Mindful Monitors #2
Last week I started a series called "Mindful Monitors."
In that post I mentioned wanting to feature and share wallpapers designed by individuals other than myself, but I don't feel like I really explained WHY I want that be the case.
I LOVE celebrating the talent and work of others. I follow several artists and small business accounts, and when they share their latest project, I'm showing their post to the stranger sitting next to me saying "Look how cool this is! Isn't their latest thing super awesome? I wanna be that cool someday!"
There are so many communities today that celebrate and encourage individuals and small businesses and I am HERE FOR IT. The Rising Tide Society and Business Boutique are two larger groups that might sound familiar to you.
Large communities are great, because they can produce awesome resources such as podcasts, monthly guides or even host annual conferences.
But I love smaller communities just as much. Personally I'm much more likely to share/comment in a smaller group because I know there's a strong chance my comment/post will be seen by a handful of involved members that will provide valuable feedback. Sometimes the quality of one helpful comment can outweigh the support of hundreds of "likes."
I plan for EpicQuests4Crafts to be more of a smaller community, and one way I want to utilize this is to share the inspirational work of others.
In larger groups, sometimes your work won't be shared unless you are well-established in your specific trade, or it must pass through several rounds of admin approval, or your design has to match a very specific theme or style.
I'd like my Mindful Monitors series to be more about celebrating the different styles and tastes of individuals, regardless of their background or professional trade.
Maybe you're in the marketing business, and have a specific design/theme you stick to. I want to share it (and your business!) with my community!
Maybe you design logos, and have a cool logo layout you did just for fun. I want people to see your style (and again, your business!)
Maybe you run a Facebook group about gardening or parenting and there's a mantra that gets you through your days. I want others to know that your group exists!
Maybe you aren't in the creative business at all, and are more of an accountant, lawyer, teacher by trade, but you have a quote that you live by. I STILL want you to design something and share it because you are an awesome individual!
Personally I find making digital backgrounds really fun, it's a great little art project that doesn't take up much time and helps stretch my design muscles, and it's a really great way to express your unique voice. Even if you have zero design skills, there are free resources like canva.com that makes creating a digital wallpaper crazy easy!
Are you a person that is inspired by quotes? Bible verses? Historical facts?
Maybe you are drawn to pastel colors, vibrant, bold colors, or maybe you are a "shades of gray" kind of person (the colors, not the book lol)
Maybe your favorite theme is retro, glam, boho, futuristic, or rustic.
You can incorporate any of these things about you into a digital background! Your design can even be a photo you've taken that you like. My first free digital download was exactly this!
(Jump to the bottom of this post to see instructions on how to send in your own digital designs!)
For today's "Mindful Monitors," enjoy some summer-themed backgrounds I put together. It's hard to believe July is almost already over, and that the local stores are already packing their shelves with Halloween and Thanksgiving (AND CHRISTMAS) Decor!!
The graphics I used to make these backgrounds were part of a bundle I purchased on Creative Market by lokko studio. If you like her artwork, you can check out her other digital illustrations here!
To download, simply click on the images or links below.
If you enjoy these, please share, comment, or pin!
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR OWN DESIGN
If you are interested in sending in your own design or idea for a future blog feature, here's what to do:
Email your images to @EpicQuests4Crafts@gmail.com with the subject "Desktop Wallpaper Design Submission" or something similar.
Make sure the wallpaper design has minimum dimensions of 1920 x 1080 with a resolution of 72 dpi. I plan on doing to do 1-4 wallpapers per post, so feel free to make 1 or more!
I don't have any "design theme requirements," but I do love the idea of the wallpaper being something that inspires happiness, peace, seize-the-day or deep-thinking vibes. But whether that's expressed through a painting, quote, pattern, or digital doodle is your call!
Keep the designs safe-for-work. These backgrounds will likely be on laptops and phones that employees and kids will see!
If you have a business, social media or Facebook group with your business/art/calling, make sure to include that information so I can share it along your design!
If the design uses the work or influence of others, make sure you have permission to use it, and include their information, so I can give them credit!
And you don't need a degree in design or professional software to do this either! Sites like Canva have free wallpaper templates ready for you to start with!
I look forward to seeing (and sharing) your ideas!
(Please note that these designs are for personal use only and not available for any commercial purposes)
