Google alerts

Ok so who has time to just read every cool thing on the internet? I wish I did, but do not. Therefore I am in love with Google Alerts. First you have to make sure you have your Google page as an iGoogle, which essentially is personalizing  your Google home page. Which can be fun and time consuming if you get sucked into all the features and additions. I go fairly minimalist but have feeds to my favorite blogs, the weather, John Stewart quote, and news. I avoid the 'daily art' and anything that just sucks my load time. Now the Google Alert is simple really. You login to your Google account, then go to Personal Settings, Alerts. When you select Alerts you are taken to a simple interface where you type in the key words you want Google to scan for and send you updates. I get daily updates on things such as Manufacturers Licensing Art, Illustration, Karyn Servin (to see if I pop up anywhere unexpected) and a few other industry specific terms. Then once a day I get a handy email for each of my alerts with links. You can drill down in your Google Alert to only search for types of reference, be it video, blog, news, groups etc... I choose comprehensive to be more encompassing for my needs. This is a great way to find interesting articles, insight into what is happening elsewhere and expand your connections. As a busy Illustrator, I don't have time to read every blog, that's why I let Google help find content that is relevant. Of course I still love reading my favorite blogs and make sure to find time for them!