April 30, 2012

simple tips for avoiding burnout

This post was originally run in August 2011, but it’s still a great reminder for us all.

Feeling uninspired and overwhelmed by your work?

Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. There are some easy ways to avoid complete and utter burn out. You just have to recognize when it’s time to step away and listen to that little voice inside.

So, let’s start with a couple of questions…

How do you know when you’re about to burn out?

Oh, you’ll know! Trust your instincts on this one. If you are starting to feel bogged down and unenthusiastic, that’s a tell tale sign that its time to step away before you hit the hard road to B.O. (yep, I abbreviated burn out as B.O. because, let’s face it, it stinks!).

And when do you know when you’re ready to come back after taking a break? There is no definitive answer here. It may take a few days or just a few hours. It really depends on how deeply rooted your burn out is. When you do come back you’ll want to trust you instincts again. Listen to that inner voice. It will tell you when you’re ready to come back.

(above) Trust your Instincts + You Know More

Okay, so what are the steps for avoiding burn out or recovering once it has happened?

If you are teetering on the edge of burn out, you need to clear your head and your mind of the stresses that are causing you to feel exhausted. One of the best ways to do that is to change your environment. If you work indoors, head outside and away from the computer. Go do something fun that is just for you.

Hobbies are a great thing. So, don’t let your work run over the other things you really enjoy doing outside of your business, blog, or nine-to-five job. And along those same lines, taking care of your physical health is just as important as your mental health. Maintaining that balance will help you de-stress.

(above) Clear your Head + Unplug

When you’re feeling re-energized, slowly transition back into your regular work load. Maybe start by heading back to the drawing board. Brainstorm new ideas away from the computer if that is where you do the bulk of your work.

Working and creating in a new place just might give you that fresh start that you need. Who knows, the change of scenery might even lead you to the the brink of something wonderful.

(above) The Brainstormer + On the Brink

And if all else fails, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Team up with like-minded people. Sometimes two (or three) really are better than one.

(above) Together

What are your tips for avoiding burn out or bouncing back after the big B.O.?

Share your response in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , , 2 Comments
April 19, 2012

Why you need to embrace all of your passions

Everyone knows someone who can slam dunk a basketball, kick a field goal, and serve an ace all with relative ease. It’s the same for the creative arts. Most creatives fall into the category of multi-talented individuals. We can play three or four different instruments and we can knit, crochet, and embroider with skill. A painter enjoys gardening, an actor masters arias, and a dancer can sculpt a mean tea cup.

So why don’t more people embrace their multiple talents? Why don’t we see dancers sculpting tea cups after their performances?

The problem lies in the fact that everyone constantly tells us we can only focus on one thing. We need to find our strength and stick with it. We need to find our niche and dig in. We can be a master of one trade or a jack of none (or however that silly phrase goes).

But is that how you were as a child?

My mother can tell you that I split my days between the important tasks of tooting on the recorder, drawing masterpieces in crayon, building terrariums for caterpillars that never made it into butterflies, and doing impersonations of Tom Brokaw (please don’t ask).

So if we are multi-talented as young children (or at the very least multi-passionate – because believe me, I had no talent at the recorder or at butterflies), why are we afraid to embrace that in our work? Why do colleges dislike people (like me) who pursue more than one degree?

Why are we told we can’t be amazing at two things – only one?

A few months back I had this itch to embroider. It was such a silly desire because the last time I had sewn, I was 12 and my grandma was teaching me how to make day-of-the-week tea towels. Besides, I was an illustrator! I didn’t have time to sew! And if I did have time, there was no point because it wouldn’t bring in money and wouldn’t I be better off bringing in food money?

Well, the itch turned into a nag and finally I caved. I stitched one of my illustrations onto a piece of fabric and posted a picture on my blog, feeling entirely stupid about sharing it. Within hours, my blog lit up! Everyone wanted to know how they could sew their own!

I had inadvertently created a new product line by following a whim. That itch, founded on one of my other passions, now brings in a whole field of new customers to my shop. I’ve added a new medium to my work, going from paper to cloth. Plus, they allow me to take routine breaks from my drawing and entertain my other love. But the best part is that these patterns and kits allow people to interact with my drawings on a much deeper level.

Pretty good for a whim, right?

If I had listened to that fear of wasting time and potentially losing money, I never would have created my embroidery line. (And I wouldn’t have given my grandmother something to share with her quilting circle.)

So if you love more than one thing, embrace it!

If you hear a little voice telling you to coach, to sing, to dance, to paint, to make tea cups, LISTEN! You never know where it could lead you.

Just please, for your family’s sake, leave the recorder to the kids. My brother investigated and there is no such thing as a professional recordist.

Filed Under: creativity, Plot Notes Tagged With: , , , , , , , 13 Comments
December 13, 2011

Creative Biz Success with Judy Kaufmann

click for more info

Can you take us on the journey of your creative career path so far? Was art always your calling?

I’ve been drawing since childhood, and seriously illustrating since 2003. That was the year I decided to start illustrating professionally and also to move from the city where I was born (Santiago de Chile) to Barcelona, an amazing city for illustrators and designers.

Frida Kahlo Print - click for more

You have worked with a lot of ‘big-brand’ companies. How do you suggest budding illustrators go about contacting these companies for possible work opportunities?

First of all, I need to say that it’s luck to be contacted by big-brand companies.

However, just because they are big companies doesn’t mean that the best jobs I have had were from them.

Generally, I’ve gotten my jobs with these companies through good contacts: for example, I was recently asked to draw two illustrations for Google (UK), who contacted me through my great illustrator agency, Handsome Frank.

Your repetitive prints are quite unique. How did they come about?

I’m so glad you like them! I think that two different things inspired them.

The first is that I started drawing small and repetitive shapes because it was something that kept me focused and really concentrated; perhaps even to reach a meditative state. I really like to get to that state.

Identical Twins Print - click for more

The second is that my series of repetitive prints began with my Identical Twins Print and needless to say, being an identical twin is a nice metaphor for all my repetitive drawings.

What has been the best marketing move you’ve ever made for your own business?

One of the latest and best was having this map published in Frankie Mag.

Map Print - click for more

Do you ever have doubts as to your future creative direction? Are there things you yearn to achieve, but haven’t yet found the time for?

Completely! I will get bored really soon with the style that I’m working with and, as I’m very eclectic, will find a new style that may be very similar or have nothing to do with what I’m doing now.

Woody Allen Print - click for more

 

What is one piece of advice you’d like to give fellow makers about running a successful indie business?

I have three different, short, and easy to remember pieces of advice:

1. Listen to good music.

2. The time you spend drawing is proportional to the quality of your artwork.

3. The time you spend traveling is proportional to the quantity of good inspiration you have.

Visit Judy Online
Website / Etsy

Filed Under: Creative Biz Success Interviews Tagged With: , , , , , , 2 Comments
October 27, 2011

On not being a “real” artist

Deep Sea Dreamer by Megan Eckman

Deep Sea Dreamer by Megan Eckman

The hardest part of being an artist is not feeling like one.

Deep down, I wonder every day if I’m a ‘real’ artist. I don’t live and breathe my work. Heck, sometimes I go a week without drawing (though I’m miserable during that week). I don’t smoke or do drugs or wear vintage, paint-splattered clothes like artists should. And yet, here I am, selling my artwork like a ‘real’ artist.

This fear (and that’s honestly what it is) started in art school. I worked in a medium no one else did with a subject matter that didn’t convey a political or social message or a historical nod to long-dead artists. Heck, it didn’t even express some sort of dark, inner underside of me. In other words, my art told a childish story; my art was a joke. A joke the teachers didn’t know what to do with.

I was passed around, pushed toward other media, and told to get ‘serious.’ But I couldn’t. For some reason, I loved the way I worked. I graduated and then, unlike most art students, I started a business selling my work (I have a promise to my business-major mother to thank for that). Yet, even that accomplishment didn’t make the feeling that I was a fake go away.

For months I feared I’d wake up and everyone would have realized and have boycotted my shop. Orders would stop and I’d have to go back to retail or something equally awful.

I still get that fear inside of me when I have a week without a sale. But I realized, in one of those epiphany moments after I’d been crying (yes, honestly crying) because nothing seemed to be going right, that I was made to do this.

The universe designed me to create artwork.

My stubby fingers are shaped for a pen and my near-sightedness is perfect for my love of detail. My addiction to reading gives me endless inspiration. And my overactive imagination gives me the power to create new stories (along with horrible nightmares, but that’s another story).

So, you see, whether I’m a ‘real’ artist or not doesn’t matter because I’m doing what I was made to do. I was made to make people laugh with my silly, old-fashioned, pen and ink drawings.

Do you ever feel like you’re not a ‘real’ artist or knitter or writer or PR person? If so, ask yourself if you were made for it.

I believe that if you truly love doing something, you were definitely designed to do it, and thus you’re as ‘real’ as can be!

Filed Under: Plot Notes Tagged With: , , , , , , , 16 Comments
October 19, 2011

where craftiness comes from: lisa mundorff

Lisa Mundorff is an illustrator and painter from the Pacific Northwest. Recently, I caught up with Lisa to find out where she feels that her craftiness comes from.

dear ida holiday boat card - click the image for more info

Lisa and her husband partnered with their neighbors to turn their family holiday cards into the greeting card business: Dear Ida.

Lisa knew that she was creative from a very young age; she was always interested in both visual art and music. When she reached college Lisa had both a Music and an Art Major, but eventually decided on art as her official career path.

Her family and friends have always been great supporters of Lisa’s art and loved receiving her hand drawn holiday cards each year. It was from this encouragement that the idea of Dear Ida came to life. Working on Dear Ida and on children’s book illustration from home works well for Lisa as she has her young family with her.

“I love that the work I do is so creative – that when I am done, I have something concrete to show for it.”
-Lisa Mundorff

Being able to get real feedback from family and friends on what they do and don’t like is invaluable to Lisa. Their enthusiasm is very much appreciated. Lisa also says that her children think she has the best job in the world because she gets to spend all day drawing and coloring.

Lisa has reminded me that not only does creativity allow you to share your ideas with the world, but that you are also able to build your world and your family around it. Creativity is such a gift, and one that everyone has, and we are fortunate when we are able not only to fit it into our lives but to make it our lives.

Don’t you think so, too?

Thanks, Lisa! Vist her here: website – portfolio

Filed Under: Buy You, For You, Where Craftiness Comes From Tagged With: , , , , , 4 Comments