The henna or mehndi leaves are used in body painting or what we call as henna tattoo or temporary tattoo. People nowadays prefer to use it because it is cheaper, simpler and you can even make one and apply them your own. The henna leaves are ground and powdered and turned into paste then, applied in different body parts such as; hands, legs, feet, arms, ankles, neck, back, belly and even in toe and fingernails and in other parts of the body where you would prefer to have them.

Tattoo Design

Because henna tattoo has become a fashion, many suppliers now made henna in variety of colors but, studies showed that it is not safe. When other colors, chemicals or substances are added to henna to alter its color, there is some sort of chemical reactions that causes skin irritations which can be mild to severe in cases. Therefore, it is advisable to use henna in its pure and uncolored form.

Everyone can use henna and create and experiment any designs or you can choose one since, there are many henna tattoo design books or catalogs available in the market. Some people use the pre-made henna in tubes in the market but many still prefer to mix it their own way.

Surprisingly, doing so gives rather better results. There are actually henna recipes, designs and guides in the market that can help you in doing the henna paste and applying them your own. If you want to experience making one for yourself here is a simple and effective recipe and procedure that will guide you thru the process as well as, how to apply it.

First you will need:

1 and 1/4 cups of dry and sifted henna powder

2 packets instant coffee singles

1 and 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)

5 drops eucalyptus oil

5 drops clove oil

Procedures in mixing the henna paste.

1. Boil the instant coffee and water down to 3/4 cup of dark liquid.

2. Mix enough coffee (dark liquid) into the henna powder to create a thick paste. Keep on mixing until it is well blended.

3. Add the lemon juice, the eucalyptus and clove oil. Mix till well blended. Just a bit of a reminder though, the paste must not be too watery or you need to add more henna powder. It should not also be so thick or you will need to add a little more of the dark liquid or a plain water will do. Lastly, let the mixture cool for about 2 hours before using. The measurement does only for a small portion of henna paste. If you plan to use more then you can do so by doubling the measurements. Unused henna paste can also be kept for later use provided that it is sealed. It may last for two weeks if kept in a chiller and may last for two months if kept frozen.

How to apply the henna paste?

In applying the henna paste, you can choose from using a toothpick, squeeze bottle or a cone. You can buy or make your own using available material that can be made such. Then you will have to decide for the design. There are various henna tattoo design kits available in the market. It comes with a sample design and a stencil.

However, you can do it your way. Create your own design and not need for some fancy stencils and stuff and do it freehand! After applying, you must live it until the paste dries. This may take longer than the application. It may take hours and when it is finally dry; you will see the fine results you just did. Cool! The tattoo may last for 4 to 6 weeks depending on how you would care for it.

So the hard work, handwork and time spent are worth it!

Henna Tattoo Design – How to Make Henna Tattoos

Bella Woods is an internet marketer who’s passions include arts and fashion. Specifically on henna and henna tattoo designs. See’s beauty in arts and promotes henna tattoo as a best artistic expression for all art enthusiasts.

http://hennatattoodesignblog.com
http://hennatattoodesignblog.com/henna-tattoo-design/henna-tattoo-design-today%E2%80%99s-fashion-rage-was-an-ancient-artistic-practice

There are two ways to group the twelve signs. The first way is to divide them into four groups, based on the four elements. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are in the Fire group. Fire signs are very intense and exciting, inspirational and imaginative. Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are in the Earth group. Earth signs have characteristics such as common sense and stability. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are in the Air group. Air signs are very sociable and intellectual. Lastly, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are in the Water group. Water signs are very emotional and have great intuition.

ASTROLOGY

The second way to group the zodiac signs is to separate them into three modes. The three modes are based on creativity. Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are in the first mode called Cardinal. Cardinal signs are inclined to initiate change. They cause things to happen. Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius are in the mode called Fixed. Fixed signs are inclined to sustain, preserve, endure and solidify change. They are very focused and determined. Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are in the last mode called Mutable. Mutable signs are very adaptive and flexible. They take things and attempt to adapt or alter them.

If you combine the two classification systems, you will find that each sign has a different combination of the two groups. For example, Taurus is fixed earth and is the only sign that has that combination. This is what makes each sign unique and what creates different characteristics in people.

People that are Aries are born between March 20th and April 18th. This sign is represented by the ram and ruled by Mars. Some characteristics of Aries are independent, impulsive, competitive, arrogant, dynamic, adventurous, energetic and courageous. Aries always wants to be the best and wants to lead. Aries is very faithful to friends and family. Aries are good matches in relationships with Gemini, Leo, Libra and Scorpio.

If you are born between April 19th and May 20th then you are a Taurus. This sign is represented by the bull and is ruled by Venus. People under the Taurus sign are dependable, practical, reliable, patient, stubborn, warm hearted and loving. They are very faithful to family and friends, but if insulted, they won’t forget it. Taurus makes good matches in relationships with Libra, Scorpio and Capricorn.

Gemini falls between the dates May 21st and June 20th. This sign is represented by the twins and is ruled by Mercury. Some characteristics include curiosity, adaptability, versatility, witty and expressiveness. Geminis are great communicators; they love to talk. They can be pessimistic sometimes due to the duality of their nature. Gemini makes good matches in relationships with Virgo, Libra and Sagittarius.

The dates of Cancer are June 21st to July 22nd. This sign is represented by the crab and is ruled by the moon. People under the Cancer sign are sensitive, sympathetic, emotional, romantic, shy and lazy. These people take everything personally because they are so sensitive. Cancer makes good matches in relationships with Pisces, Scorpio and Aquarius.

If you are born between July 23rd and August 22nd then you are a Leo. This sign is represented by the lion and is ruled by the sun. Some characteristics include creativity, optimism, loyalty, confidence, generosity and boastful. Leos love to get everyone’s attention; they often will buy very expensive items. They also love to entertain. Great matches for Leo are Scorpio, Capricorn and Leo.

Virgo falls between the dates August 23rd and September 22nd. It is represented by the virgin and is ruled by Mercury. Some characteristics are accuracy, competency, rational, intelligent and picky. Virgos need lots of adoration and attention. They are perfectionists and must have their home ordered and clean. Virgo makes good matches in relationships with Gemini, Pisces and Taurus.

People that are a Libra are born between September 23rd and October 22nd. This sign is represented by the scales and is ruled by Venus. These people are cooperative, persuasive, sociable, indecisive, loyal, caring, adaptive and devoted. Libras want everyone to receive fair justice. They are very trustworthy in relationships; however, this sometimes makes them possessive. Great matches for Libra include Aquarius, Aries and Taurus.

If you are born between October 23rd and November 21st, then you are a Scorpio. This sign is represented by the scorpion and is ruled by Pluto. Some characteristics include passionate, motivation, resourceful, clever, intuitive, non-compromising, temperamental, suspicious and sarcastic. Money is very important for these people. Scorpios can say one thing but be thinking another, which makes them great actors. Great matches for Scorpio include Capricorn, Leo and Pisces.

Sagittarius falls between the dates of November 22nd and December 21st. The sign is represented by the archer and is ruled by Jupiter. These people are enthusiastic, generous, blunt, impatient, optimistic, honest and faithful. Sagittarians are not very emotional. They also will quickly adapt to different situations. Some good matches for them are Gemini, Aries, Taurus and Virgo.

The dates for Capricorn are December 22nd to January 19th. This sign is represented by the goat and is ruled by Saturn. Some characteristics of Capricorn are responsible, careful, practical, shy and reserved. They are very faithful to family and friends. They are very affectionate and kind but this is often suppressed due to their shyness. They are also very insecure about their abilities. Good matches for Capricorn are Cancer, Leo, Taurus and Virgo.

Aquarius falls between the dates January 20th and February 18th. This sign is represented by the water-bearer and is ruled by Uranus. Some characteristics are independent, unpredictable, intellectual, charming and sincere. These people aren’t very sociable and prefer to be by themselves. However, they can entertain easily. Good matches for Aquarius are Aries, Gemini and Libra.

People that are Pisces are born between February 19th and March 19th. The sign is represented by the fish and is ruled by Neptune. Some characteristics include compassionate, dreamy, artistic, independent, sensitive, loving, impractical and timid. They can easily adapt to different situations and can handle many different tasks at the same time. Good matches for relationships include Aquarius, Cancer and Scorpio.

These twelve zodiac signs can easily explain why people are the way they are and why they do certain things. Zodiac signs can also help you in relationships. This can explain why many relationships don’t work out and why others do.

Astrology – Zodiac Sign Facts

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Astrology

Video sharing sites provide much more fun and entertainment. Those sites such as Google video, YouTube, Metacafe includes lot of funny, interesting and useful videos. Funny pranks and Comedy videos in those video sharing website shall be used a good stress relieving tools.

Entertainment

Watching online movies is another great entertainment in Internet. There are numerous websites providing online movies, some of them are free too and some charge a tiny payment. Online movies include all genres such as action, romance, drama etc.

Online games such as Yahoo Games, Pogo, iWin, Shockwave, and New grounds are all great pages containing thousands of free online games for users of all ages. These games are often Flash, Shockwave, or Java and can be easily played through your browser without having to download and install the game. There are stress relieving games to overcome everyday stress in business and personal life’s. Websites such as Bored.com, Funisland.com, and gamefunonline.com have lot of free online games, computer games and flash games. Not only that but we have tons of fun filled games.

Social networking site’s posses lot of fun and they are equipped with options like chatting, video and photo sharing, tagging, writing comments, updating status and lot more. Messenger services and VoIP service provide chatting and group conversation, which enables enhanced communication.

Listening to music is yet another great way of stress relieving and entertainment we can get on the internet. Lots of sites provide online music, covering almost all the languages available on the internet. Free internet radio stations, Live FM radios, Music libraries are the sources of music on Internet. We shall also hear music from online live concerts, video uploads etc.

We shall get more tips on stress management in websites regarding health benefits. There is a lot of websites provide guidance on meditation, yoga and tai-chi. These sites provide video tutorial on those Yoga, Meditation etc.

In general Internet is a great source of fun, entertainment provider. Internet is resourceful tool providing lot of entertainment. Internet acts as a great communication application.

Entertainment on the Internet – There Is Something for Everyone!

You can find a lot of funny love quotes on the net. Click here to know more about funny love quotes

People play for relaxing while at home, some manage to sneak and play while at the office. No matter about the names, they come in a wide variety and an unlimited supply. There are so many of them with so many upgradable versions that they literally flood the internet and gaming industry.

Entertainment

The internet is filled with sites that offer at least a dozen of quality action packed games, that makes your adrenalin rush and you get addicted to it like how our body gets addicted to drugs. You will find many games with different story lines and characters, with different skills. Racing, bank robberies, fights, plane simulators, space travels etc are few of the most sought after games. And, most of them are offered free to the players, but there are quite few, for which you have to pay. But, even they let you have a feel of the game for free through demo versions.

Almost every month, game developers develop newer versions, where there are more opportunities for your skills as a gamer. They challenge the speed, reflex, response, action time and other skills. They help you to sharpen your reflex and judgment time. It is also true that technology has proved that your brain can function faster and better by playing action games on computers. Thus, they make a good option of entertainment and enjoyment. But, getting addicted to these games and spending all your time in front of these games, is on the bad side.

Max Games – An Arena of Entertainment and Adrenalin

There are a lot of free Ben 10 games available on the internet. Click here to know more about Bratz games.

The mental focus may be introspective and you could be weighing things related to joint monies or property which has to factor in another’s rules or requirements. Or maybe you are researching information by digging and delving a bit more and making a strategy.

Horoscope

With Mars energizing a working area, you may be extra busy with practical daily tasks and maintenance or repairs and this would be the right moment to put physical effort into getting organized with chores and tidying a workspace. Mars will also activate health issues and during this phase you may take steps to improve health and fitness or any other aspect of your existence which might increase overall efficiency.

The partial solar eclipse in your opposite sign Cancer signals fresh beginnings in close personal or professional relationships, so, if needed, take the initiative to improve things through co-operation and compromise starting from the day of the eclipse on July 1st.

THE SLOWER MOVING PLANETS:

For about 12 months Jupiter will usher in a more playful, sociable mood. This will encourage your own spontaneity and give you more of a chance to shine in your own unique way through your leisure activities or with children, youngsters animals or a creative enterprise. Your originality can come to the fore and certain others could be giving you admiring glances or make you the centre of attention for other reasons.

Some of you may have more connection with the entertainments or leisure industry or have the chance to pursue a hobby or pastime you enjoy with someone whose company you value. You’ll feel bolder and more willing to be playful and this Jupiter transit is great for all love and creative money-making schemes.

Saturn and Pluto have you wondering about your long-term direction across the board. And this is in the background when you are making decisions about what to do in the now. You are looking for ways to build a new structure for yourself and so, along the way, much of where you’ve been or what you’re qualified to do, or the role others expect you to play will be useful but may now need re-thinking or up-grading so you can feel more secure and get the status or recognition you deserve along with improvements in your close relationships and a stronger identification with what you do for a living.

Uranus will be at the root of your solar chart for many years. Significant change will affect the home base or family members sending ripples through your own life over the 7 year transit of Uranus here. It will probably shift your opinion about where your true roots are in this world. There may be a several changes of scene over 2011 if Uranus comes within range of an important point in your natal chart. Your foundations may be rocked and you’ll have to adapt to an at times, inspirational or at times, uncertain environment.

Capricorns born on the first week or the first 7 degrees of Capricorn rising will feel this vibration most this month.

You’ll be sensing the emotional undertow of Pluto, reminding you that this is a time to begin redesigning and renewing your short-term ambitions and long-term goals and set out to achieve them. This may mean letting go of a long-standing arrangement, or set of expectations or a habit or a relationship or a career.

You need to follow your deepest instincts now as this is about your personal evolution.

Capricorns born from the 25th Dec – Jan 1st with 3-8 degrees of Capricorn rising will feel this vibration most this month.

From the 23rd is a gear-shifting phase, but you’ll probably feel a little self-protective at times as you gauge where your priorities lie and how best to move forwards.

Capricorn Horoscope for July 2011

View your Capricorn July 2011 horoscope, or your Capricorn 2011 horoscope.

1. Tattoos last a really long time. They are a peice of body art that literally sticks with you for years upon years.

Tattoo Design

2. You have to look at the same tattoo every day. This may not seem like a big deal, but whatever design you choose, you are stuck with it, like it or not. So getting something pleasing on your eye is still extremely important.

3. They can be really expensive. Tattoo artist charge a significant amount of money for the work they do. It’s not that they are overcharging, they have a really specialized job. So before they do the work, make sure it is what you want.

4. They can be a deep expression of your inner self. So what exactly does that mean? Well, tattoos are something that should be sacred. They become part of your body and should be meaningful, if for nobody else, yourself. Tattoos should be the ultimate form of self expression. With that being said, they should mean something to you that is quite timeless and universal… the perfect tattoo.

Put that list of four together, then you have a pretty big decision on your hands. This is something you shouldn’t rush and you should exhaust all options and resources before deciding on one. So what are some tattoo ideas you could consider? This article is going to cover three different tattoo designs: Zodiac tattoo designs, celtic tattoo designs and tribal tattoo designs and some meaning and/or history behind each.

1. Zodiac Tattoos – Also known as astrological tattoo designs, the zodiac style is based off of your own star sign. Dependent on what date you were born, there are twelve options as there are twelve zodiac signs or symbols. Each zodiac symbol represents certain characteristics of a person born within that time as well. In this case you would read up on the various characteristics of your specif zodiac sign and see how well it matches your personality. Many find that they can connect very closely to their personality. The website listed at the bottom of this article explains each zodiac sign as well as other tattoo meanings. Whether you want a pisces tattoo, a gemini tattoo, libra, cancer or leo tattoo, make sure it fits who you are.

2. Celtic tattoos – The celtic tattoo design, which is often made of interlinking knots come from a culture known as the Celts. The Celts were a generalized group of people from Indo-Europe and surrounding areas in the pre-christian era. Celtic art is very intricute and often beautiful art. The architechural and design art commonly associated with the Irish, Scottish and Norwegian regions. The art is very “old world” and is very popular in modern jewelry. Celtic tattoos often come in the form of the celtic cross, celtic hearts and among many other celtic tattoo designs. Much of this type of art symbolizes old culture thinking and getting back to the root of things.

3. Tribal Tattoos – Tribal tattoo designs are a general term for tattoos that resemble tribal-like markings of early cultures. The most commonly seen type of tribal tatto design consists of thick sharp edges that move around the part of the body like really thick rose thorns. Tribal tattoo art is often thick, sharp and twisty. Even Celtic art could be considered tribal. Some meanings that can be associated with tribal tattoo designs is of the need to get back to the primal uncivilized part of man. Early tribes used tribal tattoos for a variety of reasons from Egyptian priestesses to native American sages to do such things as magical protection or to show victory in times of war. In actuality tribal tattoos can mean anything to the wearer of them. In fact, you could create your own tribal tattoo with its own meaning if you want to get really creative.

Deciding on the right tattoo design or tattoo sketches can be a real challenge, but educating yourself to their meanings and seeing a variety of different kinds can help make the decision that much easier. Take your time, exhaust all your options and resources, discover the various meanings, meditate on who you really are, and make your move a smart one. Whether its zodiac, tribal or celtic tattoos or something completely different, there are many options out there to choose from.

Tattoo Designs – Zodiac, Celtic and Tribal Tattoos

Visit Zodiact Tribal Tattoos [http://www.zodiactribaltattoos.com] at [http://www.zodiactribaltattoos.com] for tattoo designs, meanings, award winning tattoo directory, parlors and celebrity tattoos.

You can go all the way back to the mid 1950s when a young girl by the name of Julie Andrews made her debut in the London production of “My Fair Lady”, a play based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. Her electrifying performance as Eliza Doolittle, the poor Cockney gal who couldn’t speak proper English if her life depended on it, made her a household name overnight and began a career that would span over 40 years until she sadly lost her voice due to serious throat problems.

Entertainment

Looking for something a little more recent? How about the very first legitimate musical of the 1960s to feature nudity? We are of course talking about the 1969 production of “Hair”. This was a play that literally changed pop music altogether. Never in the history of Broadway has one play had as many hit pop records as “Hair”. This play featured such great hits as “Hair”, “Easy To Be Hard”, “Good Morning Starshine” and the number 1 song of 1969, “Aquarius”. Because of the great music in this play, careers for “Three Dog Night”, “The 5th Dimension”, “The Cowsills” and “Oliver” were launched into orbit. Talk about an impact on the music world.

Then of course there was the amazing rock opera of the Who, “Tommy”. This play was an epic of a musical masterpiece itself and not only put the Who firmly on the map as future rock and roll hall of famers, but also set the stage for a number of recording stars to capitalize on the success of “Tommy” itself. As great as the Who’s version of “Pinball Wizard” was, who could ever forget the late 70s remake by Elton John? Tommy will always be one of the greatest moments in theater history ever.

But if you want a single defining moment in theater history that chilled an entire world and put a single man on the map as a living legend, one need go no farther than Michael Crawford’s haunting rendition of “Music Of The Night” from “Phantom Of The Opera”. This is said to be one of the greatest musical performances of all time. And rightly so. To this day it has been said that nobody played this part like Crawford.

These few examples only scratch the surface of a form of entertainment that has captivated and mesmerized us for many years and will no doubt continue to do so for many more years to come.

Entertainment – Theater

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Entertainment [http://entertainment-guided.com]

If you are looking for the best digital cameras that are out this year, take a look at the list below and decide which gadget is the best for you.

Digital Camera

The latest model of Samsung, is its Samsung TL500 which was released on April 1, 2011. It has a twist and flip Active Matrix OLED display with rear screen, high sensitive sensor of 1/1.7″ CCD type with 10 million effective pixels. It is RAW capable and has a charming design. Its main advantage is the fast f1.8 lens, which almost had the same capability of those entry level digital single lens reflex. It works perfectly well even in low light areas due to its ability to swiftly gather a lot of light. Its excellent photo quality output is even way too good for its purchase price. The down side? It comes with a bigger size that would not surely fit your pocket. Samsung TL500 is perfect for taking photos, but never mind the video. Its video quality is poor.

Nikon Coolpix P500 was announced in the public last March 26, 2011. It has remarkable features that are great for photo shots and video. The gadget’s main feature is the 36x wide-angle optical zoom. It is just like standing close to the subject when taking close up images, even if you are quite far. It also has a side zoom feature that allows the user to capture fast moving actions with the slightest blur. Its bad side is the incapability of RAW format, lack of auto rotation of images and inconsistent photo quality, especially in dim places.

Canon PowerShot SX230 HSis the perfect choice for poor lighted areas. It comes with several shooting options that allow you to experiment with different shots. Still it catches excellent color and produces sharp images. It has a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, GPS receiver and a wide angle lens up to 14x zoom range. Its down side is it has a short battery life.

Digital Camera – Best Cameras for the Year 2011

Go to http://www.SX230hsreview.com if you want to learn more about the latest Canon advanced digital camera with 12 mega pixels, HS system, and Digic 4 image processor – PowerShot SX230 HS.

When selecting your camera it is important to consider the following:

1. Note the number of pixels the photo files contain. This will determine how clear the details in your pictures will be. A higher number of pixels will give you a clearer picture.

2. They usually come with internal memory. However, purchasing and using memory cards will give you unlimited storage capabilities. I always have a spare card with me because you never know when those “Kodak moments” will occur.

3. It is also important to assess the battery usage. You can buy batteries when you need them; but I have chargeable batteries and a charger. I always keep my spare battery charged and in my camera case.

4. You can transfer your pictures to your computer or print from a printer dock. There are various ways to transfer your pictures to your computer. I usually connect my camera directly to a USB port or simply insert my memory card into my Smart Media Card Reader.

Digital Photography

Five years ago I bought my first digital camera, a Kodak EasyShare DX6440, when our son was having a baby. He lived six hours away, so I wanted lots of pictures. It was great and I even took short videos which we treasure. A couple of years later when our daughter, who lives next door had her son, she wanted to borrow the camera. Well, you know where the camera stayed after that. When we were going on a vacation to New York City, I couldn’t take the camera away from her. She might miss some really great pictures! So we purchased our next camera, a Kodak EasyShare Z740. The DX6440 had 4 MegaPixels and the Z740 had 5. I took over 1200 pictures and videos on our trip. I truly love the camera. We have since given the Z740 to our other daughter and purchased our third digital camera, a Kodak EasyShare Z12 IS (7.1 MegaPixels). We took this camera on a trip to Hawaii. This time I took over 1700 pictures and videos.

These cameras are easy to use. With the view screen you can see instantly if you have a good picture or not. Gone are the days when you took several and had to wait to have them developed just to discover you moved or someone blinked their eyes and you don’t have a good picture. Look what you can do! You can take really closeups of flowers. You can take distant pictures then try and crop them to get closer views, or you can zoom in on the item you want. The Z712 has a panoramic option and the views are wonderful.

These are just a few examples of the quality of pictures you can take today with one of the many digital cameras available. I encourage you to get started and have fun.

Digital Photography

Visit us today at http://sarahs-technology-center.blogspot.com/

I am a mother of two daughters and one son, with eleven grandchildren. I have thousands of digital photographs and videos of the children. I am always exploring the different settings available on today’s cameras and the uses for the pictures. At Sarah’s Technology Center, it is my hope to share these possibilities with you and make you comfortable with your digital camera.

The tax system can be hard on artists. Artists just don’t fit into a typical career path of making a set amount of money and then increasing that slightly year-by-year.

Artist

Here are the 7 most important lessons I learned from speaking with Amanda about artists, money and taxes.

1. Make your passion into a business. Claiming to the world, the government and yourself that your art is a business is a hugely important step that requires courage and confidence. Reporting the income you generate from your art shows that you’re taking your art and yourself seriously.

Actions: Consider the beliefs that are underlying your decision of whether or not to report your earnings as an artist. And by all means, consider hiring a professional like Amanda Mills to help you out.

Amanda’s clients value her unique expertise and understanding of the arts because she takes them seriously. Other accountants might look at the small earnings of an artist and ask, “Why bother?” Amanda treats your identity and earnings as an artist with respect and gives them the attention they deserve.

2. Fund your passion with a supplemental job. A “day job” doesn’t have to be something that makes you miserable. If it is, it’s costing you a lot more than you’re earning and you’d be better off finding something else.

Look at the big picture – your supplemental job doesn’t have to be something you’re passionate about; its function is to provide the funding for what you ARE passionate about.

Here’s where a supplemental job can really make things easier with taxes. Let’s say your supplemental job is teaching at a university, and you make ,000 a year. You’re also a sculptor, and you’ve established your sculpting as a business.

You spend ,000 on your sculpting in a year. Because it’s a business, you can claim that as a business expense. So, instead of paying taxes on the ,000 you earned at your supplemental job, you only have to pay taxes on ,000. That could save you over ,000 in taxes.

Action: Weigh out the costs and earnings of your “day job”. Consider the financial costs (child care, gas, transit, parking, clothing, supplies, training, etc.), time costs (travel time, time spent at work, bringing work home with you, etc.), mental costs (getting distracted trying to solve work problems when you’re at home, or other stressful thoughts related to work), and lastly the emotional costs (being miserable in a job you don’t like, interpersonal conflicts with colleagues, or feelings that the job or company is not aligned with your personal values).

3. Art is life and life is art. For artists, there’s much more of a blurred line between personal and professional life.

Whether you’re taking a trip, having lunch with a friend or seeing a movie, chances are that what you’re doing will influence your creative work in some way.

And if you’re not directly absorbing inspiration, you’re fueling it in your conversations, by talking about your work. And so these activities can often be deducted as business expenses.

Action: Keep track of everything you’re spending money on and keep notice of how it affects the business of your art. Get receipts for everything and keep these in a folder, envelope or box marked, “Expenses”.

4. Live at the bottom of the curve and keep your footprints small. Artists often have an irregular flow of income coming in, so managing cash flow can be tricky. It’s important to see the low times (when less money is coming in) as “normal”, and budget yourself to be able to live on that. Keep your footprints small by minimizing the costs of your lifestyle.

Then, when good times happen and some money is rolling in, you’ll be able to take care of some bigger things – get the car fixed, for example, or put some money aside for the next low time.

Action: Save three to six months of living expenses. Start small, just by putting aside one week of expenses. This is the best step you can take to reduce the impact of a fluctuating income.

5. Flatten your income. Artist incomes can vary wildly from year to year. One of Amanda’s jobs is to “flatten” a client’s income out from one year to another. Sometimes that’s purely on paper and sometimes that’s through strategic actions on the part of the artist.

It’s especially important that by your third year in business, you’re showing some earnings as an artist (that’s often the “red flag” point of time for the tax collectors).

Amanda recommends that her clients help this along by making extra efforts to book shows, apply for as many grants as possible, or by donating their artwork to charity.

Actions: Be mindful of the ebb and flow of your income, and how that will show on paper at tax time; not just this year, but in the history and future of your art business. Also, be sure and tell your tax preparation specialist about any upcoming opportunities on the horizon.

6. Think ahead and get your records organized. Contrary to the myth of the “flaky artist”, Amanda finds that most artists are quite organized.

Actions:

1. Get started by checking out the resources at Amanda’s Artbooks site (see below).

2. Find all of your revenue and expense receipts, sort them and add them up.

7. Come to peace with paying your taxes. Think of it as rent for your country. If you’re making money at your art, get someone to figure out what percentage of your gross income goes to taxes, and send in your taxes as regular payments throughout the year.

Otherwise, unless you’re incredibly disciplined at setting these amounts aside, you’ll end up scrambling to come up with this big lump sum of money at tax time. This is a recipe for fiscal disaster.

Action: Decide upon quarterly or monthly tax payments, or perhaps pay after you’ve received a big payment such as a grant or a paid lecture.

© Linda Dessau, 2006.

7 Tax Tips for Artists

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Visit http://www.genuinecoaching.com to sign-up for your complimentary copy of the popular e-course, “Roadblocks to Creativity”. And for more information about artists, money and taxes, check out Amanda’s websites, http://www.loosechange.ca and http://www.loosechange.ca/artbooks.html