INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you believe the world is a bad place, you will probably tend to have a negative attitude. As such, if you can work on changing your beliefs about the world, your attitude will likely follow suit.  Also remember that beliefs tend to be quite subjective and there are multiple ways of looking at the same thing. So, try to look for evidence that runs contrary to the belief that you hold. For example, if you believe the world is a bad place, you might spend a couple hours researching all the ways in which people help each other in times of need. Your negative ideas about the world may cause you to act a certain way and this can determine the outcome of some situations. Your negative ideas may even start to take the form of predictions and, each time one of your predictions comes true, your negative views are reinforced. This is known as a self-fulfilling prophecy. An example of a self-fulfilling prophecy is if you think that the world is a cold, mean place and so you are cold and mean to people. As a result, people may be cold and mean to you in return. You might then interpret their actions as being in line with your view of the world, which reinforces your attitude. You have a lot of control over the way you think about the world. Try to keep that in mind and use it to your advantage. Ultimately, you are responsible for your attitude and cannot blame how you think on others or on your situation. Remember that although you may not be able to change your circumstances sometimes, you can still change how you react to them by adopting one kind of attitude over another. In some sense, much of reality is subjective, such as whether you enjoy what you are doing or not. This depends in large part on the thoughts that you emphasize and focus on.   For example, if you do not much enjoy your job, you might think with a bad attitude "This really sucks and is pointless." However, you could also take a more positive attitude toward the exact same situation and think "It is pretty amazing that I can do a task and get money to feed myself and my family. Imagine living in a time when people had to forage for food and no meal was guaranteed." In part, your attitude is formed when you watch yourself act in certain ways. This is called self-perception theory, and it is the idea that people infer their own attitudes by perceiving their own behavior.  For example, one study found that if you focus people's attention on the number of religious activities they have participated in before, they tend to report more favorable attitudes towards religion. So, if you want to improve your attitude about life and yourself, you can partly get there by behaving like you want your attitude to be. This "faking it until you make it" can be an effective way to improve your attitude.

SUMMARY: Challenge your existing beliefs. Examine your ideas about the world. Take responsibility for your attitude. Re-frame your focus. Fake it until you make it.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: There are acrylic paints designed to adhere to leather products, including shoes. You can buy them at your local craft store. These paints go on with a brush for a smooth and lasting finish. Your other option is to use spray paint purchased from a hardware store. Choose a spray can with the smallest nozzle possible to minimize over-spraying. While spray painting your shoes is easy, it won’t allow you to get very detailed. Spraying works best when you are painting your entire shoes a single color. Remember to remove the shoe strings before you paint. This is a type of acrylic paint made specifically for fabric painting. It is applied with a brush and is quite durable. It also comes in a wide variety of colors, even with glitter options. Another plus is that it usually doesn’t crack after drying. You can also use fabric paint for leather or vinyl shoes. However, you have to extensively sand the surface of the shoe down almost to its fabric base or the paint will not adhere. You can buy paint markers at most art supply or craft stores. They come with a variety of tip sizes from super thick to ultra skinny. It’s usually a good idea to get a number of markers in the same colors, so that you can experiment. You’ll also want to test out the paint itself, as some are thicker in consistency. If you plan to paint your shoes a single shade, then it’s as simple as choosing the color. If you are going to do a more elaborate pen drawing or painting, then go ahead and sketch out your ideas on paper in advance. You can also create a 3-D design with a computer program, such as Photoshop. Draw on your design with the markers and use a cotton swab to dab at the colors. It will give them a softer look.  Make sure to consider how your design will look from all angles, including the back and from an above view. If you are just starting out, try to avoid any designs that involve layering multiple colors or really intricate images. Instead, go with designs that feature large blocks of color, geometric images, or simple swirl patterns.
Summary: Use leather or spray paint for leather or vinyl shoes. Use fabric paint for cloth shoes. Use paint markers for detailed designs. Create a design. A fun way to  make a tie-dye looking canvas shoe is to use permanent markers and rubbing alcohol.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You’ll need to show what you’re capable of doing before you’re hired to write anything. This means that you’ll need a portfolio of your work. A portfolio should showcase your best pieces of work, and will usually be between 3-5 songs. If the songs have already been recorded, you should still include a copy of the written lyrics.  You’ll want to make sure that you can easily share your portfolio online by putting all of your song lyrics into a single PDF or Word document. You can use anything that you’ve written in your portfolio. It doesn’t need to contain songs that you’ve already created for clients. Just be honest about your work experience when discussing your songs. Consider making a personal website to showcase your work to potential employers. Search around job sites and message boards to try and find any potential openings for a lyricist. Since most songwriting jobs can be completed at home, you won’t need to worry about applying for specific jobs in your area.  The most commonly-used job sites for freelance writers are FlexJobs, SolidGigs, Upwork, and Fiverr.  Most freelance websites require you to create an online profile and upload a portfolio. Always upload a friendly picture of yourself to make you seem more personable! When looking at prospective jobs, consider whether you have the necessary time and level of expertise that the job is calling for. Pay close attention to each job posting’s goal or required outcome, since that will tell you what you need to create. Once you apply, prospective employers will reach out and either hire you to work remotely or request additional information.  When looking for opportunities, try searching by using keywords that relate to your specialty. For example, if you focus entirely on writing folk ballads, try entering “folk” or “love songs” in your searches. Working from home can be quite enjoyable, but make sure that you don’t get distracted and take too long to complete your work! Payment is usually received through the platform that you got hired on, and most websites will either ask you to link a bank account or PayPal account to send you your earnings. Building strong relationships with your peers is a good way to get a head start on jobs for lyricists. Reach out to other songwriters on social media and connect with local writers by inviting them out for coffee or lunch. Many job opportunities can be found before they’re even available to the public if a colleague tells you about it well in advance. Songwriting is a difficult field to get into if you don’t have any experience. Don’t get too down on yourself if you’re struggling to find work immediately. Every lyricist started somewhere!  If you’re being turned down frequently, consider looking for opportunities that explicitly don’t require experience in your field. Consider revising your portfolio if you aren’t getting a lot of offers. It may be that you’re choosing to show work that doesn’t demonstrate your skills!

SUMMARY:
Create a portfolio of your work to show potential employers. Look for openings online to see what opportunities exist. Assess freelance writing opportunities to see if they’re a good fit. Network with musicians and artists to find possible openings. Don’t get discouraged if you’re struggling to find work.