How to Keep Blogging While on Vacation

'Morning on the Lake'        5x7       pastel     ©Karen Margulis

I have been living our of my suitcase for the last three weeks. Painting trips, workshops and family visits have kept me away from my studio and computer.  But I have managed to keep up with my daily blog posts and my Daily Painting galleries.  I have come up with a system of sorts to keep posting while on the road.

I have been asked how I manage to post everyday and I tell them it is just like any habit...it is a discipline like an exercise program or going to the gym.  I am used to it and I make time for it in my routine and I feel like something is missing if I miss a day.  So when I am out of town I want to 'stay in shape' so I make time for posting and staying connected. Here's how:

• I am using the Blogger platform so what I do works for Blogger. If I know I will be out of town and have time to prepare I will write my posts ahead of time. Blogger allows you to write a post and save it as a draft. You can even schedule it to be posted when you want. (I actually don't schedule my posts but do it manually when I want on my iPhone.)  

• If I don't want to bring my laptop I write the posts in advance. I only need my smart phone or iPad to publish the posts. I usually make a list of the days I will be away and spend a few hours preparing and saving the posts to draft. When I am ready to post them on the road I open Blogger,go to my list of posts, find the ones marked 'draft', click on edit which opens the post and then click 'publish' Done! 

• If I am bringing my laptop and I don't have time or don't want to write my posts in advance, I just make time if I can to write a post on my laptop. For the trip I am on this week, I started my posts by adding pictures and saving them in draft then in the morning while having my coffee I finished writing.  When I was on Pawleys Island a few weeks ago I posted my daily paintings during our afternoon 'wine time' 

So far I haven't been successful writing posts from my iPad because Blogger doesn't let you attach pictures. There are some apps for blogging but I haven't tried them yet. I need to do that before my next trip. If any bloggers out there have recommendations I'd love to hear them. For now my system works to keep me posting and sharing my experiences!

SALE PAINTING OF THE DAY

'Dragonfly Magic'   5x7  pastel

It is time for Holiday shopping and there is nothing better than the gift of original art. I am offering a savings of 20% on all paintings in my Etsy shop. I will feature a painting everyday during the Holiday Sale.  Today's painting is a pastel. I created the lacy effect on the wings by starting on a black surface. I added iridescent pastel and drew the lines of the lace with the tip of a push pin! You can purchase this painting in my Etsy store here:https://www.etsy.com/listing/113147064/blue-dragonfly-5x7-original-pastel