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art is a record ★

art is a record ★ art is a record ★

 

This blog is a place for encouragement, color + design inspiration, tips for creative entrepreneurs and small business owners, and general creative musings.

Creative people need to be around creative people to thrive. When life is busy, it can be hard to make those connections, so the Art is a Record Creatives Community was born. Join our private Facebook group, where you can ask questions, share what you're working on, and be inspired. It is a place where we can share with confidence and encourage each other to grow. I hope you’ll join us!

 
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Color Palette: You Can Learn a Lot of Things From the Flowers
Color Palette: You Can Learn a Lot of Things From the Flowers

Flowers are the best. It’s been a gray, cold, and rainy week, so I decided it was time to make some more beautiful flower inspired color palettes. I hope they brighten your week.

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Color Palettes, Creative Living, Design, Color, InspirationAnnie StoutDecember 29, 2019Color Palettes, color Comments
Kids Crafts Round Up
Kids Crafts Round Up

Having two kids who love to create as much as I do is such a blessing. Any time we have down time, they’re asking to do crafts! I try my best to come up with low cost things to do, because we are endlessly creating!

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Creative Living, How To, CraftsAnnie StoutDecember 17, 2019Creative LivingComment
Color Palette: Pantone Color of the Year 2020, Classic Blue
Color Palette: Pantone Color of the Year 2020, Classic Blue

As a design nerd, at the end of each year I anxiously wait for Pantone to announce their color of the year. I was pretty excited yesterday to hear they selected Classic Blue for 2020’s Pantone Color of the Year. I mean it’s almost my branding color blue!

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Color Palettes, Creative Living, Design, Color, InspirationAnnie StoutDecember 6, 2019Color Palettes, colorComment
6 Simple Ways to Break Out of Your Creative Rut
6 Simple Ways to Break Out of Your Creative Rut

When you’re a creative person you go through mountains and valleys. There are some days where you don’t have enough hands or time to get everything that is in your brain out into the world.

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Creative Living, InspirationAnnie StoutDecember 5, 2019Creative LivingComment
Color Palette: Sweet Succulents
Color Palette: Sweet Succulents

My six year old is in love with color palettes and has been begging me to let her help create some. She has a beautifully creative mind and I was very happy to oblige her sweet request.

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Color, Color Palettes, DesignAnnie StoutDecember 2, 2019Color Palettes, color Comments
Embrace Your Weird
Embrace Your Weird

Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? Like everyone in the world exists at a 90° angle and you’re living at 45°? Did it make you feel insecure? Like no one could ever truly understand you?

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Creative LivingAnnie StoutNovember 29, 2019Creative LivingComment
Color Palette: Magic Light
Color Palette: Magic Light

Have you ever seen a sunset that made the earth glow? There’s something magical about the sunrise and the sunset. Light can change the feel of everything. Light can make a weed look like a masterpiece. I felt like this was the perfect next inspiration for color palettes.

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Color Palettes, Design, Color, InspirationAnnie StoutNovember 20, 2019Color Palettes Comments
Art is a Record
Art is a Record

Why do we create art? For the joy of creating, for beauty, for self expression, for an outlet, for any number of reasons. No matter the initial inspiration, what does art always become? Our history. Once a piece of art or design exists in the world it is part of our history.

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Creative Living, Fine Art, InspirationAnnie StoutNovember 18, 2019Fine Art, Creative LivingComment
Color Palette: Snowy Beauty
Color Palette: Snowy Beauty

We had a pretty significant snow fall this week in mid-Michigan. I am not ready for winter, to be perfectly honest, but it was so beautiful!

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Color Palettes, Color, Creative LivingAnnie StoutNovember 8, 2019Color Palettes, Creative Living, Design Comments
12 Inspiring Quotes from Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert
12 Inspiring Quotes from Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Have you read Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert yet? The full title is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. It’s fantastic and it’s not just for artists.

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Creative Living, Design, InspirationAnnie StoutNovember 5, 2019Creative Living, Inspiration, QuotesComment
Color Palette: Geology Rocks
Color Palette: Geology Rocks

Color inspiration strikes again from a maybe unexpected place.. rocks. Yes, you read that right rocks. I have always loved looking for pretty rocks on Michigan beaches, and now my daughters love that too.

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Color, Color Palettes, Design, InspirationAnnie StoutOctober 25, 2019Color Palettes Comments
Freebie Friday: Halloween Phone Wallpaper
Freebie Friday: Halloween Phone Wallpaper

I love everything about fall. The cooler weather. The changing leaves. The coziness. I could go on and on about all the romantic aspects of autumn… but I also very much love Halloween.

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Download, Freebie FridayAnnie StoutOctober 18, 2019DownloadComment
Color Palette: Fantastic Florals
Color Palette: Fantastic Florals

I feel like I say this all the time, but it’s so true I’ll say it again… Nature is the best place for color inspiration! Today we dive into flowers.

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Color, Color Palettes, Design, InspirationAnnie StoutOctober 9, 2019Color PalettesComment
Free Fonts: Signature Style
Free Fonts: Signature Style

As a graphic designer I can never have too many fonts… I’ve been on a signature style font kick lately and I wanted to share my favorites with you!

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Freebie Friday, Fonts, Creative Living, Design, Download, InspirationAnnie StoutOctober 4, 2019Freebie Friday, fontsComment
Color Palette: Autumn Leaf Love
Color Palette: Autumn Leaf Love

Fall is my favorite. One of the most beautiful things on the planet is when the trees change in Michigan…

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Color, Color Palettes, Design, InspirationAnnie StoutSeptember 30, 2019Color Palettes, FallComment
Freebie Friday: Glennon Doyle
Freebie Friday: Glennon Doyle

I was listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s podcast, Magic Lessons, a few days ago and came upon the episode with Glennon Doyle…

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Creative Living, Freebie Friday, Printable, Download, Design, InspirationAnnie StoutSeptember 26, 2019Freebie Friday, Download, Phone Wallpaper, Printable, Creative Living, InspirationComment
Color Palette: Insect Inspiration
Color Palette: Insect Inspiration

Inspiration can come from strange places sometimes. Did you know bugs could be so beautiful?

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Color Palettes, Color, Creative LivingAnnie StoutAugust 25, 2019Color Palettes, Creative LivingComment
Early Work: Cycles
Early Work: Cycles

Looking back at my early art helps me remember who I was, and who I am. It validates my artistic choices now and reminds me that I’ve always been interested in life, beauty, pain, death, and hope. Here’s a look back at my first large scale art installation…

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Creative Living, Sculpture, Early Work, Fine ArtAnnie StoutJuly 9, 2019Sculpture, Fine Art, Early WorkComment
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Logo Reveal: Safekept Legacy
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Logo Reveal: Downtownsend Terrace
Color Palette: Frogs & Flora
Color Palette: Frogs & Flora
Color Palette: Behr 2025 Color of the Year - Rumors
Color Palette: Behr 2025 Color of the Year - Rumors
Free Procreate Color Palettes: You Can Learn a Lot of Things From the Flowers Collection
Free Procreate Color Palettes: You Can Learn a Lot of Things From the Flowers Collection
Logo Reveal: Motor City Designworks
Logo Reveal: Motor City Designworks
Color Palette: Valspar 2025 Color of the Year - Encore
Color Palette: Valspar 2025 Color of the Year - Encore
Logo Reveal: Michigan Maven Creative Associates
Logo Reveal: Michigan Maven Creative Associates
Logo Reveal: Industrial Pearl
Logo Reveal: Industrial Pearl
Color Palette: Mocha Mousse Pantone 2025 Color of the Year
Color Palette: Mocha Mousse Pantone 2025 Color of the Year
Logo Reveal: Stirred Up with Heather & Jessica
Logo Reveal: Stirred Up with Heather & Jessica
Color Palette: Spooky Season
Color Palette: Spooky Season
 

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