Give Yourself Margin

An inspiring interactive guide to embracing imperfection and creating space for creativity in your mind and your life. “Give yourself margin” is a sewing maxim about leaving enough excess fabric to account for potential mistakes. This book from successful designer Stacie Bloomfield is about giving yourself the space—the mental margin—to reconnect with your creative self by trying new things and, yes, even by failing sometimes. With lush illustrations, empowering interactive prompts, and inspiring personal stories, Give Yourself Margin is perfect for anyone who is looking to rediscover their spark.

Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits. Today we use margin just to get by. This book is for anyone who yearns for relief from the pressure of overload. Reevaluate your priorities, determine the value of rest and simplicity in your life, and see where your identity really comes from. The benefits can be good health, financial stability, fulfilling relationships, and availability for God’s purpose.

Artists around the world have lately been turning to their bookshelves for more than just a good read, opting to cut, paint, carve, stitch or otherwise transform the printed page into whole new beautiful, thought-provoking works of art. Art Made from Books is the definitive guide to this compelling art form, showcasing groundbreaking work by today's most showstopping practitioners. From Su Blackwell's whimsical pop-up landscapes to the stacked-book sculptures of Kylie Stillman, each portfolio celebrates the incredible creative diversity of the medium. A preface by pioneering artist Brian Dettmer and an introduction by design critic Alyson Kuhn round out the collection.

A New York Times Notable Book Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award A personal, lyrical narrative about storytelling and empathy, from the author of Orwell's Roses Apricots. Her mother's disintegrating memory. An invitation to Iceland. Illness. These are Rebecca Solnit's raw materials, but The Faraway Nearby goes beyond her own life, as she spirals out into the stories she heard and read—from fairy tales to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein—that helped her navigate her difficult passge. Solnit takes us into the lives of others—an arctic cannibal, the young Che Guevara among the leprosy afflicted, a blues musician, an Icelandic artist and her labyrinth—to understand warmth and coldness, kindness and imagination, decay and transformation, making art and making self. This captivating, exquisitely written exploration of the forces that connect us and the way we tell our stories is a tour de force of association, a marvelous Russian doll of a book that is a fitting companion to Solnit's much-loved A Field Guide to Getting Lost.

For those who are tired of feeling overwhelmed and directionless, this short, sweet little book will leave you with the same energy and purpose you get from a candid chat with a great friend. In Your Best Year Yet, Kelly Exeter looks at the life lessons she's learned the hard way. With brutal honesty, practical advice and inspiring examples, she shares 7 simple ways to shift your thinking for the better. When the last page is turned, you'll feel fully equipped to: Make better decisions; Form better habits; Manage your time better; and Simply be the best person you can be.

Praise for How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitor "This is the complete book for both new and experienced salespeople and business owners to learn and re-learn the essentials for success. How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitors emphasizes the pricing strategies and tactics to increase the market share and profits of any organization. This is a book that is as important to presidents as it is to salespeople." --Bill Scales, CEO, Scales Industrial Technologies, Inc. "As the largest service provider in our industry, we have a significant market advantage. However, we constantly walk the pricing tightrope because, as this book so clearly states, 'business is a game of margins . . . not a game of volume!'" --John K. Harris, CEO, JK Harris & Company, LLC "If you live and die on price, this book could be your only lifeline." --Tom Reilly, CSP, author of Value-Added Selling and Crush Price Objections "How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitors successfully illustrates profitable sales truths to assist us in selling for maximum return. This book's well-researched, logical, and affirming words validate the simple fact that as a premium company we deserve premium margins. So, while our competitors reduce or match prices out of fear and scarcity, our managers, thanks to this powerful sales tool, can continue quoting and closing with profitable confidence." --Joe Bracket, President, Power Equipment Company "I learned a long time ago that it is pretty difficult to control what my competitors will do, but we must control what we do--like maintaining margins. This book is a 'wow!' that will help my salesmen crack bad habits. Sales organizations should design their entire training programs around the content in this book." --George C. Giessing, President, Brusco-Rich, Inc. "This energizing book is the 'right stuff' for every sales force. It should be a required study for every executive and sales professional who seeks to be successful." --David R. Little, Chairman and CEO, DXP Enterprises, Inc.

You’ve Got Mail meets The Proposal—this romance is one for the books. Savannah Cade’s dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance publishing company in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah’s been secretly writing. The only problem: she’s an editor for a different company, and their philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and romance should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante’s inferno. But when Savannah drops her manuscript during a staff meeting and nearly exposes herself to the whole company—including William Pennington, the new boss and son of the romance-despising CEO herself—she has no choice but to hide the manuscript in a hidden room. When she returns, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has not only been in her hidden nook but has written notes in the margins—quite critical ones. But when Claire’s own reaction turns out to be nearly identical to the scribbled remarks, and worse, Claire announces that Savannah has six weeks to resubmit before she retires, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the shadowy editor after all. As their notes back and forth start to fill up the pages, however, Savannah finds him not just becoming pivotal to her work but her life. There’s no doubt about it: she’s falling for her mystery editor. If she only knew who he was. “Meet Me in the Margins is a delightfully charming jewel of a book that fans of romantic comedy won’t be able to put down!” — Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky

In the tradition of other great ex-patriot stories like The Sun Also Rises or All the Pretty Horses, Native Moments is a coming-of-age adventure set among the lush landscape of Costa Rica. After the death of his brother, Sanch Murray leaves for a surf trip as a way to cope and sets out on a quixotic search for an alternative to the American Dream. Set in 1999 Costa Rica, Sanch and his friend Jake Higdon wander the dirt roads of Tamarindo and surrounding areas chasing waves as a way to live out the romantic fantasy lifestyle of traveling surfers. Jake Higdon, six years Sanch's senior, takes on the role of the wise leader and Sanch as his young apprentice. Sanch's adventure leads to encounters with people who share world views he had never considered and could potentially shape his own changing perceptions about life. Through sometimes humorous episodes such as trying his hand as a matador at a roadside rodeo or in his not so humorous battle with dysentery, Sanch explores life's beauty and wonder alongside the darker undercurrents of humanity. Along his journey, Sanch befriends a shamanic traveler named Rob, young revolutionaries from Venezuela, numerous expatriates from around the world trying to escape whatever it is that keeps chasing them, and a beautiful local girl named Andrea, who Sanch suspects is a prostitute but can't help falling for.

OVER 30,000 COPIES SOLD It’s a terrible feeling. To know you have a gift for the world. But to be utterly paralyzed every time you try to discover what that gift is. Stop procrastinating and start creating! In The Heart to Start, blogger, podcaster, and award-winning designer David Kadavy takes you on his journey from Nebraska-based cubicle dweller to jet-setting bestselling author, showing you how to stop procrastinating, and start creating. The original and battle-tested tactics in The Heart to Start eliminate fear in your present self, so you can finally become your future self: Tap into the innate power of curiosity. Find the fuel to propel you through resistance. Catch yourself “Inflating The Investment.” Prevent self-destructive time sucks and find the time to follow your art, even if you feel like you have no time at all. Bust through “The Linear Work Distortion.” Inspire action that harnesses your natural creative style. Supercharge your progress with “Motivational Judo.” Lay perfectionism on its back while propelling your projects forward. Inspiring stories weave these techniques into your memory. From Maya Angelou to Seth Godin. From J. K. Rowling to Steven Pressfield. You'll hear from a Hollywood screenwriter, a chef, and even a creator of a hit board game. Whether you’re writing a novel, starting a business, or picking up a paintbrush for the first time in years, The Heart to Start will upgrade your mental operating system with unforgettable tactics for ending procrastination before it starts, so you can make your creative dreams a reality. Take your first step and download The Heart to Start. Unlock your inner creative genius today!

An artist's unique voice is their calling card. It's what makes each of their works vital and particular. But developing such singular artistry requires effort and persistence. Bestselling author, artist, and illustrator Lisa Congdon brings her expertise to this guide to the process of artistic self-discovery. Featuring advice from Congdon herself and interviews with a roster of established artists, illustrators, and creatives, this one-of-a-kind book will show readers how to identify and nurture their own visual identity, navigate the influence of artists they admire, push through fear and insecurity, and appreciate the value of their personal journey.