Category Archives: book publishing

Clearing the Way

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“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Are you person who has always had an artistic calling, yet you have never pursued your passion in earnest? You are not alone. There are many people, for various reasons, who have had to travel down other career paths feeling they have not fulfilled their God-given talents.

Matt Tommey book1The book Unlocking the Heart of the Artist: Practical Guide to Fulfilling Your Creative Call as an Artist in the Kingdom speaks to this issue for the new generation of people who seek personal fulfillment as a priority in their lives. He invites others to live fully, doing what makes them happy, and to become “unstuck” by expressing themselves creatively.

The author, Matt Tommey, is a successful basket maker and art consultant from Asheville, North Carolina. His sensible messages to other artists, through his publications, helps clear the way of self-doubt by providing hope and insight to individuals who wish to thrive and become fulltime artists. His book Crafting your Brand: Simple Strategies for Cultivating a Successful Creative Career, is also a good resource for anyone who wants to pursue their calling.

A well-rounded artist, Matt Tommey,  makes a living in a combination of ways, also offering workshops on the craft of basketry. To learn more about his workshops,  how to order these publications and to see his website,  http://bit.ly/1bpQhI9 .

Do return tomorrow for Film Friday, we will be featuring a film that is soon to be released that plays well into our recent topics of writing on All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Human Behavior Dynamics

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Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. ~ C.G. Jung

I hope you’ll excuse me this morning. I am rather excited. I received a wonderful comment on “Wheels of Change,” the blog posted on August 8, 2013.The reader commented “You need to be a part of a contest for one of the highest quality blogs on the internet. I will recommend this site!”  

Also, another positive affirmation came from Salley, from the You Are Never Alone Foundation http://youareneveralonefoundation.org/ . She said “Your blog blows me away….How do you come up with something every day?” She was commenting on yesterday’s blog on All Things Fulfilling called “Social Entrepreneurs.”

Thank you, readers. I’ll take those comments as  big compliments, and Salley, I think I have ADD – attention daily disorder. Daily, I look for stories that might be of interest our readers. My attention to All Things Fulfilling is rarely at a deficit.

taking flight The first comment came from a psychology internet site which, in part, is what All Things Fulfilling is about.  My goal is to inspire positive change as it relates to self-improvement, career and business or building a more positive world to live in. All Things Fulfilling means different things to different people. Exploring and discovering how our content might relate to the reader, is their own challenge, as they look into their own hearts.

My inspiration for writing comes from observing the world at large. Finding creative ways of bringing personal happiness to myself and others, is what this site is all about. Sometimes contentment means simply reading a book, seeing  images in an art gallery or movie or listening to sounds that educate, inspire, inform or entertain.

Learned OptimismIf you are interested in expanding your horizons, there is a book by Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D. called Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. Click for information and ordering The book incorporates the principles of how to look at and find the positive aspects of all things, thus changing our life experience affirmatively. Check it out.Click for info & ordering

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.allthingsfulfilling.com. Click for info & ordering on Sue’s memoir

Spirited Women

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“To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.” 

-Helen Keller

I like being in the presence of spirited women. I guess it’s a result of my upbringing. My mother says “she has been a tomboy all her life. If she wanted to be with my father, she had no choice but to learn how to fish, pilot a boat, be a carpenter’s assistant and do the things he liked to do or be left behind in the dust.” Friends as children, now married 65 years, I guess the relationship has worked out alright.  She does know how to dress, and act the lady. She’s also led a “cultured life.”

I’ve recently come across some really fun blogs and books, for and about women, who like the outdoor life. Today, I’d like to share them on All Things Fulfilling in hopes that they will be interesting for our female readers to know about.

As write to you from Steamboat Springs. Colorado and a few days after I had drafted this blog, I came across the books Glamping with Mary Jane and Sisters on the Fly at the new retail store Remember Me, here in town. It is a fun store, with a lot of spirit, stop by and visit it!

sisters on the fly

This is your life, so, whatever moves your spirit, pursue it!

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Click for info & ordering
 Do return tomorrow to the space where independent thoughts, words, and views are all part of the business.

Bicycles and Freedom

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“The less routine, the more life.” ~ Amos Bronson Alcott

This summer I began switching up my exercise routine alternating from walking everyday to sometimes biking. I haven’t had a bicycle in many years but thanks to my mother, I inherited hers, when she got a new one. At eighty plus years of age, she is still biking three or four days a week. That’s the way to keep on movin’! Most women in the generation before hers took to their rocking chairs at age 60, and now women are staying active well into their 70s, 80s and even at 90.

Its been a while since I have been on a bicycle, and I had forgotten the exhilaration that comes with using that mode of transportation. It is a very fulfilling feeling to be able to cover more ground, than on foot, in a short amount of time.

There are benefits to getting out of a rut, and doing something different. Choosing a unique vacation spot, driving roads less traveled, dressing in something new and stylistically different, eating foods that have never been tried before are just a few things we can do to add spice to our lives.

wheels of changeThere is a book by Sue Macy, a sports historian, called Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires along the Way) which explores how the bike had social impact on women allowing them to become more independent. Women’s infatuation with biking began as far back as the 1890s, and it started a slow evolution in fashion – moving away from Victorian couture. Bloomers, split skirts, and less voluminous dresses began making their entrance onto the fashion scene, which made biking easier for women and more convenient. Click for more info & ordering

Women’s activist Susan B Anthony once said of biking “I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.” Anthony’s independent thoughts remind me that I have freedom of choice. The same old story in my life needs to be replaced every once in a while with new narratives.

“I love biking in scenic Steamboat Springs, Colorado.”

Gift of A Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected is an story that has been waiting to be told for many years. It is now available! Click for info & orderingAll Things Fulfilling is  brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com. Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

More than a Picture

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To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone. -Reba McEntire

I walked into the Steamboat Art Museum http://www.steamboatartmuseum.com/  during the First Friday Art Walk not knowing what to expect of the Cowgirl Art exhibit, I was about to see. I was immediately drawn into the large scale images of Donna Howell-Sickles. Besides the wonderful use of bold color, the spirit of the images attracted me.

Donna-Howell-SicklesStrong women living larger than life  and a love of all things Western is depicted in each of the artist’s images. The work of this Texas artist from St. Jo, are highly recognizable branded images which she has worked to perfect since she was in college. Her art all came about after seeing a 1930’s vintage postcard that made its mark on her psyche. Her dreams of becoming a notable artist have been fulfilled. Her original paintings are in the NationalCowgirlMuseum and Hall of Fame and in prestigious galleries and major museums. Her art has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine.  http://bit.ly/16i0va6.

Cowgirl Rising bookThe exhibition at the SteamboatArt Museum runs until October 13, 2013. Do stop by to see it, and visit the gallery store, next door. Donna Howell-Sickles’ prints, note cards, an independently published book “Cowgirl Rising,” and a stylish neckerchief with her images are available for purchase. Other gift items, such as jewelry, dishware, teeshirts and purses which incorporate her brand images are available on her website. http://www.donnahowellsickles.com/. Click for info & ordering

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow!

Riding the Circuit

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red-door3 “Too often students are given answers to remember rather than given problems to solve.” ~ Roger Lewin

“He’s a circuit rider,” my mother declared a few weeks ago when we discussed the pastor who married my niece two years ago.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Good Lord, you don’t know what a circuit rider is?”

“A cowboy who rides bucking bronchos in the rodeo circuit?” I guessed, shrugging my shoulders and feeling rather stupid.

My mother laughed. Oh, she laughed.

“We have one of those on this tiny island. We don’t have a large enough population of people in this community to support a full timer.”

“Well, you still haven’t told me what it is.” I said.

“Go see for yourself, he’ll be up at the white church with red doors on the island on Sunday. People say he’s really good at fulfilling his duties.”

“Which one?” I asked, trying to clarify which church had the red doors and the “circuit rider.” Honestly, I didn’t know any of the three churches on TaylorsIsland on the Chesapeake were still functioning.

“Just go to the church with the open doors at a quarter to twelve, the others may be locked up.” She said quickly, like she was brushing me off. She ran out of the house to do her shopping.

“Or maybe I will just Google to see what a circuit rider is.” I thought. My mother still hadn’t given me a definition.

“Nah, what fun is that? I’ll just go see for myself,” I thought.  My mother had piqued my interest.

“I’ll go in with an open mind.” I thought. But,  a circuit rider at a church? I questioned, as images of rodeo riders came to the forefront.

“Why don’t you go with me?” I asked my mother when she returned from her food shopping.

“Where?” my mother asked.

Our mother-daughter communications were obviously not working well that day.

“To see the circuit rider.” I said yelling to her from the dining room into the kitchen.

“I might, but I see him all the time about the island.” My mother replied.

“Hmmmm……A circuit rider?”

Come on back tomorrow. I will tell you what I found that warmed my heart and how fulfilling  was to learn what a circuit rider is.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Spotlight: Inspiring Fiber Artist

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“Art is literacy of the heart” ~Elliot Eisner

The first thought that comes to mind when the word publishing is mentioned is books. Art, however, in all kinds of forms, can be associated with the word publishing, also.

The other day, I met a fiber artist, Windy Karpavage, who became a “test knitter” for patterns of felted handbags and knitted flowers. The forty original test pattern designs were subsequently published in the book, “Noni Flowers” by designer Nora J Bellows. http://noniflowers.com/.

Out of Windy Karpavage’s experience as a “test knitter,” grew the business Kaire´ je Studio (meaning left handed)http://on.fb.me/13Btjv6. Karpavage makes felted handbags, totes and purses. Her home studio on Taylors Island, Maryland is filled with treasures for the knitter. Along with purse patterns of Noni’s designs, Karpavage creates some of her own original compositions. All the accessories that go with the craft are available in Kaire´ je Studio such as yarns, knitting needles, handbag clasps (including a growing collection of vintage purse clasps),  along with patterns for knit dresses, artistically-styled cowls, shawls, scarves and more.

Windy karpavage TI fiber artist

Photo Credits: Grace Batton

Photo Design above: Sue Batton Leonard

Karpavage also gives knitting lessons from her home studio and at a knitting group gathering every Friday morning at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts http://www.dorchesterarts.org/ in Cambridge, Maryland. She teaches right and left handed knitting.

I’d like to thank Windy Karpavage for sharing her art with me. She has inspired me to find a way to spend more time knitting this winter, after business hours. Who knows what yarn creations I can make if I put my mind to it in snowy Steamboat Springs, Colorado. My first project might be one of the great new artistically-styled cowl patterns, to keep my neck toasty warm on those frigid winter days. Perhaps a felted bag, such as the pattern Hearts on My Sleeve, to match the knitted cowl, for when I step out on the First Friday Art Walks during ski season would be a fulfilling knitting project also.

KaireDress

Above: Custom Knitwear by Windy Karparvage.  Work in progress – Original felted handbag design.

TI Fiber Artist sign

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Good Foundations of Health Literacy

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It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~ Frederick Douglass 

nutrition-habitsEncouraging young students to learn more about healthy food choices is important to the Arthur W Perdue Foundation. A forty-thousand dollar grant towards health literacy has been awarded to the AtlanticGeneralHospital in Worcester County, Maryland. The AGH is creating after school programs to educate children about making better choices in their lives. http://bit.ly/18LrPSQ.

AGH will partner with the HerschelSHorowitzCenter for Health Literacy http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu/   at the University of Maryland College Park to draft a set of health literacy standards for the K-8 public school curriculum. Health literacy is a relatively new term, and it is being integrated into core curriculum in schools in many states, such as Colorado.

Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC of Steamboat Springs, Colorado http://eatplaylearnbooks.wordpress.com/  is pioneering the way in publishing e-books which incorporates the use of videos of “kids activities that use food as a learning tool.” Great resources for parents and educators.

Kudos to the Perdue Foundation and to Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC for their commitment to educating children about the cornerstones of good health and the long term benefits of eating right!

Return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Two Rules for On-Line Selling

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“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” ~ Anthony Robbins

Let’s face it, many authors love the creative process and would rather write than self-promote. From consulting with independent publishing clients, I’ve concluded that the #l reason independent publishers do not succeed is lack of consistent marketing efforts – it takes real commitment.

  • Rule #1: If you are selling your book over the internet, you must be marketing over the internet consistently.
  • Rule #2:  A strong web presence is necessary so your product is visible to potential buyers.

strategy and implementationThere are writers and there are marketers, and not everyone is both. Be honest with yourself. Determine if you capable of both. If you are not sure, that’s where a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers comes in handy. They can educate you about what it really takes to successfully promote and market your book over the internet and whether your technology skills are up to it.

Remember, writing a book, or producing music or film, is just the beginning of the independent publishing business. Marketing strategy is as equally important to becoming a successful publisher of media content.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Bringing Fulfillment to Life

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“The greatest discoveries have come from people who have looked at a standard situation and seen it differently.” ~ Ira Erwin

What does fulfillment mean to you? Which medium of art do you like to explore the most to find a satisfying experience? Do  you like discovering the works of new musicians, a debut author or watching a new film release?

People who love books, LOVE books! Some individuals can not get enough music in their lives, and for others – there is nothing more personally fulfilling than watching an inspiring film, whether it is on the big silver screen or not.

What is your choice of entertainment? Take our quick survey, and we will let you know the result at a later date.

Take time this summer to explore whatever it is that floats your boat in your life!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.