Hello Reader,

Happy New Year! Can you believe we are saying the words, "Two thousand TWENTY SIX"? My husband and I were reminiscing about Y2K the other day. Remember that? We all thought the computers were not going to roll over to 2000 after 1999 and everything was going to crash. People were stocking up on supplies etc. It was crazy.

Now 26 years later, tech is still going but more crazy than ever with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

As creatives, we have mixed feelings about AI. We hate it because people can just ask Chat GPT to create an image in one minute that might take us a week to complete in actual painting or digital art. We love it because it helps our work flow by helping us with tasks we don't like doing, like creating titles, descriptions, and tags for products.

For now, I'm choosing to embrace the good about AI and ignore the things that I can't control.

Here's a few things Chat GPT has helped me with so far in 2026:

Making a portfolio page on my website

My one business goal for 2026 is to get my art licensed with a greeting card company. I downloaded Michele Frusciano's portfolio template for Canva and filled it in with my art and am ready to pitch to companies, which is a BIG step for me!

BUT, my website, instagram handle, and Facebook page were all listed on that form, and I started looking at them from a greeting card company's eyes. I realized I needed to get organized! One big thing I was lacking was a portfolio page on my website and I wasn't sure how to go about it, so I asked chat GBT to help me.

Once chat GPT (let's call her Laverne from now on) got the info needed, like the fact that I use Wordpress to create and edit my website, she got me started step by step. Not just a list of things to do, but a few steps at a time and then a check in, all the while telling me lovely encouraging things to keep me going.

Laverne seemed to know my personality and cautioned me to go 'slow' and stay 'calm'. Here's a little snippet from our interaction:

And guess what? I now have a portfolio page on my website that I titled, "Greeting Card Gallery" where people can browse my designs, purchase them, or inquire about licensing. Pretty awesome! Want to check it out?

Research Greeting Card Companies For Pitching

Laverne also helped me with a little research I had been putting off as it seemed overwhelming. Check this out:

She not only gave me several companies, she listed why the company is a good fit and how to pitch to that particular company. See this example:

After listing each company she followed up with a chart to compare all of them. She's amazing!

Lastly she left me with this:

To be continued!

Now, on to the Pantone Color of the Year

Ready for this?

It's white. Are you underwhelmed? Me too, but how does this image make you feel? Light and airy? Me too!

Here's what the color means according to Pantone and Leatrice Eiseman:

After my initial let down of the color being WHITE, I have embraced the ideas behind the choice. I can get behind the concepts of "tranquility", "rediscovering the value of quiet reflection", giving room for "creativity to breathe", and "release from the distraction of outside influences".

I am translating this to allowing more white space in my card designs. I can do that, sometimes at least!.

Also, have I mentioned that I used to work for Leatrice Eiseman in the summers when she lived near us about 25 years ago? What an amazing experience! I had an 'in' because she used many of my dad's photos in her books, so I got to be the assistant to her assistant during a big class she'd put on in the summers. I am available for autographs, just ask!

Before I sign off, I want to share a big win I had in 2025. This little Christmas card had over 6,000 sales on Card Isle between November and December! See all of the white space? It's like I knew what was up and coming (said cheekily).

This success helps me feel confident in the niche I have chosen, greeting cards, and gives me momentum into this new year to keep at it!

What is propelling you into 2026 creatively speaking and how do you feel about the new Pantone Color of the Year? Just reply to this e-mail and let me know!

Kim Snider, Virtuoso, Signing Off

Check out my Website​

Come follow me on:

​Instagram​

​Facebook​