Children's Book, Good Magazines and what's bothered me lately

If you are my old follower, you might have known already that I have an etsy shop selling illustration and paper goods. I don't put the link on right now because I have put the shop on vacation so that I can spend time in revamping my whole design.

I think those who work in creative fields might experience this feeling from time to time, the feeling of uncertainty and doubt. Not sure of your style. Not sure of the future. This has been bothering me for some time and I feel lost.

What would you do when you encounter this kind of feeling?...

When you get lost, you have to find a way back. I find it in books. Reading can bring you to focus state. When you focus, things will become crisp and clear...

I had had Beyond the Pawpaw Trees on my wish list for some time before I ordered it and I am so glad I finally did. It's a joyful book, full of beautiful black and white line drawings. More importantly, its simple but whimsical story just pulls me off the confusing reality to straightforward childhood, when you don't know the meaning of worry and could do whatever you want. That's what I need right now.  

Then I know a solution to my problem. If I don't feel happy with my art, why not find a way to improve it. So, these past two weeks I have let myself slipped into the world of blogs, creativity, and brainstorming. I look at shops and blogs I admire. I do research and read almost everything about online marketing. I take notes and collect every material that I think could be useful from magazines. (Martha Stewart Living and Anthology in picture above are really helpful and inspiring :) I train my eyes to look at everything in shapes, forms and colors and try to think further...

This will be going on forever as long as I want to have my business. But I think I'm having fun doing all these things and I begin to see how my shop is going to be now.

It's quite exhausting but I'm feeling good, inspired and energized.
Now that I can get back right on track :)