brandi strickland : artists who blog

Brandi's blog: www.paperwhistle.com/blog
Brandi's website: www.brandistrickland.com
Brandi's shop: www.paperwhistle.com

Why did you decide to start a blog?

My blog has been a part of my portfolio website since its launch two years ago. It started as a place for news but soon included posts with sketches, works in progress, photography, and other things that didn't fit into my portfolio. It's become more personal over time, and now I regard it as a (primarily) visual journal.



How did you come up with the name of your blog?

The Brandi Strickland blog was a no-brainer, I wanted to just stick with my name to make it easy. My bf and I just launched our new art and design blog together, called Paper Whistle, and we wanted something more fun. Its name came from my love of paper and whistling. I can't really whistle that well, but my grandpa sure could, and now just the word makes me happy.



How has blogging affected your work as an artist/designer?

I can't even count the ways that blogging has been positive for me. I love the immediate feedback, the sense of community, the stimulating atmosphere. I usually blog by posting pictures to flickr, then the pictures are automatically pulled into my blog. I've found it to be easier and more comfortable than writing and planning out a whole post. Because of blogging (& flickr) I've become acquainted with many artists, designers, and people that I admire.



What are your favorite artist/designer blogs? Why?

FecalFace - They’re the best ever, period.

My Love For You - Meighan always features great work. She also has really fun guest writers.

Booooooom - They highlight talent across many fields and always deliver a smile :)

Leah Giberson - I love her work and viewing her process is exciting.

Little Paper Planes - Kelly writes about great openings and other art finds that are often under the radar.



Do you have any advice for artists/designers who are starting a blog?

Just blog about whatever gets you really excited! For a long time I've only blogged about my own artwork and life--I’ve been way too shy. Lately I’ve enjoyed discussing other people’s work, and I am excited to be more involved with the community through the new Paper Whistle blog.



What has been the most positive and inspirational aspect of having a blog for you?

The best part is connecting with people. Working as an artist can be very solitary, so keeping up my connections prevents me from feeling isolated. Blogging involves me with a community of very likeminded people, who I probably wouldn't otherwise be able to know.



What do you find the most difficult/most rewarding part of having a creative profession?

The hardest part is switching gears between art and business. I have to set clear goals and deadlines to keep myself motivated and on task. It's hard to apply deadlines and tasks to creativity.



Other than your blog, what has been the most effective way for you to promote your art/design?

A lot of little things add up. After selling through various online communities for almost two years, we decided it was time to have our very own shop. Taking that step to have our own place has been a big help. Etsy and flickr have been invaluable, and showing in galleries is great way to get the word out. Lots of kind people have helped through various blog features, PDF magazines, and interviews.



How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I *try* to keep a good balance, but I haven’t perfected this thing yet. I do my best to take breaks when I'm feeling burnt out, and to alternate tasks. To stay sane I take pictures, spend time with people I love, walk, play Dr. Mario, poke around online, cook, travel, take baths, clean up the house, go see good bands...



What are your main goals for 2009?

Paper Whistle! My bf and I have collaborated on a new art shop / art blog. The shop carries limited-edition, archival quality prints of my work, (originals coming soon), while the blog features all kinds of nifty art and design posts. I also just became a member of the WAFA collective, and I’m super excited about upcoming collaborations.

Thanks Brandi!