Adobe Illustrator is my go-to software for anything and everything design-related. It's the one program I truly couldn't work without.
And while it's easy to assume that the program's primary focus is illustration based on the name, there is so much more to this design software.
With tools for type, color, photo cropping, image tracing, drawing, and much more, it has innumerable benefits for bloggers and business owners, alike.
To get your creative gears turning, here's a look at 40 ways Adobe Illustrator can take your blog and/or business to the next level.
First impressions are crucial, especially in business.
Potential customers and clients make judgments about your business within the first few seconds of coming into contact with it, whether it’s through your website, your social media accounts, or a simple blog post graphic.
And those initial thoughts - whether they’re spot on or far off from what you want them to be - are within your control. You have the opportunity to make a killer first impression through high-quality, branded visuals.
If your blog is a large part of your business or you’re hoping to drive more traffic back to your site through your blog, you have to have eye-catching blog graphics to not only generate a positive first impression, but to encourage readers to share your posts on sites like Pinterest and be seen by an even wider audience.
So how do you create eye-catching blog post graphics? And better yet, how can you set them apart so they’ll stand out from the rest and be recognized time and time again?
“When I discovered YouTube, I didn’t work for 5 days.” - Michael Scott
Video platforms like YouTube (and more recently, Periscope) are easily the world’s greatest time-wasters. We’ve all been guilty of losing track of time on YouTube at least once, because videos are easily consumable, very addicting, and highly entertaining.
As a matter of fact, studies show that a whopping 78% of us watch videos online every week and 55% watch videos online every day.
Which is why Youtube is also the world’s greatest overnight-success-maker. If you’re on the production-side of a video and you’ve come up with a clever idea, you might just have a viral hit on your hands.
Video holds a lot of potential for interaction, engagement, and shares for creative businesses. And for that reason, it’s one of the best visual marketing tools you can use.
But it producing videos can be a little overwhelming, can’t it? Even with helpful video tools out there like Animoto, many of us struggle to come up with simple ideas for video content that would appeal to our audience.
And that’s where this post comes in. I’ve rounded up 40 easy, engaging video content ideas to help get your creative gears turning. My hope is that you’ll find a few ideas to implement and as a result, bring your business more exposure.
If you’re looking for a good way to kill at least an hour of your time, type in the word “infographic” in the Pinterest search bar.
Thousands of clever graphics will pop up on everything from “how to make a salad taste awesome” to a baby’s first year in a review. There’s even an infographic that answers the pressing question, “Is your dog sleeping a little too much?”
Then, after you’ve admired the genius creativity behind them, take a gander at how many repins and likes each of those infographics receives. Thousands upon thousands.
In fact, infographic volumes have increased by over 800% in 2 years. Publishers who use infographics grow in traffic an average of 12% more than those who don’t.
What is it about infographics that makes them so appealing? And better yet, how can you come up with some clever infographics for your business so it gains more exposure through likes and shares?
I have all the answers for you in this post.
Is your headline the first thing you consider when you sit down to write a post?
Probably not, but creating a catchy blog post title is one of the most important aspects of each blog post. It's the gateway to your content; it convinces people to click or scroll right past your latest post'.
In fact, studies show that 8 out of 10 people will read your headline but only 2 out of 10 will read your entire post.
Here are a few pointers for drawing in potential readers and a couple "templates" to help you create a catchy headline for your upcoming posts.
I've had a slight strawberry obsession lately (as you might have noticed on Instagram and in Monday's Letters). This week I simplified our breakfast menu by making a big batch of strawberry scones, and goodness gracious they were delicious. I thought it would be fun to not only share the recipe with you, but share a free printable, too. Feel free to download it, pin it, and share it with friends!
Simply click the button below, print, and start baking. Enjoy!
You know those weeks where all the big projects, deadlines, and commitments seem to culminate? Yep, it's one of those weeks around here. So while I would rather be illustrating a fun new background for you this week, I'm exercising restraint and sticking my nose in the books for grad school finals.
But not to worry! I've rounded up all of my recent favorites to share with you today. Simply choose your favorite, click the image, and download:
And since I'm a little quieter around here today, I would love to hear from you. What verse would you like to see on your iPhone background? Have you found these backgrounds helpful for memorizing verses each week?
I hope your week is off to a great start, friends. Happy Tuesday!
Dear Mr. Hooker, what is it about trips to Harris Teeter that turn us back into a couple of 8-year-olds? We teased each other in the produce section, competed in a speed walking race down the frozen food aisle, and probably drove the U-Scan lady crazy with our incessant laughter. I can't take you anywhere ;)
Dear Be a Blessing Challenge, you backfired on me in the sweetest of ways this weekend. Not only did I receive a cheerful package in the mail from my dear friend Jenny (complete with a thoughtful note and my favorite coffee!), but I was so surprised when Amanda Chancey surprised me at our front door with a box of fresh-picked strawberries. I'm so thankful for intentional acts of kindness - they worked wonders on this girl's heart.
Dear Adobe Creative Suite, thanks to you, I can make changes to my website and my branding whenever my heart desires. So last week, when I probably should have been studying for grad school exams, you got me sidetracked into designing new pages for this little website. Hooray for a new homepage and Coffee Date gallery!
Dear Jake, you have the best way of making simple things so fun. Doing the dishes isn't such a chore when you blast some music and start a dance party, studying and writing papers is much more bearable when you interrupt them with walks around the neighborhood, and car rides are always full of laughter when you sing any and every song in your "Creed voice". A lifetime with you is sure to bring me lots of smile wrinkles and side stitches, and I surely wouldn't have it any other way.
Each Monday I write four letters: two letters to my husband and two random letters to whatever else is on my heart each week. What originally started as a fun way to record events and funny stories pleasantly developed into a weekly habit of practicing thankfulness. To see past letters, click here.
Fridays mornings are my favorite. The weekend is right around the corner, work is wrapping up for the week, and the best part?! A standing Coffee Date on the blog with some of my most encouraging friends.
You just might know today's Coffee Date guest already. She's the interior designer behind Michaela Noelle Designs and her blog is one of my favorites to follow. Not only does she have a gorgeous, feminine style; she also has a lovely, genuine heart. I'm grateful that she was willing to participate for a Q&A on the blog in the midst of a recent move, Bloom Workshop preparation, and the busyness running her business. Friends, meet Michaela!
Honey chamomile tea with honey... always!
My morning routine is always the same. I guess you could say I'm a creature of habit! I wake up, walk over to the windows and open all of the curtains to allow the morning light to pour inside my little apartment. Then I head to the toaster and pop in my toast, turn on the tea water and wait. I spread some peanut butter on the toast and let my tea steep, then enjoy my morning breakfast and tea while I dive into the Word. I've been following along with She Reads Truth Bible study plans and I love them! After that, I hope online, answering work emails and pushing out my blog posts on social media. I get ready for the day, then I'll normally head out to lunch with a friend or client, or go shopping for a client (or for me lately, as I just moved into a new place!) My days are always a little different, which I absolutely love.
I just moved to Michigan from California, and while I really miss my city and state, the people here in Michigan are really nice, so that's been a major blessing. I always love that I get to see my boyfriend every.single.day now! What a treat!
I'm impatient by nature. Maybe this comes with the territory of being a designer, but I'm the girl who needs everything in it's place and living through a move where boxes and "stuff" is everywhere (even two weeks after the move!) is just not my thing. My patience is wearing thin. I want my apartment decorated now. I want to come home and feel like it's really "home", which would mean not a box in sight. I want to learn where all the stores are around here, and how to maneuver through my new city. I want to have a booming business in my new city right.now. Nut guess what? None of that is reality and all of that is selfish.
Because of my inclination to want things in order right this second, I'm learning... I have a lot to learn. God is teaching me to rest in the power of His timing, His will and His plans. I'm learning to trust God and cling to His grace in times when I'm not giving myself a lot of grace, and instead striving for perfection. He's teaching me things will not happen in my time, they will happen in His. You know what's funny? God is big on "hands-on" teaching. If you're impatient, you can bet He'll throw you in a situation bringing that very quality out, refining your tendencies and revealing to you what your sin is. He walks through our struggles with us, never leaving us. Oh, what a blessing!
It definitely gets busy and stressful! I'm a planner through and through, so I use my Daybook (thanks Lauren!) to write everything down. All my appointments, lunch dates, due dates, projects, client tasks, and more are all written down in there so not to forget one. Each day I make an agenda for the day and really try to stick to it. If it's not on my list, I'm not doing it and that is a-okay with me! Crossing things off my list is the best kind of satisfaction :)
A few things! Remember my answer to number 4 and how my apartment is still a mess? Well, I got a bookcase delivered a few days ago, which means a lot of my "stuff" that was on the floor now has a home. Happy heart (and home)! Second, I cooked my first dinner in my apartment for my boyfriend and he loved it. And it had veggies in it. Success! Third, I planted a peony bush for my patio. Dream come true!
Hi friends! After a day off from the blogosphere, I'm back with part 2 of my newest mini-series, Adventures of a Purple-Thumbed Gardener.
In last week's post, I left off with mixed feelings of excitement and overwhelm in the Lowes garden section...
After pacing the aisles for 40 minutes (wish I could say that I'm kidding... but I'm not), I started looking at the little "bookmarks" inside each plant container. Thankfully, they clued me in on which plants are best in the shade and which plants do well in a lot of sun.
The land for our garden sits in 50% shade and 50% sunlight. I learned that most veggies do the best in direct sunlight, so I grabbed a couple varieties of tomato plants, a red bell pepper plant, a green bell pepper plant, and a banana pepper plant . I also added a few to my cart. My sunlight plants were good to go!
Now for some color. I came across some pretty pink impatients and found out they do best in the shade. Cha-ching! I added them to the cart, indecisively paced the aisles for a few more minutes, and snapped a few photos in the checkout aisle.
Thankfully, the lady at the checkout counter loaned me a few crates for the ride home. My cute little plants endured the bumpy ride to the Suite and said hello to their new garden bed!
As I unloaded my purchases from the back of the car, my sweet neighbor walked over to check things out. I'm so grateful, because Miss Ann was such a big help! She showed me how to separate the impatients into smaller bunches so that they wouldn't look so clustered, she taught me how to stagger the plants, and she pointed out where each one should go. Then she walked around and prayed them. "God, please bless Lauren's little garden. Make it grow and grow..."
Here's what it looked like after we finished planting!
Okay I'll admit, the transformation isn't huge. But it's a great first step for this purple-thumbed gal! Now if I can just keep these guys alive...
I'm hoping that sunshine, rain, and love will do just the trick. I'll keep you posted :) Until next time, friends!
Now for your adventures: Do any of you have a garden this season? What are you planting?
