OPINION: #committobeingcreative

The Grammar Nazi in me is hating on the title of this blog.............just sayin'

A reintroduction if you will!

Hi, my name is Vicki, sometimes called Dotti - mostly called a busy girl who doesn't stick with one thing for very long.....as my blog page would attest!!!

This year (I know it's nearly 1/4 through, I'll explain about that later!) I'm going to get back to being creative, if only for 10 minutes a day, and keep the creative side of me happy!!!

Do you remember this blog post I did all those years ago!?!!  well it's all still true!!  And close to 3 years later, it's more important than ever!!

I'm not going to make this super long...........just want to put it out there again that I plan on doing something small every day to feed my creative heart, and PUT MYSELF FIRST, even if it's only for 10 minutes a day!!

Make sure you stay creative - do a big project over months with your ten minutes, or do something new every day - JUST DO IT IS WHAT I SAY!!

But don't let me talk you into it - here's Shia LaBeouf to get you inspired!!!

Will your dream ever become your reality?

One of my friends Coral from creativewomensbusiness recently posted about BEING SO CLOSE TO YOUR GOALS THAT YOU CAN ALMOST TOUCH IT

She has a wonderful blog that talks about the stresses & challenges of being creative and trying to make that transition from hobby to business, while tackling a job and many other FUN THINGS!!

She went to an inspiring class recently (Go check it out!) and was posting about her doubts.....(quotes from her post below)

You can’t just cross your arms and nod your head like ‘I Dream Of Jeanie’ and poof, there it is.

Because you know it takes a lot of work to get to that point.  And while you love living it just for a day or two, you are reminded just how far away you are from it being your every day.  And I little bit of ‘I’m not good enough’ creeps in even though you know better.  Even though you know that’s not what it’s about.

 

I wrote a comment back to her about what I thought it meant to be close to your dream..................and I wanted to share it here.

 

 

 

Was I being too judgemental and thinking she was 'down on herself' too much?  Did I assume because she mentioned her doubts that she was automatically meant she had taken a back step? 

 

here's what I wrote

 

I HEAR YA SISTER!!!
I posted something the other day that may resonate for you…..
Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy
I know exactly what you mean about the life you can see others living that you are hoping to have yourself………….and I know that negative thoughts will sometimes stop your mind from believing you can have that life too.
But I suppose the difference between them & us is that they are just a little further along the track.
Doesn’t meant that you’re not already there in someone else’s eyes though
for sure, have an end goal, draw up a vision board, get back to Oprah reruns and read up on The Secret………..but PLEASE also remember to ENJOY EVERY DAY along the way.
It’s so easy to get caught up in everyone else’s highlight reels that we forget how far we have actually come, or how lucky we already are.
Just remember that you have an amazing gift, and it’ll all fall into place……if it hasn’t already fallen into place and you just need to see the forest rather than the trees xxx

 

I think my comments are trying to inspire Coral, but I also don't want her to think that I'm living the dream.........

 

Because I don't personally think anyone is ever living the dream..........all the time.  I think it's less about searching for happiness, and choosing to be happy where you are RIGHT NOW

 

 

 

I'd love to know what you think about how our internal dialogue is constantly in dispute with our outward persona..........is it right/wrong or does no one but us really care!?!!

 

Curious to read your thoughts on it all

commit to being creative

woo - time is a funny thing...............

You think of so many things you're going to do at the beginning of the day, and then BAM!!!  it's 5 o'clock and you have NOTHING TO SHOW for it!!

it's not always like that, but most days, if you're anything like me, you have grand plans of doing a heap of things, but then a little thing called life gets in the way, and you're lamenting at the end of the day for the rest of the world to stop, just so you can catch up on what you had planned.

WELL STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!!

You are not going to get everything ticked off your to-do list - so stop beating yourself up about it!

You are going to look at a million things every day (thanks Pinterest) that you want to do, but you JUST CAN'T!!

You are going to struggle each & every day to find some time to release that creative monster in you.............I know this................it eats me up each & every day too!!

BUT....................YOU CAN #committobeingcreative!!

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT!?!!

With life being so busy these days, it's almost impossible to find time for YOU!!  Husbands, wives, jobs, kids, pets, family, friends, businesses, volunteering, sports, groups, etc.  WHEN DID WE GET SO BUSY!?!!

My new mantra is commit to being creative - simply find 10 MINUTES EVERY DAY to do something that you LOVE!!

It doesn't have to be crafty - you can cook, sing, read, make chutney, declutter, clean, scream, laugh, listen to music, watch a recorded show, hell.........you can even sleep if you want!!

The secret is to do it EVERY DAY,  for a minimum of 10 minutes..............that's all!!!

It's damn near impossible to find a half hour each day - and don't even TRY for a full hour to yourself.............but 10 minutes..........hey, that just might work!!!

SOME SUGGESTIONS TO HELP YOU FIND 10 MINUTES

Get up 10 minutes earlier than you usually do
put your hair in a bun instead of drying it for the day
put on lippy & mascara and forego the spakfilla makeup (you are beautiful enough!)
put the cereals & milk out for the kids and tell them to make their own (they can do it, believe me!)
reward your kids with tv time if they get ready early, then you can all start the day relaxed
get the train and use that time to do your thang
at work, during your lunch break (you know you're entitled to one!)
set an alarm for the same time every day so you don't forget
at night send the kids to bed and stay up 10 minutes later (if you can make it only 10 minutes!)

Now I'm not saying that it's going to be easy to find that time..........every day is different, and every situation is more challenging than the last...........and you'll probably find yourself spending more than 10 minutes a day doing it sometimes............but that's not a bad thing, is it!?!!

Before you give me your pity stories about how busy you are.....................I run a small business in a retail space that is open 6 days a week............I have to do the business work behind the scenes to make sure the business is running professionally after hours too (that BAS isn't going to do itself)..............I have a second job helping a friend two days a week (work that out!!)...........I have two school aged children who i need to care for and spend time with, who also play sports on weekends and train after school twice a week................I have a husband who is away more than he is at home (luckily he's also willing to give me time away when he gets back on weekends)................and I have no family members nearby that I rely on.

So................your excuses won't work here!!

Find 10 minutes a day to do something you love - YOU KNOW YOU DESERVE IT!!

I've already started the promotion on instagram last month, and we've already had nearly 700 posts from all over the globe!!

So why don't you join the party and #committobeingcreative...............starting TODAY!!!!

how to turn your hobby into a business

TURNING YOUR PASSION INTO YOUR INCOME......

TIPS & THE TRUTH

If you don't know......I own in.cube8r gallery in fortitude valley......have done so for 3 years now (this Saturday!)  I've learnt so much about business while running the gallery.....but I still have much more to share...........this was something I wrote for the main website, but I thought I should share it here too!

__________________________________________

If you make things, it comes as no surprise that you’ve thought to yourself at some point, “I wonder if I could make some money out of this!?!!”

Have you given your handmade pieces to friends, only to have them say to you, “you should SELL these in a shop!” 

Makes you feel good, doesn’t it!?!! 

The only problem is…………HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT!?!

photo courtesy of http://typeverything.com/post/24947919015/typeverything-com-question-mark-by-kumi

Have you gone to bed wondering about it…….only to be kept awake with your brain turning things over!?!!

Do I need an ABN? How much stuff would I need? What would it cost? How do I even approach a shop to see if they’d like it?

What if they don’t like it?  What if they SELLOUT and I have to make more straight away? How do I sell online?

OH THIS IS ALL TOO HARD………..I’M GOING BACK TO BED!!

I’ve seen it all too often in the gallery – people with a talent are overwhelmed before they even begin, and so they don’t do it – which is pretty sad L

SO………………..I recently hosted a night for some passionate handmadies that had already started with their businesses, but just weren’t sure how to MASTER the whole ‘handmade living’ process.

 

With the help of some Brisbane professionals, namely the devine Jess Van Den from epheriell and the lovely Liana Kabel, we wrestled some hot topics, and came out at the end of the evening with a better understanding of what needs to be done, and where to actually go from here! 

Here are some of the highlights from the evening that we’d like to share with you….

·         Get clarity on what you want to do exactly, and make sure it’s something that can be profitable – sit down & think hard, write a list of things you’ll make, and get feedback through any outlet you can to make sure it’s something that people want to buy

·         Plan plan plan – where do you want to be in 5 years?  Where do you want to be selling?  (as a wholesaler, at markets, online exclusively, at outlets such as in.cube8r.  What does a typical week look for you, have you included in promotional time, or are you just make, make making?

·         Get into action – start at the beginning and go from there…………make your items, approach your retailers, rent out a space, get an online presence.  It’s not going to happen in 24 hours (read closer to 2 years before profits start turning in your favour,) but start at the beginning and stick to the plan………….make sure you review every few months to make sure you’re on track…….the targets might move now and then – make sure you’re still aiming in the right direction

·         Promotion – whether it’s online, handing out flyers, finding affiliate promoters, paying a PR company, blogging, facebook, instagram, pinterest, markets, exhibitions – whatever it is, it’s an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY – people aren’t going to knock on your door and ask to see your work………..build up your list of followers so you can share your work with them.  Over time you’ll gather the numbers you need, but it’s a slow & steady kind of pace.

·         Network – go and visit markets, go to exhibitions, comment on other peoples blogs, BUY HANDMADE YOURSELF AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, join craft groups & business entities with similar interests………….do all of these or just one, but be seen to be involved

·         Be Unique – what sets you apart from all the other makers out there?  (do a quick google and see how many others you’re competing against!)  Make sure your style reflects “that thing that you do differently” and that your customers see your story behind your work too.

·         Keep at it – it’s a continuous wheel of activity – and no two days are going to look the same (isn’t that a good thing for us creative souls!?!!) one day you’re making, the next you’re meeting with a prospective seller, the one after that you’re blogging about your stuff as well as getting a wholesale price list printed…..have a well-structured plan, but be flexible – opportunities arise when you start to work towards your truth!

·         Keep it professional – remember when you’re online you’re out there for all to see (and critique & comment on,) so make sure you play nice!!  Spend a bit of time on getting your photos up to a high standard, have good descriptions, get feedback from friends, and give your own to others.  If something goes bad, remember to keep your cool and get back on plan………no one likes to hear people whinging and bad mouthing others – so choose to take the high road

·         Find your market – get clarity on this when you can…….find out who your demographic is and where they shop – look for opportunities to ask questions of your customers, (through surveys like Survey Monkey or just on blogs, etc.)

·         Remember you are constantly learning – you will never know  everything about handmade, or business – keep learning every day.  Go to courses (BrisStyle hold some great free ones,) do some online classes, get involved in great business courses like National College of Business as long as you continue to learn

 

·         Stay grounded – after the monotonous tasks comes the happiness……just remember that it’s not all the good stuff – the hard or boring stuff is all a part of it – if you don’t do it you really are denying yourself the very thing you want……..a BUSINESS (warts and all) making money from something you love doing.  We live in a world that gives us so many opportunities.  Take life by the shirt front and give it a go……………..it’s better than living with the regret of not trying!

We were also lucky enough to have Anna-Marie & Belinda from Made of Australia who spoke at length about their experiences with funding assistance from local councils.  This was a great insight into the process, and we all learnt about this as a possible avenue to get our businesses up & running if we needed large amounts of capital. 

We spoke of many different apps, software programmes & websites, so I’ve listed those that I remember for you to do some searching in your spare time

www.etsy.com/ - international site for selling your work – the holy grail of handmade

www.madeit.com.au/‎  - an Australian version for people who want to sell online & support Australian handmade at the same time

www.mailchimp.com/‎ - Online email marketing solution to manage contacts, send emails and track results.

 

www.blogher.com/‎ - the Web's leading guide to the hottest news and trends among women in social media.

 

www.picasa.en.softonic.com/‎ - Manage, edit and share your photos with ease.

 

And finally…..thegoodguide.com.au/2013/03/20/bam-espresso/‎ - BAM! Espresso in Fortitude Valley. The coffee house caffeinating people and saving the world one espresso at a time – THANKS MICHAEL FOR BEING THE HOST WITH THE MOST!!!

So that’s it!!  A few simple steps that you need to take on your own before you head off into the business wilderness!!  It’s a fun & scary ride…………..but at the end of the day…………….when you realise that you’re in fact the only one that can make this happen, you feel empowered & RARING TO GO!!!

Remember that there’s always others out there ready & willing to help you out, and to be there when you need reassurance or a guiding hand!!

NOW GET OUT THERE AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!!

mixed media, my latest crush

If you want to know what's going on inside a woman's head.........imagine a desktop with 2,634 tabs all open..............all the same time...................all the time

YUP, THAT'S ME!!

Hubby had a laugh when he saw this one - it's absolutely explains why I go from craft to craft and from high to low in the blink of an eye.

SO WHAT'S MY LATEST LOVE!?!!

why.......it's MIXED MEDIA of course!!

I can't remember if it was when I purchased some lovely stamps from Coral of Finding Firelight that got me started, or if i was searching on Pinterest and came across this great tutorial from Christy Tomlinson that set me on fire.........but BOY AM I HOOKED!! (hope this link works! If not find it on my pinterest board titled tutorials worth taking note of)
http://pinterest.com/pin/234468724322643802/

I love that this incorporates so many of my favourite crafts, but it's still unique & different each & every time.  I love

stamping
doodling (zentangles please!)
painting
scrapbooking
texture painting
stencils
song lyrics/inspiring quotes
paper textures
ribbons & washi tape
ALL THE COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW!!

If I could give it a terrible analogy, it would be like all those beautiful different things fuse together to represent the inside of my mind!!!

I've been loving the process for about 4 weeks, and already I've made some pieces - I'VE EVEN SOLD A PIECE AT AN EXHIBITION!!  woo!! 

So now I'm doing pieces for birthdays, weddings, and some inspiring ones for the shop!!!

Love, love, love it!!  hope i'm doing this for a while before I go onto the next thing!!

my passion, my pottery

Do you have a specialty craft that you love, or are you the type that tries everything to learn the process, and be able to say, "i can make that."

I usually find i'm trying to find my nieche craft.........drifting from scrapbooking to zentangles, sewing to crochet, maybe one day i'll do a soldering class and make a sculpture dragon purely out of hex nuts. (it's a dream of mine along with life drawing and a screenprinting class.)

But my passion, or medium of choice, is clay.

A medium that can be moulded into any shape......the ideas are endless.

I've had two wheel lessons and have made a few 'thrown' bowls.....but it's not my forte. Most potters use the wheel as a way to create vessels......the real magic is in handbuilding.

I'm currently enjoying simple bowl making with textures etched in...doilies, stamps, or anything laying around. I'm also playing with glaze colours and finishes (waiting on availability to do a glaze class.)

I've sold a few things in the shop and i'd love to sell some work at the markets,  but it would be 1/3 pottery, 1/3 upcycled & 1/3 mixed media......because i never want to just have one specialty........but that's just today!!

Tomorrow I might find something else on pinterest and go off on another tangent!!

But for today, I'm just happy to steal away 10 minutes to do something creative with my hands.

If only I could stretch those 10 minutes into 2 hours and get my hands dirty!!!  :)