So far this year, I’ve been responding to magazine submission calls as often as I can – it’s my New Year’s business strategy resolution.
Apparently the Editors were sleepy at midnight because they didn’t made the Publish Christine resolution. But it’s just possible that I need to work on my sketching clarity, or fashion sense, or look into tutoring High School Math again for money. But at least I’ve learned one trick to jump start my imagination; when the mood boards are wonderful, but the thing the editor wants designed in that style leave me saying, “Why would anyone want to knit xyz in the first place?” I can go to Pinterest.
Pinterest to the rescue. I can type the thing the editor wants into the search bar on the upper left, and see what sorts of things people already like. I keep a text file open in a small window so it’s like a sticky note on the screen, then type descriptions. I could just re-pin the images as a visual reminder, but I’m a bit too literal for that, I’d get stuck in the actual design of the pin, not remember, “oh, you can knit baskets.” I’d want to make an owl basket, and there already is a lovely owl basket pattern.
Speaking of cool patterns, have you seen Lucy Hague’s Taliesin?