Jenn's Blog

Do you know? Have you seen? Hope not!!!

2012-02-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

Ok...gotta get this said....
- - - - - - -
I love to follow along the updates on facebook to see what my friends and family and those I admire are up to.

There is always so much happening and sometimes I am excited to share in their "going-ons", sometimes I am happy to keep quite and observe, and there are times when I just have to shake my head and pray really REALLY hard.
One of those times was this morning....

I follow quite a few Christian groups, authors, and singers on fb and love to see how they touch so many people's lives by bringing them the Word.
It can inspire and encourage like nothing else can.
And I love the fact that some have adopted a "good deed day" of some sort, but I am also disheartened at the same time by some of their 'encouragements' in the process.

Twice I have seen the request to "share what you've done and the result you got".
Now doing for others should ALWAYS be encouraged.
Inspiring others by sharing ideas of what type of things you can do is also very good, but to flat out ask for those who are doing the good deeds to share exactly what they've done and the reward they received out of it just leaves me shaking my head.

Matthew 6 NIV:
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Our deeds and rewards should not be announced in any comment section of a social network, in a blog post, on twitter or anywhere else...
.....by proclaiming our 'goodness' we are doing ALL in the wrong spirit and with a greedy heart, looking for self satisfaction, and truly not loving those we've just 'done' for.

Instead...ENCOURAGE others...INSPIRE those around you...and lead by EXAMPLE...quietly.
No credit needed.

Thank you, Jesus, for leading by example. For encouraging us and inspiring us to love others in the way that you love us. Let us not forget that it is because of YOU, God, that all things are possible and that YOU are the only reward needed.

Amen

Living Intentionally - are you focused?

2012-02-01T08:49:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I *think* I know what direction I should be headed in...and I *feel* that I am doing what I should...
but then I lose focus and veer off track and then end up wondering where I am and how I got there!
I set goals that I can't seem to reach and wonder why....
or I REACH a goal and still feel like I missed the mark....

With work and kids and husband and family functions and household duties and self expectations...and...and....
it is easy to lose focus and concentrate on what God has planned for you. You take your 'eyes-off-the-prize' and end up feeling overwhelmed, let-down, and flat out lost.

That's why I am SUPER excited about a brand new year-long devotional being offered over at the Internet Cafe!

To find out more about the devotional click here:

"Living Intentionally: Bringing Passion, Purpose, and Priorities to Real Life"

For the 1st installment, visit:

{Living Intentionally} Discovering Your Passion: Part 1

With this new devotional, Life Coach and Ministry Leader, Lisa Pulliam, will offer a "living intentionally topic" with practical resources to show how to apply God's Word to our daily lives to fulfill our God-given purpose, passion,and priorities.

I can't wait to find out just what He has in store for me! How about YOU???
Join me there by clicking on the "Living Intentionally" link above and see what this devotional can do for you!

See you there!!

Playing "Catch-up"

2012-02-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

Time has escaped me while I've been working away on a few tight deadlines with my art and I've neglected this lovely place, sadly....But here is a quick update of sorts as to what I will be posting today and tomorrow (and the next day and so on...until I get everything posted that I want to :)
Coming up within the next few days:

A new MomPreneur post featuring Cassandra Hillegass with Pink Zebra Home
The last installment on the Licensing Series
A sneak peek at a devotional I'm working on for the Grumpy Woman
A new bread recipe I now consider a staple in the Nilsson house- yummy!

And here is an exciting bit of news:
Much to my surprise...as I was driving down the street in my hometown...approx. 4 doors down from my own house.....I spied THIS:

One of MY designs on a garden flag!! YAY!
I wasn't expecting for this to be released until the Summer, but there it was...right down the street from me, how fun!
God is AWESOME!!!

"Thank you, Lord, for granting me the gift and privilege to create for your glory and for allowing me to share it with everyone else!"

Another post to follow...this time about the wonderful new year-long devotional from the Internet Cafe Living Intentionally...NOT to be missed!!!See you there!

Clean Heart - WFW

2012-01-25T09:15:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it's easy to get the grumbles...
dirty dishes found in the kids' room, a mountain of laundry screaming for attention...

Maybe you feel like your day is consumed by all the little irritable details you wish would just be done by someone else and you get angry at the thought of another needing your attention when you have so much to do.
Frustration and resentment can settle in and hang a stormy gray cloud over your head as well as anyone else that gets near you.

How to get rid of it and get back on track...seeing your responsibilities as blessing and counting it all as joy?

Just ask.....

To find other inspired posts created for Word Filled Wednesday, stop by the cafe!

Licensing ~ What, why, when and how....{Part 2}

2012-01-22T13:53:00.001-05:00

With this 2 post in the licensing series, we are continuing on with just the basics of licensing, this time discussing WHY you might want to license and WHEN you should consider it. For part 1, dealing with the "What" of it all, please visit THIS post. And I invite you to leave comments or questions at the end of each post in the series. I'd love to hear your thoughts...But first, as always....

My disclaimer: All posts in the series contain information which is based on my own personal experiences, obtained through both: my current working status as a licensed artist and through my continued studying of the marketplace, trends, etc., as well as through various articles found on the web. When information is supplied from a source other than my own experiences, it is done so under permission of the original author and credit is given by way of link and name. Please understand, I am not an expert in any field and will not give advice with contract negotiations, copyright laws, or tax information. The articles in the blog series are to be used for basic information and personal insight to my art licensing journey. Enjoy....

Licensing: WHY and WHEN?
Now that we've learned a bit of what licensing is and talked about a few of the differences between self-representation in licensing and working with a licensing agency, let's discuss WHY one might consider venturing into a licensing contract and WHEN the right time might be.

You'll find that I might repeat myself a little from last time in this post and maybe you'll find you have more questions after reading this than you had before. Please ask away and I'll do my best to answer or track down the answer for you. This is just a simple post with my personal take.
I am adding list of links included at the end of the post that may be helpful in your quest to learn more.

There are many reasons WHY an artist might want to license their work.
Here are a few of my personal 'whys' or rather what led me to the decision to license my work:

Because every time I went into a store, I began to really notice how artwork was everywhere...in package design, in patterns on fabric, in the details of dinnerware, and I felt this strong desire to see MY work on these items and others.
While I enjoyed creating my artwork, I also found myself frequently dreaming up new product ideas for my designs. Some products I learned to make myself, but I soon realized that many were beyond my abilities to create.
I dreamed of someday, being able to walk into a store and see my artwork gracing their shelves.
I knew without licensing in some form (whether self-representing or with representation) I would never be able to achieve these dreams.
I knew that a repeatable income could be made from my initial artwork through manufacturing and that someday I would like to make a living from this income.

Simply put....I had a desire for my artwork to become so much more than what I counld create out of it on my own.

That's leads straight to the WHEN of licensing....
WHEN you begin envisioning YOUR artwork in place of another's on a product...
WHEN you dream of walking into a store and seeing YOUR artwork on the shelves....
WHEN you wish for YOUR artwork to grow beyond what you can do with it yourself....

....then it may be time for you to begin the process of learning the ins and outs of licensing.
Yup, I am suggesting you use this as a starting point to learn all you can before venturing out and not going to say that it is time to dive right in.
Having the DESIRE is just the beginning, my friend.
There are other things (besides those mentioned in {Part 1}) to also consider -
Once you become a Licensed Artist:

You may have to work from a list of themed requests, guidelines, and deadlines for your new work
You have to be ready to make adjustments to pieces or rework an entire piece upon request
You may have to have a general knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, etc to format your pieces in specific ways for submission

In order to set this new venture into motion, there are several things you may want to research, several ways in which to prepare, additional things that should be considered and they will all be in "Licensing ~ What, why, when and how....{Part 3}" which will deal with HOW to get started in licensing, which will be posted next weekend.

I know this was a short, sweet, and general post....

Do you have anything to add? Questions on what I've posted? An experience to share???

PLEASE...comment below and let's start a discussion :)

And until next time, here are a few GREAT blogs to read through, written by those I greatly admire and follow, along MY adventure in licensing as well as an awesome group for those in ALL stages of licensing:

Joan Beringer's Blog: http://www.joanbeiriger.blogspot.com/
Alex Colombo's Blog: http://creativeconceptsdesignstudio.blogspot.com/
Kate Harper's Blog: http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/
Tara Reed's Blog: http://artlicensingblog.com/
The Art of Licensing Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheArtofLicensing/

Happy creating and enjoy the read....see you next week!

Love in Action - WFW

2012-01-18T08:12:00.000-05:00

1 John 3:18...... may you have an action-packed day!
xoxox

Today Could Be The Day! (Dianne Guthmuller)

2012-01-15T09:47:00.004-05:00

Have you ever taken a look at your life and thought "there has to be more than this"...
Have you ever found yourself in circumstances beyond your control and have felt there was no way out...
Well, TODAY Could Be THE Day!

I woke up to this inspirational post in my inbox, send via Dianne Guthmuller's blog, The Journey.
I hope it gives you the same encouragement, hope, and excitement that it has me.....be inspired!

"Today Could Be The Day"

Licensing ~ What, why, when and how....{Part 1}

2012-01-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

With this beginning post, we are going to get into just the basics of licensing, starting with the "What" of it all. And I invite you to leave comments or questions at the end of each post in the series. I'd love to hear your thoughts...
But first....
My disclaimer: All posts in the series contain information which is based on my own personal experiences, obtained through both: my current working status as a licensed artist and through my continued studying of the marketplace, trends, etc., as well as through various articles found on the web. When information is supplied from a source other than my own experiences, it is done so under permission of the original author and credit is given by way of link and name. Please understand, I am not an expert in any field and will not give advice with contract negotiations, copyright laws, or tax information. The articles in the blog series are to be used for basic information and personal insight to my art licensing journey. Enjoy....

What:

Licensing- Granting a company permission to use a brand name, patent, or other proprietary right, for a set period of time in exchange for a flat fee or percentage of sales (royalty).

   When 'licensing' your artwork...you are granting permission, or rights, under contract with set terms, to a company to use your design on their products in exchange for payment. This allows you to use the original artwork you've created in original form and variations to generate income from various sources and multiple times.

I have been licensing my artwork to companies the last few years, first as a self representing artist and now under representation with Applejack/ ArtLicensing.
     As a 'self representing artist' you are just that...representing yourself as an artist and taking on all business matters including promotion of your artwork, direct sales of your original or print pieces, work-for-hire contracts, all associated taxes and fees, and any possible licensing contracts, on your own. This can be very time consuming and you may find you have less time than you would like for creating any new art.
     As an 'agented artist' or 'represented artist', you are now having your artwork promoted, contracts negotiated for, and any licensing fees and taxes handled by an agent or agency that works on your behalf, allowing you to dedicate more time to the actual creating of new artwork.

With BOTH arrangements, You need to FULLY understand contract and legal terms and languages before signing ANY contracts. If you should have questions as to what the contract is stating, no matter how small it seems, have a lawyer (preferably a copyright lawyer) explain the contract to you in plain English. It could mean the beginning of a long, prosperous business relationship WITH understanding the contract's language or without understanding the contract.... the chance of losing all rights to your images...be careful.

And there are pros and cons to each. Here are a just a few....

As a self representing artist in a licensing relationship:

You have the opportunity to build personal one-on-one relationships with any and all companies you license your artwork to, allowing you to see all contract terms PRIOR to signing on with the company, the ability to negotiate terms directly, and the opportunity to receive the full amount of royalties due to you without having to share a cut with another party.
When you personally sign on with a company who is licensing your work, you have the ability to send all new work, as it is created, to the company for production with no waiting time on your end. This could mean more frequent releases of new products featuring your images as well as more frequent sales for them and larger payments to you.
The companies you sign on with may or may NOT promote their artists outside of their company website or store which can limit exposure to only clients that already are familiar with the company. You must be your own best promoter of EACH company you are with, getting the word out there in any way YOU can which can be very time consuming.
When searching out companies to approach for new licensing contracts, some companies may not work directly with an artist, but will prefer to go through an agent. This could greatly limit which type of products your artwork can be licensed for and where it could be sold. (Think on-demand printing versus chains like Target, Lowes, etc)

As an artist represented by an agent or licensing agency:

While you do not have the opportunity to work directly with companies that have chosen your work to license for their products, you will have an agent who knows the copyright laws, has access to often times larger companies that do not often work directly with an artist, and who will have an inhouse team to follow the current trends over several marketplaces. This can give you many advantages and take a lot of the research out of your hands allowing you to concentrate on new artwork.
Many agencies frequent the large trade shows each year, allowing for a wider range of exposure of your work to manufactures of all varieties. This is VERY costly for an artist to do on their own.
Having your artwork with an agency will allow for potential clients that may not be familiar with your work to search the agency's database by keywords according to their needs instead of by artist's name. This can allow for your work to be 'discovered' my manufacturers who may have never hear of you or have not come across your work in the past.
An agency will generally have a legal department in place to deal with violations of your copyright (i.e. unauthorized use of your images) which can bring about a much quicker (and cheaper) resolution than you would be able to get on your own.
An agency is in the business to make money, so generally you'll find that they will promote you as much as their other artists and sometimes in bigger and better ways that you could ever do for yourself, but that being said
.....the agency is in the business of making money and once they DO secure a contract to license your artwork, they will take their cut off the top (as much as 40-50%) and then forward your share on to you. Which means....while you would have made a 20% royalty with a company that you could be working with directly, by going through an agency you will only be pocketing 10-12% of that initial 20%.

Again, these are only a few of the pros and cons and just the basics of what licensing is about.

Do you have anything to add? Questions on what I've posted? An experience to share???

PLEASE...comment below and let's start a discussion :)

The next blog article in this series- "Licensing ~ What, why, when and how....{Part 2}" which will deal with the WHY you might want to license and WHEN you should consider it will be posted next weekend.

Let's Talk About: Licensing

2012-01-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

I have been drawing and painting (and doodling and sketching) pretty much as long as I can remember, but have only been working as an artist for the last 5 years.
In that short amount of time, I've learned many valuable lessons, both in the creative process and in the business side of it all. And there is good and bad to be found in every experience.

I am asked often about my adventures in licensing....

I am happy to share what I know and I invite you to add your experiences and questions a long the way.
Please be sure to visit the blog tomorrow for the first installment on my new licensing series.

See you then!

"Count it All as JoY" work-in-progress...

2012-01-06T16:26:00.001-05:00

Remember the other day when my plans took a little detour and a new illustration started hatching in my brain because that's how the Lord works with me sometimes? (Ok, sorry for the major run-on sentence, but I'm a little excited, can ya tell?!)
Welllllll....the sketch is ready to share.....

Now I know that the verse the Lord used to speak to me with was Colossians 3:23-24, BUT while working on this piece the words "count it all as JoY" kept popping into my head. One of the household tasks I truly dread is ironing so that is the topic I decided to go with and if you read Colossians 3:23-24 I imagine that while doing your work willingly you should have the right attitude, as well ;)

Just the way my artist brain works while working with His instructions....love how He always knows just when and how to speak to me.

Lord, thank you SO much for blessing me with the talents you've chosen just for me and for guiding me in ways to use it for your glory. I count it all as joy....
Amen

Just a little JoY for your morning...

2012-01-06T10:27:00.001-05:00

The studio is flooded with sunshine today and I swear, I'm solar powered because I have the most energy, inspiration, and motivation on these sun shiny days! So I'm just thanking Him for the bright spot and asking Him to use me to shine like the sun.....
Wishing you a day filled with inspiration and joy....

A Change in Plans....

2012-01-05T11:11:00.001-05:00

Ever wake up and feel so energetic and clear minded that you know EXACTLY what you are going to do with your day?
You set your plans in motion and think ahead to what you'll accomplish and then all of a sudden out of nowhere, you're taken by the hand and led in a new direction....
Yup, that's me today....

I was working on a few new little paper pins for the reopen of the shop , finishing up a wedding invitation design, and starting a couple surprise gifts for a few friends, when a verse was posted in my FB newsfeed that stopped me in my tracks.

"Colossians 3:23-24 Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know that he will reward you. (CEV)"

Now mind you, I thought I WAS working willingly and working as if I was serving Him....but that's not the kind of work He was talking to me about today... While I was not grumbling about any of my household tasks in particular TODAY... yesterday, the day before...there may have been a growl or two (cat box, mountain of laundry, dishes not rinsed properly...been there?) So I was a bit surprised when this verse sprang up today in the middle of my joyful plans smack dab in the midst of my complaint free day. And then an image began to form in my mind and I KNEW that the Lord was showing me to take this joy I felt today and apply it to my tomorrows (when the yard work needed to be done and hubby's shirts had to be ironed.....) because He knew that with my artist brain, He could paint a picture that I would understand better than any words could relay.

And so....as happy as I was to just plod along with MY plans, He has something better for me and a new direction for my creativity. I am in the process of sketching it out and hope to share it with you all soon ....
I LOVE that He speaks directly to me in a language He knows I will hear...

Thank you Lord Jesus, for hearing my grumbles, seeing my plans, knowing my heart, and loving me still...

A New Year's Challenge...Are you game?

2012-01-03T19:00:00.002-05:00

I love to pop in and out of Facebook to see what my friends and family are up to each day and it seems that one of the main topics continues to be "New Years Resolutions".

Most often, resolutions center around self-improvement of some kind or goals to reach that have not been reached or even thought of in years past. Maybe the resolution is to take a class, learn a skill, read a book, WRITE a book, lose weight, run a marathon...the list goes on and on. All worthy endeavors, but I want to throw a twist into it.

I have a challenge for anyone who chooses to accept it. It may or may not be easy...it may or may not be time consuming...it may or may not totally change your entire outlook on your life and situations as you see them now...but it most definitely WILL change SOMEONE'S outlook, situation, and possibly their life and may even this new year their best yet!

My challenge requires only a few steps.
The 1st is: take a look in the mirror, see ALL there is to see, inside and out, weaknesses and strengths, and acknowledge and accept yourself for who you are. Accepting yourself is not the same thing as APPROVING of yourself...maybe you do have changes that need to be made for whatever reason, but accept who you are, good or bad for God creates no mistakes.
2ndly: Take some of the pressure off yourself and whatever you think might need changed and choose THIS DAY (make it a resolution, if you'd like) to turn some of your focus toward someone else. It seems that the Christmas spirit of generosity only lingers for such a small amount of time and then is replaced by self (at least around here it does). God has given each one of us a gift, a talent, which sometimes come in the forms of skills (painting, sewing, singing, writing) or attitudes (helpfulness, cheerfulness, the desire to help the sick, generosity of possessions)....do you know what yours is? You have one, believe me! God has generously given to each of us...And we can gift these on to others all year long, not just at Christmas time...
3rd: Choose one person, a few, one for each month or quarter of the year, but choose someone(s) to anonymously bless with your gift(s) and talent(s). I say do it in secret because there are some people who tend to feel the need to return a kindness to the original giver and there are some who feel resentful because they truly don't understand and know that they are WORTH a kindness. Maybe your "gift" to them will be as simple as sweeping the snow from their porch steps after they've gone to bed for the evening...maybe it will be as large as a box of groceries left by their door....maybe you'll write a poem or an inspirational quote and leave somewhere you'll know it will be found...listen to your heart, it often hears what the ears can not when God is speaking directly to you.

I guarantee, if you take my challenge and stick with it, positivity, inspiration, joy, and blessing will be yours and the ones you choose to 'gift' with your talents and time.

One of my main goals for 2012 and to spread a bit of sunshine into dark places another is to keep a Christmas heart all year long and gift others with more than just wrapped presents, perhaps with hope, joy, a renewal of faith... Want to join me?

In the Garden - a Wedding Design....

2012-01-02T11:23:00.001-05:00

Sneak peeks of a wedding design I am working on. (Please excuse the out of focus, not quite true to color pics, lol) This will be sent on over to the agency when finished but also used for a line in the {Whimsy} Weddings shop as well.
I have not settled on a name yet...any suggestions? The colors are cream, peach, mauves, purples, greens and golden wood-tones, but will be offered in a varied of color schemes created in photoshop.


Close-up of the butterfly and flowers

Close-up of wood grain...


An over-all view of the WIP...

I love working in more realistic themes sometimes. I am known for vibrant fantasy and whimsy, but occasionally a more grown-up subject can be refreshing :)
I hope to have this piece completed within another day or 2 and then added to the shop for various wedding products by the end of the week.

What type of theme or color scheme did you have for YOUR wedding???

Beginning Again....again

2012-01-01T10:32:00.002-05:00

Happy Sunday and Happy New Year!

I suspect many of you have or are in the process of deciding your resolutions and goals for this brand new year.
I love the new year.....it's like a blank slate, a do-over, a gift of 365 days to make a fresh start.

I, myself, don't make resolutions I choose to set goals. Maybe they are the same thing, maybe not, but to me...goals are something I can reach for and adjust along the way as needed, resolutions feel too set in stone for my taste. ;)

One of the goals I strive for every year is to simplify my life. Oh, I manage to obtain bits of simplicity here and there, but generally somewhere along the way I muck it up with unnecessary details and 'stuff' and then everything once again feels difficult and strained.
Simplicity and organization brings me joy and creativity (something I truly long for each day as an artist) and I've learned to see when the unneeded messy details start to creep back to steal my joy. THIS year I will not only watch for them, but toss them out before they take root.

One of the ways I am simplifying things is with this blog...right now...at this moment.
Previously, I had a blog for my art (on my website), then one for my Christian walk, and then one for...ready for this...keeping a simple home. (3 separate blogs doesn't sound very simple, huh?) And then I realized...WHY?
I do not live 3 separate lives...I am all these things: child of God, artist, wife and mother all at the same time, why should I portion them out and spread myself thin? So....from here on out, all will be included in this one SIMPLE place.

I hope you'll join me and I look forward to sharing with you all God has in store for us this coming New Year.