Still On Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and I am blogging and I believe I would be doing so even if it were Christmas. That is the hope anyway since this is all part of my concerted effort to continue in being consistent with parts of my journey that will help me to grow.

So in the spirit of Christmas, I thought that I would pen down a few things that I am going to instill in order to prepare for the new year. Lots of this list is already in play, but you guessed it...not consistently.

A failure to plan is a plan to fail
I have become a planner, but a planner in ways that don't necessarily build and sustain motivation and business alike. A planner in my mind of sorts. It's more like putting down items on my calendar just to say I put them on there and then not looking at the planner for the whole week. Then I become frustrated when certain plans don't go...well, planned!

So setting time aside to get this done on a weekly basis is a must! It will be on Sunday as I find Sunday's to be the best time to start afresh, and it's the beginning of the week!

Daily quiet time and affirmations
I am consistent with this already, but this just serves as a reminder that it is a list item that needs to remain constant. It really helps to center me and set the tone for my day. It reminds me of who I am and whose I am. All good stuff to know and remember!

Daily homage to my crafts
Oh dear Lord. please help me with this one! It's crazy to think that the thing that you love the most is the very same thing that you have to pray you are able to do on a daily basis. All those that have full-time jobs that are outside of the scope of your craft, raise your hands and holler! Drawing, writing, and singing exercises are a must!

All of this seems like a lot...a whole lot actually. I am a firm believer in biting off a little at a time in order to consume the whole. Some of the things mentioned can be done at the same time, which will make them easier to get done. Most importantly, I will monitor my time for the next few days to see where it is wasted the most.

Corner of Gratitude:
A new day

Pearls of Wisdom:
"The more time you contemplating what you should have done...you lose valuable time valuable time planning what you can and will do."

~Lil Wayne

Your Thoughts:
What habits will you instill before the New Year that you will carry throughout 2018?

Until next time...

Online Marketplaces

I sent the above print of this beauty off last week to her new home in Florida to a kind gentleman that has purchased my illustrations in the past. It happens to be one of the six items that I have sold on the Etsy platform since 2015. Yes, that is right folks, a whopping six items!

One may ask, "How are you on Etsy for 2 years and only sell 6 items?" My answer would be super simple. While Etsy and other platforms like it make it super easy for you to sell your creations (they really do), you must do the work. Here is what I have found:

Quality Pictures Are A Must:
Simple enough, but this may be one of the most important steps in having an online marketplace. Consumers love to see your creations in an amazing light (literally and figuratively). Dark and blurry photographs are not only hard to see, but make it hard for the consumer to imagine how your creation will fit within their space, lifestyle, etc. Believe it or not, although consumers may have an idea of how your creations will fit within their space/lifestyle, there is always a possibility that your images could give them new ideas that make your creations stand out to them in a whole new way. 

Use Popular Buzz Words That Fit Your Creations:
Online marketplaces help consumers narrow down what they are looking for by tags, labels or keywords.  They are not only relevant to your creation, but lots of time are popular as well (ex. Black Gir Magic). Hashtags are all the rage these days and you should get to know those that fit your creations. It's small and simple but will give you a greater opportunity to be found by those that want to purchase your creations. 

Market, Market, Market:
This may seem like a "no-brainer", but online marketplaces do not do the work for you. I semi thought that I could get away with just posting beautiful pictures of my products and the site would do the rest. Of course, I was wrong, and marketing is a must!

There are many ways of marketing, with social media probably being one of the most popular. This is an avenue where a multitude of people can see your products quickly and be funneled back to your online marketplace of choice. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the like are your best friends here. There are also some of the more sophisticated social media sites like LinkedIn that are great to market on as well. 

Consumers love to get to know who they are purchasing items from. It's like meeting a new friend and getting to know their new friend is made easier when they can get an idea of who their new friend is. Some consumers prefer to read about how their new comes up with ideas for their creations (blog). Some consumers prefer to hear about what their new friend has in the works (podcasts). And some consumers want it all! They want the full experience of their new friend. Here Youtube and vlogging (video blogging) goes a long way. Share as much or as little as you would like on these platforms about you, your creations or a combination of both, but the key is to share!

And let's not forget word of mouth. Talk about your creations as often as possible and have a business card on hand to give out to the interested and maybe not so interested. Once the not so interested see your creations they may become your greatest fans!

Use Available Tools In Your Online Marketplace:
From what I have seen, each online marketplace gives you tools on what you can do so your creations can be sold. Etsy provides a whole host of "how-to" tutorials for the novice to the advanced, and why wouldn't they. They understand that once your creations get sold, they will also be getting a piece of your profit. The model is pretty ingenious and works in favor of both parties!

Last but not least...

HAVE FUN:
Make the whole process a fun one! Have fun making your creations and have fun selling them, whether in an online marketplace or in person. Consumers love to see friendly faces, hear friendly voices and have friendly interactions with those that they purchase from. It makes for a smoother transaction and the likelihood of them wanting to buy from you again is great. I guarantee you will draw the type of energy you put out!

Corner of Gratitude:
Being open to learning new things and refreshing upon old things

Pearls of Wisdom:
"An artist's duty is rather to stay open-minded and in a state where he can receive information and inspiration. You always have to be ready for that little artistic Ephiphany."

~Nick Cave

Your Thoughts:
Which online marketplaces are you thinking of selling your creations on? If you are already using an online marketplace, what do you find to be their advantages and disadvantages?

Until next time...

Moving Cheese

I read "Who Moved My Cheese?", a short book essentially about change and learning how to adapt to change. It spoke to areas of life that included; career, relationship, money and spiritual health by using four characters by the name of Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw.

Sniff and Scurry were mice, and Hem and Haw were miniature sized people, all of whom act like their names. They worked in teams to work through a maze to find cheese, their sustenance. Sniff was the scout, and Scurry was the one who followed up on Sniffs leads. And although Hem and Haw also worked together to get through the maze, they did it a little differently. They made it through to their cheese...their sustenance, but Hem complained and although Haw continued on, he found it hard to do so with Hem's complaining.

All the characters were metaphors for the acceptance or resistance to change and the cheese stood for what one would like to change. The seven principles being as follows:

Change happens - They keep moving the cheese
Anticipate change - Get ready for the cheese to move
Monitor change - smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old
Adapt to change quickly - The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese
Change - Move with the cheese
Enjoy change - Savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese
Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again and again - They keep moving the cheese

After reading, I thought about the character that I was most like. I really exhibited traits of them all, but I related to Haw the most. Haw had to talk to himself so much. He needed to constantly remind himself that change was not only necessary but good. He wrote messages on the walls of the maze as markers and motivators in the event that he got lost and needed the extra encouragement to continue on the journey. He was "initially hesitant", but "open-minded enough to learn something new, act differently and adapt in time to succeed."

Change hasn't always been my favorite or easy for me. As a matter of fact, the older I get the more set in my ways I become. It is sometimes a fight and complaints are it's companion. But I am realizing that change only comes to coax me out of my comfort zone and challenge me to grander pastures along this journey.

As uncomfortable as change may be, I am glad it is here. I am glad that I am flexible enough to think differently and move when a move is called for. To me a mark of an individual that is ever evolving into who they were created to be.

Corner of Gratitude:
Being okay with change

Pearls of Wisdom:
Recommended read:

Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal With Change In Your Work and In Your Life. 

~Dr. Spencer Johnson

Your Thoughts:
Which character do you relate to most?

Until next time...