In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: The best way to begin a project like a portfolio is to find other successful portfolios online and use those as your guide. This doesn't mean copy the format, or follow the portfolio piece by piece, but it means to use it as a reference as you being making yours. Note how the artist organized his or her pieces. Pay attention to the style and design of the portfolio. Are your eyes drawn more to the design of the portfolio or are you drawn to the art? If it feels intimidating or daunting to look at other portfolios, remember that only the best work is what is displayed. Art is made up of technical skill as well as creativity, so even if your technical skill isn't as advanced as those you see, your creativity can make up for it. A university and an art gallery may have very different ideas about what they would like to see in your portfolio or the design of your portfolio. It's important that as you begin assembling and organizing your portfolio that you keep the audience in mind. For example, if submitting your work to an art gallery, visit the gallery and make sure your work will fit in well in the gallery. Choose pieces, design, and organization of your portfolio that show you are familiar with the gallery and are aware of the art they carry. If applying to a university or job, always look up the requirements for the portfolio, but tailor your portfolio to the type of institution as well. You may be applying to a more prestigious art university that values technique and style, or maybe you are applying to a school that places a higher emphasis and creativity and experimentation. Keep these things in mind as you design and organize your portfolio. Group pieces by style, subject, media, technique, etc. You want to make it as easy as possible for your reviewer to find the important information, or to determine if you are a good fit for their institution. By organizing your pieces you will give your reviewer an easy path to follow. You want your portfolio to tell a story. Group by medium. It's valuable to use different types of mediums in your portfolio to show you are well rounded and capable of doing different art forms. It can be helpful to group these mediums together so that your portfolio clearly shows your different abilities and how you've used each medium in your art. For example, you might group pastel art together, and then group charcoal drawings and pencil drawings together, and then you might group paintings together. Group by subject. Another way to group your artwork is by subject, which will likely combine different mediums, but will show your ability to accurately depict different things. For example, you may group by figure drawings, drawings of landscape, abstract art, etc. Group by technique. This is similar to grouping by medium, but instead you are focusing on your range of abilities to use not just paper, but digital media, photography, web design, animation, etc. Use a scrapbook or portfolio binder found at any art or craft store to organize and present your artwork. As an artist, you may be tempted to have a really extravagant, creative portfolio. While it's great if your pieces are this way, the portfolio that holds and displays your pieces should be professional, organized, and simple. The purpose of this is because you don't want a very busy portfolio to distract your viewer from the artwork. You want the focus to be on your artwork, because that's what you are really trying to showcase. Space out your portfolio. Don't have too many pieces on one page and don't go overboard with the information you include. With an industry that is so competitive, it's important for your work to stand out. You don't want to be grouped in with the hundreds of people who have also submitted their portfolio, so try to create a portfolio that highlights your pieces so well in a creative way that the reviewers can't help but notice. Be careful about overdoing it, though. If your attempts to stand out lead you to creating something corny, or trying to be humorous but failing, you may go unnoticed, or be noticed but in a negative way. The benefit of a portfolio is that you aren't just a name on a piece of paper like a resume. Your work really speaks to who you are and it is easier for an employer to grow attached to the creative impressions in your portfolio than a written set of job skills. Don't overthink your portfolio. Once you have completed it, have a mentor give you feedback, go over it a few times to make sure it is organized well, and clear of any mistakes, and then leave it. By continually trying to edit and improve your portfolio, you run the risk of changing it to "make it stand out" that may lead to a decrease in the professionalism of your portfolio. While it's handy to have your portfolio in a hard copy, having a virtual copy of your portfolio will be helpful when submitting your portfolio online, which is likely what you'll have to do for most applications. Photograph or scan your artwork. After you have chosen the pieces for your portfolio, use a good quality camera to take pictures of your art, or ask a professional to take the pictures. Make sure the pictures are clear and high quality so that when viewed online the resolution is good. Choose a setting with excellent lighting and no glare, and never use a flash. When scanning artwork, make sure there are no wrinkles on the page and that it lies flat on the scanner so the picture comes out exactly like the hard copy. Input these pictures into Indesign or another program that allows you to create a clean cut portfolio that is easy to continually edit. This not only provides you with a digital copy to use online, but also serves as a backup in case your hard copy is lost or destroyed.
Summary: Use other portfolios as examples. Tailor your portfolio to the institution. Organize your portfolio. Keep it simple. Stand out, but don't be overzealous. Create a virtual portfolio.

Problem: Article: Warm your muscles up with some brief cardio like running, jumping rope, or doing jumping jacks. It's important to warm up your muscles before stretching to avoid strain and potential injury. Before trying to touch your feet to your head, stretch your hamstrings to avoid straining them. Sit upright on the ground with your legs held straight in front of you. Slowly bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight. Extend your hands and reach for your toes. If you can't reach your toes, try touching your ankles or perhaps your knees. Move your extended legs out so that they're about shoulder width distance apart. Repeat bending forward and reaching for your toes (or ankles or knees). Begin by sitting on the ground with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee and bring your right foot inward towards your pelvis. Slowly bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight. Extend your left hand towards your left foot; try to touch your toes. If you can't reach your toes, try to touch your ankle or your knee. Repeat each step on the left side. Warm up your back with some gentle stretches so you don't strain it. Start on your hands and knees and slowly drop your head and pull your back up into an arch. Hold for several seconds. Drop your stomach, lift your head, and pull your back downward into an inverted arch. For the next stretch, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Keeping your back on the ground and your legs bent, slowly lower your knees to the ground on your right. Move your legs back into a neutral position. Repeat the stretch on the left side.
Summary:
Warm up. Stretch your hamstrings. Stretch your inner thighs. Stretch your back.