Category: Graphics

bookmark_borderI Like Creating Cute Things

Posted on by savethesavages

In trying to figure out what brings me joy and pleasure in my work life and how to attract more of it, I’ve come to these conclusions:

+ I like creating cute shit.
+ I like creating cute, bright, colorful shit.
+ I like creating animated GIFs

That’s all I’ve got. I feel like I could work at a place that’s cute, fun and matches my graphic style, but for adults (and I don’t mean porn). I think there should be more places that cater to the kid inside of us. BOOM, I just gave you an idea.

Complaining about what I don’t enjoy doing doesn’t get me anywhere – I know because I just went there AGAIN recently?. It just brings me down and puts me in a stupid mood. So I need to get clear on what it is I really enjoy doing and not focus so much on the things I don’t enjoy.

Web design I don’t mind so much, just not into the heavy programming. I’ve tried for the life of me to learn Javascript and PHP, I did not go very far.

I enjoy writing if it’s something interesting & relevant to me.

I feel like motion graphics would be the next thing to learn, as I do enjoy animating and making things move.

I enjoy some aspects of marketing, a lot of it I don’t really care for.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I want to leave my comfortable job. At the same time it feels like I shouldn’t because I have a partner and a cat that depend on me.

I’m very much aware that I just put some limitations on my desires. It’s dumb, I know. I’m working on it but at the same time I’m not working on it…

I’m definitely on some kind of journey at the moment, one where I keep seeking to learn more about healing and becoming proficient at being a healer. There is no unhealthy ego attached here, this is where my intuition has been taking over and leading me to as of late. Reiki and Trans Crystal Therapy were the catalyst, now I’m being led to keep on learning more. How do I know this? It’s all I seem to want to think and read about but not in an obsessive way, just going with it and expanding my knowledge and awareness of this magnificent universe we live in and how its energy flows and manifests through us.

It’s a little bit of everything that I like – esoteric, psychology, science, energy work and metaphysical all rolled into one. There’s also a lot of art and imagination involved, as we are working as well as creating and visualizing things that can’t be seen but actually do exist.

So what about the crystal shop?

It’s there, quietly continuing to build itself. My ego helped me create that, but it’s taken a back seat. Too much ego creates competition, separation and stress so I had to take myself out of it because it simply didn’t make me feel good. And yeah, I also had to cut back on spending money since there is only 1 person in my little family that’s working: me.

So I watermarked this gif because it’s the damn internet and people like to steal.

If you’re reading this, I hope you are having a fun and relaxing summer doing what you want to do rather than doing things you have to do. Remember, you are important.

bookmark_borderSacred Geometry Spiral Living

Posted on by savethesavages

All I’ve been wanting to do lately is just doodle sacred geometry shapes and symbols. I wanted to draw this while at work today but alas I was on a deadline. And then I made a gif out of it a day later.

I feel as if something is being activated in me but I’m not sure what it is. I read something online recently about the light body – that it is activated in levels.

I’m drawn to merkaba, pyramid, sri yantra, stars, eyes and infinity symbols. I’ve been drawing them a lot repetitively, I also want them tattooed on me.???????

Been reading about the Lemurians, Atlanteans, the Pleiadeans; my psychic friend told me in the beginning of January 2018 that I was Lemurian/Atlantean in a past life…which in a way makes total sense that I’m drawn to Lemurian crystals and was able to sell them successfully, or is it only because most everyone in the crystal world reveres them? Hard to tell but I’m learning to trust that what I feel is true for me.

Speaking of past lives, I’m really into the subject but still have no clue who I was in the past. I guess it doesn’t matter so much unless it’s affecting my current lifetime in a negative way.

All I know is I don’t know where I’m going anymore. I’m definitely IN the spiral and I can’t relate to most people these days unless we’re into the same stuff.

I’m lost and I don’t want to be found. There is so much to learn about the past, present, future and other dimensions.

It’s officially been a year since I started Metaphysical Vibes. I applied for a business license & seller’s permit around this time in April 2017 and opened to the public on Earth Day, April 22nd. What an interesting exercise in manifestation this has been, I don’t know what’s next as I’m learning so much about myself and haven’t been spending money on the business as I spent a lot last year, so I’m paying down my debt. I’m taking an 8 week course in Trans Crystal Therapy at The Crystal Matrix – learning and working with the stones and their associated chakras, scanning the body with pendulums and Quartz crystals, becoming more aware of our auras, etc. I love my teacher and the people I’m taking the course with. I’m definitely growing and transforming, into what I have yet to discover. The Death card appeared this week, as did The Fool.

Open mind, open heart. Stay curious as there is so much more to it than just the physical world. Peace, love and blessings if you are reading this.✨❤✨

bookmark_borderIt’s So Easy to Slip Back…

Posted on by savethesavages

Into an old habit, an old way of thinking…

I am totally aware of this. Right now I’m feeling an old habit creeping up on me, the feeling of boredom. I don’t want to be bored, yet I am. Perhaps the gloomy weather is causing me to feel this way, perhaps it’s my job.

Regardless I am thankful for my job, I am thankful for my life. I’m thankful that I was able to manifest an online business selling crystals; I don’t even know how it happened – being a seller was never really on my radar but marketing and building websites were, so there. It helps that I really like crystals too.

But I get bored still from time to time…I think everybody does.

You don’t have to fight it, but you can’t let it take over completely. So I am writing this to my future self as a reminder:

+ If you get bored, remember to just simply change it up! Do something a different way or make it a point to learn something new every day.

+ Read, read, read. Doodle, scribble, draw. Write with a pen, handwriting is still important.

+ Snap out of it, snap out of feeling sorry for yourself. Other people are really suffering and here you are complaining about being bored. SMH. Exercise, go outside, take a walk, breathe and be in gratitude for fuck sake. You really have a lot to be thankful for.

I am all too aware that I am also creeping my way into getting old, I can see the subtleties on my face. I’m caring less and less about a lot of things but I also don’t want to be forgetful. And I don’t want to be helpless. That’s why they say reading, writing and problem solving or playing memory games is important.

I’ve also been thinking about my finances a lot more, like 401ks and life insurance. I don’t have children so that made it a little easier, but I still have to think about retirement and my loved ones. Had I payed closer attention to this stuff when I was younger, I would be all set for retirement! I would be rich by this world’s standards. But if I DID amass that huge amount, then Uncle Sam would be taxing me for it, wouldn’t he? He sure would! So really, which choice is better; and are you really rich if all that you saved up for goes to paying down debt?

Whatever choice I picked is fine for me, I am successful either way. No matter what choice we make in life, Spirit will always look out for your best interest. You can always look back on your life and see how everything actually worked out for you.

I wanted to draw something for this post but I got stuck. So here’s an old drawing that I decided would look better in hot pink and as an animated gif.

I haven’t been feeling super creative and so I wrote this blog post over at my crystal shop’s website: How to Break Through a Creative Block with Crystals

bookmark_borderThe Inner Temple

Posted on by savethesavages

I end up revisiting old graphic artworks because they still hold meaning for me. As a matter of fact, they become more relevant over time.

We’re all constantly creating or recreating our own reality, our own microcosms. Everyone’s living in their own universe, a world that they created.

Shermgrafik > Save the Savages > Metaphysical Vibes > Crystal Healer LA are my worlds.

The more I look at this, the more I realize that this is my Inner Temple. My inner world where all the things I love reside and collide to create something new. And do I love using bright colors in my design work. I love seeing those same colors on window splashes and handpainted lettering.

Don’t live life by some cheesy, stale quote. I get that quotes are really popular on the internet right now. I get a lot of followers who post nothing but quotes. Learn to exercise your brain – create your own quotes that are unique to you.

bookmark_borderSome Personal Observations – 09/16/17

Posted on by savethesavages

So if you’ve been following my adventures in selling crystals and having a small business this year 2017, you’re probably aware that I actually have been making some sales both from my ecommerce website and Etsy.

What a big surprise that is to me because honestly, I have never been able to do that with my own artwork. And trust me, I HAVE tried many times!

Is it because my ego is not involved this time around? I’ve been wondering about this a whole lot.

Is it because I’m selling crystals for the greater good, to help people in some small way? I think so and I hope so.

In the past I have tried to sell my artwork so many times it seems – people liked it but nobody ever wanted to buy; the only time my artwork actually sold was in an art gallery or at an art auction. Or through friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful. I guess what I’m trying to get at is – wanting your art to be sold can often be backed by ego. And for me personally, it seems to be true.

I’m just speaking from personal experience, I’m not talking about anyone else.

But if you think about it – art tends to do that, doesn’t it? Build up someone’s ego. Because people are constantly telling you your is art great blah blah blah…

Then you start to feel disappointed when people aren’t buying your art. And it all comes crashing down, a dose of reality sinks in.

I had expectations of how it should be, and so I suffered. How did my suffering manifest itself? Through having a negative attitude, being hateful and resentful. Stressful work environment and bitching about it on this blog (some of you probably remember that), not being kind to myself, talking shit about others and eating bad food. The list goes on and on.

So anyways, I just wanted to write this down before I forget. I never saw myself as someone who would be selling crystals, let alone start a small business. But I believe the universe saw that I was suffering from myself and set me free. Little by little, through working on myself with the help of crystals, tarot, books and meditation – I started to become a different person.

bookmark_borderHow Does One Get Into Marketing?

Posted on by savethesavages

I didn’t always consider myself a marketer…

ask me 6 years ago and I would’ve said “ugh”, “gross”, and “no fucking way”!!?

As a matter of fact, I HATED it and didn’t want anything to do with it. I hated commercials or anyone who promoted themselves wayyyyy too much.

At one point I was forced to participate in meetings, meetings that had nothing to do with me. Most of the time I just ended up doodling or wandering off into the astral plane or both.☁️

So how did I go from hating marketing to loving it?

Easy, with repetition.

If you create graphics for advertising and promotions on a daily basis like I do, you start to realize that marketing is heavily involved in everything you do. It is not a separate thing, but a symbiotic relationship.

Why is that?

Because you’re thinking about ways to execute something visually when you’re combining text with images, then posting it to social media or getting it printed.

Not only that, but you’re also thinking about the best way to say it; your copy and your taglines. Small businesses might not have the luxury of having a copywriter, so it might fall on the designer or the owner to come up with something. Should it come straight from your creative & genius brain raw & unfiltered, or simplified so that others can actually understand your message and take action?

You’re also thinking about your audience – friends, clients, potential customers and clients who might see it.

When you’re posting on social media – whether it’s a painting, something you cooked or baked, your writing, your designs, a video demonstrating what it is you do, etc…you’re showing off your skills through something you created and the potential to provide something of value to others.

All of that IS marketing.

And everyone who promotes something of theirs is actively doing it, whether they’re aware of it or not.

And going back to the concept of repetition – I finally understood that in order for people to know about you, you have to REPEAT yourself and constantly let people know about you.

Marketing has become part of my job due to the fact that workplaces have been shrinking for some time now. Most companies don’t want to hire and pay a person for marketing, and then another for SEO, and then another for web design, graphics, etc…

so without even having a clue that this would be my future, I started to learn how to do a little bit of everything and it has paid off. I’ve learned a lot and am still learning. And I don’t get bored.

But don’t think you have to do it my way; I only did it this way because it seems to work for me. I find that learning and focusing on one subject doesn’t work for me; it seems that halfway through I get bored and disinterested. And so I jump on to other things…

and another, and another.

and then I end up learning a little bit of everything.

Another reason why I know a little bit of everything?

Usually someone will ask me a question and even though I don’t know the answer, they’re kind of expecting me to have an answer or a solution. So I start to Google a bunch of shit just to know what it is they’re asking of me.

And now I just learned something else; I can add that to my knowledge bank and share it with someone who needs it.

So there you have it, one of the ways a person gets into marketing.

Sooo, how does one actually get into marketing? You didn’t answer this question at all.

Updated: Monday June 1st 2026

I can’t answer this for everyone, as everyone’s experience is going to be different and depending on your locaction – jobs are scarce these days. But it doesn’t hurt to look at job listings and see what’s required. What worked for me was browsing jobs on craigslist.org. If you are skilled in making graphics, look at the jobs in the media section. Why? Because the real marketing jobs are intimidating and pay a lot more.

At the job where I was doing graphics, the owner handed us this book to read. It’s called Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson. And that’s how I got into marketing, even though I didn’t know what I was doing, I was just making stuff.

bookmark_borderI Suck at Writing. How Do I Improve?

Posted on by savethesavages

With everything you want to get better at, you just have to practice. As a matter of fact, I am practicing right now.

It’s better to write about something that actually interests you. I am interested in developing the Self.

We need to get over ourselves, we need to stop overthinking and wondering if people are going to like what we write and just go for it.

Don’t you feel less restricted when you’re not thinking about your audience? Anyways, what’s the worse that can happen? So someone doesn’t like it, so what? It’s their issue, not yours. You were not created to please everyone.

That’s the beauty of the web, you can always edit and improve what you wrote.

Sure, in this day and age everybody wants an audience. Most everyone is writing because they want to monetize their blog, quit their 9 to 5 or both. Something, anything that will free them from the daily grind of working for someone else. I guess I am one of those people too?

I decided to recreate a digital version of my Smoky Quartz companion today.

How do you capture something that’s so dark, yet full of light? It sounds like a metaphor for what humans are, for we are also capable of holding darkness and light in ourselves simultaneously.

I hope you will create more time to practice doing whatever it is you enjoy doing.

bookmark_borderShamrock Trip – Trippy GIF

Posted on by savethesavages

It’s not luck at all, but call me lucky.

Lucky because I can put some of my uniqueness into the graphics I create for work.

Lucky because it’s a quiet atmosphere.

Lucky because I am alone for hours, with space to create and generate ideas.

Lucky because I got this far in life and I didn’t even have to get a college degree or drown in massive amounts of debt.

Lucky because I have the ability to keep on learning.

Lucky because I get to experience life in a human body.

I can stare at this all day. Kinda like a lava lamp, but not really.

bookmark_borderRandom Thoughts | Seven of Cups

Posted on by savethesavages

Our thoughts / opinions about how we live life tend to change quickly, and a lot more often these days it seems.

For example, last year I swore I wanted to buy a house. I really wanted to do it, I was reading up on a bunch of stuff related to buying a house – the homebuying process, mortgages, costs, etc. I even had some money saved along with some other monies that came my way so somehow, it felt like I was in the perfect position to become an actual homeowner. My mom always used to insist that being a homeowner was the best thing you could do for yourself. Especially since my credit is excellent.

But then recently I’ve been reading more blogs about financial freedom and being free – free from debt, free from material attachments, free from the 9 to 5; learning to be happy with less stuff, saving your money and so now, perhaps I really don’t want to have a house.

Maybe I just want to live a simple life. I have told myself over and over that I aim to live a simple life, this has been my mantra for years now.

And yet other people will convince us that we want things, repeatedly over and over again until it finally becomes our own desire. Our friends and family members will try to do this, sometimes on purpose or unintentionally. They’re excited about something and so naturally they want you to experience it too. It never occurred to me until recently that maybe homeownership was and always has been my mom’s dream and she was passing it on to me. It really was never my dream…

On the other hand, I always want to buy more things and I always want to learn and acquire more knowledge. I spend my money on stuff I want – mostly books, crystals/gemstones, tattoos, classes, etc.

How do we free ourselves of wanting more stuff?

You don’t really. Bottom line is, if you enjoy it then go ahead and buy it. And if it means spending money to have enjoyment, then do so.

Just remember that we can’t take any of this stuff when we transition (most people call it ‘death’) to the afterlife or next dimension. We can’t even take our bodies, the same bodies that we obsess about so much.

So think about what is really important to you.

As I was thinking about what image to create to pair up with this blog post, the 7 of Cups from tarot symbolism came to mind.

In tarot, the 7 of Cups represents fantasy, illusions, dreams.

bookmark_borderToday I Will Write Something

Posted on by savethesavages

Not should, not try to…just do.

This article by James Altucher inspired me right now: The Penultimate Rules On Being More Creative

Granted I didn’t read all of it (I skimmed it actually), but I will definitely revisit in a bit.

For now, let me just write this.

Continue reading “Today I Will Write Something”