To write or not to write.

One of the challenges my clients often have is blog writing, probably more specifically what to write about. I think it’s because more often than not, they feel more comfortable with the visual art than the written art. In fact, many of them do not want to blog at all. Today, though, blogging is important if we are to connect with our customers.

When faced with the blank blog page, many people don’t know where to start. I like to carry a small notebook or 3 x 5 card with me in case my muse strikes. How many times have you been out and about and something struck you, you thought you’d remember and, of course, you didn’t?

At home, I keep a 3 x 5 card on my desk for the same purpose. You might use Evernote or even a napkin at a restaurant, just something to catch that fleeting thought.

What exactly do I put on the note card? Here are some ideas that I use to get started:

Often it’s just a key phrase to remind myself of a topic. I might also overhear someone say something that strikes me. I might pick up a magazine at home or more often when I’m in a waiting room and some phrase strikes me. It might even be an article on a specific topic and that sets me in a direction. I’ve found ideas when I’ve been reading a novel. I’ve found ideas when I was caught up in Pinterest. I even got an idea during our ICAP Business Call this yesterday. Problem is, if I don’t take time to capture this idea, it’s gone, and I’m back at the beginning wondering what I’m going to write about.

Someone once asked me if was plagiarizing if I was using something I read somewhere else. I’m not stealing someone’s idea; I’m using it as a jumping off point for what I’m doing. I’m writing in my own voice and fitting the message to fit my brand.

The goal is to be inspired and inspiration is everywhere. If I’ve got this running of ideas and phrases, I’m never at a loss for inspiration.

Where do you get your blog inspiration?

photo credit: Blogger, after Vilhelm Hammershøi via photopin (license)

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/

As a creative entrepreneur you probably struggle with a large to-do list. I know I do. Even as your business grows and you have assistance, it can still seem overwhelming to get everything done in the allotted time you have.

The key is to put money generating activities (MGAs) at the top of the list. If you look at the last five things you did in your business, how many were related to sales or marketing in your business? You need to prioritize those activities if you are going to bring income into your business. Here are some tips to do that.

• Capture all the things that you need to get done in one place. No more sticky notes or little pieces of paper. You can create one master to-do list or one for each project. Just the act of getting the tasks out of your head frees up thinking and working energy. I like to use a sheet of paper in a three-ring binder.

• Go back and decide what you need to do today. You will probably have other tasks to add each day that may not be on your master list. Rank the activities so you can see how many are really money-generating activities. You can use A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C, etc., ranking system to prioritize them. “A” tasks are those which will make you money.

• Get going and finish your A1 task before moving to your A2 task. It will take discipline to stay focused on those A tasks, and that is what you need to do to generate an income.

• Look at the tasks you are doing with the thought that maybe someone else can do them. Consider taking one of these and train someone else to do it. You will be able to spend your time on MGAs while your team can handle other work. And, you will actually be happier and more productive.

• Watch getting sidetracked by little tasks. It is easy to look at the list and think you can winnow the list down by doing some quick items, e.g., the phone call, answering email, checking your Pinterest page. I have tried that and what happens is that I do not get to the big stuff because I did the little stuff.

• At the end of the day, look at what you accomplished. Ta-da!

Profit First
Mike Michalowicz
Obsidian Press; $24.95

This book was recommended to me and when I found it in the Kindle store for $2.99, I hit the 1-Click® button, downloaded and began reading. I am so glad I did. Most of us learned the basic formula Income – Expenses = Profit. Profit is what you have left. Mike teaches you Income – Profit = Expenses. Even if you know to pay yourself first and are doing it, this is more. You start with four types of accounts (Profit, Owner’s Pay, Taxes, Expenses) and divvy the money up in the order according to set percentages. What happens if you don’t have enough left for your expenses? It doesn’t mean take from the other accounts; it means you need to get rid of the expenses you cannot afford. One of the other suggestions Mike offers is to get  a handle on bill paying by doing that twice a month, on the 10th and 25th. The book includes an Instant Assessment so you can see where you stand, as well as suggested percentages to apply to the four accounts. Yes, some of it seems obvious, yet how many of us are really doing this? Definitely worth the read.

Look for this book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Are you an action taker? Actually we are all action takers; what makes us different is when we take action. Do you take action when everything is perfect or do you take action even when it’s not? I know lots of people who wait for everything to be perfect. The website must be perfect before we announce we’re in business. The pattern covers must be perfect before we market the designs. Even as I was writing this, I got a call from a colleague who was asking about a program I was offering. She thought she wanted to offer something similar and had some questions. When I asked when she was planning to make the program available, she sidestepped the question because it wasn’t perfect yet. Perfectionism has its good points. It can also become a dead end.  Here are some things it can lead to:

1. Procrastination and/or indecision. If you need everything to be perfect, you wait for the best solution or the right time. You don’t want to miss it, so you wait and wait.

2. Missing the big picture because you are focusing on the details. It’s like missing the forest for all the trees.

3. Loss of creativity. I think this one is tied into procrastination, because you want perfect results so you put it off. You don’t have “failed creative efforts.” And, of course if you did, they could lead to growth. (Ironically, growth is one of the reasons people want to be perfect.)

4. Perfectionism in the extreme can lead to depression and alienation of relationships.

So how do you work on taking imperfect action? Here are some tips to try:

1. Be aware of why you are a perfectionist and recognize when it rears its head. Know whether it’s good perfectionism or obsessive perfectionism. I think that’s often half the battle.

2. Ask yourself, “What will happen if it’s not perfect?” or even, “What will happen if I don’t have to do it perfectly?”

3. Aim for good enough. I have two signs in my office. One says “Good enough is good enough.” The other says, “Progress, not perfection.” It’s not license to slack off, it’s license to finish.

4. Look at the big picture, i.e., look at the forest not the trees. Prioritize to figure out if all the trees, aka tasks, are necessary to fill in the big picture. If not, get rid of that tree.

5. Learn how to delegate. Once you do this and begin to have faith in other people’s abilities, it becomes easier to delegate. You don’t have to do it all to be perfect. And, it may not be perfect to your way of thinking, but it will be done.

6. Just once, set a goal to do something poorly. What a concept! This is really freeing. Imagine being perfectly imperfect!

7. Celebrate. My clients know I like to have a weekly Success and Strategies Summit. If you’ve managed to let go of some of your perfectionist tendencies, celebrate it as a success.

I love quotes and searched for the perfect (!) quote on perfectionism. In the end, I decided to share the words from one of my favorite authors, Anne Lamott, from her book Bird by Bird:

So today or tomorrow, please take one imperfect action and share it below.

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/

This past week I got a note from one of our members and a CABS attendee about a copyright situation with her guild. While I don’t know all the particulars, I do know this topic comes up on a regular basis.

Some of you know that I pick a word to guide and inspire me through the year, to serve as a focus or intention as I face each day. I started this practice back in 2005 or 2006 and have shared this story before. At that time, I was actively practicing yoga and in a class, Kathy, the owner of our studio, passed a basket with words. I chose one, openness, and I didn’t really like it. After all, the woman next to me picked love, which I thought was so much better. I asked to draw a new word and Kathy told me the word had picked me and I was to go with it. I put the paper with the word “Openness” on the computer where I could see it every day. I was not sure what would happen, but I just started seeing all kinds of things around me. I guess I was “open.”

Since that time I have had lots of different words to guide me through the year, including abundance, challenge, joy, consciousness and last year’s word “Trust.” I wanted to trust that I would make the right decisions, that I would not second-guess my decisions, that the chances I took would work out. And, yes, I could see a difference in how my choices played out.

For me, this was a better idea than making a New Year’s Resolution. So, why did I make the switch from resolutions to an intention? It came down to the kind of person I wanted to be, not all the stuff I wanted to do or have. Sure, I could have the same resolutions everyone else made: lose weight, get organized, exercise more, the list goes on. But that did not work because I was still “being” the same person. I had to make a choice to “be” a different person. That is what has made the difference, focusing on being.

So here we are, a week into 2015, and I have been thinking of my “word.” I started by listing a group of words I found appealing: bounty, mindfulness, connections, persistence, gratitude, harmony, possibilities, thrive, awareness, exploration. And, while they resonated, they did not resonate enough. Next, what I did was think about what it is I wanted in my life and my business, and the answer I kept coming back to was to fully experience what was in front of me, whether that was a person, an experience, an activity, a challenge. It was about being present; it was about being connected; it was about being committed; and it was much more. So I just ruminated on “fully experience.” Actually, you could say I slept on it. When I awoke on Monday morning, the word “engaged” just came to me. That was it. I wanted to be or feel engaged. I went to the dictionary and found the following definition: “to establish a meaningful contact or connection with.” Meaning and connection.

Have you picked a word to guide you for the year? If you have not, give it a chance. You just need to think of the quality or direction that you want your year to take. Need some help getting started. Think about what you might have resolved to do and ask yourself what quality is necessary for that? Or try a search online for character qualities and go from there. Lots of people immediately come up with a word that resonates with them. Others need a bit more time. My best advice is think of a word, mull it over, and if it keeps showing up, that’s the one.

Once you come up with your word or intention, what do you do with it? Here are three tips:

1. Write it down where you can see it. I put mine on a sticky note and attach it to my computer where I’ll see it every day.
2. Share it with someone else, especially if the person will hold you accountable. Over the years I have shared mine with some of my mastermind partners or family members, and we talked about why we chose the words we did.
3. Do something that lets you take action on your intention.

What word did you end with? And, if you picked a word last year, how did that make a difference? Share your word below to make that commitment and see what you can create in 2015!

Please do! Just use it in its entirety and be sure to include the blurb below:

Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/

It is exactly two weeks to the last day of 2014. To me, this year just flew by. While two weeks does not seem like a lot of time, especially with all the busy holiday activities, you can still take positive actions to end your year right and get a head start on 2015. Here are seven tips that I am taking to heart:

1. Don’t wait until Dec. 31 to check your financials. Do you need to follow up on any late invoices if you want the income to be in 2014? Do you need to defer the income until 2015? Do you need to make any expenditures by year end? What tax consequences should you be aware of? A quick call or email to your accountant could make a difference.
2. If you do not have a giving plan in place, consider starting one before the end of the year. Yes, you will get a tax deduction, and yes, it will make you feel good. You can find numerous local charities in your own backyard or look online for some that work with creative arts. I have supported both groups that help women get back on track locally and also microloan foundations that target the funds to help women make a living from crafts. Two to look at here are www.finca.org and www.kiva.org. Even $25 makes a difference.
3. Look back over the year to see what your successes were. I think as entrepreneurs we often do not take the time to celebrate what we have accomplished. We are always onto the next big thing. Go back and list what your accomplishments were. I bet you can come up with 100 if you try. Let me know how many you find.
4. As you looked over your successes, did you see places for growth? Spend some time over the next two weeks getting clear on what is possible for you. Consider who you will need for support, whether that is private coaching or your own personal networking group.
5. Have you started planning for next year? Have you purchased your calendar or created one that works for you? Have you entered dates for big events and those appointments with yourself? That way you can start the year on the right track. You will see where you need to fill in to build your business.
6. Have you thought about what Your Big Why is? What is the reason you get up each day and work in and on your creative arts business. If you are unclear, set aside some time over the holidays to consider it. That will make a difference as you begin the New Year.
7. And, since my topic is clean-up, I plan to spend some time tossing what is not needed in my studio, so I start on a fresh note in January.

What are you doing to be sure you end the year on a positive note? Leave a comment below, or go over to our Facebook page and share.

This past week I had met with a group of dynamic, creative women in our Creative Passion to Profit Mastermind. For all of us, me included, we talked about focus and business growth. I think clarity is the key. Once we have clarity we are able to move forward; otherwise we are mired in all the “what ifs” and lots of fuzzy thinking. Have you ever been there?

What do you need clarity on? When I work with some clients, that is our first step. Clarity is really the foundation of success both in your business and your personal life. You cannot market on an authentic level if you are not clear.

You need to be clear on the direction you are going. What is your end goal? If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?

You need to be clear on who your client is. We can’t be everything to all people, though I do know people who try. In one class I taught, I had a student who wanted to turn every quilter into an appliqué artist. While that was an admirable goal, her time would have been exhausted trying to accomplish this. She would have been more effective targeting beginning quilters to get them started.

You need to be clear on the financial realities of your business. Where does your income come from? What are your expenses? How much do you need to earn to provide support for yourself?

Those are just a few of the many areas that require clarity. I am sure you can find other areas where you are searching for clarity. It could be something big, like what my coaches call your “Big Why,” or it could be something smaller, like the name of your new pattern.

It is easy to figure out what you need to be clear on – you hear the muddled voices. How do you find clarity? Here are a few approaches to tune into the right little voice inside so you can listen.

• Create a vision board. The easy approach is to go through magazines and find things that resonate with you. It could be colors, words, pictures of places you want to visit, quilts you want to make or techniques you want to learn. Glue them onto a piece of poster board and leave it in a place where you will see it. I find that just searching for the items to put on my vision board helps me get clearer.

1. Keep a journal. Note your day’s activities, how you felt about what happened, any insights you might have. You might even ask a question and brainstorm on ideas or let the answer just come to you. Go back and read your earlier entries. The more you journal about something, the clearer it becomes.

1. Be grateful. If you are grateful every day, you can start to replace confusion with clarity. I keep a gratitude journal.

1. Spend time alone in nature. You may feel most at peace in a certain type of setting. For me it’s the water. So when I need to gain clarity, I will often sit by the water. On our retreat this week, we are in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains by the Potomac River. It is a great setting for walking and reflecting. Clarity often comes just “being,” and this environment lets me “be.”

1. Let go of the question. Sometimes by no longer putting your attention on something the answer will just come to you.

Here is a quote on clarity from Scottish writer Richard Holloway that I like:

Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power
and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art.

How do you find clarity? I would love to hear your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

Please do! Just use it in its entirety and be sure to include the blurb below:

Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.

We have less than 30 days left in 2014. Have you taken stock of where you are? You actually do have time to make a difference in how your year turns out. First, go back and look at your numbers. What did you offer that gave you the best return? Perhaps it was a new pattern, perhaps it was a special you ran on longarm quilting, perhaps it was a class you ran online. Considering that, what can you do to bring in cash this month?

We have just had our share of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, so maybe you are “sales’d” out. How about offering that new pattern at a slightly increased price with a pattern that you are not as successful moving? If you do online teaching, perhaps you can offer pre-registration this month to bring in cash. And, if you are a longarmer, how about a discount on a second quilt if someone drops it off this month to be quilted? Of course, it likely won’t get quilted until January, but the topper has a commitment and you have some cash. I’m sure you have some other ideas.

As to looking ahead, have you been thinking about 2015 and how it will be different from 2014? Not everyone has started this process, so you aren’t alone if you haven’t. Here are some tips I use.

1. Decide that next year will be different from last. Sounds easy, right? It’s about setting an intention and knowing why you are doing this. You need to connect with your “big why,” so that you goals will have meaning. It also keeps you moving each day.

1. Schedule time to dream and then a time to strategize as a result. You need to look at the bigger picture and the only way to do that is to allow yourself the time. Get our your calendar and block that time off. Give yourself permission! Be the one who designs your own life!

1. Consider what will happen as a result of your dreams becoming a reality. How will this be personally significant to you? We all have vast potential that hasn’t been tapped and now is the time to go for it.

I love this quote from Tony Robbins, motivational speaker:

“If you want to succeed in your life, remember this phrase. The past does not equal the future. Because you failed yesterday; or all day today; or a moment ago; or for the last six months;
the last 16 years; or the last fifty years of life, doesn’t mean anything … All that matters is: What are you going to do right now.”

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

Please do! Just use it in its entirety and be sure to include the blurb below:

Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.

The trade show season brings with it a lot of opportunities. Your work is being seen by more people than you can imagine, and they are people who can help raise your profile in the industry. I know several of my clients came back from Quilt Market with new opportunities to consider, including a sales job offer from a thread company, the chance to create quilts for fabric company booths, a potential distributor connection, interest in fabric design, and the opportunity to write a book.

Pretty cool, right? That is what we all think right away — all these opportunities that could lead to fame and fortune. That is, if they actually pan out how we think.

The problem is that all those opportunities do sound cool, and they are for the person making the offer. The opportunity fits their business agenda.

But, the real question is, does it fit your business agenda?

I know how easy it is to get caught up in possible potential and forget to take a look at how the opportunity really fits with your business goals. I have had my turn at this.

So, how do you decide what to do with the multiple opportunities? I think that you ask a series of questions for each opportunity?

1. Is this something that you want to do, be or have in your life? Sometimes just thinking about the opportunity in that light allows you to realize that perhaps it sounded really cool on the surface, but it is really not something that interests you long-term enough to work at.
2. Is this something that will move you closer to your goal? Again, lots of opportunities are exciting, only they do not always move you towards the goal you want.
3. Is this a one-time opportunity or will it be available at a future date? Perhaps this is something that will be an option at a later date when it fits more in line with your long-term goals.
4. Can you afford to put the time and energy into this opportunity at the present time? And, what will you give up to make room for it?

If you have really looked at the opportunities and decide that any are right for you, then go for it and make a plan to fit them in to your schedule.

What questions do you ask when you get a cool opportunity that you don’t want to miss? Let me know below or leave a comment on the Facebook page.

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

Please do! Just use it in its entirety and be sure to include the blurb below:

Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.