Some parents-to-be choose to write letters to their baby during their pregnancy. This is a special way to share the emotion of being a parent and record the experience of your baby’s first years from your point of view. They may not be able to read them for a number of years, but they will be incredibly meaningful when the time comes.

2. Major milestones

There are going to be dozens of milestones in your baby’s life in the first year alone, and you are going to want to keep track of them all. Creating a baby memory book dedicated to documenting each new first will help you remember their first smile, the first time they sat up, their first doctor’s appointment, their first steps, and everything in between. You can include everything from photos and reports from doctor’s checkups to lists of the foods they’ve tried, and the names of their favorite toys.

3. My, how they’ve grown

There is no better way to see how much your baby changes during their first year than by documenting it in a baby memory book. Schedule a day each month to take a photo of your baby and see just how much they are progressing. Placing a fun prop or toy next to them is a creative way to highlight just how fast they’re growing! Fill in your baby book with other pictures from special occasions, family vacations, and trips out and about.

4. Birth story

There is no more special day in your life than the day that your baby is born. Document the entire story, from your preparations and first contraction to your time in the hospital, and the trip home, in a personalized baby book. Include details like the time of birth, weight, who was there, and how long the labor lasted. You could also include their birth certificate and other mementos.

5. Family tree

Teach your baby about their family near and far, by creating a family tree book. Start by drawing a tree on the first page and listing their relatives on each side. Then fill the pages with photographs of family members past and present. Include pictures of your baby with aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins so that they can see themselves with their family. Does your baby look like you at a young age? Include side-by-side photos!

6. Memento book

Create a baby book filled with mementos from your baby’s first year. Begin the story with their first ultrasound, and then fill the pages with items that represent your first year together, such as poems, song lyrics, nursery rhymes, the invitation to their baby shower, their birth announcement, a lock of their hair, their birth certificate, and more.

7. Baby photo album

Nothing tells a story better than pictures in a photo book. And chances are that you will be taking a lot of pictures of your new baby. While many photos are stored and viewed digitally today, why not keep it old school with a beautiful custom notebook filled with printed baby pictures. Make sure to include everything, from sweet and silly to their first tantrum. Once your baby gets older, you will love sitting down and sharing each moment with them again.

8. Alphabet book

What better way to teach your child the ABCs than by creating a baby storybook filled with pictures of their favorite toys, foods, animals, and family. For “A” how about a photo of them with their aunt? “B” could be a photo from their first birthday, “C” a picture of them in their crib, and so on.

9. Vacation book

You will never forget your first family vacation with your new baby. Wherever you go, turn photos from their first adventure into a baby keepsake book filled with memories that you can revisit at any time. You could create a timeline of family vacations by making a new travel book each year.

10. Wish book

Like any new parent, you are sure to have hopes and dreams for your child’s future. And so will your friends and family. Ask the people around you to write out their wishes for your baby, the things they’re excited to share with them as they grow up, and their promise to support them (and you!) now and in the future.

***

Blurb is a book-printing company that can help you get ready for your new arrival! Make a beautiful baby keepsake photo book quickly and easily with our free desktop tool, BookWright.

The post 10 baby book ideas appeared first on Blurb Blog.

A great friend of mine once said: “Trendy/Cool is how long it takes for connected brain synapses that make up an unexercised memory to die.” In other words, enough time has passed without a group remembering something for a trend to feel new again.

So, these are the design trends we’ll be seeing a lot of in 2019:

1. Maximalism

For a while, we were plagued by minimalist design. What’s not to love about it? Clean, to the point, efficient. As great as it is though, over-simplicity can become tiring and people often just end up feeling numb to sameness. We’ve been seeing a rise in maximalist trends that celebrate excesses, extravagance, and decadence. This framework will relate to most of the 2019 design trends we’ll be mentioning.

2. Brutalism

Now let’s be real, when you are a good designer, ugly design can be extremely refreshing. Brutalism’s origins can be found in architecture. In the mid-twentieth century, we find a group of architects having fun with raw construction materials and exposing mundane functions in buildings…on purpose. In visual arts, we see a lot of designers making unpolished and raw statements too. It’s often found on websites inspired by the early days of the internet (when websites had a lot of pixelated lines and originality was celebrated). There are lots of reasons why this trend is appealing at the moment, but overall we think its appeal lies in its lack of concern about looking easy or attractive. Some of the distinctive Brutalist qualities in design include: lack of shadows, lack of texture, lack of spacing, lack of symmetry, no distinct hierarchy, and stark backgrounds.

3. Translucent Gradients & Duotone

Now, we’ve seen gradients before, but the types of gradient design trends we now see dominate the demo screens of your local Apple Store are a bit more complex. They are designed to imitate the way light dances through crystals or prisms. There are many irregular lines and fast transitions between prismatic color palettes. It’s the return of Lisa Frank iridescent motifs, with a touch of the aurora borealis for our futuristic sensibilities.

Another variation of the gradient trend is the rising popularity of duotone photography. Maybe when you think of duotone, you think of Andy Warhol and Spotify. This style removes most of the colors within a composition and substitutes them with a contrasting one color halftone over another color halftone. Commonly seen in screen printing, Adobe Photoshop has made this technique easier to apply to your digital designs using the popular “Gradient Map” within the “New Adjustment Layer” menu item.

4. Asymmetrical Layouts

Breaking patterns has become an important way for designers and artists to stand out in their fan’s newsfeeds. Repetition can cause people to ignore what they are seeing. The use of asymmetrical layouts is a great way to generate a moderate amount of tension in the user’s minds, breaking the pattern enough to prevent your audience ignoring or becoming immune to your designs. This doesn’t mean the grid is not there, it is just a grid that’s not as obviously perceived.

5. Voice Design

What a world we live in where truly invisible design is part of our daily lives. Probably not as relevant to the 2019 design trends our readers are interested in, but with the rise of AI and the smart home, this trend needs an honorable mention in our 2019 list. You might be familiar already with Amazon Echo and Apple’s Siri, but the interesting thing about this trend is that it is going to soon transform more than a shopping list or a music playlist. In the future, we’ll possibly be designing for voice experiences using voice tools. Wow!

6. Boho

The term ‘Bohemian’ is often applied to people who live unconventional lives. However lately, we see this term having acquired another meaning. Boho design can be seen as a mix of earthy colors and materials with aspirational sensibilities, heavily inspired by 70s fashion. In Boho, you can see the use of rattan, macramé, brightly colored pillows, and textiles. A popular pairing is the inclusion of desert-inspired imagery or plants with script text and hints of half-drawn sketches added as texture.

7. Flexible Design Systems

If you are building an app or website, you probably know that no design made in 2019 can be created without thinking of each element within the context of the larger system. Long gone are the days where custom modifications and in-line code changes were an acceptable way to operate. A healthy design system helps the design process move faster, and makes design updates easier to apply. What makes this so important this year is the increase in design system tools such as Invision’s DSM and Figma, which allow for easier collaboration between designers and engineers.

8. 80s Opulence

Leopard print design, elegant patterns, big shoulder pads, and gold are some of the elements that have been filling fashion runways and Instagram influencer accounts in the last few years. Nouveau-riche glamor, which was once considered tacky, has made a happy comeback through an amalgam of elements. Under this category, synthwave also deserves an honorary mention with the return of pink, purple, and blue as popular color palettes.

9. 3D Design

This 3D 2019 design trend expands to objects, characters, particles, and typographic motifs. We see a lot of our favorite shapes and patterns popularized in Twentieth Century Modernism turned 3D with the addition of interesting angles and shadows. Rather than having product photography stand on its own in the same old boring way, abstract and unusual shapes are placed in strategic ways around the object to increase interest in your product. This trend could be seen as the expansion of the brick-and-mortar display window.

10. Mono-line Design

A cousin of polygon art and illustrations, mono-line design is enjoying a commercial high. Used in a variety of canvases—from Fort Point Beer packaging, to logos and optical illusions—single stroke design has become increasingly popular as a memorable way to create original content that scales across media (in a more interesting way than a stock photograph can).

11. Almost-Flat

As a response to Flat design, we now have “Almost-Flat” design. This can be seen in the logos of some of our favorite brands. Netflix’s new “N” continues to be simple, but with the creative use of shadows, we have now a möbius strip type effect, with a continuous surface creating the “N.” This type of design effect can also be seen in the Google Drive and Adobe PDF logo. Optical illusions have become more popular as design patterns continue to be repetitive and omnipresent.

12. New Renaissance

You saw it at the Met Gala, in Kehinde Wiley’s paintings, and with Beyonce and Jay Z’s music video at The Louvre. A new take on Renaissance inspired art is in. Rich royal designs, textiles, sculptures, stained glass, and figures standing in classic stances are just a few of the many elements that define this trend. Although technically speaking, a lot of the elements are really inspired by 1700s art and the Hellenistic Greek period, we can say this style embodies a desire to rediscover and redefine what opulence means outside of short-term volatile trends. These “return-to-classics” styles say: When an artifact is truly well made, its value can be eternal.

13. Museum

Many brands now want to look creative, fun, and intellectual… without appearing to be childish or cheap. They often find design inspiration in museum brands such as the MOMA, the MET, the Guggenheim, Museo del Prado, among others. Characterized by white space and openness interrupted by explosions of large color tiles with minimal typography—these design systems are the ones that are more likely to find balance between the opposing forces of maximalism and minimalism.

Ultimately, all of these 2019 design trends seem contradictory. As designs and products cycle in faster ways, styles also don’t seem to stick long enough to make committed long-term patterns. We are then living in a world of conflict between the clarity of a message and the boredom of desensitized audiences. Whatever your design style is, learning about tools and areas where you feel comfortable can be an important part of your growth as a designer. With so many things becoming old and becoming new again, being versatile in what you do can help your primary style grow and improve. Or at least be something you feel proud of.

Feeling inspired? Get started on your own creative project with Blurb’s Plug-In for Adobe InDesign Create your book and upload it to your Blurb account without ever leaving your InDesign workflow. Learn more today!

The post 13 Design Trends to Watch in 2019 appeared first on Blurb Blog.

How did you get started as an illustrator?
I went to the Art Institute of Portland and majored in Media Arts and Animation, thinking that I would be a concept artist. I worked on video games for a few years and learned a ton—mainly that I wanted to create my own work. For the past nine months, I’ve been working as an Adobe Creative Resident, which means I get to create my favorite work every day without worrying about paying the bills.

My goal for the year has been to transition into being a full-time children’s book illustrator. Part of the Residency is having mentors that help guide the process, so I reached out to an old teacher (Lee White) who worked in children’s publishing. I’ve definitely learned the most about illustration from him.

Tell us about a piece of work or a professional breakthrough that makes you really proud.
Most of my favorite work has happened in the last few months. I’ve basically created my portfolio from scratch. One of the most satisfying pieces for me is a redesign of an old piece that I call “Fox’s House.” It’s wonderful to see an old idea for an illustration get a new life because your skills have increased. Sometimes progress can seem intangible, so seeing it so plainly is very rewarding!

Sometimes I’ll find a stack of old Post-it notes that have my brain scribbled all over them and feel a sense of satisfaction because I know I’m still very much at the beginning of my career, but I’ve come so far already. I also have to say I would not have gotten half as far in twice the amount of time if it were not for Lee’s guidance and the Adobe Creative Residency giving me this phenomenal opportunity.

What makes the best children’s book? What can authors and illustrators do to make excellent children’s books?
My favorite books are ones with a story that feels very personal, with a unique perspective. Most of my favorites come down to the writing. For me, that’s much harder to create than a beautiful book. I think writing every idea down, no matter how weird or ridiculous, is one foolproof way to keep improving. Another is to seek specific schooling. Lee started an online school with Will Terry and Jake Parker called The Society of Visual Storytelling. Their website has been a huge educational resource for me. Everyone needs to find a place to ask questions, especially when diving into a complex industry like children’s publishing.

What are your creative practices? How do you stay inspired?
Pinterest is one of my favorite tools for finding and gathering inspiration. I love seeing new and fantastic work, so every day, I start by diving into my art/fashion/pattern boards to find something that sparks my imagination.

Aside from that, taking breaks early and often keeps my approach to a project fresh. This is even more important now that my work relies so heavily on ideation. An idea is like a frightened cat. If you chase it, it’s always going to run away. If you relax and ignore it, maybe it will sit next to you (if you’re lucky).

Where are your best sources of inspiration for your illustrations? Which illustrators do you admire?
Instagram and Pinterest for sure, but I also made a “dream portfolio,” which consists of my all-time favorite pieces. I study it to help imbue that style into my work. I should make a new one soon. What I love is always evolving, and so should my inspiration.

A few of my favorite children’s book illustrators are Emily Hughes, Mae Besom, and Carson Ellis.

What was it like to make your own children’s book? How did the process work, and what tools did you use?
It started with an idea for a story that I liked. I thought that it was good enough to start making art for until I started getting feedback from my community. I went to an event with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in August and rewrote my story about 15 times in one night, then 10 more times the next day. Getting feedback, having people want to build off it, and finding the personal meaning of the story were all huge revelations. Once I had a story that felt more impactful (not perfect), the illustrations came more easily. Most of my writing work is just paper and pencil, but I made the artwork digitally.

How did you decide what to include in your portfolio?
This year has been all about efficiency, so every piece I’ve created since June has been for my portfolio. I wanted spreads from the book to become a hefty part of it, but I’ve loved making magazine illustrations, book covers, and one-off spreads from my favorite stories.

I’m of the mindset that my newest work should also be my best work, so it’s been easy to decide what to include. Having a good variety of compositions and moods while showing some style consistency is my method for building a portfolio. And I always focus on quality over quantity. My advice is to remember that you’re just showing the viewer that you can do the work. So you need to make it easy for them to see what you’re about.

What was it like to receive and unwrap your Blurb book? How does it compare to other books you’ve seen? 

It really was like opening a present! I designed a full-color cover, and it immediately made me so excited to look inside. The quality of the printing was evident on every page. I think it’s the closest that I’ve gotten color and value-wise to what I see on my screen. It fits in perfectly with the art books on my shelves!

What role does print play in a digital world? What do you think the future is for books for creatives, child readers, etc?
I actually sent a copy of my book to my agent in New York. Apparently, the founder of the agency loved it so much that she put it on her own bookshelf and said it was one of the best marketing materials she had ever seen. If that doesn’t tell you that print is alive and well, I don’t know what will.

When so much of what we see and appreciate is digital, print starts to stand out even more. Many of the artists I know use print as a calibration for what they love most. If it is their absolute favorite book, they will buy the physical copy. If it’s their favorite artist, they’ll frame the print proudly. Once in the room with them, it feels much more substantial in a way that a digital file just can’t compare to.

How does what you’re doing now compare to what you wanted to do growing up? Have you always known you wanted to be an illustrator?
I’ve gone through quite the journey of what I thought I’d do. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a zoo keeper, pilot, and marine biologist. I only really pursued art because I had to tour colleges at the end of high school, but I never thought it could be a viable career until my mom’s hair stylist (Mimi) said I should make art professionally. Something clicked when she said that.

I slowly started to decide what I wanted out of life instead of letting life happen to me. Mimi must be psychic because she also said I should go into children’s publishing. It took me about nine years to finally take that bit of advice. I dove into concept art first because I absolutely love it. It wasn’t until I realized that I wanted to work from home (so that I could spend time with my future dog!) that I considered illustration. Lee taught me to think of the lifestyle as part of the career, which sounds so obvious but blew my mind. The more I’ve worked in illustration, the more I absolutely love it!

If you had a piece of advice for your 5-years-ago-self, what would you tell her? What would you tell people just starting out?
I would have told myself to start making the work that I wanted to make. No waiting, just do it! It’s so important to be active in your career, to really take control and seek out the people and opportunities that will build your community. It’s not as scary once you’re doing it, I promise.

Feeling like you’ll magically know something in a year that you don’t know now is just self-sabotage, so make that thing you’ve been thinking about. If you’re starting something new, try to surround yourself with like-minded people. Remember, most of us are introverts, so talk to each other anyway. Keep an idea journal, hoard Pinterest boards, and learn from your peers. Just do the thing!

What’s one project you’re dying to work on next?
I’m actually doing something that I’ve always wanted to do right now. As an exercise and to build my portfolio, I’ve been working on making a book cover. I could pick any book, so of course, I had to pick Harry Potter. I’ve always dreamed of making something for or from the wizarding world and would love to work with J.K. Rowling someday. My mentor Lee actually got to make a poster for the newest Fantastic Beasts movie, so I’m living vicariously through him! But as long as I’m making new content that spreads positivity, I’ll be doing my best work and living my best life.

Thank you, Anna, for taking the time to talk to us and for making your beautiful book with Blurb.

Ready to make your own professional portfolio? Get started with one of our high-on-design templates, or create your own custom layouts.

The post 12 Questions with Anna Daviscourt, Adobe Creative Resident appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Here Blurb’s Senior Designer Stacey Toth shares five illustrators whose work has influenced her own creative style.

01
Aubrey Beardsley

Aubrey Beardsley was an English illustrator, author, and a leading figure in the Art Nouveau movement. He was influenced in particular by Japanese woodcuts and illustration, which can be seen in his black ink drawings.

Beardsley was considered one of the more controversial artists during the Art Nouveau era, due to his grotesque erotica imagery.

“I have one aim—the grotesque. If I am not grotesque I am nothing.”
Aubrey Beardsley

His attention to detail and perfection is evident in every drawing of his. I find his illustrations to be an intriguing juxtaposition of calm and intense.

02
Sara Andreasson

A Swedish born illustrator and designer, Sara Andreasson has worked for several big-name clients including Nike, Converse, Visa, and the New York Times.

One of the many reasons I enjoy Sara Andreasson’s work is its distinctive nature. Once you see a piece of hers, you immediately know it is hers. It tends to center on line and figure drawings, surreal shaped plants, and a signature palette of cool orange, vibrant pink, periwinkle, and brown.

One of my favorite illustrations of hers is Socks.

03
Jessie Willcox Smith

An American female illustrator during the 19th and early 20th century, Jessie Willcox Smith was considered one of the greatest “pure” illustrators. Her work was way ahead of its time.

In my opinion, her technique was flawless and her work beyond beautiful.

04
Cristina Daura

Daura’s illustrations read like modern surrealism with a dash of baroque, rendered with a vibrant color palette. Her work is like a visual maze, with no end and layers upon layers of depth.

Her work has been commissioned by the New York Times, the New Yorker, and AIDS Awareness organizations.

05
Egon Schiele

Egon Schiele was an Austrian figurative painter and illustrator, primarily known for his nude contour drawings and self-portraits. His expressive line work and distorted body shapes characterize Schiele’s drawings as an early exponent of Expressionism. To this day, I have yet to see a line drawing express more emotion than that of a Schiele.

Which illustrators have inspired your book or creative work? Tell us in the comments below!

Ready to get started on your very own creative project? Get started today!

The post 5 Illustrators You Need to Know About appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Hear a bit more about his creative practices— challenging himself and learning on the go—in our conversation below.

1. Tell us a little bit about your work and why you make it

I am a Photographer and Digital Artist. I started photography 2011 and started taking design and photography seriously in 2014. Then in October 2016, I started my “A Poster a Day” project. It really pushed me to get better in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Want to try out Adobe tools for yourself? Take advantage of this special offer on Adobe tools for Blurb users. 

I would honestly say my passion is for portrait photography and conveying a message, feeling, or story through visual arts. Three years ago, I started adding graphic elements to my portraits to help me better convey a feeling or emotion in my images.

2. When did you start making images and why? 

In college, I was told, “Temi, you have an eye.” I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but now I do. I was editing other people’s pictures on my iPhone 3G. That same month, I bought my first camera. A Nikon d3100. I really only got a camera so I could take pictures of my friends and eventually my future family when I have one. That was the goal. I started taking my camera everywhere with me and learning everything I could. I tell people I graduated from “YouTube University” as well because I learned a lot from there.

3. What images inspire you? What sorts of images do you enjoy making the most? 

I love images by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gordon Parks, and several other notable photographers from the 20th century. What I love about the photographers back in the day was that they really shaped photography as it is today. There were a lot of candid shots, fashion, documentary etc. Everyone had their lane and specialty.

4. What is your go-to photography gear? 

I currently shoot with the Sony A7RIII + 85mm 1.8 Zeiss Batis, 55mm 1.8 Zeiss, and 35mm 2.8 Zeiss.

5. Where was it that you learned the most about photography? 

I learned from asking questions, and most importantly, going out to shoot. I think sometimes we spend too much time consuming, rather than actually going out there and photographing people or things we love. YouTube also helped.

6. What made you choose the magazine format?

Starting my poster project, I knew I always wanted to turn this into a book or do an exhibition. I made my book in portrait size because I wanted the people looking at it to see everything. The details, the colors, the textures etc. I chose the magazine format because I’ve always been curious to see how the quality came out compared to a normal book. I used Blurb for my first book a few years ago and have been using them since. The magazine quality came out amazing.

7. What elements make a good magazine? 

I think the content, the layouts, and design can make or break a good magazine. I love magazines that go outside the box and create a lane for themselves. Sometimes we play things too safe because no one has ever done it before. I’m guilty of that, but I want to do better and try new things in the future.

8. What was your reaction when you first opened and leafed through your finished product? How does it compare to other magazines you’ve seen? 

I was totally in shock. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It just felt so good to see my photography and design work in a book. I can’t wait to print more.

9. What do you like and where does it show up in the magazine? What inspired your color choices, layouts, typography, etc.? 

I wanted my cover to be something that grabs people’s attention. The series in the book was based on gradients. Every page has some sort of gradient in the design, and I wanted that to be the theme throughout the magazine. I wanted any text I had in the book to not distract people from the art, so my magazine has minimal words apart from the intro page which talks about me and what I do.

10. What is your relationship to print? What role do you think print has in a digital world? 

I think print is ALIVE and doing well. I’ve had so many people order my artwork to hang up in their houses, shops, galleries etc. It’s been an amazing experience to see my work hanging in someone’s house. I can’t wait until my book is sitting on someone’s coffee table!

11. What advice would you give someone creating his or her first magazine? What did you learn? 

Always work backward. What do you want people to know, see, or learn after going through the magazine? What’s the theme? What’s the topic? Who’s your audience? I had to ask myself these questions before making the magazine, and it helped me a lot.

12. What project are you dying to do next?

Starting this month, I’m going to be working on album covers for artists and also make my own. I’m so excited because I truly believe in creating the type of work you want to be hired for—this gives me the opportunity to do just that.

Want to put your own ideas in print with a newsstand-quality magazine? Get started today. Whether you’re creating serial content or high-volume printing projects, you can choose from Premium and Economy print options.

The post An Interview with Adobe Creative Resident Temi Coker appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Have you ever made a cookbook before?

Goodness, no! Although I had long talked about somehow organizing our family recipes, I had never imagined a cookbook like this; however, I committed myself to the project at Christmas 2016. That year, I gave my parents the promise of “a family cookbook.” There were simply recipes I wanted “for posterity,” particularly given our Czech heritage and our many baking and cooking traditions. Gratefully, I made good on that promise one year later, when Blurb delivered my cookbook just days before Christmas 2017.

How did you decide the format for your book? What were you considering as you chose the size, paper type, and page count? 

I wanted the cookbook to look like something you’d pull off the shelf at a bookstore. So I chose the Standard Portrait size (8 x 10 inch), with a dust jacket, and premium matte #100 paper. Now that it is printed, I wouldn’t change a thing.  Friends often comment “It looks like it came from a bookstore.”  So, mission accomplished.

Although I guess this is technically a cookbook, it really is so much more to me. The book contains just as many stories and photos as recipes, which is exactly why I turned to Blurb to help me create it. I use my Instagram account to follow several photographers who inspire me, and several of them have used Blurb for their albums. I loved the look and quality of their albums and had always heard about the easy-to-use software. So when I was ready to make my cookbook, I turned to Blurb. I was not disappointed.

As for page count, my initial plan was to create something with a dozen recipes and a few photos, but that changed almost immediately. Once I started collecting recipes and photos with my mom and other family members, we just couldn’t stop. In the end, the book is 226 pages and we really could have added more; however, I think I was starting to approach Blurb’s page limit.

All of those recipes though—it was like a treasure hunt.  Over the course of the year that I worked on the project, the conversation would turn to the cookbook each time my family got together.  We’d remember another recipe and inevitably, a family story that went along with it:  “Do you remember that cake Grandma Pavek made with the broiled oatmeal topping? You made it too, Mom. That was so good. I don’t think we have that recipe yet.” And so the cake with the broiled oatmeal topping was added to the recipe list. (As it turns out, that particular cake wasn’t only a great recipe, but it also had a great story and its own Czech nickname! It’s on page 143 of the cookbook.)

What was it like gathering and organizing the recipes?

It was an amazing experience. But, oh my goodness! I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. As soon as I jumped in, the project became something much bigger than I imagined. I spent months researching, re-creating recipes, organizing, typing, editing, storytelling, and best-guessing. And I roped my entire family into the project with me, especially my mom and dad.  Honestly though, they loved it just as much as I did.

I started the process by listing every recipe I could think of and then asking my family what I had missed. That’s when the recipe list quadrupled in size. Once a recipe title made it on the “master list,” I had to hunt down the actual hard copy recipe with the ingredients and instructions. In our family, our cooking and baking traditions were inherited from both of my grandmothers, both of whom had passed away years before. Gratefully though, their hand-written recipes remained. I just had to figure out who might be the keeper of a particular one.  So, dozens of phone calls, emails, texts, and car trips ensued to locate all of the recipes.

As I began collecting recipes, I came upon another challenge: Often, my grandmother’s recipes were a simple scrawled list of 4 or 5 ingredients, and nothing more. No instructions of any kind.  I guess my grandmothers just knew what to do with those ingredients.  But gratefully, my mom was also the keeper of our family cooking traditions. So, when I came across one of those “ingredient-only” recipes, I’d call her and she’d create the instructions for me, step by step.  I’d put her on speaker phone, next to my keyboard and she’d describe the instructions, as I typed them into the recipe. Without question, those phone calls are among my favorite memories from this process. Working on the cookbook with my mom was a gift!

Once I had my master recipe list, it became pretty clear as to how the recipes would be organized in the book. To supplement the recipes, I also included every family photo I could dig up that was somehow connected to food. Sharing a family meal, setting a table, gardening, cooking, baking, blowing out candles, whatever. I included them all. I then created even more photos by asking my parents to cook and bake some of our family favorites (particularly some of the Czech recipes), and allowing me to take photos while they cooked and baked. And even better, these mini photo shoots often happened while my own kids helped.

In the end, the new photos become heirlooms all by themselves. Maybe the cookbook was just the excuse to make those happen. I also audio-recorded my mom and dad telling some of the stories that were connected to a few of the recipes. Together, I think those are the things that make the cookbook mean so much more. It tells our family story.

It’s amazing the stories that come from our food. Not only the stories for each individual recipe but the story they collectively tell about our family. The traditions they reveal.  About what our family values and cares about the most. It was also clear that the cookbook would have A LOT of sweets in it.  Cookies, cakes, bars, pies, desserts—you name it. By far, that is the biggest recipe section.  But I guess that baking cookies or a cake was something we could do together. Then, sharing the end result with family or friends—well, we also shared our love that way too.

What was your favorite recipe you found? Why? 

I can’t even begin to choose one. Likely, the recipes that are connected to my Czech heritage are really meaningful. In particular, I think my mom’s recipe for Kolacky, along with all the photos we took of her baking them, are so special to me. Because of the history. Because I remember all of the Kolacky variations she lists as part of the recipe from my own childhood. And because now my mom shares these baking traditions with my own kids.

I also love my dad’s recipe for a Czech soup called Booya. There is so much family history in that recipe. He learned it from his dad, who learned it from his dad (my great-grandfather.) I took photos of my dad making Booya for the cookbook, which was even more meaningful because he was going through chemotherapy at that time. Gratefully, he is cancer-free now. But capturing those photos and stories at that particular time is so poignant and meaningful. Even when life is difficult and painful, we can cook and share a meal together and remember the important constants in life.

I also made a point of scanning several of my family’s handwritten recipes and including them as photos in the book. It is one of the features I love most. It makes each recipe from my grandfather or grandmothers or mom or aunts even more personal.

Because the all of the pictures are such a big part of the cookbook, I have 2 photo spreads in particular that are my favorites.  I love the 2-page spread of family members blowing out birthday candles. Even my eighty-five-year-old grandma was caught in the act. To me, those photos are a reminder of everything we celebrated. Every birthday, every holiday, every picnic, every reason to cook and bake for someone. The food and the stories and the love really are all wrapped up together.

I also included a recipe for homemade ice cream, along with three photos: one of my dad and uncle licking ice cream beaters when they were maybe 5 and 7 years old, respectively; another photo of my dad making homemade ice cream when he was in his 20’s; and finally a photo of my own children making ice cream a few years ago. I love that history. Some great recipes clearly stand the test of time.

Tell us about your book design process. Did you do it alone? Did you have help? How did you know which layouts to use, and how did you choose your fonts?

I spent a lot of time looking at the designs highlighted on the Blurb website and I bookmarked my favorites. I also created a Pinterest board, to collect other ideas.  I’ve also collected cookbooks for years, sitting on the bookshelves in my kitchen. So I paged through my own cookbook collection and noted designs I liked. I knew I wanted something simple and clean.  But in the end, I just picked out fonts and layouts that I liked, and went for it.

What book-making tool did you use? What was it like to use it? 

I used BookWright. It was a fabulous program. It was very intuitive and easy to use. I created two templates for my recipes (either one-to-a-page or two-to-a-page) and then added photos and stories around the recipes. It was so easy was to change the look of a page, using a different-sized photo or layout. I could easily create several different designs before settling on what I wanted.

The greatest challenge was keeping track of all my photos. I included so many throughout the book, and it was difficult to remember which I had used, and which were yet to be inserted. However, my guess is that was a beginner’s mistake. When I do another project, I will consider my “assets” first and organize them a little better.

What was the occasion or holiday you chose for giving your book? Why? 

My mom decided to gift copies of the cookbook to all of our family for Christmas 2017.  Which meant I was an author on a deadline! The final draft needed to be uploaded by December 19th, in order to be delivered by Christmas Eve. So, it was a mad rush at the end, with countless hours the last few weeks. My husband and kids knew they needed to fend for themselves, because I was glued to the computer, typing away.

Finally, as December 19th arrived, the book was in pretty good shape. However, I didn’t have a cover design yet. PANIC!! I just hadn’t found photos that I thought represented the totality of the cookbook. However, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention.

Throughout the cookbook writing process, I had collected family dishware, wooden spoons, and utensils, recipe boxes, glasses and more. Thinking I might use them in some photos from time to time.  Gratefully, all of these items were sitting on my dining room table that day. So, I put together an impromptu photo shoot on my kitchen floor. I arranged all these meaningful items in a circle, leaving room to add the book title in Photoshop. I did something similar with the back cover, arranging items my dad used in making Booya, his Czech soup. Somehow, on that last day with the deadline just hours away, I created the book cover that I love.

In the end, on December 19th, I uploaded my cookbook, with 18 minutes to spare. 18 minutes!!  And then I rested. (Ok, truth.  Then I went shopping and started cooking and baking myself, since the cookbook had consumed my life, and I still had the rest of Christmas to prepare for. Ha!)

How did it feel to unwrap your cookbook for the first time and see what you’ve made?

The books arrived 2 days before Christmas. Just as Blurb had promised. I remember arriving home after work and seeing the large box sitting on my front porch. I was so excited, and I was absolutely terrified. What if they didn’t turn out as I had imagined? What if those endless hours were for nothing? Would I ruin Christmas?! I think it took me an hour of staring at the box before opening it. But then I did.  And I cried. It was beautiful. It was much more than I could have imagined. And it was done.

What was your family’s response to receiving their cookbooks? 

Although my mom and most of my family had been part of the creating process over the past year, I kept the design under lock and key. So when everyone unwrapped their cookbook together on Christmas Eve, it was the first time they were seeing the finished project. Yes, I cried. Again. And I wasn’t alone. I think it was particularly meaningful for my mom and my sister. It was a moment I won’t forget.

What did you learn from the process of making and printing from a cookbook? Anything you’d do differently next time? What would you tell someone else who was making a book like this? 

The project took MUCH more time than I anticipated, but that was my own fault. It really took on a life of its own, as I kept adding more and more elements. Another photo shoot. More recipes and photos to track down. More stories to collect and transcribe. The final editing. But I knew that if I was going to put the time into it, I was going to do it well. That I’d to right by my families cooking heritage. And I did. I’m so proud of the end result.

Also, my inclination is to say that next time, I’d prefer to do it without a looming deadline. However, that deadline made me finish the book. Otherwise, I might still be tweaking it today!

Since making the book, I share it with others much more than I thought I would. Simply because I want people to do the same. So often friends and family members say “I’ve always wanted to do create a family cookbook.” And my reply is “DO IT!!”  It is truly an heirloom that tells so much of our family story. Anyone can do this. It was a huge project, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. And even more wonderful is that that these recipes are now so accessible, all in one spot, and so I use them. I pull out the cookbook at least once a week. And in doing so, I relive the memory of my grandmother or mom or dad baking or cooking the same thing. It is just a gift.

Would you make another book?

Yes. Absolutely. In fact, I have been working on a 2nd edition of the cookbook. But this time, I am taking my time, editing each page, correcting a few typos, and rearranging some of the photos more thoughtfully. I am also planning to add more stories and additional photos I’ve come across. And if there is room, I have just a few more recipes to add…

What’s one creative project you’d like to do someday? 

I am planning another book. On May 1, 2018, my husband and I purchased a cabin in northern Minnesota. It’s been a dream come true. 160 acres of forest and bog, with three miles of trails and a small private lake. As you can imagine, it has been quite an adventure as we navigate how to be good stewards of this beautiful land. I’ve been keeping a journal of our experiences at the cabin and of course, taking hundreds of photos. So, this first year at the cabin will be my next book. It’s already taking shape in my head…

A big thanks to Debra for taking the time to answer all our questions and share her insights. We really enjoyed the close look at tackling such a monumental project. 

***
Ready to make your own cookbook? Get started with one of our high-on-design templates, or create your own custom layout.

The post What It’s Like to Actually Make a Family Cookbook appeared first on Blurb Blog.

But with endless options for imagery, layouts, and content, how do you decide on your next project? Get started with these 15 creative journal or notebook ideas.

1. Custom planner

Why wait until the start of a new year? Create a personalized daily planner you can start using today. Design calendar pages customized to your world so you can keep track of appointments, deadlines, special occasions, personal goals, shopping lists, notes, and ideas. Make a compact book that’s easy to take with you or a large planner that completes your office desk.

2. Bullet journal

This increasingly popular journal idea is so beloved because the journal is completely customizable. Opt for pages with dotted grids and turn the empty pages into whatever aesthetically pleasing spaces you need at the time. Create a daily planner, workout tracker, or the ultimate to-do list by turning the grid into sections of pure productivity.

3. Artist sketchbook

There’s nothing like having a trusty sketchbook on hand when inspiration strikes—some artists won’t leave home without one! Give yourself plenty of blank pages for doodles, storyboards, or ideas for your next book to take shape. 

4. Travel journal

Capture every moment of your journey by combining lined pages for storytelling with blank pages for sketches, pasted tickets, pressed flowers, and more. Keep an instant film camera on hand and paste a new snapshot into your journal each day, then pair it with a short, handwritten note to take you back to that day whenever you need. For travel journals, we recommend something small and portable with a flexible soft cover, so your memories don’t have to compete for luggage space. Our cover options range from blank, lined, square, or dot grid notebook pages that you can combine with photos or illustrations to suit your content.

5. Personal notebook

Journals are about honesty and self-expression. For this creative journal idea, write like no one’s reading, explore some of your most abstract ideas, or just recap your day. When you make your own personal notebook, you can include whatever pages you’re excited about. Maybe you have a section of blank pages for doodles next to a section of lined pages for your daily diary. Ultimately, the power is in your hands, and the space is yours to fill.

6. Vision board

One of the best ways to reach personal goals is to visualize them in advance and make plans to achieve smaller components of something larger. Build your own vision board or blueprint for success, one page at a time. From career aspirations and fitness goals to fashion aesthetics and relationship milestones, this is your blank canvas for manifestation. Leave room to include notes about your daily, weekly, or monthly achievements, and don’t forget to celebrate milestones along the way. 

7. Baby journal

Parenthood is a wild ride, and it’s hard to remember each special milestone with clarity. Creating a baby journal is a great creative idea because you can write down those precious moments, big and small, so that you can reflect on them later. Leave room for gratefulness exercises, tips for other parents that you wish you’d known, and pictures that you collect along the way. You’ll be happy you have it when your baby is all grown up, and you may even want to gift it to them. To commemorate milestones visually, consider creating a baby photo book.

8. Yearly journal

With notebooks and journals that can be as long as 480 pages, you have plenty of room to catalog every day of the year and then some. Grow, reflect, and remember with a record of 365 days in a single volume. Design your creative journal with inspiring quotes to keep you motivated, prompts that help you take stock of your mood, and gratitude questions to maintain your mental wellness. For this notebook idea, that will stay with you through a whole year, we recommend a hardcover. That way, it will last through typical wear-and-tear better, and it’s easier to hold if you’re in a strange writing position.

9. Recipe journal

Don’t let another delicious dinner go unrecorded! This creative journal idea is a must for anyone who loves getting creative in the kitchen. Preserve all of your favorite recipes, track your ideas for future dishes, and note ingredients that you need to explore. Diversify the journal sections with photos, notes, and drawings to make each recipe section unique.

10. Review journal

Are you the cultural critic of your friend group? Hone your expert opinion and keep track of the books, movies, and albums that you’re enjoying (or not). If you’re a mindful media consumer, you likely need a review journal to remember your first impression, share your key takeaways with friends, and explore new genres, authors, or subjects that have resonated with you. Customize the blank pages of this creative journal idea with places for the title, creators, important characters, plot points, and star rating to make filling out your reviews a breeze.

11. Favorite lists notebook

For this notebook idea, make a list of anything (and everything). Dream vacation destinations. Photoshoot ideas. Road trip playlists. Restaurants to try. Movies you love. Movies to watch. Novels to read. Stories to write. Flowers and herbs to grow. Musicians, artists, writers, and historical figures to research.

There’s no list too long or too short for a creative notebook like this. Best yet, this is the kind of notebook that makes an incredible holiday gift for everyone on your list—just personalize the cover and add a few quotes or images inside each journal, and your shopping list is complete!

12. Writing journal

Great novels, memoirs, and poetry collections often grow out of a single page from a writer’s journal. Make it a daily habit to jot down ideas that interest you or write out your stream of consciousness for an allotted amount of time. Working on a long-form writing project? Get strategic and divide your creative journal into sections by chapter, character, or scene. With so many customization options, you have free reign to design a notebook that matches your process.

13. Photo collage journal

To keep your creativity flowing, create a journal dedicated to photo collages. Not sure where to begin with this journal idea? Collage is about layering and juxtaposing images and text. Pick one photograph or image and see where it leads you. There are no wrong ideas. Mix photos and magazine cutouts with lines of poetry. Add paint or ink. Cut, copy, paste, repeat, and let your imagination run wild!

14. Gratitude notebook

Practicing gratitude can be a powerful source of happiness and well-being. Take a few minutes out of each day to write down someone or something you are grateful for—an act of kindness, a positive experience, or a simple moment of beauty in your day. Personalize a notebook with the dates and dedicated numbers for your daily gratitude list—and perhaps even some space for journaling to expand on your list and ideas from time to time.

15. Dream journal

Looking for inspiration at every turn? Some of your best journal ideas might be taking shape in the middle of the night! Make a morning ritual of recording as many people, places, and emotions as you can remember from your dreams—you might be surprised to find some recurring themes. You never know what stories you’ll want to tell or visuals you’ll want to recreate, so go for blank pages that give you room to let your dream recall flow.

***

Ready to start your next big project? Put your notebook design ideas on paper with Blurb and make a notebook or journal today.

The post 15 ideas for a custom notebook or journal appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Do choose a font that enhances your message 

Choosing a font can be a daunting task because the options are endless. It’s important to trust your intuition and know what mood you are trying to project. Instead of spending hours looking for the “perfect” font, try to narrow your options by creating a mood board of inspiration containing film posters, book covers, or album art that influences you.

Do choose a bold font for a dark background 

Choosing a font that compliments the mood of your design won’t be effective if the viewer can’t read your content. If you’re working on a dark background, choose a font with a heavier weight for maximum contrast and readability.

Do experiment with color 

Introducing color to your text can add hierarchy and tone to your design. When considering color, remember that less is more and that the most obvious color choice isn’t always the best one. For example, black and red can be a subtle but spooky take on Halloween, and blue and silver effectively hint at luxury and non-denominational celebrations in December.

Do adjust the leading and kerning of your font 

Check the spacing between characters (kerning) and the spacing between lines (leading) to ensure your design is even and readable. While letter spacing may seem like a small detail, it can make or break the subconscious visual impact of your font choice for your viewer. Spatially, your design should flow in a natural and organic rhythm. If the viewer doesn’t notice the leading and kerning of your design, you’re doing something right.

Don’t choose a font that is so stylized it is unreadable 

Legibility is the most important factor to consider when choosing a font. Regardless of how interesting the font is, if your “C” looks like an “O” your design, is flawed. Scan your font characters to ensure they all look unique. If you absolutely love a font, but one letter does resemble another, you can always use a program like Illustrator to adjust the characters slightly.

Don’t pair two overly stylized fonts together 

Too many fonts, like too many colors, can make for chaotic design. One decorative font within a design is typically enough. If you add another decorative font, make sure to use a variety of font weights and sizes to create hierarchy, and keep your color palette monochromatic to create cohesiveness.

Don’t choose a font that is overly recognizable 

The point of choosing a seasonal font is to immediately evoke a specific feeling or reference a recognizable experience before the viewer has a chance to read your content. You’re speaking to their subconscious a little bit. But if you choose a font that is too strongly associated with a specific brand or product (the fonts for the films The Nightmare Before Christmas or Friday the 13th come to mind), your design may read as unoriginal or cheap.

Don’t take too many risks with your layout 

Just as with color and font, a little experimentation with non-traditional alignment goes a long way. If you’re using a seasonal font, keep your grid simple. Good design should always come first.

Here are a few decorative fonts I plan on using this Halloween season:

Helmswald Post

Hanley

S&S Nickson

Mrs Monster

Do you have a favorite spooky Halloween font? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Dos and Don’ts of Halloween Fonts appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Layout 5

Image 5.1

This is my favorite layout of the three, and I’m paying compliments to a very famous designer on this spread. I’m using a single, bold, clean, and easily readable image on the right that is immediately recognizable as Paris. I’m juxtaposing this with an equally bold, massive title on the left. There is a second layer of copy underneath, presented in a lesser density so the title and subtitles jump off the page. This spread is slightly busy, but I like it.

Image 5.2

Some of the features here are similar to the first spread, but I have inverted the main image to provide an X-RAY style look to the layout. I’ve kept the same bold title but lessened its impact by keeping it black which bleeds into the background a bit more. I’ve put the subtitle in white to jump off the page. The right page is a simple, clean copy block in 10 pt.

Image 5.3

This is a slightly different spread, but I do find it interesting. Again, I’m paying homage to a certain designer by mimicking his type treatment. There is no title, since the image on the right coveys the sense of place. The subtitle takes up an entire page and uses multiple fonts in multiple sizes. The image is, again, clean and simple and says what needs to be said in regard to where we are.

What are your top tips when it comes to page layout and book design? Share your comments, questions, and ideas on these layouts below.

The post Book Layout & Design Ideas: Layout 5 appeared first on Blurb Blog.

If you have a collection of photography that you don’t know what to do with, turning them into a photo book is a great way to showcase your work. Whether you keep it just for yourself or share it as a portfolio, there are many photography book ideas you can create. Draw some inspiration from the photo book examples below to help you get started.

30 ideas for your next photo book

Idea #1 – Annual yearbook

Birthdays, reunions, vacations, renovations, new schools, graduations, new additions, big achievements—a lot can happen in a year, and nowadays most of it is caught on camera. Put it all into a photo book so you don’t forget a moment.

Idea #2 – ABC photo book

The alphabet is one of the first things we all learn. A photo book full of a little one’s favorite things and bright colors can help make that first adventure into the world of words even more fun.

Idea #3 – A photo a day

If a new addition in your family is growing fast, taking a picture of them every day can help you record the changes that take place in the blink of an eye. We love this photo book idea to capture evolution over time. But it doesn’t have to be a person. How about taking a picture from the same street corner every day? What changes do you see? What stories emerge as you lay out your images in your photo book?

Idea #4 – Pick a color

For a creative project, pick your favorite color and take as many pictures as you can featuring all of its different hues. It’s a great way to practice your photography and photo editing skills as well as leaving you with a photo book full of your favorite shades.

Idea #5 – Four seasons

The world around us changes from month to month, as one season flows into another. Capture this beautiful, natural process with photos of the same tree, garden, or vista in spring, summer, fall, and winter. Those images will make a stunning coffee table photo book.

Idea #6 – Anniversary album

The traditional gift for a first wedding anniversary is paper. So, what better way to celebrate than with a beautiful photo book made up of images from your first year of wedded bliss. Hint…it makes a good gift for all the other years to come, too! View our anniversary photo book ideas for more inspiration.

Idea #7 – By children, for children

This is a great idea for a summer project. Ask your children, nephews, and nieces to come up with their very own bedtime story, featuring all their favorite characters. Encourage them to draw the illustrations for each scene and turn them into a book that they’ll want to read again and again.

Idea #8 – Portfolio

Whatever your career goals, having a book full of your best work and ideas is an invaluable tool. From photographers to make-up artists, a professional-quality photo book is the ideal way to showcase your skills and talent.

Idea #9 – Client book

At the end of each year, you’ll want to reach out to your clients to thank them for their support and remind them of the successful projects you’ve worked on together. A personalized photo book is an effective and memorable way to strengthen your business connections.

Idea #10 – Instagram photo book

Instagram empowers us to capture the beautiful, inspirational, and hilarious moments of everyday life.  The moments that are otherwise lost forever as we rush through each day. With Blurb’s free tools, you can turn your Instagram shots into a handy photo book, so you can remember the things that made you smile, if even for a moment.

Idea #11 – Cookbook

When it comes to delicious food we all have our tried and tested family favorites. With a personal cookbook, you can indulge in some home comforts wherever you go. Try using our free cookbook templates to make sure you don’t miss out any crucial steps or ingredients.

Idea #12 – Coffee table photo book

Shots of stunning vistas and panoramic views were made to be displayed, uninterrupted, on the pages of a layflat wedding book. Perfect for browsing through on lazy Sunday mornings, relaxing with a cup of coffee.

Idea #13 – Travel guide

If you love to travel, you likely have a ton of amazing photographs you don’t know what to do with. Combine your travel photos with local tips and advice to help others find their way around your favorite places. Explore our travel photo book ideas for some inspiration.

Idea #14 – Reasons I love you

Let the person you love most in the world know exactly why. From the big things to the little everyday things, a combination of illustrations, photos, and anecdotes could make a beautiful Valentine’s Day gift.

Idea #15 – Super fan memento

What’s your favorite sports team, band, author, or film director? Share your passion and knowledge with others who love the same things you do. Make a photo book full of images and fun facts, and let the world know why you’re a super fan!

Idea #16 – Family tree book

Who we are today has been shaped by the people that came before us. Celebrate your family history with a family tree photo book that traces your family tree back to its roots. An ideal gift for everyone at the next family reunion!

Idea #17 – Flipbook illustrations

If you’re a dab hand at illustrations you could make your very own classic flip book for a novel way to tell a short story.

Idea #18 – Fashion line

If your burning ambition is to clothe the next generation of runway models, why not get started on designing your own fashion line. Annotated sketches or images of garments you’ve already created will make for a stylish photo book showcasing your natural good taste.

Idea #19 – Coloring book

If you’ve got piles of sketchbooks full of illustrations, drawings, and doodles, then you’ve got the makings of a beautiful coloring book, worthy of a place on the shelves of the Blurb Bookstore.

Idea #20 – Cocktail recipe book

What’s your favorite tipple? Pair elegant shots of classic combinations and new concoctions with ingredient lists and instructions, for a recipe book with a twist.

Idea #21 – Charity drive

Whether you’re raising awareness or raising funds, a book explaining your story, your purpose, and examples of how people can help make a difference could be an effective way to persuade others to dig deep or give their time.

Idea #22 – Wedding book

No big day is complete without an album that captures every special moment. Our Layflat books with panoramic spreads mean you can relive every minute as though you were doing it all again.

Idea #23 – Wedding guest book

The perfect memento of a special day. Create a book that your nearest and dearest can fill with best wishes, anecdotes, and their memories of you and your other half.

Idea #24 – Engagement book

One question. One answer. Celebrate the start of your new adventure together with a photo book that captures the moment it all began.

Idea #25 – How-to guide

Crafting, cooking, knitting, writing, photography—whatever you’re good at, share your knowledge and expertise with the world using a combination of clean-cut images and rich-text formatting options.

Idea #26 – B&B guest book

If you’re in the business of hosting guests from far and wide, a custom guest book is the perfect way to capture the stories of the travelers that pass through your door. Or why not create a book for each guest’s room detailing all there is to do, see, eat, and drink in your local area.

Idea #27 – Graduation day

From your first day at school to your first day as a graduate, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are. A world of opportunity awaits but take a moment to recognize the journey you’ve been on, what you’ve achieved, and the people who’ve shared it with you.

Idea #28 – Pet books

Our furry friends are part of the family and that means they deserve their very own photo book. They keep us company, make us laugh, and bring joy to our lives every day. Isn’t it about time to create a pet photo album dedicated to all those great memories? If you can get them to sit still long enough for a photo that is!

Idea #29 – Photo essay

It might be a cliché, but it’s true that often a picture paints a thousand words. If you’ve got a story to tell a carefully curated photo book could be the most powerful way to get your message across.

Idea #30 – Wonderful wildlife

What better subject for photography and illustration than the beautiful flora and fauna of the natural world around you. Why not start by documenting the wildlife roaming around your own backyard?

***

One format. 30 different ideas. And that’s just the start. Add to our list of photo book ideas with your next project. What will it be?

Ready to make a photo book? Get started today!

The post 30 photo book ideas to get you started appeared first on Blurb Blog.

So, why is this the case? Why, in the age of the internet, do we still long for the tactile pleasure of the printed magazine page? Let’s take a look.

Dramatic beginnings

The “picture magazine” business really began with publications like Look Magazine and Life Magazine. These publications became a serious source of visual information in a way the world had simply not experienced before. The public might have read about things like Egypt, or World War, or a long-lost tribe, but these magazines gave them their first opportunity to SEE these places, events, or peoples.

From the editorial offices of these legendary publications came the beginnings of things like Magnum Photos, a cooperative picture agency still to this day considered to be the most prestigious of all. Names like Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson soon became household names, as the fruits of their labor spilled out on the pages of these exotic picture magazines. A new industry was born, and that same industry still smolders today.

Strategic choice

The magazine is and was a strategic tool unlike any other. First, the magazine is a serial publication, meaning it arrives issue after issue, sometimes each month, while in other cases two or three times a year. The recipient knows that when the current issue has been consumed, there will be another on the way shortly.

Secondly, the magazine is affordable. The Blurb version starts at just $3.99. Adding to this affordable aspect is the idea that a magazine feels slightly less precious than a book, so readers have a tendency to really engage with it, no matter where they are or what they are doing. Ever been on an airplane? Ever been on vacation and spent time sitting poolside? If so, I’ll bet you, or someone you knew, was reading a magazine. I’ve never seen someone consume a photo book on a plane, or poolside, but a magazine? Definitely.

Another important aspect of a magazine is its size. With a format size of 8.5×11 inches in many cases, you get over 20 inches wide when spread out.  In civilian terms, this is HUGE. Dramatic and powerful, it’s satisfying for even the most demanding of photographers.

Finally, a magazine is a great tool for collaboration. Pick a theme or a region and search for like-minded creatives who have work that might play well together. Using magazines to collaborate is a great way to meet new creatives, share costs, and create something larger and perhaps more impactful than what you can produce on your own.

Final thoughts

Sadly, although the magazine industry still smolders, it simply isn’t what it once was, which is even more reason for photographers to make their own. The magazine industry, in many cases, simply can’t afford to showcase photography like it once did, so it’s up to the photographer to showcase their own work in their own way. If you have a good mailing list, a following of true fans, or decent marketing chops, you can have a truly entertaining time publishing your own legit magazine.

If you haven’t tried this strategic but often overlooked format then take time to explore the range of possibilities that the magazine has to offer. And if you’re looking for guidance, visit our blog for tips on making a magazine.

The post The enduring power of magazines appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Magazine Ideas:

Portfolio

Give your next pitch or job interview an edge with a portable showcase of your best work—one that can be easily left behind with potential clients or employers. Rather than sending over a link to your online portfolio (which may or may not be lost in their inbox) leave them with something tangible that they can pore over right then and there.

Business tool

As well as showcasing your range of products and services, a magazine can strengthen your brand, establish your expertise in your chosen field, and help you build a more personal connection with your customers. Fun staff interviews, behind the scenes snapshots, case studies, and industry news are just some of the features you could include.

How-to guide

From knitting patterns to recipes, magazines provide the perfect layout for step-by-step instructions. You might already be blogging about your hobby or side-hustle, which means you have content ready to turn into collectable printed editions.

Travel guide

Hitting the road? Why not put your travel journal into print? Combine beautiful images with stories, reviews, top picks, and advice for people following in your footsteps. With Blurb’s print-on-demand service, you could easily create new editions of a travel-based magazine on the go—giving your subscribers real-time updates from the road with each new issue. Why not kick off the series with an edition all about your hometown?

Graphic novel or comic book

Magazine layouts are ideal for combining illustrations, graphics, and text to tell a story. And they’re not just for children! The popularity of graphic novels such as The Walking Dead and V for Vendetta prove that there’s an appetite for good storytelling in this format among people of all ages.

Unravelling story

Got lots of short story ideas? Or the first few chapters of an epic novel? Serializing your content in magazine format is a great way to monetize your content and build an engaged following.
Publishing in instalments means you’re also able to garner audience feedback and input along the way. For diehard fans of your story and characters, your magazine will become a collector’s item.

Passion project

Do you live and breathe a sport, team, place, activity, style, or genre? Whatever it is, why not base a magazine on the thing that you love, for other people who love it, too.

That’s exactly what Mac Malikowski did in 2015, when he started Mouthfeel Magazine.

I had been working in restaurants, cafes, and food media for a long time and realized how badly I wanted a food magazine that pertained pretty distinctly to my interests: a mix of food, men, music, and humor.”  Read more …

Collaboration

Making a magazine demands a wide array of skills, from layout and design to writing, photography, editing, and illustration. We can’t all be good at everything, so making a magazine is a great opportunity to work with other creative professionals with the same passion but a whole different skill set.

I think we have found great people to work with, a very diverse group of people who are all passionate about what they do. We want to give each collaborator a chance to express their vision working together with our main team in Paris.”
Anniina Makela, Digital Content Editor of Eclectic Magazine

***

What will your magazine be? Get started today. Or visit our blog for tips on making a magazine!

The post A magazine can be … appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Unique memory books 

Important people

A meaningful memory book tells the story of you and the people that matter most to you. Start by making a list of loved ones to include and gather up the memories that capture your unique bond. You can divide your book into sections dedicated to each friend or family member, group your photos by season or special event, or treat each page as a collage of moments. Don’t forget to add fun quotes and captions.

Happiness book

Seeing things you love and your favorite things to do is an instant mood boost. Whenever you’re feeling lonely, discouraged, or uninspired, you can leaf through for a fresh place to start. This one doesn’t even have to be your own photography.  It can be quotes, cutouts from magazines, images you find on Unsplash—anything that makes you happy to see it. Simply creating is a happy activity, let alone when it lives in your line of sight.

Childhood toys

This is a great baby book idea. As children outgrow toys, stuffed animals, even well-loved costumes, shoes, and capes, take a photo of them. It may not be practical to keep each object forever, but you can keep all the memories between the covers of a memory book.

Favorite songs and albums

This kind of memory book works for any age. Create an autobiography out of songs and albums. Find the cover art, maybe even photograph your physical copies of CDs and vinyl.  Write a brief note about the memories connected to that song or album, or how it shaped you. Author Nick Hornby did this brilliantly with his book, Songbook, but you don’t have to be a bestselling author to organize your record collection in the pages of a book.

Quotes and inspiration

We get inspiration for how to live from so many places. Whether it’s family wisdom passed down, favorite authors, or Instagram reposts, creating your own memory book means you can collect it all into one volume to revisit for reminders. Pair quotes with photos of the family member that made them famous, or with photos and illustrations that also inspire you. It’s like making a mix-tape of all the wisdom you carry around. The best part about making it yourself is that it’s yours! Your collection will be as unique as you are, and that’s the beauty of it!

Doodles and drawings

Digitize those sketches and get them into something more permanent. This also makes a great gift for the artist or doodler in your life. Photograph the best pages in sketchbooks, notebooks, and journals and create a personal body of work in one, professionally printed volume. This safeguards your ideas, inspirations, and practice sketches from getting lost or scattered.

Commonplace memory book

This is one for readers. One way to remember what you read is to write excerpts in notebooks for future use. It’s a practice that dates back to the 18th century. but many people now keep notes of what they read without even knowing about the tradition. Your memory book doesn’t have to be visual. It can be a gathering of your reading notes into a single volume. As you compile them, you can sort them into different categories—love, success, faith, money, and lay out your book according to those sections. You’ll create a volume that’ll be an heirloom for years to come.

Pet album

It’s becoming more and more common to see Instagram accounts solely dedicated to pets. There’s something special about our furry friends who bring so much joy and love to our lives. Our pets are family members! Why relegate those photos to a phone? Put them in pages so your pets can live on with the rest of the family and take their place in the collection of family albums.

Year-in-review

Speaking of getting your photos off your phone, why not make an annual photo book? Put those special moments in print so they aren’t forever buried in a feed. You can auto-flow your photos right from your phone and Facebook account, and within minutes, you have a print version of your year. Don’t leave your memories to constantly-changing technology. You took those photos for a special reason, put them in a memory book so they’ll stand the test of time.

Annual events

It’s easy to overlook these because they happen every year. But making a memory book about an annual event is easy because the theme is already there! Gather all the pumpkin patch photos, or shots from the annual sisters’ road trip, or from holidays over the years. Maybe you always attend opening day for baseball. Having the photos in a book means you can revisit those annual events throughout the year.

The whole journey

Is there something you’ve done that took you months or years to accomplish? A goal you finally reached? A project that finally reached completion? Maybe you reached your weightlifting objective, and you have your gym selfies to show your progress. Maybe you finished a mural. Have you been fundraising for an important cause?

Put together the memories of how you got there because sometimes it’s as much about what it took to get somewhere as actually making it. If you haven’t started your journey yet, bearing in mind the possibility of making a memory book will encourage you to document along the way!

Where I’m from

This can be an important gift to yourself as a tool of self-discovery, but it can also be a comforting gift for someone who’s about to set sail for somewhere new. Gather photos that represent family heritage, pictures, and artifacts from a hometown or neighborhood, histories of local landmarks, family traditions, etc. Taking a good look at your roots, and holding them in your hand in the form of a memory book, can give you wings to reach the next place on your life journey.

Weekend getaways

Just because it isn’t a big vacation doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of print. Bachelorette weekends, family visits, local adventures, brief visits—they make great little volumes of memories. Plan a little in advance, and you’ll be able to collect everyone else’s photos from the trip and have plenty of material to create a travel photo book.

Custom ABC memory book

You may not be a world-class illustrator, but you can make a special children’s book for the little ones in your life. Gather photos for each letter of the alphabet that are personal and meaningful. It’s a fun creative challenge for you that has a built-in structure and theme, and it’s fun learning for your little one as you pore over it for years to come.

Letters of note

It’s rare to exchange written letters anymore, but we have a flurry of emails. Some of our most poignant cultural memories come from the letters of writers and artists that were originally “off the record”. What written treasures do you have stashed in a folder in your inbox? Take out those early-days romantic emails, those stories from studying abroad, or the day-to-day catch-ups between friends. Clear away the clutter and arrange the collection as a conversation. Years from now, you’ll be so glad you don’t have to track down a way to read them.

See how Kathleen Monahan turned her father’s handwritten letters into a wonderful family memento: Dear Mom Love Johnny.

Vision memory book

What about the memories you still want to make? You’ve heard of vision boards—where you keep visual reminders of goals, hopes, and dreams. What about a vision book? Put those plans and future reflections in writing on real pages. Where do you want to be in five or 10 years? What do you want your life to look like? What’s your plan for getting there? Gather pictures, quotes, detailed descriptions, and reflections for your vision book. Make it beautiful. Keep it laying around. When you hold one of these in your hands, you can meditate on creating a life that inspires the most important audience—yourself!

We already have a library of memories in our heads. They flood back in an instant, triggered by a certain scent, song, or time of year. Maybe there are a few we don’t want to see again, but others, when they are brought back to mind, meaning we get to experience that love and joy all over again. Rather than wait for the weather or a particular combination of smells, put the best ones in pages so you can take them off the shelf whenever you’d like. Make that inner library a real one you can have and hold with personal memory books.

The post 16 ideas for making a memory book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

In ten years, twenty years, thirty years, what will yours look like? How will the pictures you take now tell your family story?

Here are 10 ways to turn your snapshots into stories that tell themselves when you make a family photo album or baby book.

1. Birthday Book

Honor someone’s birthday by gathering stories and pictures from friends and family. Everyone can contribute photos, and the receiver gets to see themselves with all the warmth and love you feel when you hand them this personalized photo book gift.

2. Baby Book

Baby books are a centuries-old tradition, but digital photography makes it possible to archive in a new way. Try taking photos of favorite objects, clothes, baby shoes, important cards and greetings—not only do these make great baby book ideas, you’ll also save space by digitizing them into a baby album. And you can print several copies of the book to share with friends and family!

3. Family Blog

Some of you who live far away keep a blog or regularly share on Facebook or Instagram as a way to keep in touch. Why not turn all your posts into a printed family book? Instant books that pull from Facebook or Instagram are easy, and while making pages out of blog posts is a few more steps, you’ve already got the photos taken and stories written, which is the hardest part. We never know what will become of these digital platforms we freely use now, but books printed on archival paper save those moments for years to come.

4. Letters from Mom and Dad

One mom writes each of her children letters as they’re growing, sharing bits of wisdom or telling stories about her son as he was growing up. She made sure to write a letter for every birthday, which then formed chapter markers for photos. She has two books still in progress, but she gave the gift to her oldest son when he turned 18, right before he left for college. Send your kids into the world with the love and wisdom you collected along the way.

5. Adoption Book

Hannah Eloge used a beautiful book as an introduction to her family and community for prospective mothers when she and her husband were in the adoption process. She ended up adopting two beautiful baby girls, and now she helps other families in the adoption process create their own family books.

6. Family Questionnaire

Vanity Fair magazine has a regular feature in the back of its issues where it interviews one celebrity every month with the same set of traditional questions. Try this with your own family! Every year, ask your family members a set of questions. Questions about who they are, what they think, and what they’re loving right now. It can be a New Year’s Eve tradition, a birthday tradition, or some other anniversary day. Combine the questions with recent photos, for a meaningful portrait of who someone was during a particular season.

7. Family Art Book

Put the family’s creative work all in one place as a kind of family portfolio. Everyone has their own creativity, and it deserves to be in print. Maybe someone cooks beautiful meals, someone else is a photographer, someone plays an instrument. Capture these in photos and put them together in a book. You can also round up favorite pieces of your children’s art, and make copies for all the grandparents. This way, one event or piece of art can bring joy many times over!

8. Anniversary Book

For those couples whose marriage has withstood the test of time and blessed so many people, gather up stories and photos in tribute. There may have been ups and downs, but it’s meaningful and powerful to see a record of all the love along the way.

9. Family Reunion Photo Book

Create a common uploading space for everyone at the family reunion to share the photos they take. Then, even though it may be a few years before you can all gather again, you can put a photo book together that helps everyone remember in the meantime. You can upload the book and anyone who wants one can buy a copy—or three!

10. 365 Day Project 

Take one photo of your family life or your baby every day for 365 days. This is an especially powerful exercise with newborns, who change so much in that first year! Your 365 Day Project can be anything—of one person, of your dinners, of a certain corner in your home—something that will show how your family changes a little every day, in ways you might miss because of their subtlety. When you put a year’s worth of photos together, you’ll have that full, beautiful picture.

Final Thoughts

Just like those photos under your grandmother’s table, you’re probably piling up captured moments on your phone, computer, or hard drives. It may be even harder to keep those moments and images safe than it was to keep photos from getting lost, bent, or ruined. Keeping digital files organized and retrievable over time and as technology rapidly changes is serious business. However you choose to tell the story of your family, take these important moments and put them in a printed book so they can be cherished for years to come.

Ready to make your own? Check out family photo books to get started!

The post 10 Family Photo Book Ideas appeared first on Blurb Blog.

As with all readily available commodities, nowadays colors are easy to take for granted. But this wasn’t always the case. Before the 20th Century, color was anything but accessible. To anyone.

Color accessibility (and even ocular perception) is directly related to a geographical region’s ability to replicate and distribute particular colors. And, to make things even more confusing, different civilizations arrange colors differently. So what’s blue to us could be purple to someone else, or quite simply invisible.

Discovering Blue

A good example of this “color relativity” can be seen in the color blue. This color, which in Western culture is associated with harmony, confidence, and imagination, is actually quite difficult to recreate artificially. Because of this, the very word “blue” did not exist in most regions until 4,500 years ago.

Thanks to studies conducted by William Gladstone and Lazarus Geiger, we now know blue is not even mentioned in The Odyssey, the Koran, the ancient version of the Hebrew Bible, nor in ancient Chinese stories, confirming blue’s late arrival to the hall of colors.

The only ancient civilization that had a word for “blue” was Egypt. And yes, you guessed it. They were the first to artificially create blue dye and to incorporate it into their lives. It seems that human perception is so biased by culture, that even colors, which might initially be considered an obvious part of our reality, are mostly visible through a cultural context.

Kassia St. Clair offers other great examples of how colors came to be created and replicated in The Secret Lives of Color.

Mauve

Another example is mauve, which came into existence purely by accident. William Perkin, a young chemist in 1856, was in search of a synthetic cure for malaria. He never managed to achieve that goal, but his dye ended up in the closet of Empress Eugénie (Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte’s wife) and Queen Victoria. This royal association catapulted mauve into global popularity. William Perkin dipped a piece of silk in the new-found wash-proof dye, and paved the way to the infant industry of chemically created colors.

Ultramarine

For hundreds of years, ultramarine could only be mined in Afghanistan’s Sar-e Sang mountains, and its availability in Europe was directly influenced by trade routes and politics. Venice was the first European country in ultramarine’s path, so it could be acquired there at a reasonable price. The further into Northern Europe an artist went, the more expensive and less available the color became. Supply of colors directly influenced regional artwork.

Conspicuous consumption and colors would often go hand in hand. At first, a color was seen as “royal” because of its association to a “rich” region. This would then be exploited by a higher class as a way to externally represent their access to resources. This is manifested in actual laws that would forbid working class people from wearing certain colors. For example, fourteenth-century sumptuary laws forced many people to exclusively wear brown. Earthy colors were seen as less valuable and related to filth or feces, even though they are also associated with nature and fertility.

Green

Green is another color with a strange background. Even though it currently serves as the face of the environmental and organic movements, it was previously perceived as the exact opposite. Probably because the technology to artificially create green took a while to advance, and the fact that it was often quite toxic (a mix of copper with arsenic trioxide). Green remained a poisonous color all the way into the Victorian era. In the 1800s, Dr. A. W. Scheurer, commissioned by the Ladies’ Sanitary Association, ran a number of tests in adornments workshops. He found that the average leafy headdress contained enough arsenic to poison 20 people.

The War for Color

These color controversies are certainly not a thing of the past. Even today, as new technologies push paint and ocular perception into new dimensions, we find that as much as it might feel like the battle for color accessibility has been “won”, we are far from reaching that point. Recently, a dispute between artists Anish Kapoor and Stuart Semple over black, shook the art world. Vantablack (an ultra-black color) was developed by Surrey NanoSystems a few years ago. Kapoor ended up attaining exclusive usage rights to the shade, meaning other artists were unable to access it. This inspired Stuart Semple to launch an anti-Kapoor campaign. He developed his own unique colors and explicitly banned Kapoor from using them. In fact, things are so heated between them, that they have taken their conflict to the ultimate battleground, Twitter.

Final Thoughts

Our relationship to color is far more complex than what we might have initially thought. Is it a black & blue dress or a white & gold dress? Is it Yanny or Laurel? We may never know how or why our brains process everything so differently. But when you’re making your next book, pause for a second and consider the journey that hundreds of artists, scientists, miners, politicians, business people, and innocent bystanders went on to land us where we are today. With a vast land of colors, right at our fingertips.

References:

http://www.iflscience.com/brain/when-did-humans-start-see-color-blue/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_blue
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2976405/Could-ancestors-blue-Ancient-civilisations-didn-t-perceive-colour-didn-t-word-say-scientists.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue
http://www.radiolab.org/story/211119-colors/
https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/egyptian-blue-more-than-just-a-colour/9001.article
https://pictorial.jezebel.com/the-arsenic-dress-how-poisonous-green-pigments-terrori-1738374597
https://www.wired.com/story/vantablack-anish-kapoor-stuart-semple/

The post The Peculiar World of Color appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Take a look at what she learned while she was making her book:

What was it like to turn your sketchbooks into a different kind of album?

Turning my sketchbooks into a collection was a wonderful experience! I loved being able to take so many drawings and gather them in one place. Sketches and Sundries gave me easy access to all of these sketchbooks I’d kept, which in turn, has inspired me to rework old ideas and find jumping off points for new work. In making the book, I chose sketchbook spreads that resonated emotionally, drawings that would influence future work, and colors that inspired me. I pulled from several different format sketchbooks (square, pocket-sized, spiral-bound), so I varied the layouts to accommodate these different sized sources.

You do a lot of work with children’s books. What role do you think print books will have in the future?

In my heart of hearts, I believe there will always be a place for print, both now and in the future. While I appreciate the convenience of ebooks, there’s really nothing like curling up with a real book, turning the pages, and feeling the paper. When I’m illustrating books, I try to keep this physical component in mind. I’ll think about how an illustration will look and feel printed—for instance, the way an image reproduces on matte paper or with a spot varnish.

Where does a book like yours fit in the creative process?

Digitizing my sketchbook was a terrific way for me to look back and think about past work and make plans for future projects. For me, a sketchbook is like a visual diary, and I think that’s true for most artists. Being able to create a book with all of those thoughts and drawings readily available is so helpful—to gain a sense of where you’ve been, where you’re at, and where you’re going.

What was it like to receive your Blurb book?

When my Blurb order arrived, I couldn’t open it quickly enough. I was so excited to see the end result! Looking at pixels on a screen is great, but being able to hold a real, printed collection of what I’d made was such a rewarding experience. What I liked a lot about Blurb, compared to other photo books, was the ability to customize and shape the project to fit my creative vision. As someone with a background in graphic design, I wanted to be able to shape the complete look of the book, and Blurb’s plug-in for Adobe InDesign allowed me to do that. I loved that total creative control, knowing that the book would feel 100% me.

How does Layflat Paper work with your kind of content?

Where I have many images that cover a two page spread, Layflat Paper is a perfect fit, allowing the images to really shine. It’s so nice to know that the content won’t be swallowed up by the gutter!

What was it like to make your book?

Making the book was a wonderfully smooth process, mostly because of Blurb’s terrific plug-in for Adobe InDesign. I almost didn’t go down this route because I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to prep the book for print. I worried that I might miss something in setup, like inputting an incorrect measurement. That’s where the Blurb plug-in for InDesign was perfect for me, because it took away any concerns about technicalities, while still allowing me full design control. It was such a smooth process to convert to Layflat! The plug-in for InDesign took all of the guesswork out of the design process and the layout converted well from the one format to the next.

If you could go back and talk to your 5-years-ago-self about your creative business, what would say?

I’d tell myself to make more art that gives joy and resonates personally, and that professional success will come from that mindset. As creatives, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of producing work that you know will easily earn a paycheck. For myself, it’s easy to get stagnant with that mindset. When I’ve made the kind of work that satisfies some deep creative need within myself, clients have responded and work has eventually followed.

When you were a small child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I’ve wanted to be an illustrator since I was little, thanks to all the wonderful picture books my parents read to me. The idea of bringing to life words and ideas with pictures excites me as much now as when I was five.

What are the best parts of your job? What are some challenges?

The best part of my job is when I hear from children and parents who read the books I illustrate. Nothing beats that feeling, knowing what you’ve made has found a home! And I love having the opportunity to do work that feels personally rewarding and creatively satisfying. In terms of challenges, I miss having a steady paycheck every two weeks and not having coworkers around to bounce ideas off of. But I feel like any of the road bumps I’ve faced as a freelancer are worth it, to be doing this kind of work.

What’s one project you’re dying to do?

I’d love to spend a couple months in Ireland with my sketchbook, gathering ideas for books to illustrate and fabric to design. I was there for a week this past winter and fell completely in love with the land and people. Any kind of a creative project that would take me back to Ireland would be a dream, for sure!

You can find a copy of Sketches and Sundries in the Blurb Bookstore.

Now over to you. Start your own self-publishing project today.

The post Giving Sketchbooks New Life with Artist Abigail Halpin appeared first on Blurb Blog.

How do you decide what to photograph?

This is perhaps the most challenging and critical step of the entire process of image making and storytelling. Over the years, I’ve narrowed my scope of work into two converging themes: geopolitical borders and geographic isolation. I’m also expanding these ideas to intersect with global climate change. By paying close attention to the type of stories I’m naturally drawn to in wider social discourse, I’ve been able to focus my interests into a much narrower spectrum. Through this concentrated effort, I hope to deepen my understanding of a few key topics, and engender a level of inherent cohesiveness throughout my work.

How would you describe your style and approach to photography?

I think the visual aspect of this question might be better answered by an outside eye, but I’ll do my best with regards to approach. Each idea and step of my process is very intentional. Thorough research is key, as is a defined structure when it comes to production. I find I work most effectively when I have about two thirds of a project concretely laid out, leaving a third for spontaneity and flexibility as the project takes shape and my understanding of its intricacies evolve.

Who or what are your main influences? Who would you consider to be a ‘game-changer’ in the world of photography?

There are countless passive and active influences on my work. Passive influences include where I’m living, what season it is, and the music I’m listening to, among other things. I find my own physical environment and the effects it has on my work fascinating. Manipulating these fundamental, temporal components has great influence over the type of work that results naturally. For this reason, and also to deepen my personal understanding of isolation, I’ve been slowly backing away from my Brooklyn practice and spending longer periods of time in less populated places.

Among my active influences, I’d have to credit first and foremost Joel Sternfeld. I first came across American Prospects in high school. I was taken by the unexpected, ironic, and even whimsical moments he was able to capture with formalist compositional sensibilities. My time working as a photography assistant to Mark Seliger, Martin Schoeller, and Annie Leibovitz also, in retrospect, continues to have a profound impact on how I interact with my subjects and the soft, window light that I’m often attracted to.

In terms of a ‘game-changer’ in the world of photography, the first name that comes to mind is Robert Frank. His work epitomizes the raw reaction to the social consciousness of the beat generation, in a way that no one before or since has been able to achieve.

What would you say the role of photography is in wider society? What purpose does it serve, what impact can it have, and why is it important?

Photography’s power lies in its unique ability to encapsulate an entire concept, issue, or event in a singular, flat plane. The decisive finality in that one frame, when successfully executed, allows someone from any walk of life to identify on a human level with something that would normally go unnoticed. That’s why photography plays a critical role in social discourse. A photograph has, and always will, play a vital role within a democratic society. A photograph can galvanize a movement, provide transparency, reveal an injustice, or stir an empathic response that leads to action.

How has the industry changed over the course of your career as a photographer?

Over the course of my short career, I’ve seen social media change nearly all the rules of the industry. Some words that I find nauseating: content, influencer, creative. These three words have a powerful and profound effect on devaluing our worth as artists. A trend I’ve noticed is companies paying a fraction of the cost for “content” than they did for a “photograph.” Social media threatens artistic practice within photography by cheapening it and making it disposable. That being said, it’s undeniable that this is the new normal. All I can do is avoid using Instagram as a branding tool and instead focus on creating photographs for use in print and point of purchase.

Have books played a role in your photography career?

Using the definition of “book” loosely, the answer is a resounding yes. For the last decade, I’ve kept a regular journal. These artifacts are an amalgam of experiences, daily reflections, news clippings, and polaroids. This practice allows me to digest the day to day while also providing an expanded view, revealing a wider picture of where I’ve come from and where I want to go.

More recently, I’ve begun working with my creative partner and writer, Genevieve Allison, on our first book titled American Backyard. From Brownsville, Texas, to San Diego, California, we drove 10,000 miles, exposing ourselves to nearly every inch of the 2,000-mile U.S. / Mexico border in an effort to understand the real-politiks of the region in the wake of Trump’s election. In what turned into a four-month journey, we tried to look beyond the “border” as a political flashpoint and explore the unique cultural complexion of the borderlands. Through a series of interviews, portraits and topographical studies of both the environment and border infrastructure, we saw a larger, less transparent story to be told about the Southern border. A story of creolization, acculturation, habitat loss, surveillance, and diversity.

After dedicating such a large amount of time towards creating, the process in starting a book is immensely daunting. The costs of creating a book are hard to swallow and, seeing as this is our first time going through this process, I knew it would take more than one try to get things right. So, we turned to Blurb as an inexpensive alternative to experiment with layout and sequencing. I cannot stress how important these print on demand photo books have been throughout this book making process as both a design tool and a marketing prop to garner interest from publishers.

What advice would you give to photographers who aspire to make a living from their craft?

To be successful in photography is to be clear and focused on your intent. For young photographers, and I still consider myself within that camp, it’s okay to not know what you want to say with your work. Experiment heaps, expose yourself to as many passive and active influences as you can and overtime, you’ll begin to notice commonalities in the interests you develop. Nurture these commonalities and focus within your work will grow over time.

Setting a few short-term and long-term goals can help significantly too. They can serve as mile markers in gauging your progress as an artist, as well as a businessperson.

Let me also say that, when starting out, say yes to most everything. I found that the relationships that I made on those low paying jobs that I was on the fence about taking, propelled me on towards a more sustainable income stream down the road.

The last thing I’ll say is that if you want to work for a print magazine or brand, don’t wait for the opportunity to arise—chances are it won’t. Concept idea after idea, narrow those down and then develop and refine. Cold pitches never hurt and it can be surprising what can come from an unsolicited email as long as your ideas are solid, your intent is clear, and you can speak intelligently on the subject.

Thanks Elliot, for such an inspiring and thought provoking interview.

Now it’s your turn. Tell your stories with professional-quality photo books.

The post Photography: An Interview with Game-Changer Elliot Ross appeared first on Blurb Blog.

How have you put your Layflat book to work?

I created a physical portfolio book of my illustration work to share on social media, my website, with prospective clients, and as self-promotion online. It’s helpful for clients to see a visualization of how my paintings look when reprinted in a physical book in addition to the standalone images on my website.

What’s been the response to your Layflat book?

Very positive! People love to get up close and personal to the book, viewing it in person. I got lots of comments and messages from my followers on Instagram, wanting to know where they could buy a copy. Right now it’s not quite practical to sell the book since I chose the most luxe options, but if I change some of the paper choices and cover options I would consider selling it or sending it out as promo.

How does having a print piece like this help creatives?

It’s important for me to have a connection with manual processes in addition to digital because I love being physical with my work and it’s becoming rarer for artists to make work outside of the computer.

I think it’s important to have a physical portfolio if you are meeting clients in person, and a bound, self-published book looks extremely professional. It’s also a wonderfully tactile way to keep a collection of your work to look back on.

What are the best parts of your job? What are some of the challenges?

The best part of being an illustrator is when I’m able to translate what I see in my head to what I put down on paper. Of course, it doesn’t always go smoothly. I often realize that what I envisioned originally wasn’t the perfect fit for the project or maybe I have to simplify things, so my design is constantly changing to find the best fit conceptually and visually. I also love that I am able to experiment and try new things every day and I am so thankful to the clients that allow me the creative freedom to do so.

As someone who works creatively every day, how do you stay inspired?

Honestly, I get my best ideas when I’m furthest away from the screen and sketchpad! I am most inspired by nature so I go for a run with my dog through trails in the Presidio (National Park in San Francisco). It helps to clear my mind and visualize new concepts for paintings (which I save with voice memos immediately so I don’t forget!).

Do you have any tips for aspiring creatives looking to turn their talent and passion in to a business?

When your passion becomes your job, your creativity and fire can burn out. It’s easy to get into a routine and become stale. What helps me is maintaining a separate creative outlet where I can explore new media and try things that wouldn’t work for a commercial project. I was never great at oil painting, so one month, I decided to warm up every day by working on an oil portrait for 30 minutes. Or I’ll teach myself some new calligraphy styles, do some sewing, or life drawing. Having a no-pressure space to be a maker—free from deadlines and direction—is really important for me!

Any plans for more Layflat books in the future?

I’ve started to document my process a lot more recently, as I think it’s really fascinating to look back and see how the finished product came to be. I’d love to create a book chronicling all the rough, messy, and imperfect stages of the work I make before I present the perfected, final painting to the world.

What was it like to make a Layflat Book?

It was simple to convert my original book to a Layflat version, since most of the process was automated by the Book Creator tool for the Blurb InDesign plugin. I used all the same layouts and spreads as my original book.

I ran into a few hiccups with creating the cover for the Layflat book and eventually had to do that without the Blurb Book Creator tool. It’s great to not have to design for a gutter. I omitted a lot of my landscape-format works in my first book to avoid getting cut off in the gutter, so I would be interested to redesign a book with mostly full-bleed, landscape works to utilize the whole spread.

How did you decide on the size and format for your books?

I picked 8×10 standard portrait size because most of my works are in the portrait format. It seems like the perfect happy medium size.

What’s one project you’re dying to do?

A children’s book. I become inspired every time I go to a bookstore and see all the possibilities!

Have you made a photo book that you’d love to see in Layflat? Check out our step-by-step guide to converting and reordering your book.

The post 10 Questions with Artist Monica Garwood about Layflat Books and the Creative Life appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Your books are really inspiring. What do you hope people feel after reading your work?

My goal is to inspire creatives by showing them that their dreams are achievable if they are ready to grow, experiment, and follow the creative process (with all its ups and downs). I hope that my readers feel inspired—that reading my words will help them rekindle their creative fire.

So many things go into making great work. What do you think are the key elements?

First, your work has to be honest and original. If you’re imitating your heroes, you won’t have a voice. Having a real, authentic point of view is key. You must speak your truth.

Next, you must be willing to learn and grow in places that scare you. For most creatives, marketing and self-promotion are areas they want to stay away from, thinking: “This is below what I do. If my work is great, people will eventually notice.” This notion is completely false—it’s actually a refined form of self-sabotage. Today, you have to be savvy in every area of the creative process.

Finally, you have to develop grit. Things are going to be difficult—that’s the whole point of the creative process. You can’t give up when things don’t go your way. Instead, cultivate curiosity and always ask: “How can I grow beyond this obstacle?”

Do you think luck plays into creative work at all?

No and yes. No, because “luck” always comes to the prepared. Yes, because once in a blue moon, you do get a lucky break . . . a little push in the right direction. But I never count on luck. I focus on my creative process—the everyday work. This is what creates your “luck.”

What does success mean to you?

This is a great question, and it’s the foundation of my latest book, You Are a Dream. There’s a mystery connected to the creative process. Creativity is a transformative force that can impact yourself, but also can create change in society. Now, when you start experiencing this idea, and every single day, you wake up feeling energized because your life is infused with meaning and you’re fully expressive with your work and your relationships—this is for me what success looks like. In other words, success (for me) is feeling connected to life and others—in a very concrete way. Joseph Campbell said it perfectly “follow your bliss.” When you’re walking on your creative path, and it nurtures your relationships with growth and joy—there’s no better feeling.

Thank you Prof. G for sharing your thoughts and insights with us.

How do you overcome creative hurdles? How do you keep your work moving? Share your story in the comments below! Or get started on your own book today.

The post Rekindle Your Creative Fire with Prof. G appeared first on Blurb Blog.

• 113 solo shows
• Photographed all over the world
• Co-founder and past president of Photolucida
• Board Chairman of Blue Sky Gallery
• Co-curated and co-produced over 700 exhibitions
• Edited and produced over sixty art and photography publications

I love to salute those who help others realize their true potential, and I believe Chris is firmly established in this category of cultural icon.

Listen to my interview with him above or here.

The post Dispatches: An Interview with Chris Rauschenberg appeared first on Blurb Blog.

What inspired your book?

There were so many reasons why I chose to create this book! I’ve dreamed of writing and illustrating my own children’s book since I was a child, myself. Inspired by magical books like “Where the Wild Things Are,” (by Maurice Sendak), and “The Giving Tree” (by Shel Silverstein), I used to spend hours writing and drawing my own magical stories. I never imagined that self-publishing would be an option one day, but it has fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine.

Tell us about the creative challenge that got you started!

The artwork in “Animals Under the Bed!” actually preceded and inspired the story. A few years ago, I joined a social media challenge called “The 100 Days Project”. It encourages you to create something in a series for 100 days at a time. This experience was both exhausting and exhilarating! Around Day 50, I discovered that I loved painting animals. I simply couldn’t stop painting these colorful, whimsical, detailed animal portraits into the wee hours of the morning! By the time I had painted 5 or 6 of them, I felt like I knew them and a story was forming in my mind.

The story of this book was inspired by the playfulness of the animal paintings as well as my own fears as a child. I used to have a difficult time sleeping at night and feared that any moving shadow or creak in the floor was a monster coming to get me! Most children I know have suffered from this fear as well, so I wanted to use something friendly and familiar (stuffed animals!) to bring them comfort at bedtime. Animals Under the Bed! is a children’s book all about stuffed animals, instead of monsters, playing under your bed at night.

What was the book-creation process like?

I used Adobe InDesign to create my book, which was surprisingly easy thanks to the book templates and the Blurb InDesign plug-in. I know that printing the book correctly can be the hardest part of a creative project like this, but it was actually a great experience.

Did you do it all yourself?

I did! My husband and I were on a very tight budget, so I simply didn’t have the money to hire out. Besides, I think the stubborn part of me wanted to learn how to do it on my own. As a child, I used to tell my parents, “I DO IT!” Ha! Apparently, some things never change. However, if I can do it all by myself, I really believe anyone can.

How does your book relate to what you do for a living?

I love this question! This book started as a side project, but has turned into a small business! When I launched the Kickstarter, my goal was to sell 100 books. I assumed that I would sell 100 copies, it would be over, and the people who know me best would get to share it with their little ones. However, I was shocked by the overwhelming support I received!

Thanks to my amazing family and friends, the Kickstarter was completely funded by Day 4 (of 30 days)! Kickstarter also made my book a “Project We Love” on their website, so I started seeing orders coming in from over 10 different countries! At the end of 30 days, my book was 319% funded! I even added more pages to the book as a “thank you” to my supporters.

Afterwards, more than 100 people still wanted books, which is largely what prompted me to start my business, Phigment Design Studio. I’m still selling books from my website along with prints, mugs, cards, and other kid’s products. It’s really the most exciting thing I’ve ever invested in!

How did you know you were going to need a large order?

Before I designed the entire book, I reached out to my family and friends on social media, attached a photo of some book pages, and asked if anyone would be interested in purchasing it. I was overwhelmed with their amazing support! I started counting the “yes” responses, until there were over 100 of them. Then I e-mailed Large Order Services at Blurb with the good news!

How did you raise the funds for your large order?

I created a campaign on Kickstarter and set the minimum goal high enough to sell and ship at least 100 books. It was my first time using Kickstarter or Blurb, so I was grateful that Blurb helps guide you through the collaboration with Kickstarter as well.

What was it like working with Large Order Services? How did they help with your project? How did you use their expertise and problem-solving?

I was honestly shocked at how helpful Josh (my Large Order Services representative) was and how quickly he emailed me back whenever I had a question or concern! He always responded within 24 hours, even when I emailed him multiple times a week.

One of the things he especially helped me with was weighing the pros, cons, and cost differences of printing trade books vs. photo books at different page counts, cover options, and sizes. Since the artwork in my book is so important to me, I really wanted the colors to sparkle on photo-quality paper, and I couldn’t be happier with how the books turned out!

What were some challenges or needs your particular project had, and how did you work through them?

Since I live in a 250 sq. ft. apartment, I was especially worried about how I was going to package, sign, and ship hundreds of books from our tiny living space! Josh helped me figure out how to have some of the books shipped to me first (so I could still sign a small number of them), and the rest of them shipped directly from the printer.

Were there any hiccups along the way? How did you solve those?

One funny experience that comes to mind is when I went to ship the 55 or so signed copies of the book from USPS. My husband helped me carry the books, but I wasn’t sure what kind of mailers to use, so I hadn’t packaged or addressed them yet. We spent 2 or 3 hours in the Post Office addressing mailer envelopes at a tiny table, handing off the packaged books to the postal worker in small bundles at a time! It was so exhausting and I still can’t believe we did that! Thankfully, I know a lot more about ordering packages and shipping labels in bulk now! I actually just started a blog to share what I’ve learned about self-publishing.

How are you distributing your book?

Right now, I’m selling the book from my website, as well as from my Etsy shop. I’m also working with some independent shops around Long Island, NY to get my book on the shelves.

Did you create a marketing plan? If so, how did you know what to do?

Most of my marketing strategy has come from research (reading blog posts and learning from other small businesses online). There’s so much information online if you look for it, and you can learn anything if you’re passionate enough.

What would you tell other people considering working with Large Order Services?

I would tell them not to hesitate. Ask all of your questions up-front, even if they seem “silly” to you, because my rep was a wonderful resource. I honestly knew nothing about self-publishing before I created this book, and I’m so glad I took the leap!

We’re so glad you did, too, Meg, and we’re glad we got to help. We can’t wait to see what you do next.

***

Find out how to self-publish your own children’s book today!

The post Meg Smiley’s Self-Published Children’s Book with Blurb + Kickstarter appeared first on Blurb Blog.

His plan has four steps:
1. Create an amazingly stunning book
2. Produce it with a reasonable margin
3. Sell enough copies
4. Repeat

With the help of Blurb’s Large Order Services team, he’s now at Step 3 and raring to go.

We talked to him about his journey from a career in IT to adventurer, photographer, and now, self-publisher.

Why did you decide to make a book about the Galápagos islands?

Some guidebooks just give you hotel and bar recommendations. That doesn’t cut it for me. I want to read stories and see stunning photographs of a place and its natural sites. With that in mind, I researched Croatia, the Maldives, and Egypt as possibilities for the first book in the series. In the end, the Galápagos won. They’ve fascinated me for as long as I can remember. The Galápagos Islands provide spectacular insight in to their volcanic origin, often violent history, and attractive fauna. The other reason was a pragmatic one. The subject matter felt manageable. There was a chance I wouldn’t get too swamped with information.

How did you get started in photography?

When I was growing up in Czechoslovakia, one of the highlights of the week was a natural history series, running every Friday afternoon on one of the two available TV channels. I dreamed of becoming an adventurer, shooting movies in the wilderness of Africa and at the bottom of the ocean. My parents bought me a small film camera, and I started spending long hours in the school darkroom, taking and developing pictures. This early romance with photography was interrupted by a fascination with electronics and computers. It was only much later, with a career in IT and a family, that my love for nature and photography reignited. I tried underwater photography in 2007 and now, the childhood dream is a reality.

You used a lot of interesting techniques to make your book including drones and underwater photography. Can you talk a bit about why you chose these methods?

Travel photography involves storytelling. Land-based photographs are worth a thousand words, but a bird’s eye view adds a spectacular dimension to the story. You could describe an island in the most flowery and imaginative language—or you could show the sunset-lit place in its entirety, using a photograph from a drone. Our planet is blue. Underwater photography tells the bigger part of the story, one that’s elusive and thrilling.

I didn’t want to miss these aspects of visual story-telling, so I became a certified dive master and commercial drone pilot.

You outsourced some illustration work for this project. Do you often collaborate with other creative professionals? How do you find the people you’d like to work with?

The dilemma of spending money on hiring creative professionals or doing everything in-house is a tough one. I always had my second step in the plan in mind: “Produce it with a reasonable margin.”

I followed a simple rule. If I’m unable to get a professional result myself, I outsource. When I tried to paint the 3D illustrations I had in mind, I failed miserably, so I did some research into who could help.  Both the illustrator and editor were professionals recommended by friends. Our collaboration was built on respect and brutal honesty.

Galápagos is an outlet for my photography, but first and foremost it is a guidebook. Where I lacked imagery, I asked fellow photographers to provide me with theirs. In the end, more than twenty photographers contributed  images either on a paid basis or, very generously, for free.

How did you find Blurb and what made you decide to print your book with us?

I made my first Blurb book, a family photo album book, in 2011. Since then I’ve used Blurb dozens of times for more family albums and projects for my friends. Over time, I used more and more advanced tools and ended up using Blurb’s plug-in for Adobe InDesign.

I always thought of Blurb as a publisher who helps people like me create lovely, personal books, with a low print run. But now I’ve created a book to sell. My plan is to sell as many copies as an established publisher would—think Lonely Planet. (I know it’s crazy, but hey, we can dream big). Blurb makes that dream possible!

Practically, Blurb ticked two boxes: offset printing of large orders and logistics. I live in the UK but Blurb made it possible to distribute the books in the United States.

How did you decide on aspects of your book such as size and paper type?

Balancing beauty with cost is a daunting task. There was no question about Galápagos being a stunning book. A high gloss cover with a premium lustre paper was the right choice. My desire for a contemporary look and cost pressures dictated a softcover with French flaps. The portrait format (8″x10″) is perfect for a book with 66,000 words and more than 300 photographs. The numerous images on a full spread are impressive.

Which tools did you use to create your book? What was it like to use these tools? Did you develop any new skills during the creation process?

I learned every day!

Firstly, I’m not a native English speaker. Despite trying my best, receiving the corrected text from the proof-reader was hard. Grammarly.com and The Chicago Manual of Style seriously improved the quality of my written work.

Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop are my usual tools for image processing, but Adobe InDesign with the Blurb pre-sets served as the center-point for the creation of this book. I learned a lot about grids, layout, inks, typesetting. This was one of the most satisfying aspects of the whole process for me.

I also had to learn to use Adobe Illustrator enough so I was able to adjust maps. In the end, I also used it to create the Mostly Underwater Books logo.

I have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, so I also learned to use Adobe DreamWeaver to customise the book’s website and Adobe Premiere and Adobe AfterEffects to create video trailers and announcements. Using Adobe Audition to cut the music for the videos and clean up the sound of the recordings was one of my favorite parts of the process.

All that said, the most significant learning was to not be afraid to ask for help. I hesitated to contact photographers, experts, and scientists who didn’t know me, but the vast majority replied and chipped in. Some of them just because they could, without asking for anything back. I’m grateful for that!

How have you found the process of setting your book up for sale? How are you marketing and promoting it?

After several months of a joyful orgy of creativity I noted down everything I wanted to do to let the world know about my beautiful new book. Which social media channels to use? What advertising content will I create? Which media outlets will I contact? What about travel agencies, institutions, and charities? Should I start with my friends?

I ended up with a mailing list managed in ConstantContact and used Hootsuite for social media scheduling  (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.) My online store also opened for pre-orders of signed copies.

By crawling through the darkest places of the internet I found contact information for the editors-in-chief of prominent travel magazines. I offered them a story and asked for a review. Usually, once they see the book, the collaboration kicks off.

I also plan to run three book-launch events with additional talks for various audiences.

What advice or encouragement would you give to aspiring self-publishing photographers?

Self-publishing is unbelievably satisfying. Holding a book full of your own photographs is priceless. Go and do it, you will love it!

I went on a journey to change my career, which required a different mindset. It was even more thrilling because all bets are off.

Where else in the world would you like to photograph and create a book about?

Cuba for its history, cigars, rum, people, and crocodiles. The islands, seals, sharks, and whisky of the Hebrides in Scotland. Croatia for its marble coast, Roman palaces, islets, and shipwrecks. The inspiration is endless.

You used Blurb’s Large Order Services team to make Galápagos . Which aspects of the creation process did they help you with? What did you find most useful about their support?

Blurb’s Large Order Services team helped me with the custom Adobe InDesign template for the book cover and the whole process of printing. They took care of moving the books from the printer in China to warehouses in the US and to Amazon.

I would not have been able to prepare the book and manage the logistics without the team’s help.

Did you make any changes to your original plans or designs based on advice or suggestions from Large Order Services? If so what were these changes and what impact did they have?

The team helped me polish the oversights in the book’s design. Thankfully nothing major, but things like map coordinates falling off a page and the cover image being off-centre were some of the issues they caught.

They also took me through all my distribution options, helping me define the final size of the print run and the split between the US and the UK markets.

Did you customize your book in any of the ways available through Large Order Services? If so why did you choose those particular customizations and again what impact did they have on your finished book?

I asked for French flaps because they give a book a premium contemporary feel reminiscent of a hardcover, but at a much lower cost. And it worked.

Feeling inspired? Grab your copy of Galápagos in the Blurb Bookstore. Or get started on your own self-publishing project today!

The post GALÁPAGOS by Josef Litt: Made with Large Order Services appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Good Company

The delegate list includes students studying to become photographic artists, and art school photography faculty from across the country. They have a complete understanding of not only the technical side of photography, but also its history. The attendees, and those giving talks and lectures, use photography as a tool to tell a greater, conceptual story. I love the fact that many of them are published photographers who also know and respect their photo books history.

Each day at SPE is a whirlwind of talks, lectures, workshops, screenings, reviews, and informal gatherings where you can talk to some of the most interesting and well-educated photographers around. You can also satisfy your tech needs with Canon, Sony, Fuji, and other vendors camped out in the exhibition hall.

As a former photojournalism student, there is something intriguing about modern people committing to a topic for an extended period of time. In an age of people learning photography via YouTube, the SPE group provides much needed balance, producing in-depth work that references then adds to what’s been done in the past. The ultimate result for many of their projects is the photo book and the museum show, the two most highly coveted items on a photographer’s checklist.

Blurb Love

The other thing that makes covering this event so fun, is that Blurb is a household name in the photography education market. We’ve done multiple education outreach programs over the years, and the Blurb platform seems to be a perfect fit for both photography students and faculty. The SPE attendees are testing, tweaking and experimenting, and providing their feedback, allowing Blurb to expand and refine their offering. Traditional publishing is still the goal of many creative professionals, but self-publishing via Blurb is a strategic option that works well in tandem with other methods.

Next year will see the Society for Photographic Education land in Cleveland and I hope to be among them.

Use Blurb’s professional tools to make your own photo book. 

The post Dan Milnor Reports: The Society for Photographic Education Conference appeared first on Blurb Blog.

How did you get started as a designer?

Being raised in a creative family is the reason I started to take art classes in 2nd grade. Then in high school, I was accepted to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). I went to my normal high school for half of each day and NOCCA for the other half. During my time there, I realized I couldn’t see myself pursuing a career as a fine artist. I also realized that I was very organized and systematic while working on projects. We had a few computer/design sessions and although I wasn’t exactly sure what it was, I knew I wanted to be a graphic designer!

At college I studied design and photography. When I graduated, I got a job at a great advertising agency and gained a lot of experience in my four years there.

When I moved on from that agency, I started my own business, Ciera Design Studio, which I’ve been running for seven years now.

What’s been the reaction to your portfolio? Have you shown it to anyone?

I’ve shared photos of it online, and people have reacted really well to having a printed portfolio book in addition to a web-based one, which is more common these days. It’s so rewarding to see my work all together in this professionally-printed and bound book. It’s almost like a scrapbook that I can look through myself to celebrate those businesses that I’ve helped launch over the years.

How do you plan to use your portfolio?

I plan to bring it with me when I have in-person, local meetings. It really showcases the work better and is more memorable than pulling up a webpage. Many of my clients are not local, so I may not get to use it as much as I’d like, but I’ll also use the photographs that I took of it as a fresh way to showcase my portfolio work on social media.

What was it like to make your own book?

I downloaded the free Blurb BookWright tool, which made creating the book SO simple! Once I had my images prepped and ready, I just imported them into BookWright, selected the size, format, and paper type. Then it was as simple as dragging and dropping my images into place.

So much creative content now is digital. How can digital creatives make print work for them? What purpose do print pieces serve in the digital creative world?

There’s just always going to be something special about tactile work . The weight and texture of paper in your hand, or even the smell of a book. That can never be replaced. Even if you just print out your digital content or Instagram photos from time to time. It brings a new life to the work.

As a designer who specializes in branding and print design, I’m still all about having business cards or a nice notecard set, and I get giddy over receiving something in the mail. When I finalize a branding project, my deliverables are typically digital files, but I like to send my clients a little something in the mail with their new logo on it, like a notepad, pen or mu. It’s something tactile and a “little extra” to celebrate their new logo. It’s a nice way to close out our time working together rather than just sending an email or a Dropbox link.

If you could go back and talk to your 5-years-ago-self about your creative business and work, what would you say?

I would tell myself to write a business plan and set income goals. I really started my business on a whim, so I didn’t do a lot of the planning that would traditionally be done for a business. I ran my business with no clear goals for too long, which meant I wasn’t as productive as I could have been. I think that’s a struggle for many creative business owners. We have the ideas, but not always the knowledge needed to execute all of the phases.

What advice do you have for running a design business?

I definitely recommend gaining in-house or agency experience before starting your own business. Being surrounded by a group of people you can learn from is great, and it can really push your boundaries. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I’d gone straight from college to freelancing. I learned so much about organization, client relations, presentations, print production, and multitasking at my first job!

Something else that I find important is knowing your ideal client and the type of person you enjoy working with. This can make a huge difference to the success of your business. I think you should always be doing what makes you happy, so you don’t get burned out. You also need to realize that you can’t do it all. Hire people to do certain things for you, and learn to say “no” to the things you’re not interested in. This gives you the time and energy to do the things you love!

When you were a small child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always loved making things and selling them, so I think I was always meant to run my own business. I remember making and selling jewelry, having a gift-basket business, and when I was eight, I was featured in the local newspaper for my iced-tea and cookie stand. Aside from my design studio, I run a conference for creative entrepreneurs, VenturePOP, which also comes full circle as I remember always starting different clubs at recess in grade school. I always enjoyed creating flyers and t-shirts for these businesses and clubs, so I guess I was drawn to graphic design before I really even knew what that was.

What do you think of your Layflat book?

With my Layflat book, I was able to showcase large photos of my office space to give a look behind the scenes in addition to the work itself. You barely even notice the seam and the double-thick stock has such a nice look and feel.

What are the best parts of your job? What are some of your challenges?

The best part of being a designer is getting to help small businesses feel confident in launching their new venture or giving new life to a business that’s in a slump. I’m so passionate about helping small businesses bring their visions to life. I like to be an ongoing partner in helping those businesses succeed.

A big challenge for me right now is time-management and being able to delegate aspects of my business that I know I’m not the strongest at, like bookkeeping, for example.

What’s one project you’re dying to do?

I’ve always wanted to design bottle labels for a winery, and I’d love to do branding for a restaurant or cafe—from the logo and identity, to the menus, signage, and social media graphics. I also really enjoy editorial design, so I’m always down to design a magazine.

Thanks, Ciera, for talking with us. We’re inspired by the exciting things you’ve got happening, and we can’t wait to see what you do next!

What makes a great print portfolio? Share your ideas in the comments below!

The post Inside the Design Studio of Ciera Holzenthal appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Tell us about your work. How did you get started as a stylist?

Originally, I started out styling and designing as a home stager. Eventually, that turned into styling products in my own home for Instagram and my blog. I work with companies that have similar values, quality products that I can stand behind, and a style similar to what I produce. My favorite clients trust me and my styling abilities, and they give me free reign to create something I think people can relate to or be inspired by.

What role does photography play in your business?

Photography is huge in my business. Having the correct lighting and layout are all important to showcasing a space that I designed. I don’t consider myself a photographer, but I’m definitely particular about angles and balance, so that comes in very handy when I’m taking a picture.

What was it like to make your book?

I’ve never made a book like this before, so I wasn’t sure how easy it would be. I was surprised at how straightforward it was and how much fun I had. I kept adding more and more pages!

What do you think of Layflat?

The Layflat paper was perfect because landscape shots really showcase the interior of our RV, which was an important part of our book. Being able to have that spread across two pages without a crease was priceless.

How does making a print page layout compare to designing and styling a space?

I used a lot of similar techniques that I do while mixing patterns when I designed my book. If I selected an image that had a lot going on for the left side, then I chose something a bit subtler for the right side. I also tried to keep similar color stories from page to page so there was a consistency as you flip through the book. I think that’s very similar to, in a home, where each room blends into the next with a color story.

How does your Blurb Book compare to other photo books you’ve seen?

I was really impressed with the quality of the photos being printed on such a large scale. It was also amazing to see my landscape images spread across the Layflat pages; it looked so professional! It was really fun to be able to create a title for the book and the customizability was a great feature.

What are the best parts of your job? What are some of your challenges?

The best part of my job is that I’m doing exactly what I want and what makes me happy. Being able to get paid for that is absolutely amazing! A challenge would be not knowing exactly how much I’ll make financially every month.

When you were a small child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I’ve always been obsessed with decorating and often redecorated my space and my parents’ house (when they would let me!) I’m doing exactly what I’ve always wanted to do!

If you could go back and talk to your 5-years-ago-self about your business, what would you say?

Listen to your gut and just keep doing what your instincts tell you to do. Don’t try and force yourself into what you think people want. If you’re doing what you love, other people will love it as well because it’s creative and authentic.

What’s one project you’re dying to do?

I would love to have full reign on a hotel project and make every room completely different from the next. I actually have a goal of opening up an Airbnb and doing just that in the next year or so.

Thanks so much, Liz, for taking the time to talk with us. We can’t wait to see what you create next!

What do you think is the key to translating a 3D Space to 2D page layouts? Share your tips in the comments below!

The post Travelling in Style: Layflat with Liz Kamarul appeared first on Blurb Blog.

We’ve scoured the publishing world for the best of the best book covers of 2017. Some are simple, some are bright. But they all have one thing is common: They are freaking cool!

The World Goes On by László Krasznahorkai;

Design by Paul Sahre

What I love about this cover is that there are two gradients happening. One is the obvious horizontal rainbow gradient screaming out in the background. But then there is the implied gradient of the title transitioning to the author’s name. It’s simple but impactful.

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood;

Design by Rachel Willey

As an impressionable teenager in the late 1990s, this cover instantly transports me back to high school. All the coolest girls rocked their name in gold lettering around their necks. The bold ones with money to burn even had one with their boyfriend’s name. Without even knowing what this book is about, it tells a story. It brings back memories. And it leaves you wanting more.

The Idiot by Elif Batuman;

Design by Suzanne Dean; Illustration by Aino-Maija Metsola

You may have seen this cover before. It’s basically made every end of the year list! And since I’m a big fan of color and pattern, it made mine as well. Not only are the textures off the charts, but the colors are so rich and bold they nearly create stories of their own.

Colour of Drugs by Lee Richard Kirsten;

Artist uncredited

Vintage-inspired design never goes out of style! While you may not appreciate the subject matter, this clever design is hard to write off. As part of a limited release, the author created a series of four book covers; each having the author’s “drug of choice” on the cover. This memoir was originally published with Blurb and is currently sold on Amazon.

How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell;

Design by Sean Freeman

Is it finger paint? Is it blood? Is it blood AND paint?! We may never know. But I love the way the typography of this memoir cover excites the reader to find out.

Victorian Lettering Adventures Vol 1 by Dina Rodriguez;

Design by the author, Dina Rodriguez

Classic black and white design is nothing to mess with. Dina Rodriguez expertly combines Victorian styling with a modern twist. While this book is more of a how-to guide than a novel, the cover alone is beautiful enough to compete with the larger publications.

Did we miss one of your favorites? Leave us your top pick in the comment below!

The post Best Book Covers of 2017 appeared first on Blurb Blog.