1. So I've been reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and it has some great advice on how to make people like you. Now I've always been a little wary of this idea of making people like you. I've thought it could be seen as manipulative, if i was to change my actions just to generate a positive reaction in someone else... and that if they aren't sincere you could use this knowledge for you own gain. I've always been one to be honest, sincere, and myself, and I've avoided anything that made me feel like I was changing my natural behavior just in order to get what I want. But... in reading the 6 ways he gives as advice to make people like you, I realized that it isn't about YOU anyway, it's all about THEM! And how can that be selfish. It can't. In fact, I think it would teach me to forget about myself, and to care more deeply about others. Some change can be good. :)
Here are the 6 suggestions:
1. Become genuinely interested in others
2. Smile
3. Remember and use people's names in conversation.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves and their interests.
5. Talk in terms of other people's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important, and do it sincerely.
So, I think I already do some of these things, but I'm am going to make a concerted effort to apply these things in my interactions with others. Not for me, but because I want to work on making others feel comfortable, accepted and important, and in doing so it will also enrich my life and my relationships with my family and current friends, and also people I meet. So why not TRY to make a change like this, right? So that's number 1- Learn to be more selfless and care about others- form better, more open/caring relationships.
2. I really want to start working on my Bookbinding Business! I've been thinking about this for a long time but haven't really gotten the courage to focus on it, or try marketing my work, but this year, I'm doing it! My goal is to start making more books, and build up my etsy shop online. I already have one started, it's called Book By Design. I have a link to it on this blog and a little widget on the side. Right now I only have about 3 books in there, but I'm going to start making more, and then I'm gonna work on marketing it online. Once I get started I mostly want to start working on commissions. Creating custom journals and rebindings that are designed by the customer. So if you want a Handmade Journal or a Rebound Book- for example an old treasured book, or your scriptures just let me know! I'd love to make one for you! I can do lots of different things, leather, cloth, hardbound - with cute artistic paper, coptic bound books, clam-shell boxes, I even have some wood and copper covers! So, there are tons of options, and that's what's so exciting and fun about it!
Here are some of my books:
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| I made this as a logo for my etsy shop, I had to trim it down quite a bit though for the header of the shop. |
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| dos e doe flat back- it has 3 text blocks combined in 1 book, and a clamshell box that fits it perfectly. This was in an art show at BYU, yeah, i'm proud of that. :) |
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| This book has 3 different colors of artisan quality paper. |
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| Another view of this journal |
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| Another view of the dos e doe flat-back |
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| A wood covered coptic bound journal |
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| This is a set of the small military scriptures I combined for a friend and rebound with leather. |
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| A journal I made for a friend. |
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| Outside of the same journal, I used the suede side of the leather, and that green button is vintage- look at me being trendy. |
So those are my 2 major resolutions for this year. I have a few more, like: be Pro-active, be confidant, write in my journal- (I bought this 5 year Question & Answer journal- you answer a question for every day of the year, and it has space for 5 years of answers. I'm doing good so far!) work out, paint- once a month, figure out my entire life plan! Just small things, ya know? lol Well wish me luck with all these resolutions, and Happy New Year!
