Day 365: At last, how sweet it is

At last!

This is my final and last post of the 365 Days Thank You Card Challenge and I’m so happy it’s FINALLY over! 🙂

Don’t get me wrong, but I’ve enjoyed pushing myself as a designer for an entire year and it hasn’t been easy. I’ve never made myself do something like this, and it was hard at first, but got much easier as time went on. Some days I found my inspiration right away, while other days I was almost beating my head against the computer desk to come up with an idea.

You have to understand something about creative people.

There is no way to turn on creativity like a light switch. You can’t flip a switch and expect something creative to flow out. Creativity takes time and happens when you least expect it. It cannot be forced or rushed. There’s a process behind it. You have to go away from what you’re supposed to be doing, and find something else to occupy your time. When your mind isn’t thinking about the design, then the ideas will start to flow like a bowling ball rolling down the ally. First the ideas start out slow, and then the momentum picks up and things are whizzing right by you. Soon you have so many ideas coming out your head that you can’t stop it. It’s like when I volcano finally erupts. It just bursts into the air and there’s nothing that will stop it. The same when creative has finally kicked in.

However, now that I’m putting this design challenge to bed, I can focus my attention on other things in my life and hopefully, more client projects.

I love being a designer and creating something out of nothing for my clients. It’s a cool process to stare at a blank page on the computer only to find out later that you’ve created a finished product that either seen by billions of people online or something you can touch and feel with your hands. I wouldn’t trade what I do for anything else, but it’s what makes me, me!

As for the Thank You card designs I’ve created all year, some I love and others I wish I could have done something different.

Here are a few of my previous favorite cards:

01.08.14 Inspired by Paris and the 1950s
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

01.22.14 Inspired by the De Stijl Dutch style
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

05.20.14 Inspired by water
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

06.19.14 Inspired by a patterned box
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

07.15.14 Inspired by a branding board
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

07.25.14 Inspired by a typography image
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

07.28.14 Inspired by Cincinnati
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

10.27.14 Inspired by another designer
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

11.06.14 Inspired by a WordPress website
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

12.05.14 Inspired by a web graphic
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

12.06.14 Inspired by soap packaging
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

And at last, the final Thank You card in this design challenge.

Thank you all for being a part of my journey to become a better designer.

Graphic Designer & Production Artist
“From idea to page – flawless digital/print design & production.”

12.31.14 Inspired by New Year’s Eve
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

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Day 361: It’s almost over and the end will be here

There is exactly one more day left in 2014, and the end of my design challenge.

Stick a fork in me, I’m done!

I’m ready to take on new challenges and projects.

It is time!

Anyhow, here is today’s Thank You card inspired by nothing. I’m just not in the mood to be inspired, so I just threw a card together.

Let me know what you think

Graphic Designer & Production Artist
“From idea to page – flawless digital/print design & production.”

12.30.14 Inspired by nothing
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

Day 360: Excited to see the finish line

Although this post’s title is Day 360, there are only two more posts left in this design challenge.

It might seem confusing, but there were a few days in the year that I didn’t put up a blog because of circumstances beyond my control.

However, I am excited to see the finish line because I’m ready to do something else with my time. I’m just not exactly what creative project it will be.

The idea will strike when I least expect it, so I’m not going to push myself into another project yet or put pressure on myself either.

I’m going to let sleeping dogs lie before I do anything.

Anyhow, today’s Thank You card is inspired by a poster, and I really liked the color palate and simplicity of the design.

Here it is.

Graphic Designer & Production Artist
“From idea to page – flawless digital/print design & production.”

12.29.14 Inspired by a poster
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

Day 359: Pushing myself until the very end

There are only three days left of this design challenge and I can’t wait! 🙂

It has been an incredible journey, but I am ready for it to end.

Here is today’s Thank You card inspired by a bedroom. I was drawn to the original image because of the color palate. I loved the bright mint green color on top of the dark purple because it stood out.

Let me know what you think.

Graphic Designer & Production Artist
“From idea to page – flawless digital/print design & production.”

12.28.14 Inspired by a bedroom
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

Day 358: The numbers keep getting smaller

Wow…In just four more days, we’ll be at the very end of 2014 and this design challenge.

I can’t believe how fast this month is flying by!

It’s like someone hit the fast forward button because the days are flying by so fast they are running together.

Anyhow, with everything moving so fast, that means I only have a few more Thank You cards to design until this design challenge is over.

Woo Hoo!!!

I’m just ready for a much needed break and change of pace.

Okay, let’s move onto today’s Thank You card which is inspired by a tutorial.

I’ve been using Illustrator for years, and use it on a daily basis, so I’m pretty familiar with the software and it’s capabilities until I found a new tutorial for something that I’ve never done, wrap text in a shape. Now, I can put text in a shape, but I’ve never needed to know how to wrap the text in a shape for a client’s project. However, I found a tutorial on it, so I decided to put it to the test.

Let me know what you think.

Graphic Designer & Production Artist
“From idea to page – flawless digital/print design & production.”

12.27.14 Inspired by a tutorial
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

Day 357: Winding down to the very end

I’m tired, my head aches, and this design challenge is winding down to the very end within five days.

That being said, today’s Thank You card is inspired by an outfit.

Good Night.

Graphic Designer & Production Artist
“From idea to page – flawless digital/print design & production.”

12.26.14 Inspired by an outfit
© 2014 Stacy Schilling

Day 356: Find peace and strength in others

Today is Christmas, and since I don’t celebrate the holiday (I never have or never will) I spent part of my day at the movies.

Up first on my list was Night at the Museum because I had already seen the first two when they were released in theaters.

I like the movie, and it gave me some laughs to put me in a good mood. However, I prefer the original one the best.

Afterwards, I saw a second movie, Big Eyes staring Amy Adams who portrayed artist Margaret Keane, most known for her work in depicting children with big eyes. The movie was inspired by true events in Keane’s career as an artist when her second husband, Walter Keane, claimed to be an artist and took credit for her artwork for 10 years.

It was a powerful and beautiful movie.

I connected with Keane because I am an artist, and I know how hard it is to make a career out of painting and have your work not only recognized and see by people, but also buy it. People have seen my artwork online, and in various shows in Los Angeles and the Northern Kentucky markets. I have sold a few pieces and was even commissioned to paint two images. Unfortunately, my career as an artist is not an easy one because I haven’t been able to live off what I earn, so graphic and website design is where I find a way to earn a living as well as working at the store.

It’s not an easy path to take to make it as an artist, but Keane’s fame to her work came with the lies her husband spewed when he claimed her artwork as his own. It was so heartbreaking to see someone else taking credit for art.

However, there is another reason why I connected with Keane, but I won’t reveal that right now because I don’t want to spoil the plot of the movie for you.

So, today’s Thank You card is inspired by Margaret Keane. This is my version of ‘big eyes’ created in Illustrator as opposed to canvas and acrylic paint.

Let me know what you think.

Graphic Designer & Production Artist
“From idea to page – flawless digital/print design & production.”

12.25.14 Inspired by Margaret Keane
© 2014 Stacy Schilling