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Well, it’s been a couple of months since Facebook banned me. In the interim, I’ve paused a LOT of what I was doing. I knew that I needed to regroup.
This blog post is going to be stream-of-consciousness and long. Because: A lot is changing. So, I’m putting the key points in bold type, so you can skim it.
So anyway…
Yes, I was indignant when I discovered that people were using my free coloring pages to create their own coloring books… and then selling them. (Yes, I could sue them, but that’s a stupid use of my time. I’d merely be pretending that lawsuits were a good use of my time.)
But, still fuming over that, I’ve thought about what I’m doing creatively, and how I share it.
Here’s what I’ve decided: I’m going back to what worked for me in the past. Even before * gasp * the Internet was a thing. (The rest of that story is at my About page.)
This means that I’ll be getting back to art. Lots of different kinds of art… fabric art, collage, painting, mixed media, and so on. Actual art you can own.
It also means more freebies, in the mail and digitally, too. (Yes, really. Jerks will be jerks; I’ve decided to let them deal with their own karma… but keep doing what I love to do. Including giving away cool things, free. Like this hippie-style mandala coloring page. Click the image to download your copy.)
But, okay… One step at a time!
To make time for the big changes, I need to streamline what I’m doing, especially online. A lot of what will wind-down…well, those projects have nothing to do with art. Or even my dabbling in fiction.
I’ve already started doing that.
Then, here’s the rest of the plan. It’s big. It’ll take me well into 2025 to get all of this up & running smoothly.
1) First, I’m going to merge – and possibly rebrand – all of my online art projects. Mostly, that means combining Eibhlin.com with this site. (Yes, my real name is Eibhlin, an Irish name. In English, it’s pronounced the same as “Eileen,” and that’s how I say it. However, you can keep calling me Aisling; most of my art friends do.)
2) I’ll probably do something with my barely-started YouTube channel. (I’ll still add to my theme park-ish YouTube channel, but I’m rethinking that, too.) Socially, I’ll probably keep my Substack… for now, anyway.
3) I will continue to create and publish coloring books, including the Bold & Easy series. (I was the first to use that phrase with coloring books, starting in 2015.)
4) I’m going to expand into other art-related publishing, as well. Etsy and GoImagine will be part of that.
BUT, I’m also going to set up ways to distribute freebies, because – in the past – that was the #1 most successful path for me to share my art with others.
So, for now, I hope you’ll subscribe to my Substack. Then you won’t miss anything cool. Like the freebies.
If you’ve read this far, thank you! (Note: If you’re looking for the L-O-N-G backstory that had been here, it’s now on my “About” page. Click here to read it.)
AND…
If you’d like to be part of the fun, send me an email at artfun@aisling.net, and tell me your mailing address. (It’s just for freebies. No strings attached, and I won’t share your address with anyone else.)
Then, as I’m kicking this business plan into gear, at least by early 2025, I”ll start sending freebies – one-of-a-kind art postcards or zines or something – to friends like you. And I’ll let you know about other crazy-fun things I’m working on. This will be just for fun!