I’m hosting our eighth Creative Arts Business Summit this week. It’s inspiring to be around so many creative people. People with big dreams.
One problem is that while we all have big dreams, they can often get stalled. And, you seem to be repeating what you did yesterday without moving further ahead with your dreams.
You are stuck in a permanent Groundhog Day.
Do you see yourself there?
You’ve spent hours talking about your business ideas. You have the perfect name. You have idea pictures of your website on a Pinterest board. You have a strategy to launch your business. You even have potential customers.
And, then you stop. You start the next day in the same place. Dreaming of starting your own creative arts business. You know you could make a difference. You know the world needs what you have to offer, your art.
And, you look around and realize that you never took the leap. You never even really took the first step to making your dream a reality.
You stayed in your safe spot. Dreaming.
What often holds people back from making this leap is they lack clarity. They lack confidence. They lack support. All three are needed to take the leap.
At CABS I opened the doors for enrollment to our Members’ Studio. Most of those attending are already members and see the difference every day in how their business grows.
They gain clarity. They build confidence. And they have the best support network to move their business forward.
Take this chance to join us and leave Groundhog Day behind.
Have you looked at the calendar and wondered how you can possibly do all you have scheduled? I used to feel that way until I made a simple discovery.
Time blocking!
Time blocking is a method of allocating or pre-assigning time for specific activities throughout your day. It helps me keep my day and life more balanced. I accomplish more because I have structure to my day, I can focus on a specific task with a high value, and I am able to manage interruptions. I am the one in charge of my day. Here’s how to do this.
We are in a stage of change here at the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals. Our biggest change is that we are no longer hosting our annual Creative Arts Business Summit after next weekend.
It was hard for me to decide to stop doing a successful event. After seven years, I felt rewarded by all the growth I saw in the creatives who had come to CABS, as we call it.
People who were pattern designers opened brick and mortar stores. One person saw her dream of a B&B/Retreat Center come to fruition. Someone created a “million dollar” idea. Many others also realized that they were capable of doing bigger things, and as one attendee said, she was so “much more than a stay at home mom with a hobby.”
People felt their lives were changed both personally and professionally.
Someone recently shared in our Members’ Studio that she was trying to tackle too many tasks in one day. She added that she tended to overestimate her available time. That meant she was moving uncompleted tasks from one day into the next day’s list. The end result was making new lists and wasting time and energy. She was not alone with this confession, confusion, and remorse.
I refer to this as the “Smorgasbord Syndrome.”
As a child, I can remember my parents saying that my eyes were bigger than my stomach when we had big family celebrations. I didn’t want to miss out on anything that might be good. And, of course, even though I probably left little room for dessert, I didn’t want to miss out on any of those, so I added more to my plate when dessert rolled around. You can guess that I probably had my share of stomach aches.
It’s easy to see how this approach translates into your life and business.
You think you have more time to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. You keep saying, “yes, pile more on my plate.” Whether you say that to someone who asks you to do something or just to yourself, the end result is the same. Your life and/or business plate is overflowing.
Last week a post popped up in my Facebook feed that dealt with copyright.
A textile artist discovered that her original work had “inspired” someone to create a nearly identical piece of art. The copier thought that if she gave credit to the art’s originator at some point, it was okay. She did credit the original artist in a blog post. She also thought it was okay to enter her work into a contest. Well it’s not okay in either instance.
Late last year one of my pattern design clients shared that someone had created a nearly identical quilt to hers and was selling patterns. Again, the copier was inspired and didn’t see the harm in what she was doing.
In both these cases, the copiers infringed on copyright. They didn’t have the rights to make a copy. In neither case did the infringer even ask permission.
Unfortunately this topic comes up on a regular basis.
My first yoga studio, Follow Your Heart Yoga in Germantown, Md., had a decorative tile hanging by the door. It said, “Just Be!” I first saw it nearly 15 years ago, and it has stuck with me ever since. What does it mean to “just be?”
On one level it means to be present in the moment, without distraction, still. And, that is probably what we are supposed to consider when we see the tile and begin our practice in the studio.
A U.S. Naval Academy grad, Charlie was a jet pilot in Vietnam and completed 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam. On his next mission, just days before the end of his tour, his plane was shot down over Hanoi. He parachuted into enemy hands and spent the next 2,103 days as a Prisoner of War.
Some years later by chance, Charlie met the man who had packed his parachute. At first speechless at the meeting, Charlie became full of gratitude and explained that he had said many prayers of thanks and didn’t expect to ever be able to express his gratitude in person. Charlie asked the parachute packer if he kept track of all the parachutes he packed. The man responded, “No, it’s enough gratification for me to just know I served.”
Today Charlie travels around the country lecturing and asking, “Who packs your parachute?”
I believe that anyone who is serious about starting or growing a creative arts business should have a chance to learn the best success and business strategies.
I also believe this is best done away from your studio with other like-minded creatives who will understand and continue to support you.
Your place to do that is the eighth annual Creative Arts Business Summit on March 21-23, 2019.
That’s why when someone turned in her ticket for this year’s Creative Arts Business Summit (CABS), I decided to offer two partial scholarships. Two lucky winners will be able to work directly with me and a group of other creatives for three days in the middle of March.
For many who have attended CABS over the past seven years, this has been life changing. I want that for you, too.
Here are the rules:
Send us a note or a video indicating why YOU should receive the scholarship. Be sure to mention how this will make a difference in your business and life.
Written entries should be no longer than 300 words and videos should be no longer than 3 minutes!
If you choose to do a video, clearly mention the website www.CreativeArtsBusinessSummit.com in your video so people who watch it know where to learn more about this event you’re talking about.
I had a dental visit last week. I have one every six months, like many people. I don’t actually mind these because — knock on wood — I’ve been blessed with healthy teeth.
I was thinking about what I could learn and share about business as Julie, the hygienist, was cleaning my teeth. After all, you can’t exactly carry on your end of a conversation while this is going on.
Create relationships
Julie has been a dental hygienist in this small practice for nearly 40 years, and I’ve been going for at least half that time.
While she started her job because she loved cleaning teeth, Julie told me that for her it had not been about cleaning teeth for a long time.
As a creative entrepreneur, you probably struggle with a never ending 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 goal of your business is to make money. Otherwise, you have a hobby.
The key is to put money generating activities (MGAs) at the top of that 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. Remember that money flows where your attention goes.
