Project Updates and Personal Thanks

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Tiny ThingsProject updates are one way I educate my clients and business associates on what I do. I might start my 60-second at my networking meeting with, “Today, I have these tasks on my to-do list…”. It gives people an idea of the range of products I work on.

Current Work

What are you working on right now? Maybe a company rebrand? Or are you updating your website? Perhaps creating new social media graphics for your social media channels?

My Project Updates

The past month has me:
– wrapping up a newsletter for one client
– creating food labels for a collaborative effort of two local companies
– creating a corporate brochure for a client that specializes in large mailings
– developing print materials for my new brand

Self Promotion

See how self-promotion is last on the list? That’s what seems to happen. As soon as I start working on my own brand, I get busy with client work. When I look at my website and see that my 30-day drawing challenge flopped early in the game. Finding time to do anything “extra” is tough.

Projects In the Groove

So I turn to the wisdom of the late great Steven Wright: “I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.” I can always tell when I’m in a groove because time flies. A project that could take days wraps up in a few hours when I’m in my groove. This creative energy doesn’t happen on command. It’s the kind of energy that shows up after a vacation. Your mind is open and free of all the overwhelming onslaught of information.

Thank You

During this week of Thanksgiving, I am thankful that my work continues to be something I enjoy. I have great clients, and, most of the time, they give me creative freedom. They appreciate fresh ideas. If you’re looking for fresh ideas, contact me. If you’re already a client, my personal thanks go out to you for the work!

 

Sketch of the Week

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tree wash

I started a “Sketch of the Week” post last week, and it was a sketch of hearts (for Valentine’s Day).

This week, it’s painting. I did a watercolor wash background and a watercolor painting of a tree, scanned them in and combined them, reversing the tree white out of the wash. Parts of the tree are translucent, allowing some of the wash to show through.

This project rekindled my desire to paint.

Faith Over Fear

Faith Over Fear

I had a motivating conversation over coffee with a friend and fellow creative. We were talking about success and fear and how sometimes we are are own worst enemies. Sometimes…we are afraid to succeed.

Let’s admit one thing: there will always be fear. Maybe you’re afraid of doing a good job on a project. Or maybe you’re afraid of talking about some concerns with a friend. It’s how you deal with that fear that shapes the outcome.

We all have a fear voice and a faith voice. Your fear voice tells you, ‘You’re not good enough; this is going to take time; you’re going to have to learn something new. Just do the bare minimum.’  Your faith voice tells you, ‘You can totally do this. You want a happy client, right? Do the work, give them a little more than they asked for, and make them love you.’

If you change your way of thinking, the good stuff you’re looking for will drive you to succeed. Listen to the faith voice. Focus on the faith voice.