CREATIVE BIZ MARATHON

We are closing in on six months since the girls and I started this Creative Biz Marathon.  I am so impressed by what great strides each of us has been able to make.  Collaboration is a beautiful thing.  The right people with the right heart and mindset becomes a TRUE support system for what you wish to accomplish.  I HIGHLY recommend it.  This topic is actually the topic of my next creativity workbook COMING SOON... IN THE MEANTIME, I now offer my FIRST creativity workbook in PDF format for $9.95. CLICK HERE to purchase

Here It is... Suddenly... Available HERE   I am pleased to announce the arrival of the website for "My Creative Peace." CLICK HERE TO VIEW FOR YOURSELF

Soon... My new venture will begin with My Creative Peace, a website which will offer creativity workbooks and resources for those who are interested in integrating Creativity with Christianity in their daily lives.  I will give you details as I move forward. But for now, my target date is Summer 2011. I am incredibly excited about this and I hope you will be pleased by the evolution.  You can learn more about the first workbook in the series by CLICKING HERE

    The formula for a day of rest: QUIET + PAINT = GO DEEPER When I woke up yesterday, I could feel the ingredients coming to together for a recipe of a different kind of day.  I have a new project that I am working on with a dear friend and fellow Christian yoga instructor that is vibrant and exciting but also stretching and terrifying... But here I was with an open heart and an open schedule... And I am so very pleased by the results on the page as well as in my heart.  I will share more soon on the continuation of My Creative Peace   I know without a doubt that the list making I implemented while organizing my business plan, the decluttering I performed a little over a week ago and the willingness to hear a new idea that I haden't thought to pursue before prepared me to sit and receive from my muse ... and move forward.

      I have had a stack of journals in which I have collected ideas.  There are about 6 of them.  There is no rhyme or reason to them.  Pretty little journals with random thoughts and dreams and ideas.  This collection began to wear on me about the same time that I committed to writing out my business plan for the Creative Business marathon .  How will I ever find the time to look through these? What am I missing out on?  Do I keep re-inventing the wheel of my creativity without realizing it?        I have this same awful habit when it comes to pictures as well.  Files and files of pictures on my computer.  Random files simply listed by date.  No wonder I feel so scattered all the time.  No wonder I can't seem to think my way clear to a concise plan.  I have these stacks of randomness.    Until this weekend...I look through the pages of the journals.  And guess what I found?...

  "For it is GOD who works in you to will and to act according to HIS good purpose" Phillipians 2:13, New Testament of the Bible So I looked up the following words in Biblical Greek, the original language in which the new Testament was written: Work - to put forth power Will - to desire, to wish, to be resolved, to determine act (also "do") - be at work For it is GOD who puts forth power to desire , to wish , to determine and to be at work according to HIS good purpose.        There are times where I can feel this occurring in my life and I am not happy about the process by which GOD is bringing circumstances together.  But time and again I am AMAZED that while I think I would prefer to be in control of my own destiny (and to some extent I can unravel the good/hard/uncomfortable in my life) when I yield to the DISCOMFORT , the things I wish do not begin to compare to the things HE WISHES FOR ME...       ...

"Lucky...Wish...Fingerless Gloves-Various Styles Available Now I have seriously been running and gunning over here: I wrote a creative business plan with this group I took over as blog leader for Etsy Homefront-military spouses who are creative entrepreneurs I wrote a Creativity Course AND had plans to launch it February 9, 2011 I have some new products in the works for my etsy shop (like the ones above) What I was finding it that I was creating NOTHING WITH MY HANDS.  And because of that it was beginning to feel like 'what is the point?'  And when it begins to feel like that for me, I want to just shut it all down.  ALL OF IT.   So instead... I took a deep breath and realized my limitations.  I am still acting as a single mom while my mister is working in Germany.  I can only do so much in this capacity.  I have to say that to myself  ALOT. All this to say, I decided to pull back on offering the Creative Course as an e-course an...

photo credit Thank you for following the first 24/7 (24 hours, 7 days) of The Creative Biz Marathon.  We are so glad you've joined us in this space.  Now that the first 24/7 of this journey is coming to a close, we're super-excited about following this journey / our hearts / our biz dreams even further in 2011! In fact, we've been so tremendously blessed by this experience that we aren't stopping now! Here's how you can continue to follow our journeys... 1.  Join the CBM email list.   We've created a handy sign-up process that will allow you to submit just one email signup form to join each of our email lists.  You'll be free to leave at anytime if you so choose.  We're sure you'll stay, though, because we're on a roll and can't be stopped! Email Signup form here and at the end of this post. Please subscribe! 2.  Follow each of our personal creative biz blogs , and look for the " Creative Biz Marathon" tags  there. We'll b...

photo credit Monday morning, the first official day in the new year after taking on the RADICAL TASK of writing a business plan in one day.  So I left my house with a plan in my head and a song in my heart.  AND THEN... I went to the bank. OK did EVERYONE ELSE BUT ME know already how NOT ON YOUR SIDE THE BANKS ARE? Here I am FIGHTING AGAINST the forces of doubt, attempting to comply with all the things legitimate business owners do ONLY TO FIND ... You actually need money first in order to open up a business account. Hmm.... This makes ZERO sense to me.  So after quite a few minutes of them trying to explain the rationale behind this little setback, I got up and moved on to the next item on my list  WHICH IS  to make money .

photo credit Moving closer... Feeling stronger... Committed... My questions are more calculated... My time is more focused.. I am FINALLY getting serious... TODAY, I took the first big girl business steps of registering my trade name and applying for my business license.  I feel butterflies all the way through the process trying to navigate the internet with information from well meaning friends who quip "oh it's easy" and "google how to start a small business."  But when there are still voices within you saying why are you making all this effort?  And questions on the application like "Anticipated income for this year" you wonder why you think this thing will work.  But the belief has to start with ME, you know?  2011 is the year I give it a go, legitimize this thing I do with my time. Begin...   Artist: Robin Norgren

photo credit So I have a confession to make.  The reason why it took me so long to write my business plan is because I kind of was writing it in between the pages of about 7 DIFFERENT JOURNALS .  I have filled each of these haphazardly with my random thoughts for about a year.  And for some reason I couldn't seem to write these ideas ALL IN ONE PLACE . Today as I was making my bed I spotted them.  Over in the corner next to my reading chair.  And they were staring at me, asking me, "What now?"   I am a bit hesitant to look at them.  One part of me feels like that exercise helped me with THIS EXERCISE -a dress rehearsal if you will. BUT, what if there are some good ideas in there that will be locked away forever?  So I am in a quandary because I already feel like I am pressed for time and I do not want to come to the end of that exploration to find it an exercise in futility.  Yet I can't let them go just yet... 

photo credit I mentioned over here that my business plan has sparked two great opportunities for me to move deeper into my dream to have a successful creative business.  With every new step of course there is a learning curve and that curve is where many well meaning and talented people quit.  So when I feel the momentum I know I need to move with it because I know that I am no one special when it comes to having the temptation to stop when the new thing seems too difficult to navigate. So the two big steps I have taken this week is to begin marketing my e-course and setting it up as an affiliate program through e-junkie .  The second step is to begin writing a game plan for submitting my art to greeting card companies.  I am already on hour #4 in setting up this ejunkie program.  And I have the 2011 Writers market guide GLARING AT ME begging to know when it is her turn?   BUT I am still moving forward.  My energy is still high.  My t...

photo credit In the last 24 hours: -I got my first student for my E-course -I got an inquiry for an affiliate program for said e-course -My web designer picked up a new client (3 this week) which means I am garnering more experience as a project manager The 24 hours prior: -I was feeling the effects of the holidays and taking on a seemingly insurmountable task (like writing a business plan in 24 hours!) -I got word that a Christmas order had not arrived though I had shipped it THREE WEEKS PRIOR -I was feeling overwhelmed by the weaknesses in my business plan What does this all mean to me?  With my heart open and my passion strong?  With the flaws exposed and the reality setting in?  I still LOVE THIS THING OF MINE .  LOVE IT AND WANT TO PURSUE IT....

photo credit I mentioned over here that I was having those crazy doubts like why exert so much energy on a dream  MY OWN DREAM, UNIQUELY MY OWN and therefore no way to tell the amount of success (or failure) is ahead of me... This morning I woke up to an email from Bonnie Rose  and my heart was REMINDED that this work OUR ART matters  despite the hiccups and our not having it all together despite the weariness that comes when trying to live THIS BIG THIS BOLD It is COMMUNITY that helps us to travel FURTHER AND FARTHER even as we struggle to get it all on paper...

photo credit This afternoon a customer contacted me to let me know she did not receive her product that she SPECIFICALLY ordered as a Christmas present.  I FELT MY HEART DEFLATE .  This is an international order which INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH shows up on my list of weaknesses.  I have had this issue before where I would have the customer pay the incredible shipping costs only for the package not to arrive.  For a time, I did not offer international shipping at all but decided I should give it a go and HERE WE ARE. So, on the one hand, I feel the exhaustion from having put my HEART AND SOUL on paper trying to big dreams despite the holes in the operation.  On the other hand, it makes me want to pack it up and shut it down.  Why in the world does it feel so all or nothing all the time?  I think part of it is I AM NOT CHARGING THE CUSTOMER ENOUGH to go through such hassles.  And of course, I really do need to rethink the need for me to have to ship ...

photo credit I mentioned how I have a very long list of weaknesses which I have finally acknowledged are getting in the way of my success.  Little nit picky things that would aid my product development to run more smoothly which I just haven't disciplined myself to just sit down and implement... Thanks to The Creative Entrepreneur I have taken that list and brainstormed ideas on how to strengthen each of these areas.  This three step process includes: Brainstorm things that need to be done to strengthen your business Pick one and rephrase it into a tangible and clear objective Strategize how to meet the goal/objective you have set forth I love this idea so much I actually went out and brought a large spiral notebook and listed on each page the weakness I had listed.  I will knock each of them out one page at a time via this process.  I am indeed feeling the excitement rise as I move into my future.

photo credit "Put into YOUR world what you wish were there." - Pauline Rose Clance I love the comments in the SWOT analysis area of this book: "Strengths and weaknesses cannot be the same." LOVE IT . You know how when you go to a job interview and you get that question about listing your weaknesses and you say something that is a masked strength? "I care too much" "I am committed to staying until the job is done, no matter what" "I put others first and don't need the accolades; all that matters is the job was done right" This was the GET REAL section: is your idea plausible?  Can you really make a profit from what you are doing? What is it going to take really? I will admit it:  I had quite a long list for weaknesses.  The good thing is the weaknesses are within my control to change.  And I am committed to changing them.  I had no startling revelations.  I have realized there was work I needed to do in order to give this busine...

"Stepping into my Life" - Rachel Awes As I worked feverishly on this Creative Biz Marathon at a table in my local Starbucks, I heard the words, 'you are always here working so hard."  I look up to see a gentleman that I have seen often at this Starbucks.  And he is right.  I am like a madwoman when I come here to work.  I am a military wife whose husband is deployed.  I have no family ties here where I live and I have a 5 year old who is not in school yet.  She is enrolled in preschool for nine hours a week so, after drive time, I have about 7.5 hours to get done whatever I need to get done for this business I am building.  So the insanity of working a business plan in 24 hours - well that was about all I could spare so BRING IT ON ! Anyway, I let myself breathe a moment and chatted with the man for a few minutes and then he asked the question:  What do you do?  And for the first time EVER without any HESITATION I said, " I am an artist...

photo credit The finish line my friends!  Ah...feels so good to be here.  I have a notebook FILLED with ideas and excitement and promise and encouragement and VALIDATION ... Before I put my ideas on paper, it was just this thing that rattled around in my head.  So many times I would go to write these things down but something stopped me..   .FEAR. Fear that I would come to a question that I did not have the answer to.  Well guess what?  That did happen during this exercise.  But.... NOT AS MUCH as I thought it would.  You see over the past year I have been thinking about this.  I have been actively and consciously thinking about and asking the right questions and I guess on some level FINDING ANSWERS .   So 24 hours later, I am now armed with this information that gives me a REAL SHOT at success.  The next few days I will spend reliving the questions and thinking more deeply into the answers.  But for now, I will jus...