Tag: Writing

6 Reasons Why You Should Try Free Writing
In case it hasn’t been obvious, I love writing.
Whether it’s writing about my angst-filled days as an early teen or this one scene I came up where a twelve-year-old girl and an ancient dragon bickered if that huge grey thing is a boulder or Big Bird, writing was, and still is, a great way for me to channel my creativity into something.
But free writing.
Oh boy. That is a deeper and more intimate way in which writing has changed my life.
Good ol’ Wikipedia calls it a prewriting technique in which you disregard spelling, grammar, or topic.
I’ve always thought of it as like freestyle rap, except you’re just writing. (Freakin-genius in English, aren’t I?)
But anyway.
I have relied on it a lot in different aspects of my life this year. Which is why I’ve set myself up into convincing anyone who doesn’t free write to do it. Because I think it might just change yours too 😉
6 REASONS WHY FREE WRITING IS GOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR LIFE
1. You Get to Organize Your Thoughts
I’m the kind of person who has 1,498,257 thoughts running on my mind every second. It can be pretty overwhelming. Like I just can NOT concentrate on doing anything else.
Does that sound like you too?
Does it feel like your mind is this browser with dozens of tabs opened simultaneously and it’s like you, the entire computer, is lagging constantly because how the heck are you going to process all of these???
Is that you?
Alright. Try free writing.
Free writing might just help you organize, even just a little bit, all those thoughts you are on the verge of drowning into. It totally helped me.
When I free write, I have this feeling of gradually letting thought after thought out of my brain. Putting one word after another is like closing those tabs one by one until you have just enough that you can focus on at the moment.
It is incredibly freeing and isn’t that nice? Because it’s called free writing! See what I did there? 😀 (I am so not funny)
2. It Makes You a Better Writer
Free writing helps you put thoughts into words well, right? So it also helps you become a better writer.
I mean, for one thing, it is not called a prewriting technique for show. But like any skill, writing something engaging and compelling takes lots of practice and actually doing some writing. Kristina wrote that it helped her write as many as 1,000 words in 15 minutes.
Let that sink in for a sec. 1,000 words in fifteen. freaking. minutes.
Totally amazing, right??
But free writing doesn’t just help you in the practice aspect of becoming a better writer. Free writing also helps you get into The Flow™. Or The Zone™. Or The Groove™. Whatever floats your boat.
This is when you feel fully immersed and focused on whatever activity you’re doing.
And yes, free writing can help you go to that state of mind while writing. Simply because practicing it helps you to take away compulsive self-analyzing. You might or might not get anything substantial from what you’ve free written. But you cannot forego the fact that it is a great way to flex your writing muscles and, you know, do writing warm-ups.
3. It is Actually Fun!
Sure, maybe that compulsive editor inside of you doesn’t like being in the process of free writing. BUT! Finishing that first draft of a blog post and reading through all of the grammatical errors and typos afterwards?
PROOFREADING HEAVEN.
Which, in my compulsive editor’s view, equals F-U-N.
How else is free writing fun? I’m so glad you asked.
<3 Reading old stuff you free wrote. Do you laugh at how awkward and overdramatic you are in your old diary entries or is that just me?
<3 Knowing you can write better now compared to X years ago. Boost your self-confidence yo!
<3 You don’t have to restrain yourself and overthink every-freakin-thing (which, let’s all agree, dampens the fun out of writing)
4. It is Good for Your Sanity
There has been plenty of research in the fields of psychology and neuroscience on the importance of free writing. And it is also used in counseling and therapy.
I mean. Hello, journalling?
If you’ve read plenty of self-care posts like I have, you’d know journalling is in there at the top of the how to self-care lists. And that is basically one of the best ways to incorporate free writing into your life.
Here are some other ways free writing can be good for your sanity:
+ It’s kind of an art therapy (which we’ll discuss further later)
+ It helps you put jumbled thoughts and emotions into words (as mentioned above) which is great for self-reflection and your mental health.
+ It tires you and that’s kinda like exercise for your arm (and I dunno, for some reason I like good exhaustions. Don’t you?)
+ It’s better than breaking plates and punching a hole on your wall. I mean, you could always write about punching a hole or maybe even turning into a dragon and burning down the next village over and look! No one in real life got physically hurt! Win-win. (Except for those poor villagers. May they rest in peace.)
5. You Become More Productive (writing-wise)
One thing I’ve heard and read a lot on conquering that Horrible First Draft™ is to write now, edit later. Which, I just learned, is an excellent advice for any type of writing; from novels to poetry to technical…and even blog writing.
Practicing free writing can help you from experiencing what Ignited Moth’s post inspired me to call, The Backspace Syndrome. You know, like that backspace key is so tempting to use and you edit and delete as you go? You ever had that?
Hey me too!
So when I feel like the backspace urge is too strong as I’m writing a blog post, I either resort to writing by hand or typing it on my tablet where the urge is usually not that strong and free writing comes more naturally.
End result? I have a finished first draft of blog post! Needs a lot of editing. For sure. But it’s more than a rough outline and I’ve got thoughts and ideas down that only need a bit of refining.
6. Free Writing is Therapeutic
Free writing helps me sort out things that have been on my mind. It’s rather comforting, you know.
Gosh, there were times when free writing became incredibly emotional for me. But, in a way, it was also (well here it is again) freeing. It was just me introspecting and untangling some of my thoughts. Even for just a bit. Like I don’t have to untangle everything, and I usually don’t. But what relatively little that I get untangled and sorted out, is big enough so as to make my life just a bit more bearable.
And that’s honestly what I love the most about free writing.
Do you free write? If so, how has it helped you? Do you have the Backspace Syndrome too? Do you binge-watch TED talk videos like yours truly? Tell me all!!!
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PS: If you enjoyed this post, you might like to learn 13 ways to be inspired and pump up your creativity. Just putting it out there 😉
(Photos used from Kaboompics and Pixabay respectively)
November 18, 2017
My Two Cents on Failure (+ How to Deal With It)
Note: This post was something I first wrote and published nearly a year ago. Having read it now, I realized how much it still resonates to me to this day. I’ve edited a bit of the post and added some things but the point still remains the same. Enjoy! 🙂
In this success-driven world that we live in, failure is something we’d rather not experience. (Like at all, please??)
It’s something embedded into our minds as early as when we were kids. We don’t like seeing the red marks on our paper because our parents don’t, right? We spray away failure like we spray away mosquitoes.
But something surprised me when I Googled ‘failure’ for this post. I was immediately bombarded by links with the same theme:
It’s amazing how the idea had spread over every industry like a wildfire. But it had the most tremendous impact in the competitive fields of business and arts. You’ve seen and read the success stories. And they all have that same format.
“I’ve had 10 failed projects in my career… BEFORE BUILDING MY MILLION-DOLLAR ONE!”
“My 499^th audition gave me my big break!”
“After 18 years of searching, I’ve finally proven the existence of unicorns!*”
This tells us that persistence will pay off. And that’s great! It motivates people not to be disheartened when you fail. Besides, failure is needed for us to thrive. It’s a core ingredient in trial-and-error. And it lets us know what not to do to be successful.
However, this “failure is the secret to success” bit can also further feed that success-driven mentality, deliberately deceiving yourself that failing will actually bring you nearer to success.
And that’s not at all good yo.
Romanticizing failure does not necessarily make you any closer to success.
I mean, I totally agree that it’s a great way to not get discouraged and not go total Eeyore mode, giving up on life. But there’s a fine line between encouragement and false hope.
The thing is: not everybody will succeed. And failing? Sucks.
When I graduated in high school, I subconsciously brought with me this reassurance and certainty that college will be the same. I was like, “College? Pssh, cake.”
Dear past self: They’re. Not. The. Same.
If high school was Super Mario Level 7**, college is Flappy Bird. No levels. Just pure agony.
And that cold water of reality didn’t splash onto my arrogant face until my second year in college. I didn’t reach the cut-off for a major subject and I was bummed. No, scratch that, I was more than bummed. I was devastated.
It was like a super-confident bump car driver who likes to constantly flip his hair tried driving a ten-wheeler truck for the first time. And he ends up clutching tight at the wheels and crying for his mommy.
So I’m not gonna argue with you. Failure hurts like Gordon Ramsey telling you that sunny-side egg you cooked isn’t even worthy to be served to dogs.
It hits your self-confidence and shatters your spirit. And to someone currently experiencing failure, being told “everything will be okay” may not be the best mood-lifter. And neither is the rhetoric of failure leading to success.
See, success may come later. But failure needs to be dealt now.
So sure, you may reach success afterwards. May. Meaning there’s a possibility that you won’t. And I’m not trying to be Jenny Rain Cloud here. It’s a fact.
For most of our lives, success is something that we will accomplish in the future. But failure can happen any minute and it’s experienced at present, so you deal with it now. If you don’t, failure doesn’t lead to anything good at all.
So then, Kate, how do we deal with failure?
Great that you ask. Here are three things you could do:
<3 Don’t think that the entire universe is ganging up against you. Believe me, I’ve been there. I’ve had my fair share of years being an angsty kid and thinking everybody hates me. They don’t–or… not all of them do. Every person you’ve met has faced failure to a certain degree.*** And the universe is just being the huge thing that it is. In fact, leave the stars alone; they’re minding their own beautiful twinkly business yo.
<3 Think, instead, of what lessons you could take away from failing. Remember that 4-step cure I shared for missed opportunities? Missed opportunities are kinda like failures too. And it always helps to see that even the most awful things have a positive takeaway you can carry your whole life. Lastly…
<3 Give yourself the time to feel all the awful. If there was one thing I’ve learned in Pixar’s Inside Out, it’s that there is nothing wrong with feeling the negative things. It’s okay to feel bad.
There will be happy, colorful moments (like when you’ve proven unicorns are real) and there will be sucky ones (like when you realize you were just dreaming).
So really, it’s okay to feel bummed out or even devastated that you failed at something you’ve worked so hard for 🙂 Use up an entire box of tissues, if you must! But when you’re done, get up and start moving.
Because at the end of the day, success won’t come to you. You run towards it.
After having my pity party for like a day or two, I had to get back on my study desk and hit the books again because I had that comprehensive exam to face.
I passed said exam and I’m contented now. I even have this newfound determination to put in more effort into my studies 🙂 And I realized, I probably won’t have such a huge character development if it weren’t for failure.
And here’s the catch.
Yes, failure may lead to success. But for that to happen, you don’t just give yourself encouragements and confidence-boosters. You have to put in some hard work and effort, too 🙂
That’s how the bump car driver learns how to drive ten-wheelers. That’s how you cook a sunny-side egg that will have Gordon Ramsey on foodgasm.
That’s how you will grow.
Your turn! What is your biggest failure in life so far? How did you cope and rise out of it? Share what you learned!
Have an inspired day, awesome peeps! <3
Other awesome articles to read about this topic:
Challenging Success-via-Failure | Psychology Today
How Fear of Failure Destroys Success | Lifehack.org
*Who do you think was the pathetic potato who said that? (raises hand)
**Is this the underground lava level with that dragon???
***Unless, you know, that person is a newborn infant. Then protect that precious lump of baby fats from failure until he’s all grown up to handle them!
June 17, 2017
To The Brave Risk-Takers who are Doubting Their Selves
To the dreamers who dream of wonderful things. To the young hopefuls discouraged by the cruelty of the world. Who were told to “just give up” because their big ideas are too big for this world to carry.
To the once innocent child, whose hopes were raised and whose hearts were spoon-fed with “dream big”s and “you can do anything”s, just to grow up with crushed dreams and doing nothing.
To the people courageous enough to take risks but have wallowed their selves in self-doubt.
Please.
Keep on dreaming.
Fill your heart with hope and believe in yourself. The world needs more of you.
And in the words of the Cecil Beaton:
Have an amazing day, awesome peeps! 😀
November 23, 2016
5 Blogging Lessons I Learned In Two Years
I’ve been blogging for about two years already. *blows party trumpets* And while that felt like dog years to some others, I’ve learned a few things in blogging that I take with me to this day.
I’m not gonna say I’m an expert already because I sure feel way opposite of that. But these are blogging lessons I’ve personally learned in my two years of running (ooh! That sounded professional) this blog. And I thought I could share them with you today.
1| The People are Awesome
You know that saying about surrounding yourself with awesome people? That goes the same online. The blogosphere people–readers and bloggers alike–really are nice. I always feel happy when I think about this online community I’ve joined in, specifically WordPress. Everyone’s supportive and encouraging.
Sure, there are jerks lurking in some corners and one can’t really make them go away forever. (Although that’s not stopping me from continuing to report that perv bozo in the Teen tag.) But how I see it, those trolls just lift the value and goodness of everyone else who are being honest and kind. As they say, you can’t make a light go brighter if there’s no darkness. 😉
2 | The Blogosphere is Filled to the Brim with Inspiration
Seriously. Anywhere you go, you will find inspiration. It could be the topic or a certain line the blogger has used or even the blogger him/herself. This is why I try to spend as much time browsing my Reader for new blogs as I can.
Honestly, sometimes it makes me feel like a turnip in a rose garden. And I’m gonna lie if I said I’ve never caught the Blog Envy flu. (I have, once or twice) But then that just makes me feel even more pumped up and determined to make my blog better.
That said, tamping down my competitive streak when blogging was hard but totally worth it. There is no intense competition here so you might as well leave your competitive hat at home. Instead, share the love and spread happy vibes!
One blog, and the awesome blogger friend behind it, that never fails to inspire me is Kiya of Flawed Silence. Her posts always makes me feel motivated. All in all, she is an awesome unicorn, you guys, so go check her blog out!
3 | Your Blog Can Be Anything You Want It to Be
The beauty of blogging, and this is often looked through, is that it can be anything. Your blog is your little space in the Interwebs–whether you’re using a free platform or a paid one. It is yours and you can make it into anything you want it to be. Sure, there are limitations to using a free platform but I think that just sparks up my resourcefulness. And this doesn’t stop me from making my blog look pretty.
A great example of a free-platform blog that’s killing it is The Young Hopeful, it’s a college-related blog and if you’re on Pinterest and search up for college tips, you’ll see this blog at the top. Imagine my giddy surprise when I learned they’re running on free platform.
(P.S.: I have a board in Pinterest specifically for college tips and other secret formulas for surviving college life. 😉 Check it out!)
4 | Acknowledge the Learning Curves
This is something that I think a newbie blogger must know. Specifically those who want to blog as a hobby or for personal development *raises hand excitedly* and have plans on growing their blogs in the future *raises hand again*
If you’re completely new to blogging, you have to acknowledge that there are and will be learning curves to pass through. And I mean in everything! Finding your voice, the perfect blogging schedule, writing process, DIY-ing your blog design, etc.
Unless of course you’re a talented snowflake and you just know you were born to blog, then maybe you won’t have that much of a learning curve to go through.
But for the rest of us mere mortals, suck it up and don’t expect that you’ll have like 100000 pageviews at day one. I’m not trying to be Jenny Raincloud here; it’s realistic and being ready for this will avoid disappointments and unreached expectations.
Personally, I find the learning curves to be amazing experiences. Even now I’m trying to learn the bits and bobs in blogging and I take them all one day at a time.
5 | You Don’t Have to Heed All Advice
Ha, if you’ve been here a long time you’ll know I’ll have this little detail included, especially since we’re talking about blogging: take every advice you get with a grain of salt. In my case, I don’t have to listen to those find-a-niche advice.
Know that while these people are experts and they know what they’re talking about, only you can truly experience working on your blog. Only you can tell what works for you and what doesn’t.
I have many mottos and one of it is, “There is no standard solution for anything in life.” There are a million ways to solve a problem but we often like to take the convenient route because there are proofs of people successfully reaching the other side.
I refuse to believe that having a niche blog is the only way to succeed in blogging. So I say, if you want to travel the road less taken, then by all means do!
One other amazing thing about blogging is how much it can help you grow mentally and emotionally. Over the past two years that I’ve had this blog, I feel like I’ve grown as a person and it’s not just to the credit of the blog itself. Every one of you who read my blog is a consistent encouragement for me to keep on going.
So thank you.
Thank you all so much. 🙂 Here’s to another year of spreading creativity, passion and inspiration!
How long have you been blogging? What are the lessons you’ve learned in blogging so far? Share them in the comments or tweet it!
Happy blogging, awesome peeps! 💃
November 12, 2016
When Things Seem to be Falling Apart
A few times in your life, you would hit a low point. Like the sad chapter in a novel or one of those sad slow montage in movies with rain or sad songs in the background—or even both.
And to the viewers and the readers, the bystanders who merely witnessed you at your lowest, it’s not a big deal. It’s a short-lived moment in a bigger picture. A blink of an eye. They’d think you’re being too dramatic. But you know they’re wrong.
They haven’t experienced it the way you have. They don’t know the pain and sadness that only you bear.
They don’t understand.
And so you suffer quietly. Blinking back tears, pushing them far back into your eyes. You try to lift your head up, look at the ceiling, but see nothing through the blur of unshed tears filling your sight.
They don’t see the swell and redness that your eyes should have after crying because you did not shed any tears. You did not cry loudly; no one could hear the song of hurt playing deep inside you.
No, only your body could feel your struggle and your mind was the sole listener of that sad song. The swell wasn’t visible outside because it was your heart that stretched unbearably with bottled up pain.
To the people who are suffering alone, who are crying in the dark or silently inside, to those who feel like things seem to be falling apart around you, please know.
I understand.
I’m one of you. I have felt similarly to what you are feeling now. And let me tell you something honest.
The others are wrong, yes. You are not experiencing a montage that would fade instantly. But they are also right. It is not the end of the world. That burden is not forever. And if it comes to a point when it becomes overwhelming, please.
Please don’t allow yourself to be drowned by your sorrows.
Please remember that you are stronger than your struggles.
Please know that I am here.
If that makes any difference.
I’ve learned to accept that life comes with harshness and cruelty and difficult obstacles but even now I still don’t know the secret formula for passing through each of them with no scratch. I bear with me scars that will never fully heal and I will carry them for the rest of my life. But I refuse to let that stop me from wanting to live the life that I want to lead.
And it mustn’t let you too.
So suffer. Give yourself a moment (or three) to cry, to acknowledge the pain. Mourn for that tiny piece of perfection now wounded and utterly imperfect. Grieve for the loss of happiness but know—truly know—that it’s only temporary.
Because what’s amazing about life, I learned, is that it’s so much bigger than all of us. This makes life uncontrollable and unpredictable. But this also allows life anything inside it. Anything. The possibilities of what will happen next are infinite, as are your choices. Even at times when it feels like you’re cramped tight in a box.
So cry. Be sad. And then choose to be happy, to be hopeful, afterwards.
I know it’s hard; I keep returning in that same position, always struggling every time. But try. Stand back up bearing the scars. Forever with you, a reminder of what you have gone through. There will be moments when they’ll hurt again.
But stand and keep on walking anyway.
Have a happy day, awesome person 😃
November 9, 2016
Reach Inside Your Heart
Hey everyone! This week was so jam-packed, no? And I’m not finished yet! 😁 My good friend and amazing human being, Kiya of Flawed Silence and I have come up with a collab post. My first ever, yay!
So the idea was that Kiya, the ever amazing wordsmith, was going to write a poem and I’ll do an illustration inspired from it. Because, you know, her poems can get anyone inspired. Hope you enjoy!
It’s just another day
As I see myself
Drifting away
Fingers skimming the stars
And grazing the gentle clouds.
I see myself going places
But I see the shadow of doubt
Trailing me
Playing
TAG you’re it
TAG you’re it!
With every fight
And every knife to the back
And every wheezing for breath
We slump down
Deeper
And
Deeper
Into a world full of hurricanes
Uprooting confidence, belief and esteem.
Tell me
Oh tell me why we are wasting time
On crocodile tears, peeling scabs and
Waiting for someone to realise you’re not a paper doll?
Cling to the hope
And let it blossom into a wild flower
So unique from the billions of people existing
Let the thorns prick the ones that cast you aside
But like the wildest roots
I know that you can
Grow, and survive
The evil madness in this world.
Rise above the golden rays of sunshine
And glide alongside the moon’s waning figure
Whilst intertwining with the shimmers of the galaxy
We all have potential
You have capability
So don’t let others dictate
How, why and what you will do.
Instead
Reach inside of your heart
And generously feed your dreams
Hopes and ambitions
Set fire to the negative vibes
And shoot across life
Like a shooting star.
Because you are one.
Such a beautiful and inspiring poem, right? 💕 I’ll tell you guys a secret: I actually had a more ambitious idea of an illustration to pair with that poem but I don’t think I’m good at it. Yet. But who knows in the future? But I still had so much fun making this one.
We have a different collab post up on her blog too so check that out!😁 I had the most amazing time working with Kiya on these collabs. Be sure to head on to her blog because it’s just filled with inspiring poetry and the visits to National Trust properties! Gorsh I love those.
I hope you guys enjoyed this and I’ll see you all again this weekend. (Yep I’m not yet done for the week. ;))
Happy Friyay, awesome peeps!🌌🌠
September 2, 2016
The Flower with No Name
Hello awesome peeps! I haven’t been able to write any post for the weekend because I had the Headache of the Century. Paracetamol or any pain-relieving med didn’t work. So I applied vaporub on my head and across my scalp. Yep, I was so desperate to end the migraine that my hair smelling like Vicks didn’t even matter to me anymore.
And lo and behold, the morning after, the headache was gone! Thank God for Vaporubs.
But that’s not the story I want to share with y’all today. Today is Monday which means I have a kinda motivational story to share with you.
I’ve been staying in my grandparents’ house for two months now. But I’ve only noticed this plant last week.
See back when I was in elementary, this certain thorny flowering plant that I don’t know the name of was almost dead. Like probably four leaves and it’s kinda wimpy. I was surprised my mom brought that from her school. She planned to put it in front of the house but it didn’t bloom so she just left it in our sideyard to eventually die.
Then I saw something white in the middle of the pot. I thought it was a paper my sister threw or something but no. It was a flower. For some reason, I was so transfixed with this one white flower.
How could something dying even bloom?
I kept staring at it. At one point, my mom saw me and told me to be careful with the thorns. But you know, kids do the exact opposite. So I’d try to reach for that flower but I could never lift my hand with no scratch. They stung, even the leaves have sharpy thingies. And after so many attempts and too many little cuts, I gave up. The flower still there, guarded by the thorns.
And one day, I thought of watering the plant everyday, when I arrive after school. It was the first thing I did when I get home: grab a little bucket full of water and pour it onto the plant. My grandpa would ask me why I was doing it when it was obviously dying. And I always answer the same way. I just want to see if there would be more flowers.
At one point, I was too caught up in preparing for high school and then getting busy in high school that I forgot about the plant. But it was still there. During typhoons when we get the occasional flood, during dry season, and after so many Christmases. The plant was there.
You see, I think we have gone or will be going through something that the plant had. A wilted moment. The time when we will be our lowest. And oftentimes, we act bitter and thorny with the people around us. I would know.
I’ve thought plenty of times that I have been at my lowest. But then something else happens and there’s a new lowest in my life. And during those times, I wallow myself in bitterness and self-pity and dozens of “you wouldn’t understand.”
But recently, I came to realize that the people who love you? They might have seen one tiny flower somewhere within you. That’s why they didn’t give up on you. And that’s a start.
So I guess what I’m trying to say here is: embrace the love given to you. Know that even if you think you’re suffering from your problems alone, someone hasn’t given up on you.
So find the eleven-year-old Kate that will pour water into your wilted phase. That sounds cheesy but you know what I mean. 😉
I think I was already in my last year in high school when I noticed the plant again. It looked so different from when I saw it the first time. And I could still remember thinking, “Yay it bloomed!” And now, two years after, it still is.
Happy Monday, awesome peeps!🌻
Who’s the person who didn’t give up on you at your lowest?
How did he/she/they help you?
August 15, 2016
Where Do You Find Free Graphics or Fonts? | The Monthly Catalog
Happy August, everyone! How was your first week of the month? I hope good.
Now I don’t know what you plan to do for your August (you can share them below, of course!) but I also plan on helping you as much as I can. Remember my monthly catalog? Well…TADA!
Here’s the first ever monthly catalog in my blog which I consider calling KATE-alog! Genius, right? No? Okay…let’s move on.
So I hear you asking, what is the monthly catalog?
The Monthly Catalog is going to be a monthly feature here in my blog. Basically, I will scour the Internet to find and share to you a list of resources that I think may help you guys. So let’s get to it!
For the first ever Monthly Catalog (or KATE-alog! Still no? Okay.) I have come up with an amazing topic to make a list of (which you all know from the title): Where to find free graphics or fonts.
Before I was still ignorant of online copyrights and I have this notion that everything you see in the Internet is free. Now, I’m a nervous wreck when using graphics that aren’t mine. You just never know when the Internet police will knock on your door with a warrant, you know?
Back when I was starting the Blog Revamp project, I was really thinking about my blog’s aesthetics. I know I need to come up with my own blog graphics, one way or another. However, I was facing some problems.
+ I’m no graphic expert who can conjure pretty graphics from scratch.
+ I can’t afford a graphic designer to do it for me.
+ Microsoft cliparts and Comic Sans are not even options but…
+ Being the jobless student-on-vacation that I currently am, I can’t afford the pretty fonts some shops have for sale.
Or don’t I?
If you can’t afford the premium themes and glitteringly sophisticated graphics, worry not. I found a solution for me that I hope may be a solution for you too! So let me be clear: these aren’t The Ultimate Resources out there but these are what worked for me in the past couple of months that I’ve been using them.
Here are some websites I found that offer free graphics or fonts:
Behance. The creatives’ hub in the Internet. I usually use Behance for inspiration and free fonts. But they also have great graphics there. Type in ‘free’ in the search bar et voila!
Freepik. When it comes to graphic websites that offer freebies, this one is my first love. It’s my go-to for watercolor illustrations because they have fabulous ones and all for free! Those social icons on the right are downloaded from Freepik.
Design Cuts. I love how this site has “Freebies” as one of their main item in the navigation bar. And their freebies could go free for a very long time, which is great. Because I can’t download anything more than 20 MB with my crappy data connection. So I’m hoping to splurge-download when I go back to school.
Font Bundles. Oh my Clark Gable, this site is THE ULTIMATE FONT HEAVEN! Ahem. Pardon my sudden fangirling for fonts. Anyway, they have new free fonts every week. And just last week, they started giving away two free fonts every Wednesday too! And they’re nothing like the Chiller fonts, believe me.
Creative Market. I saw a lot of amazing deals in this site but that doesn’t change my uber-frugal mode at the moment since I’m still a jobless student. So I have to settle for freebies and they do have new ones every week. And the freebies are always fab. Who am I kidding, everything in the Creative Market are fab!
Creative Booster. Like the previous three mentioned above, this site usually sells graphics or fonts but I see the site as a Freebies Lounge. I discovered Design Cuts and Font Bundles because of Creative Booster.
So those are the sites I get free graphics and fonts that I use in my blog. One additional tip: Look at the licenses and terms of the freebies. Usually they are good for personal use, which is what I’m doing. But if you plan on using the freebies for commercial use, you really do want to look at the license and terms.
And remember: MS Clipart and Chiller are fun and all but don’t let them be your only options. There is a humongous amount of resources out there and some of them are free.
I really do hope this first Monthly Catalog (or—alright, alright. I’ll drop it already) was helpful to you guys.
Happy blogging, awesome peeps! 💃
August 6, 2016
5 People That Inspire Me To Write Poems (And Have Given My Mind Word-gasms)
Ever experienced reading a quote or a phrase in a book or a whole stanza and just reacted like,
or,
I have always been vocal with my love for books and words in general. I mentioned my undying love for words perfectly woven to create lush ideas and trigger deep emotions. And I might have aspired to finish writing a book (which I’ve achieved back in high school) but I’ve never thought of myself as writing poetry. When I was in a sophomore in high school, I was appointed to create a nutrition poem which will be our class’s entry for the contest. Along with one of my friends, we winged it and just made every last word of the line rhyme.
It was fun but it was nowhere poetic or meaningful. And the shocking part is…we didn’t place. No really, it was not shocking at all.
But ever since that “!(____)You, You(____)Me” poem and creating that Writing/Creativity blog, I’ve been considering writing poems. And I’ve had dozens of hundreds (of thousands) of people who aspired and inspired me to do so but here are the top 5.
1. Christopher Poindexter
  
  For those who doesn’t know who Christopher Poindexter is, click here. I’ve seen snippets of his poems in Facebook via Word Porn, Mind Porn and Great Minds. Of all the many typewriter poetry images I’ve seen of Poindexter, I have forgotten what the first one was. But I always know a Poindexter-fingerprinted poem when I see one (and it’s not just through the typewriter format of the images). His poems are always filled with the right dosages of poignancy and hope and, most of all, love.
2. Pablo Neruda
  I learned about Pablo Neruda through reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins and I loved him ever since. His works have always been so straightforward in conveying their messages. And yet (despite or maybe because of their straightforwardness) they have the capability to throw you off against waves of emotions the way No Face was rocking helplessly against the waves created by the train.
3. Charles Bukowski
  
  Charles Bukowski is ruthless and gritty and romantically fragile. I love him and his works. I haven’t read any of his novels and novellas but I’ve read tons of his poems and that one above, The Laughing Heart, is my favorite.
4. Adam Young (a.k.a Owl City)
  
  You might argue with me on this and I’ll be happy to entertain people who disagree. There’s just something about the way Adam Young creates lyrics (which I’ve quoted dozens of times in Twitter and Facebook). It’s funny how the first time I heard Fireflies, I thought the lyrics was lame. Not anymore. However, the charm of his lyrics certainly would be lacking without his mind-blowingly light-hearted musical arrangements.
5. Oscar Wilde
  
  His witty prose and way with words certainly appealed many people. But what I ove most about Oscar Wilde is how he could pull off rhyming poetry without looking lame. (Because heck if I could do that.)
November 13, 2015