Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Implementing changes

I always have good ideas on how to organize my time but I have a serious trouble in the implementing process. I think my problem is the desire to make the prefect schedule and making all the changes at the same time. Let's get serious here, of course I cannot change and improve everything in just a day.. not even in a week (or month!). So... how about baby steps?

I'll start making changes and improving things on my schedule and I'll tell you the basic things I'm going to do. Maybe some of these steps are good for you too!

Right now is:

time-to-fous

What I'm going to do?
1.- Make a To Do list first thing in the morning.
I need a to do list ALL THE TIME but I guess I'll be more efficient if I write my list first thing in the morning... before checking my email.

2.- Set the 3 more important things I have to do today.

Many times my lists can be super overwhelming, for that reason I will make the list but I will mark which 3 things are the more important. I will work on those task, and if I have time, I'll tackle more things.

3.- Disconnect from internet while I'm working on NO internet related tasks.
Internet is taking away half of my productive time! I don't know why I have to check weather.com 20 times a day.

4.- Set "email check" times.
I suffer of a compulsive disorder. I have to check my email every 2 minutes. It's ridiculous. Why I have to do that? Well, NO MAS. Now I'll set times to check the email AND I will do thing like: I cannot check my email until I finish one or two of my to do list tasks.

5.- Use a timer.
If I really want to be productive, I need to organize my time, right? Well, I need to set times per task. Sometimes I'm preparing some files, or doing a new design, or working in a new canvas and I can spent hours doing one of those things AND looking at the window, you know what I mean? Now I have to FOCUS on what I'm doing and stop looking how the grass is growing outside. I'll set a timer.

Those are the basic steps/changes I'll incorporate in my basic routine. In a few days I'll see if those changes work or if I need to do some adjustment.
And little by little I'll start adding more changes... Stay tune ;)

What do you if you need to focus in some specific tasks?
I would love to know what else I should be doing!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Confession

I really like the TV show The Good Wife (CBS). I Reaaaaally like it the whole show, but definetely my favorite part was seeing my poster in last night episode ;)

my art in the tv! 

Can you see the posters in the back? Those are my "Dream Big" and "You Deserve" prints.

Yeahhh... I'm really happy!






Friday, October 7, 2011

Black and White and Colors

Meet Bo The Elephant.
I really like him just in black and white
Bo the elephant 
 but I think he looks good in colors too

Bo the elephant 
What do you think?
Happy Weekend!


Monday, October 3, 2011

October Calendar wallpaper

October is here! This is one of my favorites moths. I think fall is the best season. I like it more than Christmas. Fall Rocks ;)
I live in Miami and we really don't have this awesome season :( bummer. But still I can feel (a little bit) the change of the season in the air and the sky look more blue. And I'm SUPER HAPPY :)
Here a little present to celebrate the season!
Click here (or click the image) to download you October Calendar Wallpaper. You can also print it and keep in your bulletin board ;)

october-desktop-wallpaper_image

Happy Tuesday!

How I prepare my canvases

You want to know how to prepare your canvases "Valentina's style"? Here my simple tutorial ;)
I love to do this to my canvases because, ONE, I need a really smooth surface to apply the ink to my drawings and TWO, because I love the texture of the canvas after doing this!.

The Ingredients:

ingredientes

- Plain canvases. Also, if you have a old painting you don't liked more, or you are not so happy with what you did, you can reuse that canvas. I do that ALL THE TIME :)
- You will need flour and water
- Pieces of paper. I use whatever I have around. Recycling papers. brown craft paper and mostly all the beautiful unsolicited mail I get EVERY DAY.
- Football game (optional) Well, you can switch this ingredient for whatever you want to watch in the TV or music if you want. I made these canvases yesterday... and that means Football Day in this house.

1.- Cook the "glue". I'm not so sure how you call this, I call it "engrudo". You need one part of flour and 5 or 6 parts of water. I'm not the "engrudo" master, but my cooking system is: Mix the cold water with the flour, put in the stove medium, heat, and stir frequently until you reach a tick consistence. Let the mix cold down.

01

2.- Setup all the ingredients to start the party. As you can see, I covered the floor with some paper because it's a dirty party.

02

3.- Dip a piece of paper in the flour+water mix.

03

4.- Cover your canvas.

04

5.- Let the canvas dry.

05

6.- And next day... Voila! Ready to paint!

06

Easy, right?

Let me know if you have any question.

Happy Monday!