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Archive for design

Zentangles

I am beyond excited about my latest passion – Zentangles! I learned how to do this super-simple gorgeous little art form from Jill Greenbaum at a Book Sprint I was part of recently (which has a brilliant story on its own – check out my blog post about it on weDialogue).

I was hooked and have been exploring ever since, every chance I get. Of course I ordered all the introductory “gear” immediately – I’m such a gear freak – which in this case was very good art paper in pre-cut squares, a micron .01 black pen, a graphite pencil and a tortillion (cool fancy French term for “blending stump”, which is decidedly less glamorous).

Here’s the beauty I made with these simple tools:

Great Books

These books inspire, entertain, and teach me things I want to know more about… I hope they will be nourishing resources for you as well. If you buy them through the links on this page, I get a small commission, so I invite you to go wild & totally indulge yourself!

 

Use Your Own Voice

Speak Personally and
Authentically

Be brave enough to show professional efficacy
without losing your humanity. Don’t pretend to be perfect or feel that
you always have to be right. It’s beautiful to be human.

Showing yourself as you truly are liberates others to do the same and
inspires a culture of trust.

Speak in your own voice. You’re the only one who can. Take courage in
knowing this is not just a quirky little trend some beauty-obsessed web
designer is promoting. 🙂 No less a luminary than than Seth Godin
shares this point in a wonderful interview
he did for TypePad on authenticity.

The Art of Words

Pay Attention to Your
Language

Keep your primary keywords in mind and use them
artfully and often. Turn on your SpellChecker and check your copy before
you publish. Be personal, specific and cultivate your own style. Avoid
jargon unless it is vital to your meaning; remember who your audience
is. Vary your adjectives and listen to the beat of your words. Read them
out loud and change anything that makes you stumble. Keep it short.
Respect your sources and link, link, link.

There are plenty more guidelines to help you write copy for the Internet (including some I’ve written –
see my resource links in Beauty Online), but to me this subject really gets
interesting when you consciously use language to reinforce your values
and reflect the integrity of what you want to say.

If you want to promote peace, for example, lay down the violent
metaphors. To reinforce a connection with the natural world, plant words
that evoke the senses and sing the beauty of nature; avoid mechanistic
terms and abstractions.

When you want to promote interaction, ask questions and leave space for
reflection; cultivate listening. When your desire is to develop
connection and trust, always assume the best and consciously soften any
aggression that sneaks into your speech. Listen more than you write.
Love the ones you’re with.

Own your words. They’re yours, right there in print. Make sure they
reflect what you mean to say. Words have power and they can have grace;
let the ones you use carry both.