The Pyrography + Business Summit

the ONE and only Pyrography + Business Summit!

There were 39 live classes with 35 well known presenters from all over the globe. We learned so much from pyro experts with the live wood burning masterclasses, panel discussions that dive into pyrography and panel discussions on business, plus interviews, community chats + challenges.

Everything pyrography + business.

If you weren’t able to join us live, you can always watch the recordings at your own pace!

30+ Pyrography and Business CLASSES:

PYROGRAPHY

Introduction to Wood Burning

Safety + Transfer Techniques

Pyrography Books Discussion

Wood Burning Tools

Tools of the Trade

Wood + Other Surfaces

Adding Color

Finishes

8 Masterclasses on Pyrography Techniques

Burn-Alongs with Expert Pyrographers

Panel Discussion on Pyrography

Interviews

BUSINESS

Goal Setting + Finding Focus

Business Books Discussion

Making Money as an Artist

Selling Online + In-person

Teaching Classes

Email Marketing

Websites + E-commerce

Pricing Your Art

Photography and Videography

Social Media + Pinterest

Live Coaching Sessions

Business Panel Discussion

Interviews

Also, Check out #pyrosummit on insta to see what people have taken away from this awesome event!

This Summit is basically one huge collaboration, and we are all so pumped to have completed it in 2022!

Rachel's February Reading List

February was a shorter month, and work on the Pyrography + Business Summit picked up, so I didn’t get quite as many books read as I would have liked. What I did read, I mostly enjoyed, and I am excited to share them with you.

All books are linked directly to Amazon for easy purchasing. I receive a tiny portion of Amazon’s profits if you choose to purchase one, but this in no way effects my reviews. I will always be honest with my thoughts on products, books, services, etc.

1. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk - I really like Gary as a no-nonsense speaker on business. He is a bit abrasive, but in a good, motivating way. This book talks about give, give, giving before you ask of your customers/clients. The jabs being the value you provide and the right hooks being the ask. Effot is important for telling your unique story in a noisy world.

2. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng - I liked this book, ok. It is a NY Times Bestseller, but I have read better as of late. The characters were well developed, there is an artist in the story, and a couple twists and turns. There is a push and pull with the storyline, and it is clear that there is no black and white or wrong and right when it comes to some things, and there are plenty of those in this book. Well written.

3. The Power of Persuasion by John Myers - Lots of persuasive tactics. At one point he lists off over a hundred different ways to convince people to do something. It is also helpful in being able to spot persuasion when it is being used on you.

4. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig - “It only takes a moment to live.” This was a very cool book. Gets you thinking about the long and short of history and how it repeats itself. Really enjoyed the concept and the name drops throughout. I loved how the author played with time, locations and memories. “Sometimes you can just look around and be happy right where you are.”

5. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover - Another great story from Coleen Hoover. Heartache, death, forgiveness, and connection, this book has it all and you will fly through it. You will feel for the main character who is stuck in an impossible situation. “Regret keeps you stuck on pause.” Makes you think about mistakes that you have made in life, and how one small act can change everything. “Are you going to live in the sadness or die in it?”

6. On The Shortness of Life by Seneca - This was recommended by several Titans in their fields out of the book Tools of Titans by Timothy Ferris. It is a really really old book written by a Roman philosopher. It is said her wrote it to his father-in-law, a mortal essay. It has since been translated and transcribed over time. “Life is long if you know how to use it.”

7. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon - Our Keynote Speaker for the upcoming Pyrography + Business Summit! This is a NY Times bestselling book with over 1 million copies sold in English alone. Such a great read that I think every artist out there should get their hands on. “Do good work and share it with people.”

8. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - This was a STUNNING book! So incredibly well written, and made you feel like you were there, in Kya’s beautiful world. It is a story of perseverance through extreme neglect, trauma, and solitude. A beautifully sad story that definitely made me weep. Trigger warning for SA.

9. Talk Triggers by Jay Baer and Daniel Lemin - This book was all about ways to get the most powerful and efficient marketing tool, word-of-mouth, to trigger. The types of talk triggers that can be utilized for business, and how to get it working for yours. It was good and I got a couple good points out of it, but I think it is best for larger corporations rather than small creative businesses.

10. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon - Another book that EVERY ARTIST NEEDS TO READ! Do good work, and the rest will come. This author, Austin Kleon, is so great at getting right to the point in both his writing and illustrations. For a visual learner, like myself, this is really helpful. Can’t recommend his trilogy enough, and so excited to hear him speak in May at our Summit!

Want to know what I read in January? Check out Rachel's January Reading List

Burnt March 2022

Burnt Challenges are a call to all artists to create a piece of artwork using pyrography based on a specific word or what we like to call, a prompt!

This challenge is for wood burning artists of all stages and is an excellent way to grow your portfolio, try new things, push your craft, meet other pyrographers, hone your skills, gain followers, sell art, and have a ton of fun while you are at it!

Having a restriction, like following a specific prompt, can really bring out creativity in people. These prompts are known to get people inspired and trying new things. Things they perhaps wouldn’t have thought of that are out of their norm.

The challenges are living in the wood burning community on Instagram. Follow us there or join Burn Club+ to get your prompts in advance next Burnt Month.

Both Walnut Hollow (our Sponsor) + @woodburncorner select artists for each prompt to feature in both instagram posts and stories, as well as on Pinterest. We have chosen some participants and they have won some awesome pyrography goodies!!

We are blown away at what your uniquely creative mind came up with using these prompts. Below are the featured artists or make sure to check out #burntmarch to enjoy all the beautiful art - it’s like a fee art gallery!! (scroll down a bit to “Most recent” to see the newest works!)

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Check out even more past challenges here!

How to support the artists:

If you are wood burning and participated or not, feel free to comment on the posts you enjoy and let the artists know know how stellar their work is! You can also save, share and re-post to help them get even more exposure!

Make sure to check out the hashtag on insta: #burntmarch - the free art gallery. Follow your favorites! Keep sharing and spreading the love.

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5 Common Pyrography Myths

Megan of @happicamperkc is such a fabulous pyrographer and person. I had the good fortune to get to meet her in person, where we talked about pyrography and small business for hours!

Her pyrography is BOLD! Her color choices alone speak for themselves. She has learned a thing or two in her years as a wood burning artist, and she is sharing her knowledge with us.

Do yourself a huge favor and follow this wonderful human and artist. Let’s help support her so she can make her dream of becoming a full time artist a reality!

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Guest blog post by Megan of @happicamperkc

Find Megan on Facebook - Instagram - Etsy

SUPPORT HAPPI CAMPER ON PATREON “We do, and her posts are always filled with knowledge, love, happiness, and COLOR!”

5 Common Myths When it Comes To Wood Burning

The art of wood burning has changed a lot in the past few decades, and with this change, many misconceptions have come along. I want to help clear things up and tell you the most common myths about this hot-n-trendy medium:

MYTH #1 : All wood is equal in pyrography.

Nope. Like way nope. To me, the best wood types for burning are: Basswood, aspen, Baltic birch. I would 1000% avoid pine and plywood. Each kind burns differently. And it is a preference thing. It's just pine is really difficult with the soft/hardness and plywood straight up has dangerous fumes due to the glue they use when in manufacturing.

MYTH #2 : Watercolor will make your wood crack every time.

Nah, the trick is: Less water. More patience. Also the thinner your pieces, the more likely they are to crack. As long as you're using 1/2" or thicker you will be fine using watercolors on wood art.

MYTH #3 : I can make art like yours with my plug-n-play burner my grandma gave me.

I get this one a lot with peeps who see my art on social media, and then maybe come to my burning classes. Unfortunately, no this is NOT the case. I use a professional-grade burner that gets up to 1000 degrees hotter than your 1986 wood burner pen.

To get those hot, hot burn lines like I do I recommend getting a Razertip, Colwood or Optima burner tool.

That's not to say you can't do amazing art with a Walnut Hollow Creative burner. Just check out Hippie North.

MYTH #4 : Wood burning smoke is no more harmful than a campfire.

Listen. You only get 2 lungs. And you freakin' need them. When I started burning in 2012, I thought the smokiness was no worse than camping. But if you're like me and you wood burn WEEKLY, safety MUST come first.

Use a fan to pull smoke away. Wear a charcoal lined mask. Open windows. If you don't regret it now. You'll regret it later.

MYTH #5 : It's easy.

Ha! It's not. People go into wood burning thinking that it's like moving a brush across canvas or pen on paper. Pyrography is a whole 'nother beast and it will take time for you to get a feel for how you want to burn.

Creative Retreat Live 2022

Peggy Dean is hosting this year's Creative Retreat LIVE beginning February 24th, with over 75 artists and creatives sharing their skills, knowledge and pro tips! I will be talking all about COMMUNITY, and the value that comes with embracing it!

With over 75 FREE art lessons from 75 different artists, there is something here for you!

I am so proud to be amongst all these amazing artists each teaching their skill and sharing their knowledge of their passion.

I get the honor of teaching all about community and how embracing it will change the game forever!

My live session will be on at 12:00p PST on Tuesday, March 1st!

What are you waiting for?

Do your friends a favor, and share this page with them.

EVERYONE IS INVITED!

See you at camp!

Common wood types you should NEVER burn on

Wood burning is a safe hobby when you follow the guidelines and safety precautions.

Too many times I see artists not using a mask and burning their art without any proper ventilation. Although you may not see any side effects from doing this right away, you should be warned that there may be long term effects that can be avoided!! (Among lung and breathing issues, I have heard of people loosing parts of their vision due to prolonged periods of smoke exposure without proper safety gear).

SMOKE IS SMOKE. PERIOD.

It is not good for you to be breathing the fumes in! Or allowing them to go into your eyes and the rest of the house where others are breathing it too.

Please, please, please keep yourself and those around you safe by following the safety precautions set by the wood burning tool manufacturer. Click here to see how you can protect yourself and grab your free safety guide to print and hang on your wall if this helps to remind you to wear a mask.

DID YOU KNOW…

There are many different surfaces, other than wood, that you can burn on. The most common surface for pyrography is wood. But did you know that the materials you are burning on emit different toxins depending on what they are made of. Some are more toxic than others. So for instance, burning on dry, unfinished wood can be safe (with the proper gear) but not all raw wood emits the same toxins. There are wood species that are very dangerous for your health, even if you use all the safety precautions.

RESEARCH YOUR MATERIALS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TOXIC CHEMICALS MAY BE PRESENT AND WHETHER THOSE CHEMICALS ARE RELEASED WHEN HEAT IS APPLIED.

Common wood types you should never burn on:

• Driftwood: Burning salt-saturated driftwood is a bad idea as it can release toxic or harmful chemicals when burned, according to the EPA.

• Green wood: This type of wood isn’t a species, it is the state of the wood. meaning it’s not completely dry. Once a tree is cut down, it needs to be seasoned for 6 to 9 months to become completely dry. Burning on this will create a lot of smoke and will take much longer, the process will be even slower than regular pyrography.

• Wet, rotted, diseased, or moldy wood

• Pressure treated wood, plywood, particle board, chipboard, wood pallets or any wood with glue on or in it: Do not burn on anything man-made. This includes wood that has been stained, sealed or treated with any kind of glues or oils (even if they are natural oils). if you mix your media (like I do with water marbling, adding paint on top or gold foil etc) make sure to wood burn first and then add other mediums.

• Craft store wood: Many stores sell wood for crafting with but the majority of the time those wood slices are intended to be embellished with paint, chalk or other mediums and are not meant for pyrography!

• Wood with "poison" in the name: Burning poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak, or pretty much anything else with the word "poison" in it’s name releases the irritant oil urushiol into the smoke. Breathing it in can cause lung irritation and severe allergic respiratory problems, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Exotic woods: Rosewood, teak, ebony, and cocobolo. are exotic woods and many of them contain natural oils or toxins that can be hazardous when burned. They may cause allergic reactions or respiratory issues due to the chemicals naturally present in the wood.

• Manchineel Tree: Found in tropical regions, it produces sap that contains highly toxic compounds, such as phorbol esters. Even standing near the smoke from burning manchineel wood can cause severe reactions, including blistering skin, respiratory distress, and potential blindness.

• Oleander shrubs: These thrive in frost-free climates and every part of it is toxic. Definitely don’t burn it in any way - don’t even use a branch to toast your marshmallow on.

• The yew tree (Taxus baccata) and a related species common to gardeners, Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) is known to be one of the most poisonous woody plants in the world, with all components of the tree, excepting the fleshy red part of the berry containing lethal amounts of taxine, a toxic alkaloid found in the yew.

• Mexican pepper: Also known as Brazilian pepper wood, it is similar to poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, the leaves and bark contain urushiol, a toxic oil that causes serious rashes and allergic reactions.

If you feel any dizziness or headaches coming on while burning, stop and assess your situation. Do some research. I like to use the wood-database.com for a quick look up and do a little more research if I don’t get enough information from there. If you are unsure, reach out to us and just ask.

Know what you are burning on before you burn and stay safe!

Check out our safety guide for overall health and safety suggestions!

And Check out Top Woods To Burn on or join The Burn Club Community for more Pyro Fun!

sources:

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/a20705861/kinds-of-wood-not-to-burn/

https://wooddad.com/what-wood-is-toxic-to-burn/

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/burning-oleander-produce-poisonous-smoke-75289.html

https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/best-wood-burning-practices

https://extension.psu.edu/toxicity-of-yew-wood-and-roots

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-118/default.html

Interview With Tom Ross

Tom Ross of and shares so much valuable information specifically for creatives and their businesses and how important building a community is for the business to thrive. He talks about how to get REAL followers and find your targeted audience, how to build a community around your business and how to make your business grow!

Just listen in on all the great advice he gives and start implementing these actions today!

You can find Tom @tomrossmedia + @designcuts

Visit his website: tomross.co

Sign up for his coaching

Listen to his Podcast

Take a listen to the interview with Tom from Tom Toss Media:

This interview was created for Burn Club+ in 2020, and was just now released to the public.

Grow with the community and get first access to interviews, exclusive tutorials and lessons by joining Burn Club+, a place where you can ask questions, and get the full answers, a place of fun and learning.

Why Every Small Business Needs an Email List

Repeat after me: Email is KING!

If you haven't started your email list, you will now. Having an email list is so very important for business.

Why is having an EMAIL LIST so important?

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tiktok - they are all based on algorithms. If those companies decide to censor you, or delete your account, would your business survive? What if they change their algorithms and no longer show your work to your following? Email is your backup plan. It's your insurance.

It's also a list of your most loyal fans. (This is important)

Emails have a much higher success rate for reaching your people, then any social platform.

It's also YOURS. You own it.

You can build intimate relationships with the emails you write.

Your readers can refer back to it and search for anything you send them, whenever they like. (including coupons!) Can't do that on Tiktok...

They can stay up to date with your happenings.

Your audience can feel more connected to you and your brand.

Still not convinced?

What is the first thing you do in the morning? If you are like me, it is check your email. “Turns out 92% of adults in the US have an email address, and 61% of them check it DAILY!” (Quote from Alex Cattoni). That's huge!

Passive Income Ideas for Artists

what is passive income?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says passive income can come from two sources: rental property or a business in which one does not actively participate, such as being paid book royalties or stock dividends. It's income that takes little or no effort to bring in. There are many different ways to accomplish this and I’m going to give you some great options if you are an artist/creative.

Make money while you sleep!

This doesn’t mean you won’t have to do any work for it at all.

Initially you will need to spend some time getting it set up and often it helps to invest some time into marketing it once in a while. It just means you put in most of the work upfront (with some possible maintenance and refreshing in the future) and then let it make you money.

Top three easy passive income ideas for artists

1. Prints

   Scan or photograph your work and post it as a digital product somewhere like your website. Ensure you have stellar photos and high quality scans. To learn more about how, check out the blog post: Digitizing Your Wood Slice for Extra Revenue.

   For a really hands-off approach, another platform like Artsy, Saatchi, Artpal, Society 6, Etsy, Singulart, VISUAL. They do the printing and shipping for you. Often, their audience can find you through the platform itself.

   The larger your audience, outside of the platform, the better your prints will do. It will help to talk about them on social media or on your website if you are getting traffic there.

   This is a great supplement to your art sales, and provides your audience with a more affordable option for becoming a collector of yours.

   Consider selling your art as an NFT if you understand that world!

2. Teach Online

   Make an online course. Record it once and upload it online.

   There are many options here. You can upload it to your website (directly on your site or via platforms like teachery) and sell it yourself. This way is not as hands-off, because you will need to market it and talk about it for people to know it exists and thus purchase it.

   The second option is to upload it to a third party platform that includes an audience like skilllshare, domestika, etc. They do the marketing for you and already have a client-base. You can (and should) boost the exposure and market it yourself on your site and socials. These platforms do not require you to have anything else, but a good high quality and informative video.

   A third option is YouTube. You need to meet some criteria and be active on the platform to start making money, so if you are already rocking it on YouTube, perhaps this is the place you want your lessons to live.

   Any of these options can bring in more clientele and provide you with more steady passive income.

3. Affiliate links

   Affiliate marketing is selling another businesses products or services to earn a commission on their sales that used your link.

   Link to all the supplies you use, all the tools you own, and materials you love! Make friends with the companies that you know and love and get links directly from them or use affiliate links through amazon.

   You still have to put in the effort to talk about it, but once it is setup in the right places, it should do the work for you to give you steady passive income.

   REMEMBER to only share links to things that make sense for your business, that you like/use, and/or that your audience will like. You want to be creating that win/win/win situation for your audience, the company you are sending your audience to, and yourself. Don’t share items/businesses that you don’t believe in or don’t make sense for your brand!

You can also check out the 5 Revenue Streams for your Wood Burning Business blog post for some opportunities to make your hobby into a thriving business!

Goal Setting and Creating Habits with Radial Symmetry Trackers

There's never a wrong time to set new habits and goals. Life constantly evolves, offering endless opportunities for growth and improvement. Whether it's personal, professional, or health-related, every moment is ripe for change and self-betterment. Embracing this mindset allows us to continuously evolve and adapt, making the most of each day as a fresh start towards achieving our aspirations.

A daily habit tracker gives you small wins to look forward to every day!

If you enjoy making to-do (and ta-da) lists, then you will enjoy tracking your daily habits, and you will find that you accomplish way more in a day. If you are anything like me, you may be thinking, that is great, but I will stop using it in a week/2 weeks/2 months. I have a solution for you! Put this list next to a habit you already have in place. Something you do daily without fail. For me, that is brushing my teeth at night before bed. I will do this no matter how tired I am. Putting my tracker next to my toothbrush has not only given me something to do during the two minutes I am brushing, but it also ensures that I do it DAILY without fail, too! Try this hack, and I think you will find that you stick to your tracker, and therefore your larger goals.

We love to use our own trackers we made.

track three habits a day:

3 Habits Individual (31 Day) Tracker

CA$2.00

Add to cart

3 Habits Monthly Tracker for the Year (leap year included)

CA$5.00

Add to cart

Track Seven Habits a day

7 Habits Individual (31 Day) Tracker

CA$2.00

Add to cart

7 Habits Monthly Tracker for the Year (leap year included)

CA$5.00

Add to cart

Or track a single habit for a year!

Daily Habit Tracker for The Year (leap year included)

CA$4.00

Add to cart

Need some guidance on finding focus and creating the goals you need? Check out: Focus Five - The 5 Things That Describe Your Business

WHY TRACK?

Daily trackers make goals more attainable and less intimidating. Rather than looking at a large goal and how long it will take, a habit tracker allows you to break it down into daily wins.

The beauty of a tracker is that you get to track what YOU want to track. You get to personalize it to your individual goals. Whether that be personal and/or business.

You can use these trackers for personal items like:

• exercise

• water intake

• mood

• stretching

• meditation

• journaling

• gratitude

• creating art

• alcohol intake

• reading

• medications/vitamins

• and so much more

You can also use them for your business goals.

You can track longer term goals and/or small daily actions that add up to your larger picture goals for yourself and your business. Track things like:

• crossing off at least three things from your to do list

• stopped working at 5pm and/or started by 8am

• no personal social media during business hours

• took a walk at break time

• writing a blog

• posting on a social media platform

• pinning on pinterest

• checking in on asana (or your daily to do list)

• spent 5 minutes plugging away at a long term project (i.e. organizing canva documents or your google photos or a course you are creating)

• spent less than 15min on social media (check your IOS device for a breakdown)

• promoting/marketing yourself

• whatever it is YOU want to work on for your business to reach your goals

Being able to see each day filled out with a simple pattern or color gives you a sense of accomplishment and a positive feeling. It gives you motivation to keep filling each day up and complete the month. It keeps you on track for your goals and the best part is that you decide what those goals are.

We’ve created printable, mandala style habit trackers! These can be used in a couple ways. The first way is simply coloring each section in with color(s). The other way is doodling in each section with little creatures, nature pattern or whatever you are into!

Once your habit is done (or at the end of the day, when you are brushing your teeth and getting ready for bed) you can make a quick doodle, like a heart or just some simple lines. If you are feeling fancy, add some detailed patterns. When your month is complete, you will have a pretty mandala that makes you proud!

We have individual trackers with 31 spaces or you can get the whole year where each tracker is numbered and has it’s corresponding spaces!

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Online Team Building Wood Burning Classes

Experiencing unique events, like a wood burning class, creates bonds, connections, encourages communication, and increases collaboration.

Effective team building means more engaged employees, which is good for company culture and boosting employee performance!

Wood Burn Corner brings unique virtual experiences to teams in their own home or office! Our classes are equal parts learning a new craft, relaxing mindful practice, fun, and team building. Contact us if you are interested in an in-person experience!

Wood burning is a versatile and relaxing art form, and the way we teach, attendees only need the ability to trace a line to be successful. We have a passion for this art form, and love bringing it to more people to experience.

We start the online class with an introduction to pyrography(wood burning) and the versatility of it. Think: canvas, leather, cutting boards, earrings, wooden spoons, wall art, and more. Then we dive into the tools of the trade, safety, and then get started creating our own wood burned art pieces. We walk attendees through the step-by-step process answering questions along the way.

These 1-1.5 hr online classes are a great option to bring your group together for a fun team building event.

There are two options when it comes to supplies. We can provide the kits with everything we will need for the class and will ship them to all attendees or we can provide a list of supplies if you would like to gather your own.

The kits come with:

• One wood burning tool

• 5 different varieties of wood (from coaster sized to wall art sized - Basswood, Birch, Sourwood, Aspen and Ambrosia Maple)

• Sand paper

• Sand eraser

• Graphite paper

• Embossing tool

• Tape

• Brass Brush

• Printed designs - These can be customized for your group.
  

We walk you through the whole process on the largest size wood slice, the Ambrosia Maple, using one of the designs included in the kit. People can also choose to draw their own designs or use their children’s art to transfer onto the wood. Those always turn out great.

By the end of the class, attendees will have a handmade, hand wood burned piece of art that they can be proud of and the knowledge and tools to make more in the future. I also like to send a follow-up email after the event with resources for continued education, wood suppliers, and any other relevant information to round it out.

Some of the COMPANIES WE’VE WORKED WITH

Contact us to learn more about booking a unique team building experience.

Rachel's January Reading List

One of my biggest goals for this year is to read more. I have ADHD and have always struggled with reading. I would read a page while my mind wandered and then have to re-read the page again. I found that this was especially true when I was reading material that I did not enjoy, or really that I was not in the mood to read.

Well, I don’t know how I started doing this, probably out of just not wanting to read what I was currently reading that moment, but I started picking up more than one book at a time. Like, 8-12 books at a time. This might sound ludicrous, but it allowed me to pick up the book that I am in the mood for, and therefore can actually focus on what it is I am reading. IT HAS CHANGED MY READING GAME!

The other thing I implemented at the beginning of the year was starting a daily tracker to track my habits. I wanted to create better habits, and focus on my goals for the year, but again, struggled with keeping up with a tracker. I wrote about it in this blog post, but basically I hacked the system by putting my tracker next to a habit I already have: brushing my teeth. Now, I don’t miss any days of tracking my habits, and this has been an incredible encourager as well as accountability for the things I want to focus on this year.

So, in doing these two things, my read book count for the month of January more than doubled the normal number of books I read in a year!

Here is what I read, in the order I finished them, and my take on them:

1. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal - A delightful read. Surprising and fun. Some erotic stories, and some humor. I’d recommend this one.

2. Yearbook by Seth Rogen - I listened to this one, and I am glad I did. Hearing it in Seth’s voice was great. A mischievous kid with some funny stories.

3. Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle - I LOVE Glennon! I think she is a great thinker of our time. I love her sensitivity, and her honesty. This is an autobiography and touches on love, religion, cheating, self-growth, and being your authentic self.

4. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus - This was a fantastic story, the author had me convinced it was a true story. Clearly well researched, and well written. The concept: 1,000 white women are to live and bear children with Indigenous people of America in exchange for horses to help colonize them. Such an interesting read.

5. Regretting You by Colleen Hoover - I read almost all Colleen Hoover books in a day. They are really hard to put down. This was told from a mother and from a daughter’s perspectives. It is steamy, there is tension, and as always with Colleen Hoover books, twists and turns. Great and quick read.

6. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover - This Romantic book does come with a domestic violence trigger warning. So much passion, tension, love, and fear in this novel. Could not put it down.

7. Emotionally Absent Mother by Jasmin Lee Cori MS LPC - I listened to this book. This is about relationships, and attachment styles. I have been doing a lot of therapeutic work, and this was a hard one for me, but necessary. If you have a difficult relationship with your Mother, I recommend this read.

8. Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover - Another great one from Colleen Hoover. Couldn’t put it down. Trigger warning for drug abuse, and neglect. It involves falling in love, trust, and heartache. Full of twists and turns. You really feel for the main characters.

9. Mother Hunger by Kelly McDaniel - Another book recommended by my therapist. It was healing for me to read this. Helped me to understand myself more, and validated my feelings.

10. Art of War by Sun Tzu - A very quick listen. It really is a book about the art of war, and yet the lessons in it can be used for almost anything you encounter in regular life. I bought this one in physical book form after listening to it.

11. Idiot by Laura Cleary - I listened to this lighthearted book. Trigger warning for domestic violence and addiction. It was just ok. It is an autobiography of Laura, a comedian and Tiktok star. It had good reviews, but I am not sure I would recommend it and don’t plan on reading her other book.

12. 4 Hr Workweek by Timothy Ferriss - EVERY ENTREPRENEUR SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. So many pages dog eared, and I fully plan on reading it again.

13. Tools of Titans by Timothy Ferriss - I listened to this 24 hour long book. It is interviews from Titans in different fields. Very interesting and gave me some great ideas. If you like hearing interviews, this is a good one. Took some really valuable things away from this as well as many book recommendations.

14. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield - Self-help book for the creative. It will help you break through blocks, win inner creative battles, and get rid of resistance. The author encourages you to lean in and get a little scared. Follow your passions and create for the sake of creating.

15. Essentialism by Greg McKeown - I love this author. I listened to this one. It is about eliminating the unnecessary, and focusing on the essential parts of life and business. Choosing choice. Highly recommend it.

WANT TO KNOW WHAT I READ IN February? CHECK OUT Rachel's February Reading List

Donate to One Tree Planted 2021

Each year we give back to our community in as many ways as possible. We donate our time, products, money, and also love sharing information for free with our community. One thing that is really important to us, here at Wood Burn Corner, is giving back!

This year (2021) we are proud to announce that 6,000 trees have been planted because of our little business.

Thanks to all your support and purchases, we were able to give our largest donation to date to the non-profit organization, One Tree Planted!

One Tree Planted is an organization that plants one tree for every dollar donated. They make it easier for both individuals and businesses to give back to the environment, create a healthier climate, protect biodiversity, and help reforestation efforts.

Here is how it works:

Trees play such an integral role in our World, and we want to be part of the solution.

Did you know?

Every 1.2 seconds, man destroys an area of forest as big as a football field. This is why we feel the need to give back to the trees that make it so we can create our art and why we choose to use wood from sustainable sources.

Click here for some more interesting facts about trees and the impact of deforestation around the world.

WANT TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?

5 Easy DIY Wood Burned Project Ideas

Want to make your own personalized DIY gifts for a loved one?? Pyrography is such a versatile hobby, below are 5 very easy projects you can make yourself and personalize in any way!

New to wood burning?

Check out our blog post: Start Here if you are NEW to Wood Burning

Here you will learn all about the tools you need, wood you should be using, safety you should be following and tips and tricks to help you make your own DIY wood slice project ideas come to life!

1. Wood Burned Spoons

Practical, useful gifts are always a good choice! Choose UNFINISHED wooden spoons, spatulas, or salad servers and create a simple design, or customize it with someone’s name or their favorite quote. You really can’t go wrong with this functional art piece. Remind your gift receiver to take special care of wood art in the kitchen! Check out this blog post to learn more about that: Finishing Your Wood Burned Art: How and Why to Finish Your Wood Burned Art

2. Fridge Magnets

These can make such a cute gift. Create a set to give, and customize them for each person. These are adorable, functional and pretty easy to execute!

Learn all the details on how to complete this project in this blog post: Make Mini Fridge Magnets

Give it a try!

3. Cutting Board

Another practical, useful and functional art gift! Wood burning is so versatile, and I love how everything can be customized. Turn a favorite photo of your loved one into functional art. Add their name to a cutting board, or their favorite food/plant/flower/animal/etc to a serving board. Make it special to them. Remind them to hand wash only and to use a food-grade safe cutting board oil and reapply as necessary (check out this blog post to learn more about that: Finishing Your Wood Burned Art: How and Why to Finish Your Wood Burned Art).

I like to use Walnut Hollow as they have their boards sanded ultra smooth and offer a good variety in terms of wood tyoe, shape and size!

4. Name Sign or Welcome Sign

New house? New marriage? New Baby? Create a family name sign! These are always well received. I like to keep my design simple so it can fit with other people’s decor. You could also add color, their house, or a special date if you have that information. Customize it to them!

5. Wood Burned Clock

This is such a gorgeous, unique and thoughtful gift. It adds a warmth to any space, and is not only beautiful, but quite helpful. To create this piece I used a drill, Clock Parts from Walnut Hollow and a slice of Basswood. I sized and printed the numbers in the font of my choosing to fit the canvas. I then transferred the design using graphite paper and an embossing tool, and then burned the numbers in. Then I used the drill to poke a hole in the center and added the clock parts. I used a Basswood Country Round, but you could also use a Circular Wood Canvas. I did not put a finish my clock, because I want to be able to darken it over time, as need be.

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Click here to learn how to transfer your child’s artwork onto wood and wood burn it for a lasting and personalized gift!

For more gift ideas and things to make next with your wood burning tool, check out this blog post with over 150 ideas of what to burn next!

And if you are just getting started in your pyrography journey, head here.

You can also find more project ideas and a full how-to in The Wood Burn Book or get yourself one of the Wood Burn Community Book of Template books full of traceable templates you can practice pyrography with!

Burn Blogs RSS

Interview With Miranda From Live Free Creative Co.

I am a huge believer in coaching, and what it can do for your business. Having an outsider look at your business, provide accountability, run ideas by, and work out different parts can be incredibly helpful, and the amount of goodness that I have gotten out of following, listening to, and getting coached by Miranda is kind of astounding and so is every word she has to say.

You can find Miranda @livefreemiranda + @livefreecreativeco

Visit her website: livefreecreative.co

Buy her book, More Than Enough

Listen to her Podcast

Take a listen to the interview with Miranda from Live Free Creative Co.:

This interview was created for Burn Club+ in 2020, and was just now released to the public.

Grow with the community and get first access to interviews, exclusive tutorials and lessons by joining Burn Club+, a place where you can ask questions, and get the full answers, a place of fun and learning.

Last Minute Wood Burning Artists Gift Guide: Online Gifts for Pyros

Below is a collection of online gift options that are perfect for wood burning artists or creative people who are looking for a new hobby and like trying new things. These include gift ideas for experienced pyrographers who are selling their art to those who are just discovering pyrography.

Send this list to people you love, or go ahead and treat yourself and your business to an awesome gift or two! Set yourself up for success and keep on learning!

Learn

The pyrography + Business summit

Learn from pyro experts with live wood burning masterclasses, panel discussions that dive into pyrography and panel discussions on business, plus interviews, community chats + challenges and more.

Learn more

Watch Professionals share their secrets while they burn!

Learn from pyro experts with 6 recorded wood burning masterclasses.

Learn more

Learn online from awesome teachers

Skillshare is an amazing learning platform with TONS of classes for creatives. Give the gift of learning! Such a fantastic place for small creative businesses to grow.

40% off yearly subscription

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Products

Make it personalized

Alaina of @sweetpeachburns can create a digital drawing of your pet! Send her an email at sweetpeachburns@gmail.com or send her a DM on Instagram.

Get A Pet Portrait

best earrings ever

My favorite earring designer, Chelsea of @cgdesigns_wear has a gift card available for last minute purchases. If you wanted to get me something, this would be it!

Get Gift Card

stay on task

Jess of @countrypinesshop put together this printable to help keep you on task in the new year!

Get Planner

Printables, yes please

These downloadable printables from Jessica of @brownpaperbunny are too good to pass up! And they are FREE!

Get Printables

Radial Symmetry Habit trackers

For tracking personal lifestyle habits, art goals and/or business goals!

Get Trackers

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Our Tempaltes and Online Books

Shop individual Templates

Choose from a growing list of unique and detailed templates!

Shop Templates Here

Give the Gift of Creativity

A Gift Card lets them choose their favorite templates and designs to spark inspiration for their next project.

Grab a Gift Card

Community Book Of Templates

Pyrography instructions and design patterns showcasing 57 original templates from 34 wood burning artists from around the globe, with the intention of helping artists of all skill levels past, present, and future to hone their craft, try new styles, and make beautiful art through collaboration.

Learn more about the book

Community Book of Templates: Volume TWO

The same vibe as the first edition with a whole new set of templates, artists and fun!

Learn more about the book

Community Vook of Templates: Third volume

Same same but all circular radial symmetry patterns AND instructions on how to draw your own mandala’s!

Learn more about the Book

Presence

All Art Deco inspired circular radial symmetry patterns AND instructions on how to draw your own mandala’s!

Check out the book here

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From Artist to Author Book Publishing Summit

A first-of-its-kind virtual book publishing summit just for artists

This is a unique event that is for those who have ever dreamed of writing and publishing their own book!

Learn how to create your own best-selling book as we spend 5 days with 30+ of the top published artists and industry experts in the field.

Meet the Speakers

I will be among those interviewed! Here is the lineup of the amazing artists and authors who will be sharing their experience in writing their own books:

Ali Kriegsman - @alikriegs

Sarah Simon - @themintgardener

Alli Koch - @allikdesign

Miranda Anderson - @livefreemiranda

Cori George - @heyletsmakestuff

Andrea Pippins - @andreapippins

Josh Ryan - @imakethangs

Jen and Amy Hood - @hoodzpahdesign

Morgan MacDonald - @paperravenbooksteam

Liz Kohler Brown - @lizkohlerbrown

Katerina Popova - @katerinaspopova

Jeanetta Gonzales - @nettdesigns

Jessica Hische - @jessicahische

Melissa Iwai - @melissaiwai1

Melanie LeBarge - @melanie.labarge

Caroline Corrigan - @carolinecorrigan

Jessica Mack - @brownpaperbunny

Curtis Canham - @curtiscanham

Samantha Nielsen - @sj_nielsen

Olivia Herrick - @olivaherrickdesign

Erin McManness - @paperraven.co

Sarah Sax - @sarahsaxart

Katie Vaz - @katiemarievaz

Becky Simpson - @beckymsimps

Alyce Zawacki - @attorneyforcreatives

Lisa Congdon - @lisacongdon

Kate Woodrow - @presentperfectlit

Brooke Robinson - @goodtype

Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington - @bluestarpress

Brenna Licalzi - @bluestarpress

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TIER ONE

CliffsNotes

$97

Access to the
3 Featured Sessions

You’ll get live access (plus recordings) of the three featured sessions by Jessica Hische, Lisa Congdon, and The Hood Sisters

Great if you just wanna dip your toes in…

TIER TWO

Bookworm

$247

Live Access to the
Full Summit

You’ll get live access to the entire 5 day summit, plus recordings of the three featured sessions by Jessica Hische, Lisa Congdon, and The Hood Sisters

Great option if you can make it live!

TIER THREE

Unabridged

$297

Live Access to the Full Summit + Replay Vault

You’ll get live access to the entire 5 day summit plus 1 year of access to recordings of every session in our replay vault.

Best for serious learning & long-term success!

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Comparison Is The Thief of Joy - Theodore Roosevelt

Social Media makes it really easy to fall into the comparison game. It is a dangerous game to play, because there will always be someone who you think is doing better than you, prettier, making more money, etc. Don’t compare your real life to their highlight reel!

Remember, that social media is not real life.

Whenever you are feeling that comparison pull, focus on YOUR goals, and try not to get roped into what everyone else is doing. If you allow yourself to compare to others, you will end up chasing their dreams instead of your own.

In order to take care of your business, and your art, you must first take care of yourself. You won't be able to do anything to the best of your ability if you are not physically or mentally well. Even though we don't always put it first, our well-being is quite important.

Just like the airlines tell you, put your oxygen mask on first. This is because you can't help anyone else, if you don't take care fo yourself first.

If you are anything like me, this is difficult, but it is necessary to work at my best.

• Pay attention to your body

• Pay attention to your mind

• Utilize safety equipment

• Practice good ergonomics

• Stretch and strengthen your body

• Mind your social media consumption

• Eat well

• Drink water

• Take breaks

• Be kind to yourself

YOU are precious.

It is important to take care of YOU.

MENTAL HEALTH suggestions for small businesses:

1. Take social media breaks.

2. Remind yourself that this is YOUR business, and you can take days off if you want to. You are the boss.

3. Do not follow people who make you feel bad no matter the reason. Your mental health is more important than that follow.

4. Follow people who inspire, uplift, and motivate you.

5. Connect with people! Use social media, for social connection. It will change the game for you. Use DM's more than you scroll.

6. Comparison is the thief of joy. Remember to keep your head in your lane. You can look to the right and left of you for inspiration and to cheer on your fellow maker/small business, but really you should be looking in front of you to see where you are going, and behind you to remind yourself of how far you have come.

7. Get involved in the community. Make friends. Talk shop. It really helps.

8. And please, seek professional help if you need it! There is no shame in seeking mental health assistance. I see a therapist weekly, and take daily medication. There is no shame in taking care of you, and you will run a better business if you put yourself first!
   
   Take care of your body and your mind, whatever that means to you. It's worth it. How do you take care of yourself?

Interview with Shelly Kim of Letters by Shells

This interview with Shelly Kim of @lettersbyshells is a discovery of how Shelly became a successful artist and the ups and downs of her artistic journey. We talk how Shelly started making money with her artwork and she turned her passion into money!

Follow Shelly @lettersbyshells + @learnletteringtoday

Visit her Website: lettersbyshells.com

Shop Lettering Workbooks

Buy Shelly’s Book: Digital Hand Lettering and Modern Calligraphy

Listen in on how Shelly created a successful community through social media, how important it is to have peers in the same field and so much more on switching your hobby into your full time business.

This interview was created for Burn Club+ in 2020, and was just now released to the public.

Grow with the community and get first access to interviews, exclusive tutorials and lessons by joining Burn Club+, a place where you can ask questions, and get the full answers, a place of fun and learning.

Burnt October 2021

Burnt October 2021 was amazing! Held on Instagram, #burntoctober is an every-other-day art challenge for wood burning artists of all stages. It was created for artists to push their craft, expand their portfolios with new art, gain followers, try new things, meet fellow pyrographers, sell art, and have a lot of fun. Scroll to the bottom to see the featured artists!

This is a sponsored challenge and post from our friends at Walnut Hollow, the amazing makers of excellent wood surfaces and wood burning products like the wood and burner in this photo of the amazing prompts we have for you next month. These prompts were all requests from Burn Club+ members, and I personally can not wait to see what artists create with them.

It is a full month of creativity, and a ton of fun. I really hope you join in!

You do not have to participate in the entire month to join, but we hope you do. You also do not need to be a professional pyrographer to join in the fun. If you have a burner, I hope you give it a try.

How it works: Every-other-day post your piece of art that was created for that particular prompt. Be sure to use the #burntoctober hashtag and mention @woodburncorner and our sponsor @walnuthollow in your post. We will both be featuring artists who participate ALL MONTH LONG on our respective Instagram accounts in both stories and posts.

the challenge begins October 1, 2021

I am so pleased to have Walnut Hollow(@walnuthollow) once again sponsor this Burnt October challenge on Instagram for so many reasons. My favorite wood, and the tool that I suggest all pyrographers should own, are made by this company. (Basswood and Versatool - Both shown in the prompt image above). Walnut Hollow is incredible to work with, and it is clear they really care about their customers and community. Go check them out and all of their other offerings at walnuthollow.com.

If you would like to see what I specifically recommend on their website, head to the Wood Burn Corner section on walnuthollow.com.

DID I MENTION….. if you want a shot at winning a G I V E A W A Y box full of goodies from Walnut Hollow and a signed copy of my book, The Wood Burn Book, be sure to share this the official prompts image (above) on Instagram (or share our post) using #burntoctober and mentioning both your host @woodburncorner and our sponsor @walnuthollow before October 1st. And you will have another chance to win more goodies at the end of the month.

Cant wait to see what you aLL create.

happy burning!

Check out past Burnt Month Challenges here

Check out the Burnt October Sponsor’s Website, walnuthollow.com here

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Featured Artists for Burnt October 2021

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