articles_crafts

by Jan Riley
This articlecame about because I get alot of questions about how to coose the right paint colors for the walls in your home.
Perhaps your thoughts turn to sprucing up the old homestead. I get a lot of questions
about choosing the right paint color. In fact I have noticed that color matters to virtually everyone!

For many folks this is a stressful and disappointing process of elimination.
You can easily end up with a basement full of quarts or walls that are not quite the right color. The scars of a color malfunction can follow you around for years!
Don’t give up! Help is on the way.

Let me start by stating “There is NO perfect Paint color for every room” what works in your best friend’s living room may not look great in your den. Color is relative, which means it is affected by everything around it: light or lack of it and the colors surrounding it (fabrics, flooring, trim, furniture etc.) and perhaps most importantly - how you feel about it.
We also may want color to do different things for us.
That’s why if you want a color that feels like soothing warm butter but you end up with scary lemon drop,
The problem may be not in the color—but how you respond to it in your space with your light.

What effect are you trying to create?
Answer theses 3 questions before you look at colors– trust me it will help. (The answers will sound like you are describing feelings)
What effect are you trying to achieve in this space?
How do you want this room to feel when you walk in?
What do you want the color to say to you?
Walk towards the light!
This is probably the hardest aspect in choosing the right shade or color. What type of light, how much and the time of day all play a large part in how we see the color.

Try this exercise:
Get a manila envelop and tape it to a wall that gets direct sunlight - notice how it appears golden and yellow. Now tape it up in a dark corner, walk around the room and view it from different angles, all of the sudden it looks tan, dirty and rather lifeless.
This is because shadows tend to absorb color -especially in a flat paint. In a low light room, choose a brighter version of the color you are initially drawn to. To add life to a neutral color, use an eggshell sheen - it reveals the color and reflects the light.

Always test your paint colors in all types of light – bright, corner, filtered, day & evening. Give yourself a few days to live with the samples and see how you respond to them before you make the final decision.
Use these six easy steps to navigate the choppy waters of choosing colors. Try to take them in order and don’t skip any steps. That is the main reason most people end up with a color to kill themselves over rather than a color to die for. Don’t worry if you can’t choose the perfect color the first time either – that is completely natural.
Give yourself a break and allow yourself the emotional freedom to experiment and evaluate what works for you in your space. That is how the professionals make it look so easy, they know the value of trying something different and seeing if they like it. All artistic people experiment - but we call it being creative. Take a lesson from this make a mistake or two – and call it decorating…

Create an environment that feels right to you, because after all you have to live with it. Nothing is more important than how you feel about the color when you see it in the room, so be sure and spend adequate time letting yourself get used to it and looking the color in different lights and times of day. It is perfectly fine to get feedback from friends and neighbors but if you find yourself polling the mailman or the UPS driver – pull back! It’ll be ok - trust yourself - give it time. Do the 6 steps and never – under any circumstances – choose a paint color without first getting (and putting up) a sample!

Here are some tips:

Give yourself some time
Have a plan- work with a family of colors
Coordinate with fixed colors first
Go for effect, not a specific color
Examine the light source- check it day and night, artificial and sunlight
Get samples -get samples - get samples!

Once you get these ideas in focus, I think you will find that getting the right color will start to fall into place. Good luck and don't forget to TEST TEST TEST!
- Jan Riley
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	Articles "How to choose Paint colors without having a nervous breakdown! " by Jan Riley This articlecame about because I get alot of questions about how to coose the right paint colors for the walls in your home. Perhaps your thoughts turn to sprucing up the old homestead. I get a lot of questions about choosing the right paint color. In fact I have noticed that color matters to virtually everyone! For many folks this is a stressful and disappointing process of elimination. You can easily end up with a basement full of quarts or walls that are not quite the right color. The scars of a color malfunction can follow you around for years! Don’t give up! Help is on the way. Let me start by stating “There is NO perfect Paint color for every room” what works in your best friend’s living room may not look great in your den. Color is relative, which means it is affected by everything around it: light or lack of it and the colors surrounding it (fabrics, flooring, trim, furniture etc.) and perhaps most importantly - how you feel about it. We also may want color to do different things for us. That’s why if you want a color that feels like soothing warm butter but you end up with scary lemon drop, The problem may be not in the color—but how *you respond to it* in *your space* with *your light. What effect are you trying to create?* Answer theses 3 questions before you look at colors– trust me it will help. (The answers will sound like you are describing feelings) What effect are you trying to achieve in this space? How do you want this room to feel when you walk in? What do you want the color to say to you? Walk towards the light! This is probably the hardest aspect in choosing the right shade or color. What type of light, how much and the time of day all play a large part in how we see the color. Try this exercise: Get a manila envelop and tape it to a wall that gets direct sunlight - notice how it appears golden and yellow. Now tape it up in a dark corner, walk around the room and view it from different angles, all of the sudden it looks tan, dirty and rather lifeless. This is because shadows tend to absorb color -especially in a flat paint. In a low light room, choose a brighter version of the color you are initially drawn to. To add life to a neutral color, use an eggshell sheen - it reveals the color and reflects the light. *Always test your paint colors* in all types of light – bright, corner, filtered, day & evening. Give yourself a few days to live with the samples and see how you respond to them before you make the final decision. Use these six easy steps to navigate the choppy waters of choosing colors. Try to take them in order and don’t skip any steps. That is the main reason most people end up with a color to kill themselves over rather than a color to die for. Don’t worry if you can’t choose the perfect color the first time either – that is completely natural. Give yourself a break and allow yourself the emotional freedom to experiment and evaluate what works for you in your space. That is how the professionals make it look so easy, they know the value of trying something different and seeing if they like it. All artistic people experiment - but we call it being creative. Take a lesson from this make a mistake or two – and call it decorating… Create an environment that feels right to you, because after all you have to live with it. Nothing is more important than how you feel about the color when you see it in the room, so be sure and spend adequate time letting yourself get used to it and looking the color in different lights and times of day. It is perfectly fine to get feedback from friends and neighbors but if you find yourself polling the mailman or the UPS driver – pull back! It’ll be ok - trust yourself - give it time. Do the 6 steps and never – under any circumstances – choose a paint color without first getting (and putting up) a sample! Here are some tips: Give yourself some time Have a plan- work with a family of colors Coordinate with fixed colors first Go for effect, not a specific color Examine the light source- check it day and night, artificial and sunlight Get samples -get samples - get samples! Once you get these ideas in focus, I think you will find that getting the right color will start to fall into place. Good luck and don't forget to TEST TEST TEST! - Jan Riley ---__________________________________________________________________
	Here is a great article By Linda Dessau, She really gets to the simple reasons we often think we "lack" creativity. Taking care of ourselves is often the first step to tapping into out inner source. She is a talented writer and coach who continues to inspire and motivate those around her. "7 Things Sapping Your Creativity Right Now" By Linda Dessau This was a very easy article to write. I was late in getting started this month, and as my publication deadline got closer and I could no longer wait until I “felt” like writing an article, I was forced to sit down and do it. In doing it, I thought about the last month (when I meant to be getting started on this as well as other creative projects), and I identified seven things that have gotten in the way of my creativity. Maybe you’ll see yourself in some of these. 1. Not getting enough sleep – I noticed this one the most when I DID finally get a good, long sleep (the night before writing this, actually). All of a sudden my muse was speaking to me again (see below for more on that), the day looked positive and full of promise and I was open to the ideas that are always flowing around me. And I just plain felt good! Sleep is something I write and speak a lot about, and it’s still a practice I need to consciously keep up so I don’t slip back into bad habits. 2. Trying to do it alone – Bouncing ideas off someone else is invaluable to me. When I stop before I start (see below), and I don’t consult or collaborate with others, I miss out on the collective voices that are available to me. Just hearing my own telling of an idea – reading it aloud or describing it – can be enough. Any feedback or new ideas is a bonus. If the idea is really fresh and precious, I may ask the listener not to give feedback, and let them know I just need a sounding board at this point. 3. Stopping before I start – Not carrying out my creative projects because of self-doubt, real or imagined obstacles, perfectionism or generalized fear. When it came to writing today’s article, I had to “Just Start”. 4. Poverty mentality –It’s very constricting to be worried about money all the time. I’m doing a lot of reading and learning about this topic right now – I’m sure I’ll be able to share more in future issues. 5. A cluttered work/living space – It’s been over two years since I finished my first major de-cluttering and it’s time for another one! Exciting! While my living space has stayed tidy, some clutter (things I don’t need, use or love) has crept back in and is starting to gnaw at me. 6. Disconnection from my inner wisdom – When I’m rested and feeling well, I can much more easily tap into the ideas that are flowing around me. Whether it’s being open to something useful in an article I’m reading, or just listening for the solution of that problem I’ve been struggling with for a few days (and really, it just “came to me”), the answers are there. 7. Disconnection from my body – If I’d been paying closer attention to my body’s needs, I think I would have arranged sooner for some nights of extra sleep. I need to listen to the messages my body is sending me – do I feel nourished by the food I’m eating (or am I getting hungry too often), am I hydrated (or do I feel thirsty or light-headed, or is my skin extra-dry)? Am I showing physical signs of stress – muscle tightness, shallow breathing or headaches? My body will reward me if I listen to it, use common sense and give it what it wants. If you saw yourself in some of these examples, take heart. Awareness is the most important step for change to take place. To look in more detail at your self-care habits, take the free quiz on the “Resources” page of my website. (c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services. Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

"How to choose Paint colors without having a nervous breakdown! "

"7 Things Sapping Your Creativity Right Now"