Shai Coggins's Blog

Have you ever wondered what it's like to draw freely and loosely? Not worrying too much about rendering photographic likeness? That's what Expressive Drawing is all about!

And, one of my favourite medium for expressive drawing is pen and ink. It hasn't always been the case, though.

There was a time when I was mostly frustrated with using these lovely looking pen holder with nibs with ink. I really love the look of them but I had trouble making these tools do what I wished to do. However, the...

It's official: I LOVE teaching travel sketching.

As mentioned in my last post, I conducted my first ever (SOLD OUT!) Expressive Travel Sketching Workshop hosted by Art Stretchers Adelaide.

The workshop was FULLY BOOKED a week before the deadline!

Here's what the management of Art Stretchers said of the event:

"We are so pleased that this workshop was such a great success. Thanks to Shai for making it so interesting. It was great to see participants coming away from it with new skills and a sm...

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Although I've been travel sketching on and off for most of my life, I didn't really take it too seriously until I made the decision to do so. I remember the exact circumstance: I was turning 40 and my husband encouraged me to go on a life-changing art trip to Italy. It was one of those major bucket list things: To go on a trip specifically for my art practice.

I decided that since I was going on an art trip with a group of fellow artists - sans husband and kids - I was going to live out my f...

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It's the start of another year. A great time to re-align our goals - and dream away.

Yes, in reality, it's just another day. Nothing truly special or magical on New Year's Day. It's only special and magical if we assign that meaning to it. And, yes, I choose to do just that. In fact, I love what Sarah Ban Breathnach says about the first day of the new year:

"New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and lo...

It's no secret. I'm a big fan of the One Word practice. I love it so much, I ended up writing a workbook and a mini ebook about it.

I'm also a fan of year-end round-ups. I've done it a few times on this blog. Usually, as my last blog post or my first couple of blog posts in the new year.

Sometimes, though, year-end highlights can be a bit overwhelming to write. So, I thought this year, I'd do a different kind of round-up.

This is how I ended up with The Year in One Word printable/interactive...

When One Word Workbook launched last week, I was cautiously hopeful. It's something that I've wanted to do and share for so long, I was really hoping that others would love it like I do.

So far, I've heard some great feedback. My biggest pleasure is seeing the workbook actually used by someone to find focus and inspiration.

To show that I'm actually using this workbook for my own One Word of the Year, I decided to do a video walkthrough (see below). It felt a bit odd, reflecting and writing '...

As the end of the year closes in, how do you start winding down and preparing for the new year?

Usually, there are holiday parties, family get-togethers, and glorious get-aways that take up a lot of our energy during this season. So, taking time for planning and preparation can be a challenge.

However, one of the things that CAN make a difference in how our year unfolds may be attributed to how we approach the coming days, weeks, and months.

That's why one of the many long traditions in our s...

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As I was working on a program to help clients and readers to take their ideas from inspiration to action, I started making a list of things that *I* want to do to improve my personal and professional life. I wanted the list to be a "no limits" list. The kind that would inspire me to take action. The only rule was: Each item on the list should be doable with a deadline of 12 weeks or less.

So, if I put it on the list, I have to believe that I can do it in that timeline. And, on top of that: I...

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When I first wrote the Hand Lettering Tools and Apps blog post in 2013, I didn't realise that the whole hand lettering practice would become a design trend. Now, you can find hand lettering everywhere on blogs, Pinterest, Instagram, and more. And, I'm thrilled because I've always loved it.

How about you? Do you love hand lettering too?

If you're just as crazy about hand lettering as I am, then this follow-up post on this trend is just the thing for...

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So, you've started your ideal business. Hooray!

Now: How do you find your first client? This is one of the most popular questions in many business and freelancing groups that I take part in.

As an entrepreneur and freelancer for 20+ years, I've gained clients in different ways. And, with several businesses started, I've found 'first clients' through various avenues.

Here are some approaches to starting and building a client...