iPad Five Year Anniversary - What A Difference It Has Made - For Me!

I can't believe it's been five years since the iPad changed my life! Since that April day in 2010, so much has happened because of it. I waited by the door for it to be delivered and things have never been the same. I had a feeling about it like no other gadget before it. Now I have three iPads - the first one is now my husband's - and the other two are used exclusively for all my art - and maybe a few games! I downloaded Sketch book Pro and my love for art was reignited. It started with doodles and sketches, and became three children's books - as apps in the Apple Store published by StoryChimes, a New Yorker Eustace Tilley win, self published children's books on Amazon, and commissioned pet portraits from all over the US, Canada, Australia, and Puerto Rico. I even have a "gallery wall" at the Wagtime Shop on Capitol Hill. Along with all the art is the social media that ties it all together - this blog about living in the Capitol City, Facebook business page, tumblr, Pinterest boards, krrb ads, my etsy shop, twitter, a Wordpress personal website, and the most recent Rebelmouse that pulls a lot of it in to one place. The iPad makes it so much easier to coordinate all of these things. It has become my mobile studio - which is a lot cleaner and neater than watercolor and pastels - that I take with me whenever we are out of town. Yes, some of this could have been done without the iPad, but not to the same degree. Thanks Steve Jobs for having the vision. Happy Anniversary IPad!

Promote Pics & Tweet Pics Collage on Twitter

A couple months ago I noticed my digital art popping up on Twitter in a different format. I wasn't posting it that way, and it looked okay. Promote Pictures was actually promoting my pictures from my Etsy shop. Of course, you could sign up and pay something for the privilege - this was just a tease. I didn't sign on because I tend to tweet my work routinely and hope it catches someone's attention. Then I noticed it a few times more under the name TweetPicCollage. Then I retweeted and favorited all of them, then got an invitation to follow. I still haven't done anything about it but enjoy the back and forth and an waiting to see if anything surfaces again. Each time the images are different and do look nice in collage format. Here is another example of trying to stay on top of all the options out there. Luckily I still have adequate skills to create these types of displays - I just don't seem to have enough time in the day to do it. And perhaps that is just the point. 

Rebel Mouse - I Need Some Help!

I'm usually pretty good about getting connected on a variety of social media applications. On my google blog I figured out how to get them all linked. On my business Facebook page - it took awhile - but I got YouTube and everything else attached. Within the last month I added Instagram and Tumblr to the mix. It's a full time job keeping these things updated. I only do it because I actually enjoy it and I like to share not only my digital art, but whatever I happen to come across daily in Washington DC. I get no help from anyone, and just work at it until I think I get it right. So when I stumbled across Rebel Mouse, it sounded like a great way to get all this junk on to one site. Since Thursday I have been trying to figure out how this thing really works because all I'm seeing now are items that are tweeted and not much else. It's not a very intuitive site for me and the frustration is building. As with all the initial set ups and transactions, an email verification is typical. But with Rebel Mouse, they keep sending frequent emails to invite friends. But I can't even get the thing to look or behave like I would like it to. I'm not inviting anyone to look at it until it at least does what it should. Maybe this is one item I will eventually dump simply because I can't figure it out. Maybe that's not such a bad idea. 

Thanks DC Blogs For Noticing Goosefest Tweet

Last week we saw an incredible number of Canadian geese hanging around the Potomac River near the Washington Monument  and Jefferson Memorial. We saw them all the time in Milwaukee too - but not this many at one time. It looked like "goosefest" - an organized call to gather. I added several photos on my blog, and posted videos and photos to Twitter. DC Blogs has noted several of my entries over four years. But I've never had a tweet noticed - until today. Thanks DC Blogs! I appreciate it! And as always, I thank them via Twitter and get a like back. It's so nice to be in such polite company - which is very unusual around here. 

Thanks to The Hill is Home

I wasn't sure why the stats on my blog increased a few days ago. Sometimes DC Blogs notices an entry and a particular item gets traction. But that was not the case this time. So I checked the sources and "The Hill is Home" was listed. I checked the site and was so pleased to see that my story about Pete's Diner was noticed. Since this website is all about Capitol Hill it had even more significance. As always I send a thank you tweet for getting the extra attention, and today I got a favorited tweet from them. We have been in Florida the last few days taking care of business for our elder parents. I grew up there, but spent thirty years in the Midwest - which is what my blog is all about. You could say there is a Pete's Diner in every town. Maybe it is just noticed more this time of year.  

 

Etsy and Twitter Milestones

I started my Etsy Shop about two years ago. I sell most of my digital art on Etsy. A lot of it is pet portraits, but I also do people and places. Yesterday I hit a milestone of selling 100 paintings. It's so exciting to think that in such a short period of time I was able to get this far. I've also been trying to build up my twitter followers and hit 900 yesterday. That doesn't seem like much but it takes a lot of time to keep all these social media options alive and well. I'm also keeping a Facebook Digital Art page updated with daily feeds, as well as submitted daily writings and photos for this blog. Because I enjoy it so much it doesn't feel like work. But the performance measurement work I do in the real world makes me appreciate every goal and milestone. There's always room to step back and celebrate even the smallest accomplishments - especially when it's a hobby! 

Thanks DC Blogs

I've been writing a daily blog entry for over three years. That includes the days when I am away on vacation - something that just occurred this month when we were visiting friends in England and France, and in August when both my parents were in the hospital in Florida at the same time. Most of the entries are supposed to have something to do with life on Capitol Hill compared to Milwaukee where we lived for thirty years. Every once in a while my blog entry is noticed by DC Blogs. I'm always so pleased because it boosts my outreach.  And as always, I thank them for promoting it. In this world of social media it's hard to keep up with it all and every little bit helps. This time the Library of Congress employee art show was highlighted. I have two digital art pieces on display on the sixth floor of the Madison Building. What a great opportunity for exposure not only there but on DC Blogs.