by Linda | Apr 25, 2011 | my creative journal
My last post was on building a media kit and I’m happy to report I’ve made much progress! Having written a whole lot about myself, talk about pumping your ego LOL 🙂 I’ve decided to give my writing a few days to marinate. It’s always good to read over what you’ve written a few days later for a fresh perspective. In terms of photos, turns out that a family gathering doesn’t set the scene for taking photos…so I’ll be planning a photo shoot for tomorrow instead. Just me, myself and I! In the meantime, as I continue to plan out my marketing and promotion tasks, I started to think about time management for the creative. How certain tasks can be forced upon us with discipline, but others cannot, like creativity and inspiration…how does that work with scheduling? Can it really be scheduled?
Time management seems to be the most talked about and most lamented about topic. Sometimes I puzzle over the fact that I was able to manage peoples’ time as a job, but unable to do it for myself so well. I often feel overloaded and overwhelmed with my own schedule and it really makes me angry, giving me this unsettling feeling. I wondered why it would be easier to manage a team schedule. As the manager of a team, I was able to deflect lower priority tasks and push things around to ensure that crucial threads of work continued. I also restructured a lot of projects and broke them down into many phases, in order to meet certain deadlines. So something was complete, but more would be added at a later date. I suppose in part it was a political position too, negotiating to make a request fit with time that we had available. Hmm, I guess for my personal projects, I can’t see so clearly in black and white. All my creative work is important to me and I tend to just go with the energy and momentum of the moment. I don’t want to lose the drive when there’s a spark of inspiration. It’s always difficult to sort out priorities when you are in the trenches. I think I understand that now. Of course, doesn’t help when every client says they need this or that ASAP as well. Or perhaps the famous…“we needed this done yesterday…”
Realizing that I simply have a more taxing schedule this year, I attempted to figure out this time management thing for myself. I guess it’s also part of growing up and living here in Italy that has altered my time management. Being in a household with other folks means you have less alone time and more family responsibilities. Chores and all kinds of happenings that interject into the day. I’m sure all the moms out there can relate. Whether you have kids of not, having to run a household or care for people puts the same stresses on your schedule. I need to balance things out for myself, because I don’t want to get grumpy and frustrated when dinnertime comes along and I happen to be in the midst of creating something wonderful. I hate being interrupted.
It seems so straightforward – just schedule your time with the projects you must complete…block it all off. There are plenty of fancy programs to help you do this on your computer or directly online. Or you can go old school and just whip out that old fashioned weekly planner. I’m sure we’ve all tried this before. Unfortunately, real life simply does not happen as planned, ever! Reality happens and your perfectly planned blocks of time will only be a fantasy schedule for an imaginary person. If you are able to follow by a strict schedule, you have no issues with time management…so I bow to you…seriously, that is a miracle to me…but for the rest of us…
I am starting to think of time management like dieting. Seriously. There are a million programs and special diet schemes out there and often we learn that one plan works for some, but not others. The reason being that our bodies are different and we all have unique aspects in our health history and genetic make-up, thereby changing the game. Time management is similar in that we all have different personalities, work schedules, responsibilities and limits. Some require an aspect of strict scheduling, while others work best with certain flexibilities. Some people can run on 4 hours of sleep and others like me need way more! I realized that I need to learn more about myself and my creative habits, to figure out the method that fits me just right.
PRIORITIES and DEADLINES
I believe that one can never overemphasize the importance of setting priorities. I have responsibilities with deadlines that I simply must meet. Working to sustain your livelihood or household is definitely a top priority. Whatever your circumstances, there are times you simply have to buckle down and get it done. I put my paying jobs into first priority and sometimes that really is motivation enough. Other times you just have to work through it nevertheless – although thinking about what prize you will reward yourself with afterwards helps as well. That said, money can’t be the only motivator in the end. You have to consider the amount of time and effort something will take and what it’s worth to you, before diving in. Is it helping you towards your ultimate goals…making it a priority?
If there’s a call for a challenge…even if you are super excited about it…do you really have the time to fit that in? Is it really the thing to do that will help you grow and learn? If I really want to get something done, I do need a deadline. Otherwise, I will not complete it. However, I’ve learned to dismiss things when it’s just not the right time. Rather than bookmarking every single thing, creating a big mess on the unconscious mind, too. I think it’s clutter…to blindly think you might get to that, if you just add it to the list. I have learned to realized that new opportunities will arise. So there’s no need to dwell.
Which brings into question a special aspect regarding time management for creatives. There’s something about creative work that requires that excitement and mojo of the moment, right? When you get into that trance. If you aren’t feeling it…you could be trying to work the whole day, but end up accomplishing nothing. So although prioritizing is so darn important, I think for creatives we also have to weigh what we can work on with all our heart at that moment as well. You can’t sit down and write a novel or paint or sculpt if you just don’t feel passionate about it. It applies for all creative work, because you are creating something – not just going through the motions of xyz.
I know that many people believe that you have to drudge through those times, even when inspiration doesn’t come… so you will be ready when the inspiration decides to hit. I understand that position of thinking…but I don’t think it works for me personally. If I’m tired or out of it…I might be able to loosen up by playing and creating – but it doesn’t end up as any work. It’s just that, playing. So for me…I give myself the option to just move on to some other priority or just say, hey, I’m going to play! Not pretend that flailing for 8 hours is considered working. It just doesn’t jive with me.
FLEXIBILITY
One of the reasons why I freelance and design from home is because I want the flexibility to swap my schedule around as necessary. So it’s supremely important for me to remember that and take advantage of flexibility when I need it. If I start planning things hour by hour… what have I done, but simply brought the 9 to 5 home? Yes, I’ve got to get work done, but I give myself the flexibility to fluidly move between projects and swap out sections of time depending on what’s going on with my life.
I also think the flexibility is needed to accommodate for when inspiration does strike. If you suddenly get rolling in a project, it’s so frustrating to have to stop, because xyz is scheduled. I like being able to follow an unexplored path to see what happens. A bit mad scientist like. So strict scheduling again, does not work for me. I almost think that it stifles creativity…at least for me. If I think about inspiration I’ve received, it’s more often when I’m doing other things. Studio time is just working through those ideas…
So I’ve come up with a fluid system of time management. Since I still have the day job, that is the top priority – always. After all, we do have to learn to assume responsibilities and do things whether we feel like it or not. Like brushing your teeth and taking a shower – haha…just do it! With the rest of my time I work on my creative projects according to priority – but when I feel the most productive to do that kind of work. Certain projects might have deadlines, others might be personal ongoing projects or explorations. I rank them and work on them in that order, but jumping around if I feel like it and time allows. Over time I’ve also learned a bit about my own rhythms and when I’m most productive on the computer or painting or crafting something or another. I find it extremely helpful to give myself that flexibility, because I’ll get something done faster when I’m in the mode and mood.
RE-ENERGIZE or RE-DIRECT
Of course, there are times when I simply feel overwhelmed. The culprit was probably taking on too much to begin with. Which is why a monthly calendar of sorts really helps me to see the big picture of my time, before saying yes to something new. I’ve certainly burned myself out many a time. And I’ve had to ask myself the question so many times, in the midst of slaving away…why!? why!??! Before taking on more work, I have to remind myself of my ultimate goals and how the project fits in. Does it help me learn something? Grow something? Spread the word? Or do I have the time to participate for fun? We often want to do it all, saying yes, yes, yes! Perhaps as we grow older and wiser, we learn how to say no…and not feel bad about it!
I’ve found it really important to add in texture to my schedule. By that I mean, getting out…doing something completely different. If you do something heavy…afterwards, try to go with something more lighthearted or less stressful. You wouldn’t want to have to do your taxes, then go write an essay, followed by coding a program or something… it’s like stress, stress, stress. I personally need the variety and spice, breaking things up and making my activities balanced with each other. I think it helps to re-energize me… taking a walk, collecting wildflowers (taking lots of photos of them) going to get a snack or a coffee. Little things that balance out my day…or at times serving as the reward for having finished something not so enjoyable – like laundry!
EXPERIMENT AND ADJUST
So ultimately, I think of my fluid management is like having multiple layers or lots of rings that fit within each other. Hmm, can’t really think of a good way to put it. But there’s the big picture…like my yearly goals, both business and personal. Then there’s the actual dated schedule planner, month to month with the major deadlines…things I must do. Then if you zoom in closer week by week, certain things need to be done, but can be shifted around. Like a bunch of blocks that you can move around in any way, but they fit within a week’s time…usually leaving breathing room, so it’s not a tight fit that you are shoving them into each other to make it all fit. Okay, enough with the bad analogy. It makes sense in my mind anyway! I certainly don’t know if this method of time management will work forever. It takes more than a month to see if it’ll work. Not to mention, our lives are ever-changing and our methods will evolve with time. However, I wanted to share my thinking process and hear what perspective you have on time management, especially for creative types of work. Let me know and I hope that we can all get a better grip on our personal schedules and move forward with our creative businesses. Until next time…
by Linda | Apr 22, 2011 | my creative journal, Uncategorized
When I first started this creative business 101 journey, I wrote a mega outline of “things to do.” Many of the items are straightforward tasks from writing a business plan to getting my website launched. Others however, are much more general such as “marketing and promotion.” It’s easy to say that we need to promote ourselves and get our work out there…but exactly how does one go about it? It’s no surprise that these particular items on my list seem super difficult to approach. I realized that I needed to break out my bullet point of “marketing and promotion” into concrete actionable steps.
So I started to write specific action items that would result in marketing and promotion for me as an artist. I want to introduce myself to design blogs and art blogs, approaching one a week sounds pretty doable. I also have the goal of being published in art magazines, so I decided to submit my work to art calls. I actually scheduled in the due dates for the ones I’m truly interested in. So my efforts are focused on publications and blogs that I read, follow and want to be involved with…not to mention those that would fit my style of artwork. Then there’s the notion of advertising…
Suddenly, I realized I was missing an important tool…where’s my media kit? What exactly am I going to send to people? If you stop and think…just a link to your website or blog makes it extremely difficult for someone new to your work to find focus. They might want a headshot or specifically photos of your most popular or recent collection only. If you customize your materials every single time, this marketing thing is going to swallow up all your time. So it makes sense to have an official kit of materials. Photos, work to promote, blurbs about me…that kind of thing. Simply put, all the materials that might be used to promote you!
Without materials prepared, you run the risk of finding yourself scrambling for materials when there’s a deadline and possibly presenting yourself in a sloppy fashion. I actually experienced something similar in the past, when I bought advertising for my Etsy shop before having an ad. Yeah, it sounds silly but it happens. You finally get attention… but there’s nothing to back it up, so they simply move on. Urgh! What a waste!
So my actionable task item is to create a media kit…although I haven’t decided yet if I want to package it up into a formal Press Kit PDF. Either way, I need to create the parts first. With these thoughts swirling in my head, I then got an email announcing a new ebook by Tara Reed, How to Be a Press Friendly Artist. It’s funny how things seem to coincide miraculously in life. I bought it right away and have spent the last two weeks digesting the material and putting the advice to action. She also just posted on her blog about prepping your press kit.
The ebook goes into a lot of details that I am still thinking through, but it has also triggered a few overarching realizations about presenting my work and myself as an artist. First and foremost, it’s all about making it easy for people to promote you – whether it’s the official press, a fellow blogger, a magazine or an art gallery. When you make things easy for people, they are also more likely to run with it…just the honest truth. Even when I love someone to death, having to jump through lots of hoops when life is crazy busy…just turns me off and I probably won’t get to it in the end. Second realization is that you have to think of what’s of interest to your audience when promoting yourself or your product. What’s the benefit…not just what is it and what does it do. There’s usually always something cool or unique to talk about, a certain angle that makes it more interesting. Not to mean that you should be a poser, but that you have to find the gem that is already there and polish it up. I find it helps to actually ask someone else, because they usually see it differently than you do personally. I realized that my story of moving from California to Italy…really excites people! And it is true that living here in a new culture that is so drastically different from Los Angeles lifestyle…totally changed my outlook on life. My lifestyle certainly inspires my artwork…so I think I should play that up – because it’s inspiring. If I could change my life so drastically, so can you…and I honestly truly wish that we could all live blissfully. Ultimately it is a state of mind…not how many cars you have or how much money is in the bank…or where you live…all those details… anyway… I’m getting off topic now – LOL!
So as I read through the ebook, I realized there’s so much to create and writing does freak me out a bit. It also just feels weird to examine yourself and write about yourself in the third person. At times I feel like I’m tooting my own horn and wondering if I’m doing it all wrong. As with everything in life, new things are scary but we all live and learn, right? I tried to stop fussing over little details and get something done instead. I started writing a press release about my new website and along the way, created a lot of material that can be used for my bio and fact sheet as well. I set up a free newsroom with PRLog.org and put up my first press release. Whew! Less than perfect, but it’s a start and I’m happy to have taken the first step in getting myself out there. I’m learning as I go, by taking action and whether you are just starting or already a pro… there’s always something new to learn and lots of room to grow…
I’m going to take the weekend to finish compiling my bio and faq sheet, which gets me ready to introduce myself to bloggers. So I will be putting my weekly promotion tasks into action after Easter. Finally, there are the photos. I actually have some photos already, those you see in my online profiles. But they work only because they are tiny…I don’t have it for print quality purposes. And even though I really love to take photos, self portraits have never turned out right because my face just doesn’t seem to co-operate at times (see above? that is freakish me!) 🙂 I probably should have asked my photographer friends to help me out when still living in the States! Guess, I’ll have to go at it alone with my trusty Nikon D60. Coincidentally this weekend is Easter. Which means I can kill two birds with one stone…dressing up a bit before our big family luncheon to do a fancy photoshoot for myself. Taking all the tips from the ebook with me, hopefully I’ll have at least one suitable photo next week!
Hope everyone has a lovely Easter holiday and lovely weekend in general. I hope that in sharing my experience, I can inspire others to go chase their creative dreams! It’s taken me some time to get to this point, but I’m so proud of myself for taking action and moving ahead. A little at a time…it works!
by Linda | Apr 19, 2011 | my creative journal
I would say my website launch went pretty smoothly, even though checking the site on my husband’s old laptop really threw me for a loop! When you start to realize that what you create online will not necessarily be perceived in the same way by every computer or browser…you start simplifying…and simplifying. Anyway, I used this nifty free tool as well – browsershots.org – which takes a screenshot of your website in all the platforms and browsers you select. That way you can do a simple check to make sure your site looks pretty much okay across the board.
Moving forward in my creative business journey, I also decided to do some online clean-up. I had already started blogging well before starting up an official business website…but it’s always a good idea to clean things up every once in a while. I made a few changes to the design and reorganized bits here and there. However, I chose not to give up my identity as tortagialla for this blog, so it does look different in brand from lindatieu.com. I don’t think it should be a problem and coincidentally gives me another outlet of expression. The artists’ website or portfolio is the professional presentation. The blog however moves into more personal territory for me as well as presenting a different area of my creative work that is not for my “clients” necessarily.
BLOGGING
If you are reading this blog, I think you might be a blogger yourself. But I think it’s worth delving into the question of why creatives blog. Especially for working artists, I think the blog gives you a place to share your ongoing progress and even failed experiments. A peek into your world that is more personal and inviting than the business/portfolio website. I think it shows your human side and allows people to connect to you the human. By sharing your thoughts, I think you also build credibility. It’s always nice to learn more about an artist or any person for that matter through their blog. Knowing that they are taking action in real-time…I think it brings us all closer together… even if we actually live thousands of miles away and have never met. 🙂 I also think that having a blog gives you more internet real estate. Does it matter in the long run? I dunno. I think it must be a good thing though, to be known in more places. It certainly can’t hurt! You have to put yourself out there if you are going to be a entrepreneur.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Which brings me to social networking and putting out all those online profiles into Internet cyberspace. At times it might seem like a whole lot to keep track of and handle. Shouldn’t we be working instead of tweeting? I agree that at times I find myself overwhelmed with all my identities online and profiles to keep track of. So I don’t not hesitate to cut loose any baggage. I’ve opted out of many things, doing some digital clean-up and while I was at it, unsubscribed to lists and cleaned my RSS reader as well. Reduce the clutter! However looking at my web statistics, I know that each network drives a bit traffic to my blog and website. So it really does work. You just have to consolidate to those you truly participate in and enjoy interacting within…to get the most out it.
The popular tools for networking online these days include Twitter, Facebook (Pages), LinkedIn and even YouTube and Vimeo. I also have a Gravatar profile, so when I comment on blogs, my picture shows up…putting a face to my comment. Each network reaches a different audience, so I certainly think it’s worth participating in multiple networks or communities. However, everyone has to know their limits and habits. For example, Pinterest is booming and such a trend these days, but I never joined up. I chose purposefully NOT to add more distractions to my day. Even if I did sign-up, I wouldn’t have the time to truly participate – so there’s no point. You have to participate and gain something from a network or community for it to be productive and helpful both ways. I know there are lots of tips out there on how to social network, dos and don’ts. But honestly it comes down to being yourself and sharing relevant information. Think about how you interact with friends…it shouldn’t be so drastically different online. If you want to get your work out there and to connect with others who have similar interests – then use these online tools to discover others so they can discover you. It’s networking, so it should go both ways.
If you already tweet and post daily, I would advise you to go check all your profiles and make sure your information is up to date and links are correct. You don’t know how many times I’ve clicked on a Twitter profile link and have it go to a broken page! Talk about disappointment. If the person didn’t take the time to check their own profile…why should I spend the time to go look them up, right? So off I go now to check my profiles and do some more digital Spring cleaning. Hope you will do the same and get that refreshing feeling after purging all that excess baggage and really participating in those things that inspire!
Here are some useful articles that might be of interest to you:
– 10 tips to using twitter to increase your creative business success
– Be Authentic: 5 Tips for Creating Engaging Video Podcasts
– Want to be Crafty and Connected? Promote Your Biz with Jess Van Den
– Share Your Profile Instantly with Other Blog Commenters
– Why Artists Should Blog at Making a Mark
by Linda | Apr 15, 2011 | my creative journal
Hi everyone! Continuing onward with my creative business endeavors, today I uploaded my new website at http://www.lindatieu.com – yay! Actually, it’s not totally ready yet, but given that no one really knows about the site, I think there’s no harm in putting it up. I guess you guys know about the site though…LOL. One of the advantages of starting a new website is that no one is going to really see it to begin with. So you can do some real time checking and testing, before sending out those marketing emails. It is important to check your website on multiple computers – all the platforms and browsers to ensure it looks right.
Since I took the time to organize my artwork and design my website in preparation, finishing the site was just a matter of coding and editing. Obviously, this part might be easy for some… or a lot harder for others. Remember that there are many other solutions out there for artists to get a website. You can hire a professional, set up a quick portfolio/blog combined or sign up for one of those hosted portfolio packages. Either way, it’s a lot easier when you’ve prepared all the images and planned things out.
However, I have to admit that once you pull it all together and see everything in action – sometimes things just need to change. Maybe you realize a particular section isn’t working or you don’t like the presentation of certain work. That is why you need to take the time to test your website out before fully releasing it to the whole world. And by the whole world, I really mean your audience – whether it is emailing the prospective clients or advertising with the URL. As soon as you tell people to seriously check out your website, they are going to give you that first impression chance and possibly never return. So don’t open the doors until you do feel ready. If you are already mentioning your domain name on business cards or elsewhere online, it might be best to hide your development and tinkering with a coming soon page. However, in that situation I think it’s a good idea to offer an “Email me” option, so you can let people know once the site is up. Otherwise, they might never come back…
I had started to waver a bit when organizing my art licensing collections and original artwork on my site. Since I’m just starting out, it’s hard to get a cohesive portfolio put together. My work has a certain style, but I also like to work in many different mediums and styles. I know it will be changing with the times (perhaps always)…and sometimes this can just look really messy to others. As if you haven’t found your artist self yet. Do you ever completely find yourself? Anyway, I couldn’t let those thoughts stop me from showing off what I do have now. I’m certainly not trying to pull the wool over anyones’ eyes about my experience. I’ve been around, but I’m also just starting out…so this is where I am now. As I create more work, I will be updating the site and chopping off old work to clean things up a bit of course. I think it’s important to overcome those fears and doubts – reminding ourselves that everyone started out as a beginner, a nobody, just a student…
So I’m going to take the weekend to finalize my website, testing it and writing a few notes about ongoing maintenance required. I’ll be delving into some social media topics for our creative business 101 journey next week, but let me leave you some resource links that I have found helpful. You might want to check them out even if you are just rebranding or polishing up an existing site!
– 19 Important Factors Before Launching Your Website
– How to Launch a New Website or Blog
– 8 Tips for Keeping Your Art Portfolio Fresh
by Linda | Apr 14, 2011 | my creative journal
Hi everyone! I’ve got the next issue of Pensieri completed and in the mail to subscribers…whew! It’s been a bit challenging to keep the vision of what I want under 100 grams when packed up for shipping. I no longer like these huge jumps in postage pricing…because it jumps from 4 euro up to 100 grams to 7 euro even if a gram more. After a lot of printing, testing, folding and weighing…I hope to have found a happy medium. Issue 5 is all about Chinese brush painting and my explorations in loosening up creativity. I thought it would be a great subject to explore and I’ve learned so much. Oddly enough though, I realized that you need to learn control before loosening up. Imagine that!
I’ve had a lot of fun sharing my thoughts and discovering, through my journey of exploring the ancient art of brush painting. I really do hope you’ll support me by purchasing a copy from my Etsy shop. There’s a really limited quantity given that I hand-stitch and compose every zine. It’s still got the envelope cover with a back pocket surprise – thankfully I was able to make that under the weight restrictions. Yay! Even if you don’t buy a copy, I want to share a few thoughts of what I’ve learned. Ultimately, it is the philosophy and way of thinking behind brush painting that really hit me. Learning control and techniques is all good, but in the end you have to bring forth your own energy and interpretation. A fine balance between controlled work and going with the flow of spontaneity as it happens. I think it’s a refreshing way to think about creative work in general…but also for life.
On the lighter side of things, I also simply enjoy the meditative process of doodling with paint, creating puffy little cute animals. Isn’t that little panda just adorable – LOL!
