Like it or not Pinterest is a endless source of inspiration. Unfortunately the plethora of ideas can end up being a creative persons’ worst time suck if they are not careful. As the content manager for Card Isle, I am constantly searching for new greeting card designers, artwork, and sentiments. As an artist, I am deeply susceptible to beautiful things. You can see my dilemma. To stay on track, I undertook making Card Isle’s Pinterest account my new favorite organizer for creative content. Ironically my inspiration came from stumbling across the most intricate Pinterest account I’ve ever seen, courtesy of Hartford Prints!. Check it out here. Whether you are an art licenser, greeting card designer, independent artist of any kind, or a DIY craft junkie you can use these tips to tame the beast that is Pinterest and breeze through your creative projects!

1. Map out your needs as an artist, business, or crafter and create boards to meet them. No more no less. What kind of ideas and thoughts do you want to save? What inspires you do to your creative work? Who do you want to reach and inspire in turn? I want to recruit artists, support our contributing artists, and inspire creative greeting card ideas. Done. 

2. Curate ruthlessly. The most helpful tool I learned from Hartford Prints! was another system of organization where you use categories within the title of the board. For instance, card making can be broken down into paper, lettering, and all kinds of mediums. All of the collections I can imagine are categorized under “Inspire” to get me, designers, and customers in the mood to celebrate. Of course it is best practice to always enter a description and official category when you create a board.

3. Resist the creation junk drawer board. Every pin really can have a place. Your best ideas will probably come at most inopportune times and if you want to come back to it when you’re not on the toilet or at work, put the pin somewhere it makes sense.

4. When you have a project in mind blow it up into it’s own board. Research it, and pin your findings: anything that inspires, motivates, and educates you in the process. Don’t limit yourself to Pinterest and what is picked for you. Search outside; keep it fresh.

5. Take things from inspiration to development and with boards that keep it real. I loved the “Real Life” and “Event” boards that Hartford Prints! made. It gave me the idea that what was missing from Pinterest was a little closure when people follow-through with projects. 

6. Connect. Like the pins of people you want to hire or work with, better yet make a whole board about it like my “We want to work with you!” board. Draw people to your page where they can see your creative process and inspirations!

You can see Card Isle’s Pinterest and follow the things we find and share. It’s still very much growing into the organization I imposed, but I’m already loving the results. It is far more helpful as an idea map for our creative and active business.