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All responses Most smiled responses
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Um, it's just a bunch of hand-drawn scallops colored in, so I'm going to be blunt and tell you to draw your own because you should flex that creative muscle of yours!
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I won't lie – it is a challenge at times. It's been two years since I've started Pikaland, and the rewards have been very much personal and very satisfying. I enjoy seeing illustrators grow, and to hear that they are connecting with each other. Some have made their first sale after being featured on Pikaland, and some have even cleared out their shops because of it. Hearing this like this just brightens up my day.
I'm still learning to balance things out, but I'm hiring an intern this summer, so that should be a good start! -
Yes, I run Pikaland full time, but unfortunately doing that alone is not enough for me to pay the bills. I also am a freelance editor / writer for magazines and newspapers, and sometimes I illustrate on the side too. I earn about half of what I earned when I was employed.
What this means is that I stopped going out so much – I rarely go shopping or even window shopping; and buy only necessary items. It's not so hard because I didn't really splurge unnecessarily anyway. My reward is the occasional shoe purchase, or a book. I rarely buy new clothes – I prefer to purchase thrifted, vintage items that costs less than a new dress. By doing so, I can be less stressed when my credit card bill arrives in the mail!
Someday I hope to be able to say that I can stop juggling other hats and that I can concentrate and earn a comfortable income via Pikaland alone, but it's a long process and it's one that I struggle with sometimes. So I'd rather stop focusing on the money so much and concentrate on building Pikaland's community. The satisfaction I get from that is immense.
I believe that when others are able to see how passionate I am about pushing Pikaland as a platform for artists/illustrators, the rest – as they say – will follow. -
I work in three hour blocks throughout the day, so I work about 9 to 10 hours a day, 5 times a week. Over Saturday and Sunday, I spend about 5 hours each day to prepare for next week's work. So it all adds up to about 60 hours a week; and more if I'm rushing for a project.
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It's hard to say for sure, but I do like happy work, or work that evokes happiness. Pikaland also features crafted items by illustrators, so there is this thin line between illustration/craft and art that we cross. It's a pretty niche blog, but we're constantly on the lookout for things that we believe carry the Pikaland vibe!
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When I have some spare time, I like to dig out my favorite magazines to read (right now it's Monocle magazine). And in between, I'd clean up my desk and finish that book that I've started but never got around to finishing! I crave for quiet time, so I like spending some time for myself - even if it's just watching a TV show that I've saved much earlier alone!
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My two dogs are Jack Russell terriers -- one smooth coat (Jeff) and one is a scraggly coat (Jojo). They were both given to us by friends who couldn't keep up with four, so they gave us two! See my flickr for pictures: http://flickr.com/pikaland
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Hmmm, I'm not so sure about getting featured on Society6, but the first thing you'll need to do is to have an account there, so I guess that's the one thing you should do as a start! Unless you're talking about the Pikaland + Society6 artist collaboration, in which case, I'll be announcing it on the blog very soon for the next round!
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This may seem weird, but I don't really frequent the same blogs for inspiration. What I do is jump from one link to another and I find that things are more fun that way! But I do have a list of blogs that on my reader that check on sometimes because I love the bloggers: Creature Comforts, D*S, Decor8, Design for Mankind, Bloesom, My Love for You, Where the lovely things are, Melissa Loves, SFgirlbybay, and I'm sure I'm forgetting tons more! I love being pleasantly surprised by new discoveries, and the prospect of making new friends.
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Let's see: I break up my schedules into manageable chunks, so I'm usually on the computer from 9-1pm, 3-6pm and 9-12pm. So I spend about 10 hours in front of the computer! Sometimes it's less (weekends are reserved for chores) and I do stop and go play with my dogs in between so that my eyes can rest!
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I do both! I collaborate with them on a few projects and blog about them too!
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Most definitely. I think it's only fair. And I promise I won't kick sand in your face when you do.
Really. -
With my two hands, with the help of my trusty Moleskine diary. And my laptop. Oh, and having an iPhone works for me. I forget so many things that I need constantly set reminders for myself!
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Hmmm, not that I'm aware of (I'm sure they're out there somewhere!) Send me a tweet (@pikaland) if you make one and I'll help you spread the word!
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Oh how I wish I could! I have two very bad knees and they bow to no one unfortunately. If you'd like to bow to me however, I'd be very much obliged. ;)
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I believe that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. I already have experience with working with publishing software, and I used to be a magazine editor so it's not that much different. Because I get submissions from artists, there's a bit of juggling that goes on for submissions – both text and the images. Then there's the formatting and editing, and copy-check. And then there's the whole process of photography, putting it online and of course, marketing it all around.
I have to say that my prior experience helped aplenty, and that being a stickler for organizing projects is a must if you want to put out something that has a lot of collaborators! -
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I'm a little upset that magazines are folding left and right these days. My favourite used to be Blueprint by Martha Stewart, and also Kids (for the sheer lovely photography and typographic elements in there). Right now my favourite magazine is Monocle, and I get to read about design, culture, business and art. Plus point? They have lots of illustrations in there, which is a huge draw for me.
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Not really. I believe that the harder you work, the luckier you get.
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Loading...Amy’s Bio
I'm the editor at www.pikaland.com -- a website that showcases lovely illustration from all over the world, with new projects that you can participate in!
