10 Tech Tips for Artists & Crafters!

Hi friends! Today I am going to share the ways I use technology in my art and crafting! This video was sponsored by Chromebooks (and I think them for their support) but you can use whatever computer you have or even a smart phone or tablet. Even if you don’t have a computer you can visit your local library to use one or have patterns and other info printed out for you there. Libraries are good sources for technology too! Maybe I need to do a “ways to use Libraries in your art” video…Let me know if that is something that would interest you:)

Tip #1 Editing photos! If you scrapbook or use your original photos in your artwork don’t settle for a quick snap when you can improve them with a click of a button. Cameras can mute colors and tones, you can fix that in basic editing software.

Tip #2 Now that you have snazzy photos you can share them on social media or on a blog. Art is meant to be shared and you can inspire others with your creations!

Tip #3 Find free (or affordable) patterns and templates! If you knit, crochet, sew, quilt or papercraft you can find just about any pattern you need for free or cheap. Crafters love to share their patterns online and we all benefit from the sharing economy! *BTW the crochet shall I am making is from this free Red Heart pattern book.

Tip #4 Listen to podcasts or books: Our right brain is busy creating but the left brain is bored so play a podcast or audio book to make your crafting time even more rich! There are podcasts about art, crafts and creativity too so you can get inspired by them too!

Tip #5 Watch free crafty tutorials on YouTube or take an online art class. You can learn anything online these days, all you need is a computer, tablet or smart phone and you are ready to go!

Tip #6 Find Royalty free reference photos: Finding images to paint and draw from can be tricky because you can’t use copyrighted images without the photographers consent. There are several websites that share royalty free images that artists can use. Here are my favorites:

• Morgue File
• Unsplash
• Pixabay
• Pexels

Tip #7 Practise sketching: Not all devices will have this capability but if you have a tablet with a stylus like my Chromebook you can sketch until your heart’s content with no paper waste and the wonderful “undo” button.

Tip #8 Make use of “Wasted Time”: If you have a smart phone or tablet you can use time waiting at appointments or carpool pickups. If you don’t have wifi you can jot down craft ideas in a notepad app. You can write down project ideas and make lists of the supplies you will need. Or you can even take a “brain break” and relax with a game or by reading a book you previously downloaded using a reading app. Your local library probably has an app where you can check out digital books for free too!

Tip #9: Write an art blog: Sharing my art and craft projects on my blog! It’s a never-ending source of joy and fulfilment for me. I love the community that has been built over the sharing of craft techniques. Maybe you would enjoy writing a blog too.

Tip #10 Stay organized and on task! I jot down the projects I want to do on a calendar and I keep lists of project ideas that I am not ready to schedule yet. I use Google Calendar and Google Docs for this because the information syncs up to my computer, tablet and phone so I never miss a deadline and I can look at my “idea list” if I hit a creative block. This keeps me from wasting time trying to think of what project to do next, I have lists of things to pick from that I can actually find and then I find the time in my calendar.

I hope this helped you think of ways you can use technology to your advantage when crafting. The only trick is not to get lost down the rabbit hole when you go online so maybe set a timer (on your phone!) to make sure you don’t get distracted. Let me know if you have any tech tips I didn’t mention in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!