You struck a cord with me by discussing articles that includes art and words. I started writing when my husband was terminally ill, when I wrote weekly update letters to our far-flung friends, in MS Word. I loved to incorporate images and weave them through the letter.
I find it frustrating that Substack and other online publications have such limited layout choices. For instance your article about Clara Nartey in The Granary Tree shows the power of incorporating pictures, rather than just placing them in the middle of text.
I expect such layout options are low down on the Substack development list, but I hope one day they will be standard.
Kate ... I agree about the layout options. I have developed some layout skills over the past few years and I miss being able to use them. However, for me, the positives still far outweigh what I'm missing. Wishing you the best on this journey.
Wow! Clara's work is amazing! I've been the opposite to you - visual art first (from wee childhood), writing second. I long, long, long to combine the two. I haven't touched a brush in 8 years! (Life interferes!). My studio is neck deep in storage. I tend to work large scale (something about years of painting 40x60' stage drops). And in hot wax. Neither very convenient right now. But I've been thinking this week that I could AT LEAST start doing some thumbnail sketch ideas for future projects. My dream is to connect the writing and the visual. Not as in illustrating my stories, but as in, visual art that lives in the same world. When? How? (I already get up at 3am! LOL!)
You wrote: I’m on the second issue of a small magazine titled: Substack Field Guide. (When I'm traveling with you I never know how much to pack.) Then you wrote: The process of creating this guide includes integrating words and images. (Or what to pack.)
It seems you have come full circle, Joyce. Surely Clara showed up in your Inbox for a reason. Her 'Joy of Life' is also yours and you are both 'free spirits'.
Thank you for sharing Clara's work. It's beautiful.
"It suddenly struck me that I’m doing the work I want to do, living the life I want to live."
Yes yes yes. I remember being in my early thirties and catching a glimpse of my reflection in a store window walking down the street here in San Francisco and suddenly realizing that my teen self would be really excited to know that she had landed where I am today. My 43 year old self is in an even better place. I am grateful for this.
And I absolutely love the combination of words and images. I am primarily a writer but when my writing stalls I immediately turn to creating collages and collaged cards using magazine images and incorporating text either through words for magazines or those cute sticker packs of words and phrases.
Kathryn ... thanks and it's amazing how many of us come from ... or through ... collage. I'm going to think more about that. And, thinking about my teen self makes me laugh. Our world has changed so much that I'm not sure she could even have imagined her future self. However, I do think she'd be enchanted that she left Kansas.
Oh yes. My sixteen year old self was super excited to drive while listening to mix tapes painstakingly recorded from the radio when the right songs would come on. The only thing she didn't like about driving was that she would miss phone calls since there was only a landline.
Fast forward to riding around in Wamyo driverless cars after many, many years of not driving because I hate it now ... picking any song out of the ether on Spotify to automatically play on the car's system ... or pausing the music to take a Facetime call. She had no clue.
Isn't it amazing when you realize you are smack dab in the middle of what you've been manifesting all along? I have done that a number of times, and it's so exciting! On a side note, I've been a quilter for years, but stopped quilting about the time of my divorce. I'm finally getting back to it and I'm thrilled! 💜
I had a talent for quilting ... unfortunately, it was limited to the buying of fabric! But, oh how I loved that. ;-) Share pictures of your quilts, please.
I have always thought that going into a fabric shop is like going into a paint shop and selecting paints. I love to choose fabrics for a quilt. I also embroider words around the edge of the quilt, saying something about who the quilt is for.
Oh, I love the idea of embroidering words around the edge ... an amazing way to add that dash of personalization to the gift. Makes me wonder how we might bring this feeling of personalization into our Substacks ... especially since we can't address our readers by name.
I wrote a newsletter years ago on Mailchimp, and it automatically added the person’s name. Since that was the only personalised part of the letter it felt odd.
I think you have to engage the reader, and then use notes or chat. I’m grappling with the difference between them.
Joyce, you've reminded me once again how much I loved comic books growing up as a kid. It wasn't just the awesome art (as a kid, I could not get enough of the newish style of late 80s artists emerging, shaping comic book art into something much greater than it had been before), but it was the combination of words and images that is so pervasive in my own work today. I've made around 130 articles, and I don't think any of the last 100 have had fewer than 2 or 3 images (I'd have to check).
The visual element combines so very nicely with the written to tell a richer story. I appreciate that your area of focus has been similar to mine.
You struck a cord with me by discussing articles that includes art and words. I started writing when my husband was terminally ill, when I wrote weekly update letters to our far-flung friends, in MS Word. I loved to incorporate images and weave them through the letter.
I find it frustrating that Substack and other online publications have such limited layout choices. For instance your article about Clara Nartey in The Granary Tree shows the power of incorporating pictures, rather than just placing them in the middle of text.
I expect such layout options are low down on the Substack development list, but I hope one day they will be standard.
Kate ... I agree about the layout options. I have developed some layout skills over the past few years and I miss being able to use them. However, for me, the positives still far outweigh what I'm missing. Wishing you the best on this journey.
I agree, Substack is a good platform. All the best to you too.
Wow! Clara's work is amazing! I've been the opposite to you - visual art first (from wee childhood), writing second. I long, long, long to combine the two. I haven't touched a brush in 8 years! (Life interferes!). My studio is neck deep in storage. I tend to work large scale (something about years of painting 40x60' stage drops). And in hot wax. Neither very convenient right now. But I've been thinking this week that I could AT LEAST start doing some thumbnail sketch ideas for future projects. My dream is to connect the writing and the visual. Not as in illustrating my stories, but as in, visual art that lives in the same world. When? How? (I already get up at 3am! LOL!)
Lausanne ... until you get back to your studio, you could share some photos of your art. Would love to see some.
Just want to let you know I dropped by this morning
You wrote: I’m on the second issue of a small magazine titled: Substack Field Guide. (When I'm traveling with you I never know how much to pack.) Then you wrote: The process of creating this guide includes integrating words and images. (Or what to pack.)
✍️ Count me in.🎨
Pack light enough to make quick turns. So glad you're part of the journey.
It seems you have come full circle, Joyce. Surely Clara showed up in your Inbox for a reason. Her 'Joy of Life' is also yours and you are both 'free spirits'.
Thank you for sharing Clara's work. It's beautiful.
"It suddenly struck me that I’m doing the work I want to do, living the life I want to live."
Yes yes yes. I remember being in my early thirties and catching a glimpse of my reflection in a store window walking down the street here in San Francisco and suddenly realizing that my teen self would be really excited to know that she had landed where I am today. My 43 year old self is in an even better place. I am grateful for this.
And I absolutely love the combination of words and images. I am primarily a writer but when my writing stalls I immediately turn to creating collages and collaged cards using magazine images and incorporating text either through words for magazines or those cute sticker packs of words and phrases.
Kathryn ... thanks and it's amazing how many of us come from ... or through ... collage. I'm going to think more about that. And, thinking about my teen self makes me laugh. Our world has changed so much that I'm not sure she could even have imagined her future self. However, I do think she'd be enchanted that she left Kansas.
Also, if you're not already familiar: https://pariscollagecollective.substack.com
Thank you, I love this!
Oh yes. My sixteen year old self was super excited to drive while listening to mix tapes painstakingly recorded from the radio when the right songs would come on. The only thing she didn't like about driving was that she would miss phone calls since there was only a landline.
Fast forward to riding around in Wamyo driverless cars after many, many years of not driving because I hate it now ... picking any song out of the ether on Spotify to automatically play on the car's system ... or pausing the music to take a Facetime call. She had no clue.
Yes to comic books, scissors, art-making. Creating collages became my visual art form, after years of drawing and painting.
Hope to see more of your art ... and thanks for the restack.
Isn't it amazing when you realize you are smack dab in the middle of what you've been manifesting all along? I have done that a number of times, and it's so exciting! On a side note, I've been a quilter for years, but stopped quilting about the time of my divorce. I'm finally getting back to it and I'm thrilled! 💜
I had a talent for quilting ... unfortunately, it was limited to the buying of fabric! But, oh how I loved that. ;-) Share pictures of your quilts, please.
I have always thought that going into a fabric shop is like going into a paint shop and selecting paints. I love to choose fabrics for a quilt. I also embroider words around the edge of the quilt, saying something about who the quilt is for.
Oh, I love the idea of embroidering words around the edge ... an amazing way to add that dash of personalization to the gift. Makes me wonder how we might bring this feeling of personalization into our Substacks ... especially since we can't address our readers by name.
Thanks for the thought.
I wrote a newsletter years ago on Mailchimp, and it automatically added the person’s name. Since that was the only personalised part of the letter it felt odd.
I think you have to engage the reader, and then use notes or chat. I’m grappling with the difference between them.
Love this Joyce.
haha, that's funny. I can't remember, is it possible to share a photo here?
Maybe I have to chat it?
Joyce, you've reminded me once again how much I loved comic books growing up as a kid. It wasn't just the awesome art (as a kid, I could not get enough of the newish style of late 80s artists emerging, shaping comic book art into something much greater than it had been before), but it was the combination of words and images that is so pervasive in my own work today. I've made around 130 articles, and I don't think any of the last 100 have had fewer than 2 or 3 images (I'd have to check).
The visual element combines so very nicely with the written to tell a richer story. I appreciate that your area of focus has been similar to mine.
Andrew ... I so agree about the combination of words and images ... looking forward to see more of yours.