Thinking small... the key to happiness

I'm not sure how I got this lucky in life. When I left Australia 4.5 years ago—I didn't think I'd be back. Certainly I didn't want to be presumptuous and assume that I would.  People told me it was a once in a lifetime opportunity—and it sure felt like it. When I find myself in such beautiful locations (I never dreamed I could see on a artist budget), all I want to do is drink it all in: the atmosphere, the culture, the art - and especially the BEACH! (Well you knew that was coming, I wouldn't be honest if I left that important part out :) So it's humbling to be sitting here thinking that I'll have the opportunity to go back in a month.
It's easy for people on the outside to look in on my life and think that I am actually lacking. Sure there are school loans looming, and there isn't much material wealth in my name. But I do feel truly happy — which in this day & age is hard to find; or rather, society seems to do its best to convince us that we're not happy... cause we need the latest gadget, or we need more money, or we need more social network friends or whatever. A wise cousin once said that in order to be happy: think small. Start seeing the world like a child. Be amazed by the small things: how a bumblebee can fly despite its size, how the sun rises every morning... just the little things in life. True wisdom I think, and something I take with me no matter where I go.

Keeping busy

So as you know, I am counting down the days till my flight to Sydney and my subsequent 2 months spent touring the ports of New Zealand! Excited is an understatement. So it might seem like a bit of a challenge to stay focused on freelance work these days — especially with the weather the way it is here in the rainforest we call Vancouver. The trick, I find, is to keep busy.

I've managed to snag a few painting commissions before I leave, as well as some video editing/compilation projects. When I'm not working on those things, I've also become self-motivated to keep all of my sites updated AND I'm also working on T-shirt designs. You might ask: well what's the point of that work Viv? It doesn't exactly pay well does it? Well that might be true in the grand scheme of things, but as a graphic illustrator you always want to stay in touch with your target audience and see what trends are happening. I've recently become an active artist at Threadless.com - be sure to check back for new designs/illustrations.

The travel bug

I've often thought that I really should have made this a travel blog rather than an art blog since I seem to travel for work so much. However, traveling the globe has also exposed me to a lot of different architectural styles, art history, and natural wonders. My recent stop in San Francisco was no different. I love the vibe of the city! There's a lot of "hustle & bustle"; Art & Culture. Not to mention it's a city by the water - what's not to love?!

As you by now know - I'm obsessed with the water/beach lifestyle. I don't know if it's because I'm a true west coast girl or what. It's the reason I spend a good portion of my time working on cruise ships. So I'm excited for my next adventure — which will take me to New Zealand for two months! New Zealand is a country I've had on my bucket list (which I now like to refer to as my "life list") for a while now. So stay tuned for pictures!

An adventurous spirit

As I was kayaking beside my uncle along the shoreline of Sylvan Lake on a recent trip to Alberta, he turned to me and said "sounds like you have an adventurous spirit." I wonder where I got that from? :)

As far back as I can remember, I've loved the water and anything that has to do with it. Snorkeling with sting rays?! Sign me up! Set sail for a summer of cruising?! I'm there! Despite my timid first few years of life, I've managed to follow the calling of the ocean air with little resistance. So I suppose it's no surprise that I've managed to accomplish quite a lot in life while pursuing my love of water (despite being a 'starving artist'). One of my fans even wrote to tell me that she could see my love of water in every one of my brush strokes.... talk about a compliment!

So keep living the dream! Following your heart — and following your artistic nature can have its challenges, but don't forget to look back and see how far you've come (and how far you will go) keep living with a hunger for adventure!

Freshly squeezed optimism coming right up!

Hello fellow bloggers and followers! Well spring has arrived here on the West Coast :) Which means that a week of sunshine and heat is followed by a week of rain and cold. But no worries. Don't let the weather bring you down, cause you know that summer is right around the corner, right? And summer just happens to be my most favorite season – so I'm in good spirits right about now (and I hope you are too).

This past week I journeyed out of illustration hibernation into the real world to do some retail therapy on a cold and rainy Victoria day (long weekend).  I, of course, found myself drawn to Bath&Body Works. I don't know if it's just the smell of summer that draws me in, but I love their store layout, product packaging, and everything that seems to be geared towards a beach-bum-at-heart type like myself. If you haven't been in for a while, I'd recommend it highly. The candle scents bring me back to summers spent on the boardwalks in California. Good memories; good times = great marketing! What also makes me in such a great mood this week is that I received a cheque in the mail from the big illustration gig I landed. I love it when clients actually follow the "net 30 days" on their invoices :) Makes me love what I do even more (if that's possible).

I love to see this kind of stuff come in the mail

What the average person considers junk mail we in the industry have learned to call direct mail pieces. See how that term managed to get rid of the negative connotations? But how could you think that this direct mail from the Union Gospel Mission is anything but positive?! I enjoy getting mail as long as it's not a bill (I think I'm not alone on that one, am I right?) so it was a pleasant surprise to find a fully illustrated envelope in the mailbox this past week. I think more mail should come in cheerful packaging, don't you think? Maybe those credit card companies should try that – ha!
It's always great to see companies/foundations like this using the talents of illustrators. I especially like the added touch of the little colouring book! So cute! Absolutely love it! If any companies would like to hire me for similar work – I'm your girl!

Success doesn't happen overnight

When people tell you that the first two years after graduation are going to be challenging, you simply smile and think to yourself: how bad can it be? But one year after graduation, I'm getting a better picture of what they were talking about. It seems hard to find that perfect niche.

So here it is, one week into my new job and I'm already looking for other ways to pursue what I really want to do with my life: and that's to make illustrations/art for a living. Unfortunately illustration work (as opposed to graphic design work) requires another job to finance expenses. I'm hoping that I can at least work on building my client base. The last thing I want is to be trapped in a minimum wage job and lose sight of the bigger picture. I want to ensure that I am moving forward toward my goal. I guess the one good thing about this job is that it has forced me to get serious about my true passion. I'm hoping that sitting down and talking over coffee with some professionals in the business will help give me some perspective, and hopefully some pointers, on how to climb the professional ladder.

On a side note, I'm happy to announce that my illustration was chosen for Winsor & Newton's new limited edition ink packaging! If you want to see more of my recent projects, be sure to like my facebook page: Vivian Gerber