Happy New Year!
Okay so this blog has long since been neglected. I've had the goal of reviving this blog since mid-2017 but sheesh! life had other plans.
Anyway, since I'm going for a fresh start, let me first introduce myself…
Hi! I'm Janus. I am a multi-faceted artist. I am a graphic designer, 3d artist, watercolorist and calligrapher. I am also a bookworm and book reviewer. I have used my passion for arts and design and turned it into a profession. I wanted to say a profitable job, but I don't think I'm anywhere there at the moment. Working on it! Moving on… Welcome to my blog!
There are several categories this blog will be dedicated to: Books, Watercoloring, Calligraphy, 3D Arts and Miscellaneous (this will be basically used when I have nothing to talk about but still want to post something. Heh).
For those of you who aren't aware, I have been a book blogger for over 5 or more years now (sorry I stopped counting at the third year. LOL). I run a blog called "The Blair Book Project" and was rebranded in 2016 as "The Erudite Artist". If you have been redirected here via my former blog, hello there! I know that place has also been quiet for months already but know that I have continued on blogging/reviewing books on Goodreads and Instagram. Oh, God bless you, Instagram for being created. You made things so much easier for me! (You also made me lazy at cross posting so…)
When I decided to become a freelancer mid-2016, I had zero knowledge of how to begin. I mean, I know what I wanted to do, and I knew how to do my job. But I was completely clueless over running my own business. How to market, how to establish a brand… sh*t! what heck did I just get myself into? But thankfully, I managed.
2017 has been such a whirlwind of discoveries. The early parts of getting started had me just going from job after job after job, and while I earned (a bit) I don't think I was able to manage my time and money wisely. So most of last year was a trial and error phase, like working out the kinks of pricing, what materials work best, etcetera.
I am hoping that this 2018, I get to do things a lot better. I spent the last few days of 2017 setting goals and planning. So I am really looking forward to making them happen, I'm excited to share with you my plans but I want some things to be a surprise. I hope you stick around to find out!
I'm kicking off 2018 with a little bit of a throwback on this post. I am so thankful for all the opportunities I received in 2017. I honestly don't know if I landed them out of sheer luck or because I worked hard for them. Maybe both? Nevertheless, I'll try to show that I was worthy of them.
Book Cover Designing
When I decided I wanted to become a freelancer, my first target was to create book covers. Because hey, I love to read, and I am a graphic designer, I've run a blog and have somehow established connections, albeit loosely, with authors. So I thought, why not?
I landed my first gig on cover designing through Upwork in 2016. Little did I know that I'd be offered a job to do three covers for Anvil Publishing at the same year! (Thank you, Mina V. Esguerra, for making this happen!) I did about 5 book covers that year. And in 2017, I was able to design 9!
(Photos on the left are for visual presentation only, not all those books have been designed in the same year.)
[In case you don't know], Mina (the fairy godmother of Filipino authors), has established #RomanceClass. This is a community of authors and readers sharing their passion for books, romance, chick lit and just plain old positivity. this group supports the heck out of each other.
Really thankful to these authors for letting me be part of their writing journey. If you'd like to grab a copy of their books, I've listed them below and links for more info and where you can buy them. Or you could contact the authors themselves to get your copies!
I'm hoping to up my game this year because I really love designing book covers. I'm working on a few designs that are not of my usual works to spice up my portfolio. Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to finish them really soon.
*only available via print-on-demand, please contact author
Invitations
Another thing I love designing are invitations. There's something so nostalgic and personal about them. Very thankful to family and friends who have asked me to design their invitations.
I was able to design 9 invitations for 2017! Here's a few of them that I was able to share on Instagram
Art & Book Events
I often go to these events when I was single, and then when I had my baby, not as often, but I still made time for those that I badly wanted to attend. Never in my life did I imagine myself being a participant rather than a spectator.
When I was first asked to be part of the SM Stationery Art Fest, I thought I was being scammed. I kid you not! I felt I didn't really seem worthy of this. There are a lot of other artists out there that are awesome, so why me? Talk about low self-esteem, yes?
I'm very thankful to Star 360 Philippines for taking a chance on me and letting me be part of the artists for Sharpie and Limelight (thank you, Sam and Jillian for inviting me to join the ArtFest!). I was scared to death during my first event. I was terrified of being asked to talk during the event.
After which I asked #RomanceClass peeps if I can offer on-the-spot painting services at one of the events (because I saw another artist doing portraits for one event). I wasn't expecting much then, just wanted to join in for exposure and I have been wanting to attend one of these but I was shy to go alone. Very thankful once again to Mina, and Tina for letting me be part of this.
My last event of the year was another SM Art Fest, this time for Tokyo Finds (thank you, Queen!). If you've been following me on Instagram, I tend to talk about my spending concerns from time to time. I am slightIy 'kuripot' (miser in english) because I'm not wealthy, and being a starting freelancer I don't always have a steady income. I discovered Tokyo Finds because I was looking for more affordable alternatives to materials I need for work and leisure. What started out as a way to save some money became a path to being a featured artist for an event and more!
Art Workshops
This was probably my biggest leap last year. If you must know, I am extremely shy. While I have learned to interact more openly with other people over the years (thank God for college organizations!), I still struggle with it. What can I say, sometimes I don't know what to talk about. LOL. Part of what I love about working from home is that I get to converse with people without having to look them in the eye (also, emojis!!!). Haha! I know, I sound pathetic!
(Photo from Belle de Jour Instagram)
When workshops became a trend, I wanted to do it just as well. But since my introvert self just couldn't handle the pressure of talking to a crowd, I decided, private workshops would work for me best. it's intimate and I get to focus on the student at hand.
But life said that's not enough, let's give you something more challenging! Sam from Sharpie Philippines collaborated with Belle De Jour for a Sharpie De Mayo, and offered me to do hold the workshop. I said yes, because I did say I'd try something at least once. The first few hours into it I was completely terrified! I was shaking while talking and doing a demo. Thankfully, I got over it. Haha!
Another thing I tried out was hosting my own workshop. It was a lot more tedious than sponsored ones such as the Sharpie De Mayo. with this I had to do the marketing and promotion, I had to handle pricing and getting the materials. But I had fun! and I'm definitely looking forward to doing more!
Other Project Collaborations
I am so thankful for each and every project I receive.
While Tokyo Finds not only invited me to be a part of their artists for the SM Stationery Art Fest, I was able to be a contributor for their #LaunchBox.
Another collaboration I did was with NY-based author Abiola Abrams for her Self Love Journaling Cards. Abiola was honestly really fun to work with. This was the first time I used my own paintings as part of a design so I was nervous and excited all at the same time.
You can read more about these on Abiola's blog HERE.
I think that wraps up most of my 2017. It's been crazy and terrifying, but it's also been amazing in the things that count the most.
I hope you guys were able to look back at last year and find something worth remembering... Cheers to making 2018 a better year not just for ourselves but for the people we care about. Please always remember to be kind and be thankful for what you have.
XOXO,
Janus
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