CREATIVE BIZ MARATHON

Hi Creative Biz Marathoners! I'm checking in to share an update on finding my creative style. It's been nearly a year since I started my art lessons with the lovely Kelly Thiel .  For the past few months, I've been art journaling and practicing as much as I can.  Painting is still new to me...my "art" has always been graphic design and jewelry making.  Like many other creatives, I felt called to sketching and painting.  I'm really, truly enjoying the ride, as Elizabeth would say. Here's a sneak peek at one of my recent paintings.

Last week  I shared  an epiphany that came to me:  Your future is only as big as you dare to dream. If you have big dreams for your future (I know you do!), have you taken a careful look at your words/thoughts/actions to make sure they are in line with what you are dreaming about? As I was reviewing my Facebook apps, I came across an app called “ Top 10 Words of 2010 ”.  I remembered installing it several months ago.    I thought it would be neat to review my Top 10 Words in 2010 one more time, to see if they in any way helped shape where I am in 2011.  While we may not be able to control everything that comes our way, we can control our attitude.  I have found many trials I have faced have helped shape me into the person that I am today. It’s difficult to feel grateful and hopeful when we are in the midst of a painful situation, which is why I think it’s so important to recite positive words/phrases and be gentle to ourselves as we ...

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...

The time has come in this journey to put pen to paper and create a business plan.  To set goals.  To create a marketing plan.  To get the year mapped out.  I’m pretty excited about doing this! First things first, what kinds of things should we keep in mind as we get to work on this? Well, Lisa brings our attention to the S.M.A.R.T. system.   Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time bound click photo to enlarge I’ll be back soon to share more with you about my plans for 2011.  Until then, think “S.M.A.R.T.” 

We’re wrapping up the first 24/7 (24 hours, 7 days) of the Creative Biz Marathon.  I had a real “aha! moment” yesterday.  It was born from the rose watercolor I created on New Year’s Eve.  Amazing how my art has already fed into a jewelry idea! Before I share the “aha! moment,” here’s a short background on where it came from… Thanks to the S.W.O.T. exercise, I’d already come to a few realizations… There are thousands of competitors on Etsy in the jewelry category My designs are varied and can’t be described in unique enough words.  “handmade” and “custom” certainly are not rare in the Etsy (or jewelry market) space. That may be one reason I am not getting as many shop and item views. I may need to turn my focus to local craft shows and markets.  I need to develop a Facebook marketing plan I need better, more consistent photography More unique, higher quality products = higher price point The “promotion” exercise asked me to define my target c...

I’m making a commitment to pursue my dreams in 2011 with *passion*, *persistence* and *patience*. I have found that the best way to pursue a dream is to spend at least 30 minutes a day working away at it. 30 minutes doesn’t sound like much time. I think what’s more important than the time is the daily investment. It helps turn your *dreamwork* into a habit. Plus, if it’s something you’re passionate about, it won’t feel like *work*. The best part? Before long, 30 minutes will turn into an hour, then two, then maybe more. You’ll find yourself getting lost in your dreams, and before you know it, you’ll be living your dreams! In 2011, I have a dream of becoming a better artist. My third watercolor since Christmas...it's been 10 years since I painted in watercolor! Quite honestly, I don’t *yet* consider truly consider myself an artist. My jewelry designs are a form of art to me, but I’m more comfortable with the term “jewelry-maker”. Deep down inside, though, I want to be able...

Have you heard about the importance of doing a S.W.O.T. (Strengths ~ Weaknesses ~ Opportunities ~ Threats) analysis of your creative business? It’s something that Lisa Sonora Beam covers in her book, The Creative Entrepreneur . I may sound silly, but I was actually a little scared/anxious to do this for my creative businesses (my online marketing/design blog and my handmade jewelry biz ). click to enlarge the long-feared S.W.O.T. analysis I will be the first to admit that I don’t always like to take a careful look at “Threats” to my creative biz.  Not looking at them doesn’t mean they aren’t there.  It was time to take off the blinders and get to my journal to write this all down. The page below outlines the S.W.O.T. I found for both Strategic Online Marketing (my blog and design biz) and Dreamy Design Works Jewelry .   Orange is for Jewelry, pink is for my design biz. The biggest “threat” I feel in my jewelry business is simply the thousands of competitors on E...

Chapter 2 of  The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Sonora Beam covers the “Creative Entrepreneur Mandala”…More specifically, 4 pathways: 1.       Heart & Meaning  2.       Gifts and Flow  3.       Value and Profitability 4.       Tools and Skills  In the video below, I talk about how Lisa points out that value and profitability are all about the CUSTOMER and the MARKETPLACE.   I believe that as important as these two things are, I’m guilty of overlooking them as an “artist”.   In reviewing my answers/notes for value / profitability, here are the words that I used again and again, as they relate to my jewelry as well as my design biz: Accessible ~ affordable ~ unique ~ handmade ~ sharing ~ helping ~ heart ~ training/tools ~ unexpected gifts ~ caring ~ above and beyond ~ blogging Onto “ Tools and Skills ”, I have a video and ...

Chapter 2 of  The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Sonora Beam covers the “Creative Entrepreneur Mandala”…More specifically, 4 pathways: Heart & Meaning  Gifts and Flow  Value and Profitability  Tools and Skills Below are a few questions/notes I jotted down from Chapter 2 regarding Gifts & Flow Q: What do you do well with little effort? …A: jewelry, earrings, writing Q: What comes naturally to you? ...A: selecting beads, creating designs, social media Q: What do people compliment you on that seems easy to you? ...A: My jewelry creations, writing, social media, design Q: What do you get absorbed for hours in doing?... A: Making jewelry, writing, social media, photoshop Q: What feels like rowing against the current?. ..A: Proposal writing, database management Q: You are most in flow when …A: When I'm relaxed and making jewelry with music on in the background; when I'm designing a website or online space and not under a deadline ...

Chapter 2 of  The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Sonora Beam covers the “Creative Entrepreneur Mandala”…More specifically, 4 pathways: Heart & Meaning Gifts and Flow Value and Profitability Tools and Skills click to enlarge In this post, I’m sharing my “ Heart & Meaning ” Journal page click to enlarge

Excited…Nervous…Looking Forward with Anticipation…Scared…Happy…Honored…Joyful These are just a few “getting started” thoughts/feelings I jotted down this morning in my journal. I don’t think it’s an accident that the biggest words on my first entry page are “Thriving, Not Surviving”…for me, that is a huge part of what this journey will be about. I have my moleskin journal and kindle on hand, with lots of colored sharpie markers, watercolor paints and paper, and colored pencils.  I cut out watercolor paper to fit the journal pages and created watercolor backgrounds to journal/sketch on for my entries.  I’m so looking forward to the next 24 hours we’ll spend together.  Grab your book and notebook, and let’s dive in!

In June of 2010, I decided to take a leap of faith and sign up for an e-course led by one of my favorite artists, Kelly Rae Roberts.  You see, my dreams about building something more than just a "hobby" from my jewelry-making and marketing/design work were whispering softly to me.  When I really listened in the quiet moments, I could feel and hear the dream even more clearly. I didn't have many of the things that people will tell you are necessary...extra time, extra income, tremendous talent, a knack for business, etc.  But I had what I believe may be an even more powerful combination...passion, persistence, and patience.  Thanks to Kelly Rae, I was instantly plugged into a talented group of entrepreneurial artists from around the world. I hadn't picked up a paint brush in 10 years! I'd never been formally trained on jewelry-making, didn't know much about natural stones, beads, or even jewelry techniques.   Fast forward to 6 months later. First, ...