[NOTE from Jan: When Rebecca recently sent me some mockups of her re-branding work to get feedback on which graphics and logos I liked best, it piqued my interest. I asked her if she’d be willing to take part in my creativity challenge and share the story of how she creates and why. She agreed. Please enjoy!]
My creative journey started when I was 17 and I was offered a partial scholarship to an art school. My stepfather would not pay for the tuition, saying girls didn’t need an education, I should just be a secretary. So, no college for me… It destroyed any confidence I had, both artistic and generally.
I married for the second time in 1983 and relocated to the UK. It was there that my creative journey started again. My husband was the only one with a work permit, so I took five years of art history classes with Cambridge University. I got to tour art galleries, museums and stately homes all over the UK, Europe and since Brock was Australian was able to visit galleries there as well.
When PageMaker and CorelDraw were first released, my lovely husband purchased both programs for me and I dived right in. He worked in IT and suggested I RTFM many times. (Translation: Read the F-ing Manual) Well, I didn't read the manual, just jumped right in. It could be very frustrating for both me and family members when I would rant about the computer ‘not doing what I want’. I can still hear Brock’s response: “It’s doing what you tell it to do.” But I got there in the end.
My first artistic love was watercolors. Yet I found myself setting such a high standard for my work that when my first efforts weren’t perfect, it was too easy to just toss them in the trash. Even today, when I pick up a brush, I’m still quite tentative. Part of what I love about being artistic on the computer is that I can hit delete, undo or just not save the creation, something that isn’t possible with brush and canvas.
My book formatting/typesetting/design journey started in 2007 when a friend asked me to help her with her memoir. We bumbled through, learning so much along the way. She was pleased, we learned together, and another memoir followed. Then a novel, poetry books, self-help, a children’s book… I was on my way.
Today I have designed 50-plus books in just about every genre there is – book covers and interiors for authors who want to self-publish their book whether it be for putting out there on Amazon or just a few copies for family. It is such a joy to turn somebody's hard work into something beautiful that people want to read. It has become my main creative outlet.
It may not look creative, but technical things like figuring out leading (space between lines), kerning (space between letters), and choosing the font style and size get my creative juices flowing.
Even though both paragraphs contain the same text in the same size font, it is easy to see how one is much easier on the eye. No one wants to read a book that gives them a headache!
My advice as a graphic designer/book formatter to a writer is: just write! It doesn’t matter if you space twice or six times; hit return once or if your cat steps on the keyboard and you get a page of returns! InDesign, one of the most widely used formatting programs, has a very steep learning curve, but it is so powerful it can delete extra spaces or returns in moments. The same applies if you decide to change the name of your main character from James to Jessica!
Book covers are the really fun part – they combine my love of art with the ability to easily hit undo or delete. Here are three of my favorites.
Please reach out if you’d like to learn more about what I do:
Website: https://brockleydesigns.com
Phone: 404 247 8269
Oh, and in case you’re curious which graphic and font I chose for my rebranding, here it is:
Thank you to Cynthia Houston ~ artist, writer, and July's guest blogger in my 2025 "Celebrating Creativity" challenge. - JHR
When I was three years old, I painted a self-portrait with watercolor paints. It depicted my face with a round sun above my head. My mother was so proud of me that she framed my painting, but she had to cut the top half of the sun off to fit it in the frame. She said I cried for days because I thought she had ruined my sunshine. When I was four, my father taught me to color within the lines in my coloring book. Art became a part of me early in life.
Art was my favorite class in school. I took a multi-medium art class in junior high and was selected to create the letterhead for our school newsletter. I thought I wanted to be an artist when I grew up, but my high school counselor directed me to take typing and shorthand classes to prepare for a career as a secretary, as it was deemed unrealistic to pursue art. My parents agreed, and the four years of art classes I had scheduled became just one multi-medium class in high school.
My favorite medium has always been pencil, and through the years I've completed many sketches, not for display but just for fun.
Above, from left: "Tree on Rocks" ~ 2006; "Left Hand" ~ 2006; "Tree on Cliff" ~ 2006.
Many of my sketches of who-knows-what are stashed away in tablets and drawing books somewhere. Others, like these all-time favorites of two of my kids (below), I know exactly where to find.
Now in retirement, I've begun to enjoy the process of creating through painting with acrylics.
In August 2022, my sister Linda flew from Idaho to Atlanta to visit for several days before we drove from my house in Georgia to see another sister in Virginia. While here, Linda expressed a desire to paint a Tuscany villa landscape together using a painting tutorial. I was intrigued and dubious but also excited, so I bought canvases, acrylic paints, and brushes. We spent all afternoon and evening for three days painting to finish the artwork before our trip, and we did it!
It was so much fun, even though I had no idea what I was doing despite following the directions of Jerry Yarnell on the tutorial DVD. Everything felt like a blur, and I was sure that what I was putting on the canvas was probably wrong. Linda was encouraging and very positive, and her own painting experience was undeniably helpful.
Now, Linda and I paint twice a week, on Mondays and Saturdays from 1:30 to 6:00 PM. We had such a good time with our first villa painting that we figured out a way to paint together while being in different states. We set up our easels with a canvas, paint palette, spritzing bottle, water cup, and brushes. Whoever is set up first calls the other, and we put our phones on speaker, our TVs on YouTube, and we paint while talking about whatever comes to mind. Sometimes we share photos to paint the same scene, and other times we paint something different.
We began by using tutorials, then followed artists painting on YouTube, and finally switched to using photos. We also tried a bit of plein air painting, which adds a lot of pressure due to the challenge of capturing the moments before the light shifts or the outdoor scene changes.
I have now been painting for almost three years, and my attitude has changed significantly. I am happy that my painting journey has begun to morph and grow into what I feel is my own style. I enjoy the fact that I can use creative license to make my paintings unique. Trying different types of paintings keeps things interesting and expands my artistic abilities, enhancing my overall experience.
To spark my creativity, I hike in the mountains and walk my dog in the park. The beauty of nature, the shapes of clouds, and the colors in the sky are all intriguing. The texture and individuality of trees, along with the hues and shapes of leaves, as well as the changing sunlight and shadows, inspire my desire to paint.
My favorite way to begin a painting is to let the sky and clouds emerge from the canvas with a variety of tints and brush strokes, often unfolding into wonderful surprises.
I feel the most creative whenever I enter my painting room and see my paintings hanging on the wall. I eat lunch and work out with my kettlebells in the same space, enjoying the opportunity to study my paintings. I recall the learning process behind each one and reflect on my emotional attachment to them, which inspires me to expand those feelings by creating new, similar experiences. Often, I feel the urge to paint while watching the mountains and scenic views in the ultra-running videos on YouTube that I enjoy.
The only thing that blocks my creativity is when I’m painting and whatever I am working on doesn’t quite look right or the colors aren’t what I envisioned. When it’s not immediately clear what I don’t like, I set the piece aside and work on a different painting. Going back to scrutinize the canvas later gives me a new perspective and fresh ideas.
I am currently looking for ways to share my paintings. I have sold one commissioned piece to a friend and have had two paintings displayed at The Art House in Acworth, where my first painting sold. The second one is currently on display. I am also planning to start my own website to showcase my work. Meanwhile, if you are interested in learning more, you can contact me at:
CynthiaHouston05@comcast.net
Painting has given me a tool to express my inner self and share more time with my sister, especially since we live so far apart. The happiness I have felt from painting is incredible. I have also learned to be patient and persistent, and to take criticism (sort of).
P.S. from Cynthia: Life is fun, fulfilling, and rewarding. Find something you love to do and make it happen.
P.S. from Jan: If YOU , dear reader, would like to share your own creative journey in a guest blog post, please contact me at jan@janheidrichrice.com. Subject line for your email: I CREATE!
- Jun 13
"Photography insists that you see our world in a different way. The most simple thing can transform into a meaningful image." Vickie Ransbottom
My first camera was a Polaroid Swinger. It produced instant wallet sized photos. I can still smell the chemicals that you had to sponge onto the print. My two best friends (twins) and I, all three, got ones for Christmas. I have gone through many cameras since the 1970’s. I was first interested in photography when I realized that there were hardly any photographs of my family.
Once I graduated from school and started working, I bought my first Single Lens Reflex Camera (SLR). The ones with inter-changeable lenses that gave you the ability to control scenes. I took a local class and learned a few things. Then, HE came along and I married and had two children and my time and interests went in a different direction.
Fast forward to becoming an empty nester and I needed something to fill my time. I joined the world of digital photography and started taking a few classes, joined photography clubs, went on local and travel workshops and found a new engaging and creative hobby. Some of my favorite workshops are photographing horses on the beach in St. Augustine (above) and wild horses in Utah (below and on cover). Both satisfy my love of horses and fill the void of never having one of my own! In my next life I am planning on being a barrel rider!
A workshop in Wyoming gave me the opportunity to photograph the famous Grand Teton’s Grizzly Bear 399 and her four cubs. What a treat! Another Teton workshop found me snowed in at a Ranch during a historic storm with historic FAR below zero temperatures and some white knuckle driving. Yellowstone in the snow is beyond stunning!
Eight of us flew into Las Vegas for a Route 66 photography trip through Arizona. We were strangers to begin with and great friends still today. Being with like-minded people is very gratifying.
Another fun way to discover things to photograph is to do a Photo Walk. Walk your neighborhood, a park, a small town. You will be surprised what you find when you take the time to simply walk and look. Photography is something you can do alone, with friends or total strangers!
I’ve been fortunate to see all 50 of our beautiful states. There is something to love, appreciate and photograph in each one. Seeing all 50 was never a goal until I realized I was almost there and then I got serious about it! I’m pretty certain that pieces of my heart are scattered through our western states, particularly those with stunning red rocks.
I’m not even close to being a great Photographer, but I sure have a heck of a lot of fun. That works for me. I also craft…greeting cards, elaborate gift wrapping, etc. (I’ll save those for another day!)
My motto is: I like to know a little about a lot of things and not a lot about any one thing!
If you would like to view my photography, you can do so on the Flickr website using this link:
