I Miss Polyvore

One of my early Polyvore creations . . .

No two ways about it: ever since Polyvore.com disappeared from the Internet a few months ago, life just hasn't been the same. Some days I miss the site so much I could cry. Why'd it have to go?  Polyvore was fun. Polyvore was creative. Polyvore was inspiring. And now it's been sold off to a company that isn't, well, into what Polyvore was all about it. Instead of being a collage/fashion/art/community-building site, it's turned into a not-very-interesting shopping outlet.
 
For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about (sorry!) Polyvore.com was a do-it-yourself, drag-and-drop Internet playground for making online collages. Membership was free, and members had access to thousands of photo images, background colors, text fonts, and tons of digital ephemera to make some of the most amazing digital artwork I have ever seen. For me it was a huge opportunity to learn and practice alongside those same artists. 

I owe a lot to Polyvore. I was a member for a full 10 years and especially enjoyed the way the site was organized into groups of people with similar interests, e.g., Writers; We Love Dresses; Travel; Antique Furniture; Book Club; Shoes Rule!; Cats; Bracelets; Working Moms . . . and so on. Joining a group was optional, but being part of one provided certain advantages such as being able to participate in various contests, e.g., "Make a set that includes at least one cat," or, "Create the perfect steam punk outfit." Contests were a great motivation to do your best and most original work and winning was a blast, even if the "prize" was simply recognition and applause from the group. 

More than anything else, however, Polyvore for me a way to:

• Design writing prompts.
• Create blog post headings (like the one at the top of this post).
• Help with my website design.
• Illustrate my WIPs (especially in the wardrobe department).
• Experiment with color combinations for drawing and painting.
• Stay in touch with pen pals from across the world. My own little circle included creative and friendly women from Saudi Arabia, Germany, New Zealand, and Brazil. Because we only communicated via Polyvore email, and most user IDs were simply first- or nicknames, I have no way to reach any of them ever again.

One of the worst things to happen to the vast majority of Polyvore fans when the site went down was they lost all of their online creations. Fortunately, I kept every single one of my own, putting them into a separate file on my computer each time I made one. Something must have told me that doing this would come in handy one day, and it certainly did. I think if I had lost my sets along with everyone else, I'd be even more devastated than I already am. Truly my heart goes out to every member who lost hours and hours, if not years, of beautiful work.

Polyvore.com definitely enriched my life. Now that it's gone, it's up to me to motivate myself and to continue making collages the old-fashioned way, on paper and in art journals. Not quite so easy to do during a quick lunch break or just before going to bed, and don't even get me started on cleaning up the aftermath of glue sticks and paper scraps, but it's all I've got left. Maybe not such a bad thing in the end, but boy, do I miss those happy days of instant gratification! See you next time.

Tip of the Day: Without Polyvore, I'm relying a lot on Pinterest.com. It's not nearly as fun nor as interactive as Polyvore was, but it's a good resource for illustrating my characters' homes, closets, and vacation destinations. I can still bring my WIPs to life visually, just in a different way.

#AtoZChallenge, D is for Dress it Up!

Today's topic, Dress it Up!, goes way back to my very first NaNoWriMo effort (2004!) when I made dozens of character, setting, and wardrobe collage pages to go along with my text. I still have that draft as well as all the accompanying illustrations. The reason it stays in a cardboard box is complicated, but let's just say it's got a lot to do with the story being a genre-authentic romance, and I don't know if I'm very good at writing romances. I love the story, I love my characters, but I have other projects with louder voices calling for my attention right now, so . . . maybe one day I'll re-open that manuscript box!

In the meantime, though, I enjoy riffling through those pages of magazine cut-outs I made to go with the story, remembering how much fun I had putting them together. Part of the story is set in an Italian fashion house. Here's a glimpse of Gina, the beautiful designer and evil villain of the story:

She loves to accessorize:

One of my favorite scenes in the plot is when Bailey, my beautiful (all my characters are beautiful, LOL!) heroine is tricked into "borrowing" items from Gina's storerooms so she can go out on a date with Gina's equally villainous accomplice, Ashe, the hero's brother. Bailey goes a little wild for green and gets into a lot of trouble for wearing these items when Gina finds out.

I've got dozens of these pages: outfits for Bailey when she goes to Paris with the hero, Declan, (under duress, of course. The old "on the road together, but they hate each other" scenario); pictures of Bailey as a little girl in jeans and T's, and ending with her gorgeous wedding dress when she finally marries Declan (and they don't hate each other any more).

These and other clothing pages I've made for my various drafts and published work since then have been, for me, one of the great delights of writing. Life in Albuquerque is casual--we hardly ever dress up to the extent I sometimes find myself longing to do, and I admit many of my outfit-collages stem from some kind of wish-fulfillment. Probably the same reason why I prefer to read novels and watch movies filled with fabulous clothes!

Adding clothing pages to your art journal doesn't have to be linked to a manuscript, however.  For today's page I've glued in another of my practice sketches of a dress I liked, and added a few little embellishments. The flower piece actually fell out of an old journal--the glue must have evaporated to nothing, one of the hazards of living in the high desert--so I stuck it on here just because I liked it. It made me think of old prom dresses and yearbooks and that's probably what I'll be writing about later tonight.

Other prompts to get you started on some clothing pages could include:

• Organizing your wardrobe and choosing the pieces you want to keep and those that need to be tossed or donated.
• Memories: favorite dresses, fashion changes throughout your life, fabulous outfit "flops" you'll never recover from . . . 
• Make a list of "What I Wore" on different occasions, e.g., "What I wore on the first day of school throughout the years," or "What I wore to friends' and family weddings," or "What I wore for on first dates."
• Recalling what your mother, grandmother, aunts wore, especially the clothes you loved or that intrigued you in some way. I remember being fascinated by my great-grandmother's old-fashioned black lace-up shoes when I sat on the floor by her feet playing with my tea-set and pouring her cup of air.
• Wish lists of clothes you'd like to own. Past experience has taught me that shopping with intention, not only saves money, but goes a long way to avoiding those "flops" mentioned above.

Another good reason to include clothing in your art journal is that it's super-fun to draw or paint. The colors are pretty, working with the draping, shadows and highlights can help your drawing skills, and there's no dry cleaning bills!

Tip of the Day: When I'm not cutting up fashion magazines, my favorite go-to place for design inspiration is Polyvore.com, a digital fashion collage site that's more fun than a barrel of monkeys. (Warning: it's extremely addictive.) But once you've learned to pace yourself and only go there once a day, you can quickly design all kinds of fashion plates you can then print out and paste straight into your journal. Very easy and very effective.

The 12 Top Things I Learned from the A-Z Blogging Challenge

Wow, the A-Z Blogging Challenge has been over for a week, and I'm just now recovered enough to add some of my thoughts to the list of other bloggers' reflections that you can read by clicking here.  

As mentioned on my sidebar, my theme for the challenge was "My Keeper Books," all the books I can't imagine living without. It was a particularly poignant theme for me, because I'm currently living without them! As soon as the challenge was over, I began packing for another move, and I started with my books. After two years of condo-living, I'm off on a new adventure to an unfinished town-house in serious need of renovation. But that's all for another post; today's is about the top 12 things I learned from the challenge. Here goes:

1. My chosen theme of "keeper books" gave me the opportunity to really examine what books I own and why. It helped me to make some choices for the upcoming move, leaving me with a small pile of "non-keepers" that went off to Friends of the Library for resale.
2.  I learned that using a set theme for any creative project is an excellent idea to help you stay on track. Whether it's choosing a theme such as "Love conquers all" for your novel, or painting a series of still life pictures only in yellow and green featuring  koala bears, a theme keeps you focused and productive.
3. For the majority of my A-Z posts I made Polyvore.com digital collages to serve as illustrations. Stretching to include a visual "post" along with the text each day was a bonus that kept me feeling even more committed to the challenge.
4. I learned that I could write a post without stressing about it. Because I had a deadline to adhere to, I found I was writing more naturally and with a lighter heart--despite the time pressure. Weird.
5. And with that, somehow, I found the time to post every day! Proving to myself that I will always have the time to write, draw, and create every day if I want it badly enough.
6. I also found I could be much more open with what I wrote about. When I first started my blog several years ago, my intention was for it to be a "how-to-write" site, an extension of my creative writing workshops and classes. But that often meant I would become overly-focused on the need to teach, leading to more stress: Was I clear in my instruction? Did I make the subject too difficult, or boring? Did I make the reader feel inspired or simply overwhelmed? It was a worry, but one that I've learned to set aside. My posts will still center on writing and creativity, but I plan to share more of my own journey and daily life into the mix as well.
7. I met a lot of great bloggers. It was wonderful to visit, connect, follow, and comment on so many interesting and varied sites--sites I would never have found prior to the challenge. Can't wait to read more!
8. Apologies for this rather negative "lesson" but I was astonished at how many blogs I couldn't read! It saddens me to say this, but it was such an important discovery and eye-opener for me. Many, many blogs I visited turned out to be too cluttered or too busy for me to read without getting a serious headache. Most of these had teensy-tinsy fonts on black backgrounds, and quite often with just a "hint" of the post, with no real indication of how to click onto the main body of the post to read what it was supposed to be about. With this was another problem I kept running into--blogs that I DID like very much had no way (at least that I could see) to follow them. So frustrating! In light of this, I hope my blog is easy for you to use and follow. If at any time you have trouble with any of it, please let me know.
9. On the pleasant and easy-to-use blogs, however, (which were also the vast majority) I started to develop a much-improved habit of leaving comments. In the past I have been a terrible non-commenter, blaming my perpetual lack of time. What I learned to do over the month of the challenge was to simply set aside a few extra minutes each day so I could comment on whatever blog(s) I was visiting. It was a good plan and I hope to continue it.
10. When I signed up for the challenge, one of my goals was to learn how to blog more frequently--and I certainly did, LOL. Now that the challenge is over, I don't think I will be blogging every day, but a schedule of every 4-5 days is manageable, and more frequent than my past posts of once a week.
11. Blogging every day came close to being a daily meditation for me. I enjoyed that, and I may continue using my morning writing practice as a way to generate if not actual blog posts, at least the ideas and themes for them.
12. Prior to the challenge, I kept hearing voices in my head--the nagging ones that come from agents, editors, publishers, etc. demanding that writers "blog, and successfully, too." I guess "successfully" means having a gazillion hits and followers, and a fan list from here to the moon. In other words, blogging was promotion and marketing and something to do with job performance and pleasing other people. The A-Z Challenge turned that all around for me. Now I feel blogging is about community and communication, and sharing what is important in your world. It's not about numbers, it's about conversation and helping each other where and when we can.  

Tip of the Day: One last thing about the challenge, and maybe the most important: I learned to take time off. Sundays were set aside as the "non-blogging" days, and I was amazed at how vital it was to follow that rule. So the next time someone tells you have to write "every day," guess what? They're wrong! Giving yourself necessary, scheduled breaks will help you maintain energy and enthusiasm for even the most challenging project. 

I want to thank the organizers of the challenge--as you can see, I learned a lot from them. I also want to congratulate everyone who completed the challenge. Wishing you an entire dictionary of future blog post ideas!

And we have a winner for the giveaway copy of OVERTAKEN!

C. Lee McKenzie

Congratulations, and happy reading!

Start the Day with a Mini-Project

I'm a big fan of morning pages, but there are definitely times when I need a break. It's not that I don't find the pages useful, but every now and then I need to shake up my routine and make life more . . . exciting.  

One of the ways I thought of doing that was to start my day with a "mini-project" instead of the usual three handwritten pages Julia Cameron recommends in The Artist's Way. I got the idea from a gardening book that mentioned how Renoir painted a single rose every day before tackling his main work-in-progress. I don't know if I could stick to a regimen that centered on a single subject, but I can certainly appreciate the need for a warm-up exercise. With that in mind I sat down and brainstormed what might work for me--and for you, too! 

• Write a structured poem such as a sonnet, pantoum, or ghazal. Base the poem on last night's dream.
• Cut three pictures with a similar theme or subject from a magazine. For example, 3 pictures featuring purple. Or three pictures of dogs, or children, recipes, etc.
• Collage a three-page character bio--for either an existing character or a new one.
• Play with watercolor brushstrokes: random colors, patterns, feelings.
• Sketch one item only, e.g. a cup, an apple, a toy--using a single medium.
• Write three pages of dialogue.
• Place an artist's mannikin in a fresh pose every day. Record the poses in a single sketchbook used only for this purpose.
• A quick sketch of where you are right now. Try a different color of pencil or ink for each day.
• Write a stacked journal entry in three colors of ink.
• Clay: make a small pinch pot, egg cup, votive, bead, dipping bowl, soap dish, or incense holder.
• Three pages of flash fiction.
• Mini-collage on a piece of junk mail.
• Set a timer and create a new Polyvore set or Pinterest Board in twenty minutes or less.

Tip of the Day: At the end of the month, collect all these mini-projects and use them to create a larger piece, or to inspire you in some fresh way. For instance, a sketchbook of mannikin poses could be the basis for a new children's book. The stacked journal entries could be part of a framed collage. At the same time, examine what you enjoyed writing or drawing the most. Did you have a favorite theme, color, or medium? Take note and keep exploring.

National Poetry Month and "30 Days of Kimono"

April is National Poetry Month, and this year I'm celebrating the season with a small poetry/art journal project with a Japanese-inspired theme I'm calling "30 Days of Kimono." The idea came to me when I visited the Albuquerque Art and History Museum with my writer's group several weeks ago. The museum was hosting a special exhibition on Japanese Art Deco, and because I've always been a huge fan of Japanese style, culture, and literature, it seemed like a good time to do something with all that inspiration!

Rather than restricting myself to just poetry, I'm using a variety of methods, mediums, and digital sites where I made the kimono pictured above, as well as a Pinterest board. To keep all my ideas in one place, I've chosen to use a Moleskine Cahier Kraft blank notebook, which means I can decorate the cover too (still a bit of a work-in-progress...):

On the inside I'm writing down my poetry thoughts,  found poetry snippets, and sketch ideas for larger paintings:

I'm also pasting in drawings made on other types of paper. For instance, the sketch below is made on a Japanese paper I can't describe very well other than to say it's slick on one side, rough on the other (I don't know if it's rice paper--sorry!). I used a pen cut from a piece of bamboo, Black Magic ink, and a little watercolor, then cut it into a kimono-ish shape. The pattern was based on my recent visit to New York and Central Park.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this project has been my research; any excuse to go to the library and immerse myself in good books is fine with me. Besides losing myself in several gardening books covering Zen gardens and tea houses, my favorite find was a classic, The Book of Kimono by Norio Yamanaka. Everything you'd ever want to know about the history, making, and wearing of kimono is in this comprehensive little book. And believe me, there is a lot to know about wearing a kimono--about 36 actions just to get into "the thing," (which is all the word "kimono" really means: "a thing to wear") and half of those include hand-sewing, my most detested task on earth. Then of course there's the good behavior required to not crush or ruin the kimono, including never letting your back touch the back of a chair or car seat. Reminds me of when my mother forced me to wear scratchy nylon dotted Swiss on Sundays--don't move! Don't eat! Don't breathe! Which was perfectly expressed in this bit of found poetry I took from various lines of my magazine cut-outs:



Starched linen,

quiet wealth.

Piety, memory, cleanliness,

beauty

and stories.

Tip of the Day: Whether it's National Poetry Month or National Novel Writing Month, why not choose a theme or subject you've always wanted to know more about but never really had the time to explore? Not only could it start an entire new direction for your creativity, but it could also help give you that special edge to stand out from the crowd.

Why I Love National Novel Writing Month

Here we are at the last week of National Novel Writing Month and the big question looms: how's your word count? If you're falling behind (like me), take heart. We still have a good five days to catch up, and I suggest we grab those pens and/or open those Word files right now, or at least as soon as you finish reading this post!

On the other hand (and there always is another side to every story), you may have reached the point in your manuscript where you're thinking it doesn't matter whether you make it to the required 50K or not. You've done your best to write when you could during the month; you've made a great start to your story; and you got what you came for: inspiration. That's a good result too. It would still be nice if you could cross the finishing line, but there's more to Nanowrimo than just printing out your winner's certificate on 11/30. Some of my reasons for participating regardless of whether or not I win include:

• Nanowrimo is an excellent break and time-out away from my regular schedule of editing and rewriting my current WIP.
• It's a chance to re-discover and reconnect with my writer's soul.
• I get a new book out of it!
• It reminds me of why I do any of this: I can't wait to find out what happens next. And if I want to know, I have to write it.
• I can turn it into a writer's retreat during what is usually a very hectic month and time of year.
• It's a meditation.
• It's a chance to practice a new genre or style I might not ordinarily explore.
• I get to do some artwork. Whether it's a collage with my magazine cut-outs grouped together for writing prompts, or a drawing of one of my character's homes or ball gowns, it's all creative expression.
• Nanowrimo is community. All those other writers in the same boat; it's the one time of year when we can seriously discuss our progress, problems, plans and ideas.
• It's an opportunity to throw "publishing" and all it entails out the window. Yay!
• It renews my writer's license: I can make left-hand turns! Parallel park! Reverse! Easy-peasy. So take THAT, Inner Critic!

No matter where you are in your manuscript this week--and many of you may have already reached your goal (my hearty congratulations to you)--the main thing to keep in mind is, you're a creative genius. The fact you signed up for Nanowrimo is the proof in the pudding. Now all you have to do is choose whether you want chocolate, butterscotch, or pistachio. And ... keep writing.

Tip of the Day: Five days, people. You can do a lot with that. If you're feeling a little blah about everything, here's an idea:  make yourself a digital collage using a site such as Pinterest.com or a royalty-free picture library that illustrates a scene in your story. I did that last week with the picture heading this post. The autumn leaves and violet earrings matched a section of Four Girls and Six Colleges perfectly and got my pen moving in the right direction--toward THE END.

Scenes from an Experimental Art Class

 

For the last five weeks I've been taking an art class:  Experimental Drawing.  And what an experiment it's been!  The best way I can describe what we're doing is by calling it "free painting," the visual equivalent of "freewriting." 

Personally I've found the approach both difficult and oddly liberating--a constant struggle between wanting to create the "picture in my mind" and then having to give in to what the images dictate.  It's a lot like wanting to write a contemporary romance only to have it turn into a Norse saga in iambic pentameter with science fiction elements.  All you can do is stand back and say:  "Oooh-kaaay..."

On a more technical note, the materials we are using for this grand experiment include:

• Stonehenge and watercolor papers, as well as Bristol board.
• Acrylic paints.
• Watercolor paints.
• Pastels in both stick and loose, powdered forms.
• Acrylic mediums/grounds/gels.
• Fixative.  (Lots of fixative between each layer of pastel or paint.)
• Ink.
• Collage papers.
• Graphite pencils.
• And just about anything else that makes, or takes, a mark.

So here's my small gallery of works to date (including the picture at the top.  I like that one in particular because I threw in some words: "The Art of Placing."  I love combining text with visuals.)

Perhaps the hardest thing for me right now is to stop assigning meaning to the work, in other words, to simply let the pieces be.  They are what they are:  surprising, foreign, challenging, and miles--light years--away from the Polyvore creations that usually illustrate my blog posts. 

I still have four classes left to attend, including one tonight, and I must say I'm filled with curiosity to know what's coming next.  It's kind of like waiting for the next chapter of a very strange book--one that I'm writing in my sleep!  Stay tuned. 

Tip of the Day:  S-t-r-e-t-c-h.  Take a class, join a group, buy a how-to book in a new-to-you subject.  It may not be in your comfort zone, but there's nothing like a little creative risk-taking to liven up the "tried and true" and get your mind going in a brand new--and exciting--direction.

I Love Polyvore!

Okay, I admit it. I’m addicted to Polyvore. Polyvore.com, that is, the combined on-line collage, social networking, and shopping site that has changed my life, my creativity, and my whole approach to using the computer and Internet. Here are my top five reasons for never giving up:

1. I can base stories on my "sets" (collages you make on your “create page"). Often I’m inspired to write a blog post after making a set.

2. Where else can I belong to a group that addresses everyone as “Girls!”? “Girls! Contest ends in three days.” “Girls! Remember to use pink!” “Girls! We have contest winners!”

3. Everyone is so NICE. Not just ho-hum-nice, I mean, super-sweet, super-kind, super-appreciative nice. Because Polyvore allows users to comment on each others’ sets, you get instant feedback and praise; something writers rarely get enough of.

4. Polyvore boosts flagging creativity. While I was editing my last manuscript, I needed scheduled breaks. It was a reward to go on-line (“five pages and then I can go look for shoes to go with that Paris set…”). I could clear out my clogged left brain and the mini-vacation gave me new ideas for future work.

5. Polyvore brings the world together through art. Because of our sets, I am in touch with both aspiring and professional artists in Croatia, Lithuania, Germany, Serbia, Australia, Ireland…the list goes on and on. They are students, Christians, Muslims, dreamers, mothers, factory workers. They are incredible and I can’t imagine what my life would be like without them.

Although I have only been on Polyvore for a year now, anyone who has been in one of my groups or classes knows that an important part of my writing process has always been to collect and collage various magazine cut-outs to illustrate my scenes and character bios. My clippings, culled from magazines as diverse as Architectural Digest to National Geographic and Ceramics Monthly, not to mention Gourmet and Cat Fancy, have gone so far as to inspire entire stories, novels, and poems. I have used my cut-outs to describe a villain’s bedroom; fill up my heroine’s wardrobe; symbolize an important event from my hero’s childhood; or simply be the launching point for when I can’t think of “what happens next.”

I especially like to match a random phrase or word, also cut out from magazine pages, to the picture(s) and then use the combination as a writing prompt to get the whole piece started. I find this to be one of the best and most imaginative ways there is to begin and continue a work in progress. The technique has helped me design cover art, envision potential book trailers, and create other marketing tools such as bookmarks and tote bags. Perhaps the greatest beneficiaries of my “playing with pictures” have been the participants in my workshops where collaging has encouraged new writers to take risks and explore the possibilities of connecting two or more seemingly unrelated ideas or concepts.

Exactly one year ago a member of my writer’s group emailed me the link to http://www.polyvore.com/ with only the message that I “would love it.” Ten minutes later I was on the site, signed up with a user name and a profile, and happily engaged making a virtual collage that beat scissors and glue hands down. Later I learned I could join various “groups” such as those where you must use a bracelet in every set, or illustrate a favorite book or author; plus I could enter contests displaying my sets. (Contests are REALLY fun!)

Polyvore is a community. I know that is an overworked term these days, but I can’t think of any other description. This may sound silly, but it’s like attending a secret and artistic boarding school somewhere in the Swiss Alps that can only exist in one of those wonderful YA novels full of midnight feasts, shopping sprees, and dances held at the neighboring boys’ school. I think the great success of the site is its unabashed girliness. Polyvore is a place of evening gowns, rock’n’roll, Twilight, Audrey Hepburn, haute couture, "High School Musical", vintage fashion, BoHo Chic, film noir, country kitchen, kittens, Klimt, motorcycles, resort travel, and cool leather boots. Whatever you can dream, you can make happen on Polyvore.

Democratic and much safer than running with scissors, Polyvore has improved my entire confidence level regarding art making and the skills required. At the moment I'm using my sets to illustrate my blog postings. (Please click on the link to the side of the page to see the credits for all the items I’ve used in my sets. The individual items are even for sale if you just happen to be in the mood to purchase a $4000 pair of earrings from Barney's...)

If it is true that a picture speaks a thousand words, the sets shared on Polyvore are at least to me a universal language of the soul, and the souls of these lovely Polyvore artists are more than beautiful. They inspire me, they entertain me, they make me think. And I'm not quitting. So if anyone thinks it’s time to set up an intervention to get me away from my Polyvore, well, do so at your own peril. I won’t be responsible for the consequences!

Tip of the Day: No, you don’t have to rush over and join Polyvore. But if you do, my user name is "Davabooks." Make a set, let me know, and I'll "fave it" for sure. In the meantime, try this: collect magazines and other ephemera. Start files of people, places, animals, words, and other neat “stuff.” Mix them up, put a few together, and see what happens. I have a feeling it will be pure magic.