Update

I haven’t been blogging lately, and there’s a reason for that, besides being busy.

TBA

To be adited.

Readers’ Poll

Now that I’m returning to blogging after a short absence, I’m interested to find out what type of content my readers enjoy. What causes you all to come back again and again?

ShareASale With Me

Check out this affiliate network I recently joined called ShareASale. I know some people are skeptical about these kind of programs, but this is one of the most trusted in the industry. It has won awards and has a large following. They have many programs, including Pay Per Click, Pay Per Sale, Pay Per Lead, and Green programs. There are over 3,000 merchants with different products and services and each has various ads and banners to post on your website, blog, etc. The affiliates choose what to promote and how. It’s free to become an affiliate, so there’s nothing to lose. You just have to have a website to post the ads on.

[Update] After this post, some people asked me what affiliate marketing is. For the affiliate it’s basically a way to make money online. A business rewards affiliates for each visitor or customer the affiliate helps bring to the site. An affiliate network like ShareASale is the connection between the business and the affiliate. This FAQ explains more.

Let’s Rally in Support of Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade Arrested for DUI

Dark Portrait of “Painter of Light”
Christian-themed artist Thomas Kinkade is accused of ruthless tactics and seamy personal conduct. He disputes the allegations.

Like I said on facebook a while back, I wish people would lay off Thomas Kinkade about the fact that he got a DUI, and that Pacific Metro LLC filed for bankruptcy. Of course I don’t support drinking and driving and agree that it was wrong, but all it goes to show is that no one is perfect. Even the most intelligent and well-meaning of people make bad decisions sometimes.

As for the bankruptcy, it’s obviously a strategic business move to avoid paying an unjust lawsuit. People wouldn’t be so mean spirited if they hadn’t been envious of Kinkade all along.

Why I Love Thomas Kinkade (and some people don’t)

Sometimes I get tired of hearing people say negative things about Thomas Kinkade. It’s so cliche. Would so many people hate his art if that wasn’t the only accepted opinion to have in the art world? People can be persuaded to dislike anything by deeming it kitsch, trite, or cheesy. I may have bad taste, but at least I have my own tastes and I’m not embarrassed to say I enjoy Thomas Kinkade’s art.

Just looking at his paintings it’s obvious in spite of the stylistic distortions that he’s competent and put in time honing his technique, but the main thing going for him is the fact that he created a brand around a recognizable style and theme that appeals to a large segment of the population, which is why he has been so successful. That’s why some people have a problem with him, and it drips with jealousy and hypocrisy. If most of the people who criticize Kinkade were in his situation and had talent and business sense, they would do the same thing and profit from it.  So what if he makes a lot of money? That happens in a free market when something is popular. If anyone has a problem with that, it’s with the whole economic system, which has nothing to do with one artist.

It may be bothersome that there are better artists who are undiscovered, but people need to either accept that marketing is a big part of things in the real world, or drop out of the game.  Most artists sell (or at least try to sell) prints. The bottom line is that people are getting the final products they want, and what they’re willing to pay for them is their business. Just like if some want to pay 50,000$ for a dab of paint a canvas, which I think is more scandalous than a talented artist like Kinkade selling high quality prints.

To say Kinkade isn’t a real artist or deserving of success is ridiculous. Thomas Kinkade is the painter of light. His paintings have inspired millions of people who see in them an ideal that transcends our state of existence, whether for some that’s a spiritual awareness or a vision of a way of life that’s in harmony with the natural world. That’s the role art was originally meant to play in society, and remains in spite of the largely destructive impact of modernism. The root of much Kinkade criticism is resentment of the fact that representational art will always remain more widely appreciated, regardless of what’s in style with the self anointed art cognoscenti. Art does not have to be subversive, shocking, or impossible to understand to be meaningful. One of the reasons I like Kinkade’s art is because it represents that to me. To other people it has different meanings. Meaning is personal and subjective. Everything has meaning to someone because finding and creating meaning is what humans do. That’s the beauty of it and what makes it art.

Possible T-Shirt Designs?

People who know I like to draw are always telling me I should design t-shirts and enter them in contest sites like to try to win money, or even get them printed myself and try to sell them. I’m always thinking of ideas for t-shirts, but I’m reluctant to put in money to get them printed. One of the ideas a lot of people like is sushi themed shirts, which would have a different sushi roll in the middle of each one, so that you can tell what type it is without text. I doubt I would ever run out of types of sushi, with all of the varieties there are in existence as well as constantly being invented. I think one restaurant has even come up with an “Irvine Roll.” I’ve drawn up a lot of versions, but every time I’m satisfied with one style someone says it should be a different way. Then people say to get more opinions, but everyone’s opinion is different. Haha.

I also have these illustrations of babies I made for a client for part of a logo (Big Eye Baby, Inc.), and now they aren’t being used because they decided to go with something else. The finished logo which was originally going to have a baby graphic over it, but it looks better with plain text. Now I want to use the baby concept for something else and make some other illustrations.  I can envision t-shirts or dolls of them being made.

What’s New

I haven’t posted here for a long time. I haven’t been designing logos and etc. much since I have been busy, and Chris officially closed design business to focus on Trends Design Gallery. [Update] Here is a link to their website, which is really taking off now and showcasing a lot of great art and graphic design work: Trends Design Gallery

The Glyde Report

I’m going to say a few words about my phone. Let me preface this by saying I’ve never been a “cell phone” person, but that all changed because of the Samsung Glyde. My old phone was having problems and I needed to replace it, and Verizon was having a sale on the Glyde and some others. I went into the store thinking I’d rather get a Blackberry Storm, but was just going to get whatever was the best value. When the Glyde was in my hands, I knew there was no other option since I couldn’t put it down. It’s everything I want in a phone, no more, no less. I almost feel guilty for getting such a deal on this phone. I was told that the Glyde isn’t even on the top 5 phones in America, so I think that list must be a joke. The Env2 is misnamed, because no one who has a Glyde is going to “envy” anyone who has that, or the overrated, overpriced Iphone, or the bulky Blackberry Storm, or the LG Chocolate or anything else for that matter.

Futuristic and elegant, compact and light to fit in a pocket, with the novelty of a touch screen combined with the function of a mechanical keyboard that slides in and out. It fits comfortably in your hands for fast texting. Its 2MG camera has a flash and auto focus. I can’t seem to take a bad picture with it if I try.

To be fair I should probably say a few cons of the Glyde. Its not the best phone for internet browsing because the display is small and widescreen. The touch pad can be unresponsive at times, but the mechanical keyboard makes up for that. The Glyde is about minimalism, versatility, and texting. For me personally its the ideal phone and I would recommend it to anyone.

Some Cool Things I Just Found Out About

I socially networked online a lot over the last few days and found out about some new places to place ads for free, so we’ll wait and see if any potential clients crawl out of the woodwork. I was thinking about why things slowed down this week and it occurred to me that maybe it has to do with timing as well as the new flyers and prices. It’s Memorial Day weekend, I’m sure people were getting ready for that. Plus when they say on the news that there’s evidence of the economy turning around like they said a couple weeks ago, there’s a spike in spending.  There’s even evidence that the phases of the moon affect spending. Just because things go well one week doesn’t mean they will the next week.

Last night  I met up with one of my old friends since South Lake Middle School who has been studying abroad in Spain and at Wellesley before that. We went to Lollicup and it was my first time consuming a boba drink from Lollicup, even though I’ve been to most of the others around the area. It wasn’t anything to write home about but worth a try. I got a smoothie and it melted kind of fast, and some of the boba balls were stuck together in a big clump at that bottom. As well as catching up about crushes from Middle School she told me about some cool websites.  One of them was shirt.woot, a t-shirt design contest where they sell limited amounts of the winning shirts. Another site was MOO that prints mini business cards and other stationary. Its kind of pricey but I just think its cute.  She also convinced me that I’m behind the times on the web and need to get on Skype and get a webcam.

Here’s a excerpt about the moon phenomenon that I find interesting, as it applies to marketing. It’s known as Moon Dollars. Full Moon and Human Behavior

Practical economic use of the lunar cycle has been going on for a long time. In tropical rain forest countries in South America and Southeast Asia, where most of the world’s hardwood comes from, tree-harvesting contracts are linked to the phase of the moon. The trees are only cut down on a waning moon, as near to the new moon as feasible. This is because on a waxing or full moon, the sap rises in the trees and extensive sap bleeding attracts hordes of deathwatch beetles, which will devastate a crop. Awareness of this cycle means the difference between making or losing millions of dollars every year.