Today I went back over my profile and journal entries and realised I’ve only been on RedBubble for 6 weeks. In that time so much has happ…
Today I went back over my profile and journal entries and realised I’ve only been on RedBubble for 6 weeks. In that time so much has happened… I’ve collaborated a few times, met people for coffee to talk art, organsied a Melbourne Meet up, helped RedBubble artists get their stuff into galleries (and sold some!), been interviewed for ‘the chair’ and am in the middle of working out how to open a RedBubble Gallery or similar somewhere in Melbourne. I’ve also learned that I can only sell photos of my bottom! It’s amazing what you can get done when you really believe in something and focus on making it happen. The people on RedBubble have made it so special for me. The standard of work is always improving making logging on the best feeling. I am inspired to be creative and try new things. I am drawn to the amazing relationships and interactions shared on here. I am so thankful to be part of such a wonderful creative community. Thank you all for making me feel so welcome.
I want to say a massive thanks to all your support in the last 4 weeks… Before Axel died I had 15,000 views…in 4 short weeks my vi…
I want to say a massive thanks to all your support in the last 4 weeks… Before Axel died I had 15,000 views…in 4 short weeks my views have jumped to 30,513 My photo of Axel has received… 192 comments / 13 favouritings / 2350 viewings Butterfly Kisses stands at… 2 sales / 129 comments / 95 favoritings / 1379 views Sad News 305 comments / 1 favoritings / 2614 views He’s Gone 146 comments / 1 favoritings / 1291 views I have also sold the following… You guys are amazing and ANYONE that feels the need to criticise the RB community should come and have a look here at the awesome generosity and love. I haven’t even mentioned the donations, images created for Axel or the prints delivered to our home. Such as Mark German’s Hope or LittleHelen’s Sweet Child of Mine. Just type Axel Moore into the search engine and you will see the amazing generosity. Or how about the incredible heart that the RB administration have demonstrated by being so supportive of the artists when they want to contribute to us in some way as well as having the pics of Axel and our family on the home page as a tribute. The Red Balloon launch was an resounding success with people all over the world releasing balloons at the same time. Thanks to Paul Louis Villani for this inspired and moving idea.One lady even saw a red balloon floating over south Sydney 30 mins after we released them at the funeral. Bill’s picture of the balloons was then featured on the front page of our local paper. On behalf of my myself and my extended family I want to say thank you…
Hi to all my friends on redbubble , it is a little over six months now since I joined RB and I think personally I have achieved quite a …
Hi to all my friends on redbubble , it is a little over six months now since I joined RB and I think personally I have achieved quite a lot in this time , When I joined at the end of August I use to take snapshots , holiday snaps ,snaps of my grandchildren that sort of thing. When I started to look at the work that was being produced on this wonderful site, I thought to myself I would love to be able to do work like that and decided that was going to be my aim. I think I have come quite a long way since then, producing half decent pictures ,almost mastered photoshop ,but still a lot to learn on there , I can now produce fractals and my latest thing HDR which still needs a bit of tweaking but I am getting there . The only thing I have problems with is the technical side of the camera settings much to my dismay ,as I went out yesterday nearly froze to death [for my art] and came back with a whole bunch of shots that were useless. / All these things I have achieved have been mainly to the wonderful community on RB who have supported me and given me encouragement and the ones who have helped me when I needed it. / I thank you all from the bottom of my heart . / You are the greatest people . / Lots of love to you all / Irene. This was 18 month’s ago January 2008. / NOW I feel like I have achieved a lot more since then . I am doing things now that I never imagine in my wildest dreams possible. The stuff I used to look at and drool over wishing I knew how They did that / My time on here has been fantastic and I think and hope I have made a lot of friends on here . Everyone is so kind and helpful , well at least the people I have come across are . / May Redbubble go on forever .
I was just looking at my public profile page here on redbubble and was thinking about how I have changed since I had written about myself…
I was just looking at my public profile page here on redbubble and was thinking about how I have changed since I had written about myself (I think i need to update it). Since I have been on redbubble I have come on leaps and bounds not just in my photography but also as a person, my confidence with life in general has grown. When i first came to rb I saw myself as just a housewife (not that there is anything wrong with that of course) who took pictures of her children and here I am less than a year later and I have put a book together, had 3 images accepted for a book on black and white photography and have just been accepted to do a degree in photography at my local university (I start in September). More importantly though I have made some wonderful (virtual) friends here who inspire me with their work and comments as well as several people who are pushing me forward ‘behind the scenes’ (ie bubblemail). So i just wanted to say a huge thank you to all those who have been a part of this and a huge thanks to those working hard behind the scenes at Redbubble – this is a great community to belong too. I would love to hear from you about what RB has done for you:) Thanks for reading.
Well, not quite but it is a year ago this week, that I joined this RedBubble community. It was thanks to rsmac...
Well, not quite but it is a year ago this week, that I joined this RedBubble community. It was thanks to rsmac whilst listening to TripleJ airing an interview about RedBubble, when he joined and then couldn’t stop talking about it. It sounded sooo good, it couldn’t possibly be bad for me, could it, it not like it was an addiction or anything sinister, was it? I couldn’t help but join and see for myself. I know this has been said hundreds if not thousands of times on here, but I derive a lot of pleasure from this community. I have come across artists and their art I would have otherwise not seen, made friendships and contacts that would have seemed impossible, learnt skills that previously alluded me, sold work that I didn’t know I had the capabilities of creating, bought work that I now proudly cherish, joined art groups where my work has been showcased, host and co-host various art groups where I enjoy the interaction of other like-minded photographers, visited galleries both in and out of my local area to see artists’ work up close and personal, collaborated with artists and achieved amazing and positive results, made it to the featured pages, and even made it on the home page, read inspiring and moving short stories and series that left me gasping for more. There’s been lots of changes and some controversy in this time, but essentially the community has always remained that same inspiring community I first fell in love with a year ago. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and friendship to those of you who have made this year such a joyous and enriching one for me – I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!
I am honored to be a part of the Melbourne & Victoria Group. I host and am a member of a…
I am honored to be a part of the Melbourne & Victoria Group. I host and am a member of a few groups, but none has affected my life quite as profoundly as this one. Together as a group, we have seen collaborations, exhibitions, competitions, tutorials, classes and workshops, advice, social meet ups and the odd romance. None of us have a lot of free time, or a lot of cash, but when we put our heads and hearts together the hardest projects become a pleasure to work on. Melbourne Underwater Competition / Members used disposable underwater cameras to capture Melbourne from a different perspective. Winners walked away with a new digital camera and some family passes to the aquariaum. (FYI, getting prizes isn’t difficult. For this competition I just sent off a nice emails to Kodak and Melbourne Aquarium) / photo by Michael Alesich The BubleRelay / Several months ago we created a pack full of donated goodies including a digital camera, graphic journal and writing book and starting passing it around by hand – member to member. As each person gets the kit, they use the contents to add to the journals, take photos and make art. Each person is encouraged to add to the pack as it goes. This might be a slowly moving project, but it is special and inspiring for the people who share in it. Archery Day / Paul got over 40 of us together for an archery day and BBQ lunch. It was a fantastic day out and despite the lack of cameras, we still got to do a lot of shooting. / photo by Mark German Writers’ Meets / We have such talented writers in our group. And they are such a committed bunch who meet monthly for good wine, warm company, reading and writing. Bellmusker is the organisational queen and keeps these regular events interesting and welcoming for all. / photo by Bellmusker Win an Exhibition / We are so lucky to have Mark from Brunswick Street Gallery who has kindly offered us a gallery space where we now curate a fortnightly exhibition of work as chosen by the group. Bubble Walks / A collective of photographers keen to meet up once a month and do a walk through Melbourne taking photos and generally being merry. Adrian has taken some great initiative to get this idea going and now many of us are excitedly waiting the first one. Lorne Weekender / A bunch of us packed our bags and headed out to Lorne for a relaxing weekend, photos of sunsets and good company. It was just what the doctor ordered! / Photo by James Price Rialto Exhibiton / Paul worked some magic and scored us the Rialto Towers Main Plaza for our hugest exhibition yet. Over 40 bubblers had their work exhibited at this Melbourne landmark with over 5000 people passing daily. The whole excercize was planned over some after work coffees with a couple of days for setting up and packing up. Aradale Asylum / In a couple of weeks, many of us will be driving out to Ararat to spend the weekend camping out at the closed down Aradale Asylum and making art. Melissa has been amazing, organising our access to this stunning location and ensuring everyone will be comfortable during their stay. / Photo by Mark German Zoo Day / We thought, heck, lets got to the zoo. This was a great, relaxed family day to unwind and see some animals. Melbourne & Victoria Group Book / The idea is simple, we pool our images and words together, make a book out of it and then all the contributors can purchase copies at cost price and resell it to make a profit. Everyone wins, and for those who are published, there are a bunch of other people who then have a very real financial incentive to get your work (along with theirs) ‘out there.’ Many thanks to the hosting team: John, Michael, Melinda, Paul, Tim, Bellmusker and Mark, and to all you freaking fantastic people. You guys make it an absolute pleasure to log on every day.
Over Christmas and New Year I took a couple of weeks off work. But I also had a couple of weeks away from the computer, from the internet…
Over Christmas and New Year I took a couple of weeks off work. But I also had a couple of weeks away from the computer, from the internet, from answering my phone. Of course what happened was I started to think. About photography, the nature of creating things and releasing them to the world, but mostly about the meaningful interactions I’ve had online. One of the things that first drew me to RedBubble was the positive response to my photography. Heck, it feels good when people like your stuff and say so. But it went deeper than that. I’d admire someone’s favourites list and start to pay attention to them. Then I’d notice we were commenting on a lot of the same stuff. Not knowing anything more about that person, I’d feel closer to them, connected. Like I’d made a friend. Online we reveal some of our most personal feelings and thoughts. Whether directly through our words, or indirectly through our actions. The internet is house to a true society of people, with a full spectrum of personalities and desires. Perhaps it is the (thin) layer of online anonymity which allows us to expose ourselves and embrace vulnerability. There is something very cathartic about saying to the world ‘this is me and I am not afraid’ (even if you’re shitting yourself inside). Over time relationships develop and mature. Many of my closest friendships were established here on RedBubble, and much of our communication happens in bubblemail, on facebook, and in emails. I met my partner who I now live with on RedBubble too. These relationships are just as important and real to me as any other. They give me everything other relationships do – joy, entertainment, heartbreak, sorrow, confusing, tension and love.
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These are some of the very first images I uploaded to RedBubble. I was shooting with a compact and disposable cameras, didn’t know any other photographers and certainly wouldn’t have shown my work to anyone! I was a beginner and scared. RedBubble was a fantastic discovery. I met other creative people. People who encouraged me to keep shooting, told me it was a good idea to spend every last cent of my cash on camera gear and held my hand through the terrifying world of PhotoShop. John spent an hour explaining to me what aperture is with umbrella analogies. Hien showed me the other settings on my camera. (The ones that aren’t called ‘auto’) I made friends online and off. And thanks to this circle of support, my photography and confidence started to improve. As time has gone on I have found myself slowly moving from that terrified beginner needing help every step of the way, into someone who can occasionally help others. Recently my sister bought her first SLR. I sat down with her and managed to explain what aperture is (she didn’t need the umbrella analogy). RedBubble is a vibrant community, full of artists at many places on their creative journey. And it is this mix of people that make this place so enriching to be a part of. Without those more advanced photographers and friends who guided me, I would have never learned and developed as fast as I have (and continue to). Now I hope to give something back to the community that helped me along for so long, and perhaps to give someone else the opportunities for friendship and support I have enjoyed on my creative journey so far.
Since joining RB and getting back in touch with my own creative soul and also being able to view and discuss and delight in the works of…
Since joining RB and getting back in touch with my own creative soul and also being able to view and discuss and delight in the works of others …...I have started to become aware of something changing in the way I see and hear ‘things’ around me. I am sitting in my car at a carpark today and I was mesmerised by this tree with light dancing amongst it…...I got out and found myself taking pictures of it on my mobile phone!! This is not my usual modus operandi….and I felt connected to this tree that I took so much delight in. And what’s more I didn’t give a continental if I may of looked a bit odd in my behaviour. I have always been an observer of people that is true but this change that touched me today I found a healing quality to it. / Today I fell deeply in love with our beautiful world and it has given more encouragement to look for ways to keep it beautiful. I am aware about conservation etc…..this was a different experience today. / Today the world spoke to me in a way she has not done before…..or perhaps I have just been too busy, blinkered to notice. Free from the blinkers…..what a phenomena that is to me! I am writing this as a thank you to our blue opal planet. We really do live on a gem. / That in itself is inspiring…..don’t you agree? / Well that’s my little journal entry finished.
This journal was inspired by Natalie Tyler’s post / ...
This journal was inspired by Natalie Tyler’s post —-— 8 months ago I was a soul searching dreamer trying to answer a mystery that had plagued me for years – How can I link my love for ART, MUSIC and FASHION together without any University or Tafe degree? The question that seemed impossible to answer intrigued me so much that i set out to conquer it. Today, I can finally say I am on solid ground and walking towards that reality. Music was always in my heart, and at the best of times I would be humming a new rhythm along to anything. I started making music with very mixed results, but I knew that one day, the melodies I crafted would be heard and loved by many. After years of creating the sound that is today known as Fixd, I realised that Art was vital to complete the musical experience. Logo’s, CD Covers, Websites and Banners all needed to be imagined and created to spread the sound further. So, I began to create the Art needed to fit within the various themes of the musical paths. Inspired by the music and with no professional training, I honed my skills by experimenting in Paint Shop Pro (many years ago) and years later that led to Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator. While the music and art were growing comparatively, I still was not completely satisfied with fashion being left behind, leaving my works limited to the internet realm. For some time I was lost in a world where satisfaction was only online, and in that moment I craved something to break that mould. After accidentally stumbling upon Redbubble some time later (8 months ago) I quickly merged my love for music and art with the fashion world. My first shirt design purchase being the following - / / I quickly realised the power of Redbubble and its platform for the creative soul. I was continually inspired by the multitude of amazing designers throughout the ‘bub’ and continually added work to my favourites list. This constant barrage of new and unique designs from all over the world through the portal of Redbubble pushed my designs to limits I never thought possible in such a short amount of time. It taught me lessons of Action vs Complacency, Vision vs Fear and Creativity vs Negativity. Now, with Music, Art and Fashion strongly interlaced, I can step forth each day with a confident stride knowing that I followed my dreams, and plan to inspire others to do the same. So if you happen to stumble upon Fixd Music or the Diesel Laws brand , realise that it all came from constant persistence of one dream, a passion and inspiration from many elements of life. 8 months ago, the Diesel Laws Brand was 3 words on a piece of paper, a hope, a dream of things to come. Things can only get stronger from here. -Diesel Laws / www.diesellaws.com /
Hi / Well as some of you who look at my images know that i am a bit addicted to charging about sometimes when the urge arises and i just…
Hi / Well as some of you who look at my images know that i am a bit addicted to charging about sometimes when the urge arises and i just have to try and photgraph something if i have a new thing to learn or to try. Even if it means im in the garden at 6.11am in my dressing gown trying out a +4 magnifying filter that Simon has lent me as it was a bit to dark the night before when he gave it to me. So i have learnt that with one of these filters on you need your lens set to manual, no wonder i could not get it in focus even when i stood have way across my lawn i was not meant to be 6feet away but only 6 inches. That taking macro shots is difficult but can become addictive, yes i was lying on my stomach at 4pm on my damp lawn trying to get a image of a flower and Grace my 15 years old having hysterics and says “OH Mother your addicted ” yes in that tone you get when the younger generation think you have lost it. That f/. mean something but still not quiet sure which way round the numbers go to make the image sharp or blurred as for shutter speed Simon did his best to explain but was like talking to a plank of wood as shattered as up so early yes my 6am stint in the garden and our 1st go at a barbecue for this year. That it should be easier to take these kind of images with a tripod…lol Yes i have a tripod it came out of the box yesterday, i got my camera fitted to it and out i went, great i thought i can change this and that and get wonderful images in focus with my macro filter. Oh no not easy, do not try it if a brezze. Well first off height of tripod not brillant i normally blonk on my bottom or honkers to shoot low flowers, with the tripod had to stand and lean over to try and look in the view finder,as it would only go down to a certain height. Not a proplem but kept hitting my chest on the tripod handle as i leaned over or moved around it. Getting to gribs with all the knobs was something else but i got there and my camera did not drop off the housing. But after only 20 minutes or so i had to stop why…chronic back ache due to the angle i was at so came in thinking “oh if that is what im going to get with this macro photography i give up LOl” But i know it has already gotten to me i am pleased i have a couple of images i like and posted, but as to the tripod will have another go once my back stops shouting what you doing women you are to old to have me bent at that angle And the last thing i have learnt today after 4 attempts of trying to do a journal of things featured in the last 2 weeks and hitting the back button instead of the tab button and wiping it all off is to stop when the going is good, put the kettle on for a cup of tea, and plan what im going to try and photograph next. / Karen
Sometime in the last few days I clocked 150,000 views on the redbubble odo. When I began uploading my art in April 2007 I didn’t think …
Sometime in the last few days I clocked 150,000 views on the redbubble odo. When I began uploading my art in April 2007 I didn’t think of myself as an artist as I hadn’t been doing any art for a number of years. It’s only due to this amazing community and you wonderful people that I have grown into that way of seeing myself. You gave me the support I needed and provided the motivation for me to start creating again. Many thanks from the bottom of my heart to all of you who have encouraged and supported me in my journey over the last couple of years – you’ve made the journey very special.
I want to take a second out of design time and uploading t-shirts to explain to YOU in the most simplest of ways how AMAZING Redbubble is…
I want to take a second out of design time and uploading t-shirts to explain to YOU in the most simplest of ways how AMAZING Redbubble is. This post will hopefully inspire you to become involved in many ways within this amazing website. I’m going to try something a bit different and write the rest of this post about my day on redbubble, with a SLANG theme…just to show you that these are my thoughts and words and I mean them very much and also because it’s a lot of fun! - Redbubble = Sik. Like totally. I mean like you hop on the net, pop open the homepage and check out some awesome art and stuff. There’s pics of people wearing some shirts and holding some art, new IN-YOUR-FACE designs, GROUPS overloading with creativity and a cool COMMUNITY. That’s what keeps me here; the COMMUNITY I mean. Like, I upload a fresh design, slam on some links in the description and send it off to a few GROUPS. Then, after it’s all uploaded, I wander over to some fresh stuff, show my respects by dropping some comments and favouriting the work and if it’s totally mind blowing I may even add the artist to my WATCHLIST (coz you never know what cool designs will come next!). I pop back to MYBUBBLE every now and then to check out the progress of my latest design and WHAMMO! Usually I have at least one comment that I can enjoy and REPLY to; It’s all about the REPLY people! Most of the times the comments are awesome, even if they are only a sentence long, and they inspire me to keep smashing it up! If for some reason I don’t have a comment on my new piece (probably coz its only been 1 minute) I go and check out more cool new works on the BUB. When I find some more slamming pieces I send off a few BUBBLEMAILS directly to the artists letting them know how SIK I think their work is! Then I might read one of the latest BACKSTAGE posts from the main REDBUBBLE PEEPS behind the scenes and get totally inspired again to create some new stuff! So if creating art for a website inspires you to create more art – How could you not love it! With love, Diesel Laws Follow me on Redbubble and also: / WHY DO YOU LOVE REDBUBBLE? Go on, drop a comment >
It’s that time already. This time last year...
It’s that time already. This time last year I was celebrating my one year on RedBubble. How time flies – it’s now two years on Red Bubble! I finished last year’s journal entry by stating: I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and friendship to those of you who have made this year such a joyous and enriching one for me – I wouldn’t have missed it for the world! and I can honestly say that the same goes for this year. It’s been an amazing year of growth, discovery, adventure and importantly of friendship. So, to the many friends I have made on here, a big thank you to you all for being so supportive and so inspirational. I have continued on my creative journey, and your support, friendship and constant inspiration has been invaluable to me. Thank you and Happy Red Bubble Day to you all!!! :D
I was very inspired by tkrosevear and her tribute piece to RB Link-...
I was very inspired by tkrosevear and her tribute piece to RB Link and all us artists and writers alike. She told how RB has changed her life in the last year and I have said that same thing multiple times to friends, family and other RB artists. After reading tk’s story, I immediately thought, “We need a place to tell our RB stories to one another.” Imagine the hope, inspiration and encouragement we will receive when we hear about the successes of others, and their growth both as people and artists. I never imagined I would or could be part of a community of artists, yet here I am. I feel grateful and inspired daily! So I’ll start it off. When I found RB in April of this year, I could not use the word “artist” out loud. I thought I didn’t deserve or wasn’t good enough to say, “I am an artist.” RB has changed my life because now I can say it, almost with confidence! It is because of this group of people who have embraced and encouraged both me and my art. I am very grateful for those who started RB and hope they will see our RB stories. Share here how RB has changed your life and encourage another artist or writer today!
I’ve just celebrated 2 years as a RedBubble member, and my week just keeps getting better! So much excitement – I don’t know where to st…
I’ve just celebrated 2 years as a RedBubble member, and my week just keeps getting better! So much excitement – I don’t know where to start… ~ two of my dear friends surprised me this weekend by taking me out to see French and Saunders – absolutely hilarious show, and a wonderful surprise. / ~ my lovely family bought me a Canon 50D camera on the weekend! (you should hear me squeal in delight everytime I take a photo…I think that will wear thin with the family, though…) / ~ my hybrid image of dance lessons with Miss Veronique won the first monthly challenge on RedBubble – Wow!! I am totally blown away! / ~ a recent photo shoot I completed has resulted in one of my photographs being printed as the front cover of a local mini-magazine, and I finally have a copy of the magazine! / ~ and tomorrow is my birthday – woo! So, I guess, thank you to those who voted for my image – I appreciate it very, very much! It’s always good to leave that comfort zone and test unchartered waters…sometimes you just never know where they take you and what wonders await you. If you haven’t taken a look at challenges in a while, go take a look at some, and see where they lead you…you may be pleasantly surprised at where your creativity and imagination leads you. ♥
WOW! How fast a year goes by when you’re having fun. Yes, it’s been one year since I first joined RedBubble in August 2008. Over the past…
WOW! How fast a year goes by when you’re having fun. Yes, it’s been one year since I first joined RedBubble in August 2008. Over the past year I have met so many wonderful artists from around the globe and viewed thousands of jaw-dropping pieces of art. It’s truly amazing what a great community RB is with the friendships made near and far, across the land and seas. Some of my accomplishments over the past year: sold a mix of 30 cards, tees and matted prints, over 75,000 total views, with well over 300 features, many challenge wins and top tens finishes. I quit counting and journaling about them, but still add the info to the description. I host/co-host four groups that I truly enjoy as well as being a member of more than 300 groups…gasp!! How has RB changed my life? Wow! In many ways. I have grown as a person through friendships built and as a photographer by honing my skills from learning from others, which is helping me become a professional with all my past experience and all that I have learned here at Redbubble and from others around the internet. I have learned a lot and taught a little about photography, Florida, nature, butterflies and more. I’ve seen so many beautiful places that I may never really get to see through the eyes of those that live and travel around the world. My switch from film to digital over 3 years ago took me in a direction I never could have imaged before and that alone lead me to the Bubble path. All that I have learned and experienced here on the bubble has changed me forever! I thank RB and all of you for that. I’ve suffered, moaned, groaned and eventually enjoyed (a few exceptions!) all the changes RB has undergone, most for the good. I want to thank the RB staff for their hard work and diligence in making this the best art community on the internet. A place I can call my second home. To all of you that have taken me in and befriended me, helped me, made me laugh, cry and touched my heart with your kind words, I thank you and will never forget you. You all are so near and dear to me. I love you and hold you close to my heart and only wish the best for you always. My only regret is not being able to meet you all in person, but maybe one day we can. As the first year comes to an end, a new year will begin. I will embrace it, always looking forward to whatever fate brings, trusting in the Lord and going for it with my eyes wide shut (wait…should that be “eyes wide open?”!!) and with open arms. Kudos Redbubble and all you bubblers. May the rain never reach your side of the street (unless your garden needs it!!) and the sun always shine beneath your feet, keeping your path shining bright!! News friends are easy to make, but good friends are hard to find ~ yours truly. Peace & love / Donna :) xoxox John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Two years ago I was just someone who liked to take photo’s of cool stuff to chuck in my photo album. I still only ever used film and use…
Two years ago I was just someone who liked to take photo’s of cool stuff to chuck in my photo album. I still only ever used film and used to give my hubby heart palpitations when he saw the cost of printing out my 57 gazillion images of one sunset. Why 57 gazillion? Well because, of course, it was such a pretty sunset I wanted to make sure I got at least one good photo of it :) One day a friend mentioned that she had joined this cool new site called Redbubble and I should check it out. The rest, as they say, is history. On Redbubble I found the inspiration to not only buy my first digital camera, but to start looking at my “snapshots” as something that perhaps might make other people smile, rather than just hiding away in my photo albums. I found a whole community of people just like me, and they welcomed me with open arms. With their constant support and gentle guidance these people gave me the confidence to be able to call myself a photographer and not feel like a fraud in doing so. Being a part of this wonderful thing we call Redbubble has completely changed the way I view my world, and more importantly, the way I view myself. It is a place where, as soon as I log in I feel like I am home. Although I am still taking baby steps on my creative journey, it is wonderful to know that if I need some support I can reach out to one of the many friends I have made here and they will give it, willingly and unconditionally. And that is pretty damn special. I know that there are many, many stories here on Redbubble similar to my own, and I also know that every time I read one of them it gives me such a lift that my heart feels like one of those gooey caramel filled chocolates. If you have ever written about your experience here on RB please go find it and tag it with “redbubblelove” so that we can all have a read and get that gooey caramel centre chocolate feeling. And if you haven’t written your story yet, now would be a great time to do it. I HEREBY DECLARE A COMMUNITY LOVE IN! Spread the word and share the tag “redbubblelove” Many thanks to Lynn Moore whose journal has been a source of great inspiration.
Dear Red Bubbly people…. We were asked by Community to…
Dear Red Bubbly people…. We were asked by Community to write a journal on how Red Bubble has changed our lives.. I had already done this, but it was a written work, so I’ve adjusted it slightly and uploaded this as a journal… you can do this too and you just have to tag your journal with redbubblelove, as we would love to hear from everyone! Here we go….. Red Bubble has changed my life... I thought you should know…. I am a different person now….. people recognize me in the street….. people have respect for me as an artist now…. I have respect for myself… I found my way…. I was lost and when i reached Red Bubble, it felt like I was found… I have for a long time (well all of my life) been looking for friends, for people that were like me…. there was no-one, absolutely no-one… until I met one artist friend who lived next door for a while, then unfortunately moved away, back to England, we got on like a house on fire… that got me thinking that artists were like me… if only i could find more artists, i thought… I could have more friends that think similarly, that understand what it’s like to be an artist, to live this lifestyle…. but my biggest question was, where would i find them… hmm … this continually confounded me. One day, I came across Red Bubble, because my heart was wide open, and I knew I’d found something special… something i’d been looking for my whole life long….... friends, companionship, and people who think like i think…. it is more than just a little thing… it is a huge change for me… i feel at home at Red Bubble… like my favourite lounge chair… like sipping my favourite drink, or eating my favourite meal, or going out to my favourite restaurant… I found where i belong… Red Bubble is my watering hole, the place i go to renew my soul. It is also the place where I get to share my heart and soul with others, it’s in me to love and encourage others, there’s not enough of it around, so I pour it out lavishly on whoever will receive it… and in return they lavish love on me. There have been some hairy moments… I’ll admit that. But that’s life isn’t it… and I’m learning as I go… we all are… I am so moved and touched by the philosophy of Red Bubble, and how you accept everyone, it ties in well with my own philosophy of acceptance and encouragement. Not everyone feels the same way, but that’s okay, different strokes for different folks and all that. I don’t know where I’d be today without Red Bubble, it was there for me at a very difficult time in my artistic and my personal life, where i felt all other doors had closed to me….. It seemed to me then that all other avenues to expressing my art in the community seemed to have dried up and I was at a loss as to what to do, I almost gave up. It’s extremely important for me to me to see my art go full circle… I like to see my art sell, to create is not enough for me, it must not only be expressed, but shared and loved enough to be received into someone’s heart and home. Red Bubble gives me this opportunity each and every minute of every day…this is what i appreciate. I would just like to say all this to you now… as it seems rather apt and timely to do so… you have embraced me, my art, who i am… I cannot thank you all enough… also for your understanding my wobblier moments… you dealt with things perfectly. I also would like to mention that because of Red Bubble, the following wonderful things have happened to me in the last year and a half since I became a member, and all of them happened because i was ‘seen’ by others on Red Bubble, who since contacted me and contracted me… I realise that I forgot to mention previously, in my letter of thanks, that I have been afforded a number of opportunities because of my presence on Red Bubble.. 1. An art licensing agent in the USA discovered me and signed me up for a 2 year contract 2. A lingerie company in the UK asked me to design art for their start up 3. A company in the USA contracted me to create 5 designs for a children’s entertainment business that might go global 4. Through the art licensing agent I was contracted for 2 years by one of the largest mobile phone companies in the USA FunMobility to have 8 of my designs resold as wallpapers 5. I was made aware of a competition conducted through Creative Mums online website and my entry Madonna and Child was one of the chosen entries, in under 4 months, this artwork received almost 6,000 views 6. I have sold many of my works and received respect in my community 7. I have a contract with a company in China who are manufacturing prints for retail outlets using one of my designs 8. My work is appearing on thousands of reggae party posters and brochures coming up in September, October, November in Denmark through a deal with someone I met through Red Bubble (not a member) 8. I have met many new friends and contacts, including Frozenfa who is a member here at Red Bubble, without her support I doubt I would still be a member as she bouyed me when I was down, encouraged me to hang in there when times were low and sales were less than abundant, Fa now sells her work and my work together at markets in Singapore, such a friend and support she has been, that words seem inadequate… My huge thanks will always go out to muscularteeth who I adopted as a brother, and what a dear friend he turned out to be… I would not have continued on RB without the support of people like him and Fa… even tho RB is a wonderful place to be, it’s the special people, the characters I identify with here, are what makes this place…. the staff, the admin….not just this thing called RB… for without the love, it would be nothing. 9. Griffith University used one of my paintings Baby Bull Production in their periodical, they found my work on Red Bubble and emailed me, we talked on the phone, and it was another great opportunity for me, for which I’m very grateful 10. I’ve met the likes of iAN Derrick, Matt Mawson and his lovely sister, ginnymac, my dear friend natsky, Vicki Ferrrari, drec, etc in person and I learned that the members of red bubble are living, breathing, real people and it’s wonderful to know them and feel encouraged by them (forgive me if we’ve met and i haven’t mentioned you, but I feel like I’ve met you all in a funny way :) 11. 2008 my CHUNKIES were featured online at Thunderchunky 12. I’ve learned to understand that there are many different ways to look at things, many different talented people under the sun, and i am content and happy to be just one of them, that goes to making this whole creative world spin ‘round. There have been so many of you that have helped me, that have loved me through thick and thin…and believe me, i am very thick at times … what can I say to you all…each and every single one of you knows that special contact we have had…those special words of encouragement like blessings that we have spoken over one another, those difficult times we have shared….. and there are too many of you to mention here, my soul feels full of goodwill toward you all and I cannot thank you enough for showing me that there is kindness, love, thoughtfulness, unselfishness here, as far as the eye can see, as strong as the heart can beat, and that you all went far beyond my expectations. I love you all… Fascinating and brilliant, a whole new life…thank you Red Bubble Thank you everyone…. Big love / from Karin
When I tripped over redbubble many moons ago / It looked too good to be true / Free membership and access to beautiful work / I read the Ter…
When I tripped over redbubble many moons ago / It looked too good to be true / Free membership and access to beautiful work / I read the Terms and Conditions through and through At the time I was paying for uploading my work / To a site I’d been on for 2 years / Never sold nothing, & as hard as I tried / Poor starving artist was one of my fears. I felt talentless,dejected and wanted to give up / Whats the point in carrying on? / But seeing RedBubble new hope filled my heart / Signed up and that’s just the start. I tentatively uploaded some artwork / Wondering what kind of reception I’d receive / But I shouldn’t have worried because on the Home page / There’s my picture with Congrats ..I couldn’t believe.! To be on the home page is something I never dreamed of / Never thought that this could happen to me / Only work that stood out from the crowd I thought / Work that sprang out and shouted “Quality” I bragged I’d found a new art site / Told my many friends from near and far / Delighted they signed up to join me / Giving me strength to shout “Redbubble,I’m Here” We had a few hiccups along the way / Because a couple who followed were cheating / And eventually after proving there fraudulent ways / Their Asses sure got a beating. All in all it’s been a worthwhile journey / Though my mojo has been missing so long / I still have my friends who continue to watch / RedBubble is where I belong.
Trying to express what art means to me is not easy, partly because I don’t think even I realise how much it means to me. / Art is the onl…
Trying to express what art means to me is not easy, partly because I don’t think even I realise how much it means to me. / Art is the only thing I can do that is really me. It’s the only way I can express myself openly, and not have to try and hide things or explain things to anyone. I don’t even need people to understand my art, because I do, and I know everything that’s in it, which, for me, is enough. Doing my art exam last year was a nightmare, and I very nearly dropped Art the week before my exam. However, I did the exam, and after 20 hours, I stood back and looked at the two pictures I had before me. My art teacher told me they were terrible and that I was a disgrace to the art world. I have to say, I wasn’t really surprised, I had never and will never think I have any kind of artistic talent, but I loved art (and it was that or doing Chemistry). / But, I didn’t really care what my art teacher thought, I didn’t care what the rest of my class thought, and I didn’t care what the examiners in Cambridge thought. Because when I looked at those two pictures, I saw something I’d never seen before – myself. / I’d not done self portraits, I’d done a potted flower and a Norse goddess, but I’d created something that was me. / So, while my art teacher continued to describe all the flaws in my exam, I walked out of the room, went home, and started doing art that I wanted to, about things I wanted to, using materials I wanted to. I no longer had to draw a mug with an HB because the teacher said so. I was free. The reason I started painting and writing is because I was going out of my mind. I had too much inside of me, and I had no idea how to deal with it. I started writing poetry, but I never showed it to anyone. I knew that if I did, they’d think I needed ‘help’ rather than understanding that by being able to write, I was getting the help I needed. But writing on it’s own wasn’t enough. So, I began with this – a painting of Sam from the Guildean Gang. I started with this because Guildean Gang wrote a song called Swirls which, to me, is and will always be the perfect song. / That was in May last year, and since then, I’ve spent most of my days writing, painting and drawing. / My stepdad and brother took an interest in my art, and now my stepdad wants me to go to art school. / This is one of my most recent paintings. / I hope I’ve improved, even if only a little. But whether I’m still a disgrace to the art world or not doesn’t really matter, because I’m still me. / So, my family wanted me to go to art school, but they didn’t understand my art. They thought I did art because I had a lot of spare time and liked making a mess (the latter being quite true), but they didn’t, wouldn’t, and will never see my art the way I do. I didn’t think I’d ever find a place where I could show my art and writing without having to worry about what people would think. Then, I discovered RedBubble. I’ve made lifelong friends and discovered so much work that has really inspired me. / And I’ve discovered people who’ve been able to relate to my work, understand parts of it, and interpret it in ways I’ve never considered. / I’ve made friends who I know won’t judge my work, or have any preconceptions, they’ll just understand me and my reasons for doing it. I’ll never think that anything I create, be it a poem or a painting, is in any way good, and I’ll never understand why other people try to contradict me on this, so I’m always really humbled when a work is featured/favourited/or even commented on. So, thanks to the RedBubble community for accepting me, for encouraging me, for inspiring me, for surprising me, for humbling me, for sharing with me in the beauty of art, and, above all, for allowing me to be myself.
You know, we are all very lucky to h…
You know, we are all very lucky to have so many places in the virtual universe to show off our work. We even have online shops which allow us to sell anything and everything from artwork for the walls to clothing and shoes to wear. And we enjoy having these shops for such a fantastic price … zero!! So I’d just like to send out a public THANK YOU to those that paved the way and created our fantastic world of red bubbles!! / You are the ones who started me on this wonderful journey by creating RedBubble… this in turn brought me new friends, new discovery, inspiration, and took me back to my old creative self (with a slight techy twist). For all you wonderful friends I met along the way… here are lots of {{{hugs}}} and xxx for you :D (gushy I know, but thats just tough!!) Just as a Look ma, no hands type of thing, here are a few of the places I was introduced to… Georgiegirl at Zazzle is a fantastic online store. Not that I’ve sold more than one badge (thanks to Udonchow) and even though it takes a while to do, it’s easy to add new products… of which are many to choose from! Apparently it has a forum to chat in too, but I’ll leave that alone. I figure I’ve enough to do and chatting in FB, RB and Twitter is enough for me!!! GeorgiegirlofRB chirps at Twitter somewhere to chat to myself via the universe. I love this place… its so simple to do. Just type out a thought or a few thoughts in mini chapters. From here I signed up for Tweburb and Twibes but have done nothing! Of course it would help if I knew what I was meant to do in them! On the to do later list :D I have a blog called Floating Around in Bubbles. Just a place to brag about everything… but so much for writing every week. But that last one was written in April or May… talk about slack!! Will get onto that today too. Now, what to write about? hmmmm… think think think (all that comes is the rhyme by Pooh Bear about thinking and rumble tee tums!!!). My newest portfolio is at Behance another place to show off my artwork and photography. It looks a bit blaze at the moment because I just joined up… I’ll add some artwork very very (very) soon! Georgiegirl_oz at Cafepress Not much happening there… its been a bit neglected. GeorgieGirlis at Flickr A virtual gallery of my photos. Named Georgiegirlis because I didn’t think of GeorgiegirlofRB (GG of RB) when I joined up. Hindsight is a marvellous thing… except my timemachine is on the blink!! Again :D / Time I gave my gallery some TLC and uploaded a few photos, which I’ll do today. edit… Just popped over to open it into my tabs. Geez its changed a bit!!! Oh well… next on the must do today list is CP and Zazzle! Plurk not that I’ve been there for ages… my lack of karma shows that! Never mind… it was fun while it lasted!! I’m sure there are more because I’ve so many bookmarks in this browser!! I don’t think I’ll add ‘cleaning out the bookmarks’ to the list of jobs to do, because that’ll take sooooooo long. Its like cleaning out the bookcase (who does that?) or toy cupboard… you end up either reading or playing with whatever you’re cleaning out!!! Or is that just me? hmmmm…
_Yesterday the latest issue of my Artists Magazine plopped through my mail slot and as usual I sat down to devour it whole...to my surp…
Yesterday the latest issue of my Artists Magazine plopped through my mail slot and as usual I sat down to devour it whole...to my surprise the first words that jumped out at me from the business section was the word RedBubble…I immediately abandoned the other articles... I rapidly scanned the section, just to make sure there was nothing critical that would result in a immediate letter to the editor, and having assertained that it was all praise, relaxed and read it again.. They focused on three artists.. Ross Ford, Tim Aldridge and Derek Stewart (I could not find the last two profiles, though they showed pictures of the actual pages)....with quotes from the artists, RB was praised for it’s high quality Tshirts, diversity of wall art, browse by categories, and of course the wonderful community of “artists who give you encouragement and feedback“ With a final section on the ease of use, quality of printing, and pricing, the article mentions that unlike others, artists can sign up at RedBubble for free…the article also included sections on Imagekind and Etsy, but I left those for later…much later
So we are moving this weekend, and with moving comes the inevitable internet outage. Aack! And while contemplating tonight the deep…
So we are moving this weekend, and with moving comes the inevitable internet outage. Aack! And while contemplating tonight the deep dark hole the absence of Redbubble will create in the centre of my being until I get my internet back I realised a pretty amazing thing… I have been a member of Redbubble for two years now! For a person that has a short attention span that’s a pretty bloody amazing achievement in itself. My personal journey as a photographer, thanks to Redbubble, has been an incredible experience but it’s the people I have met, the friendships that I have formed along the way that make this community more like an extended global family, more like my virtual home, that is what has been so important to me over the last two years. So instead of prattling on about what I have done and achieved as a photographer I thought I would take this opportunity to give thanks to a just a few of the people that, thanks to Redbubble, I now feel blessed to count amongst my friends. My darling heart, LisaG for mentioning one day in passing that I should “check out this new site called Redbubble”. And for being my constant support person. Mel Brackstone for always finding the time to answer all my stupid questions in a way that didn’t make me actually feel stupid. Rose Moxon for all those crazy phone calls, and for convincing me despite my own very considerable misgivings, that I could be a covergirl Paul Louis Villani for his always inspirational work, but most of all for his HUGS! Deborah Parkin for teaching me that black and white are colours too :) xx Billyboy for being all that and so very much more. A true lifetime friendship has been founded here BB. Love ya lots jelly tots! Shaddy for sharing my love of Sisters Beach. Marion Cullen for adopting me and being the best cyber sis ever! Paul Tupman for not growling at me when I have my Horizon Nazi hat on, and for sharing with me the beauty of his world. Juilee Pryor for always having a sweet word to say, and being so very supportive. Andrew Bosman for christening me the ^ Horizon Nazi ;) And for holding my hand as I took my first baby steps into the world of photoshop. Nat Tyler for introducing me to the world of t-shirts, and for believing in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. Julie Langford for having such a kind heart. David Murphy and Garth Smith for inviting me to be a part the most amazing exhibition experience. Kitsmumma for being one of the most amazing individuals I have ever had the pleasure of crossing paths with. Paul Vanzella for allowing me to experience the wonderful person that he is… and for making me beautiful. Michael Alesich for giving the world his Ground Angel Series. Karin Taylor for being not only quite possibly the sweetest person I have met here on Redbubble but also for designing t-shirts just for me :) Ok, so of course she doesn’t… but I just love her t-shirts so freaking MUCH that sometimes it feels like she is designing them just for me ;) Peter for giving me the opportunity to show him I am worthy of his trust. Geoff Coleman for not only being a great friend, but for making me feel like a real photographer for the very first time by buying a piece of my art. Hop for being my chill pill. Richie Dean for pushing sheep down hill… or uphill… or sideways… whatever he needs to do to get the shot! laughs. And last but by no means least… Stuart Chapman. For being my fellow world domination co-conspirator, for letting me be Aunty Bella to his son Adam, for making me snort coffee and various other drinks outta my nose more times than I care to count, and for always being willing to play my silly games with me. Holy guacamole Batman!!! Writing this up has made me realise I am one very lucky chicka indeed. I hope that I haven’t missed anyone but it’s the end of a very long day… my house is in boxes, and I can’t remember if I packed my pyjamas yet or not so I’m bound to have missed someone vitally important. Forgive me? One last thing before I go… heartfelt thanks to anyone who has ever taken the time to stop by and leave me a comment on any of my works. Now, let’s crack open the bubbly!
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