Archive for the ‘Advice + Tips’ Category
This contributor post was written by Tiffany Moore.
As Creatives, we are usually not short on ideas. We all have LOADS of ideas — the tricky part is figuring out when to say no, and not letting idea overload keep us from getting started on anything.
(I know that I’m always pushing the just start thing. It’s what I do.)
So, how do you balance all of your NEW AMAZING BRILLIANT ideas and inspirations with the need to actually get stuff done?
Here are a few tips to keep you from idea overwhelm and help you recognize where you need to spend your time:
1. What can you do right now?
Often we love the thought of something shiny and new, but have no idea how to make it happen. By focusing on things that you can do right now, today, you’ll be able to make movement on something. And any kind of movement is a good thing.
2. Where’s the low-hanging fruit?
Psychologically, it’s an amazing feeling to cross things off your list. What’s something quick and easy you can take care of right now?
3. Know that you may never get it all done and make peace with that.
It’s okay. By accepting that you’re only one person who can’t do it all (wait? what?!), you’ll be able to avoid idea overwhelm and get back into the real world.
4. But don’t give up on your ideas!
If you’re a dreamer who’s always coming up with crazy schemes or plans, write them down! Putting pen to paper and getting the ideas out of your head will make it so much easier to come back to them when you’re lacking inspiration.
Your turn: How do YOU deal with inspiration overload?
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*image via MothballCharlie: More
Tiffany Moore, co-founder of Teahouse Studio is a life and business coach. She helps creatives take their business (and LIVES) to the next level with her sparkly and sassy coaching and thinks that everyone in the world is beautiful, including you.
I was recently contacted by the winner of Cottonelle’s blogger contest, Stacy Wichelhaus of Hello Cupcake, and asked if I might be interested in featuring an interview. But not just any interview – an interview with designer Jonathan Adler. Yes – THE Jonathan Adler.
Stacy asked Jonathan some really juicy questions about overcoming fears, living a creative life, and a whole lot more. He even references The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Love that. I’ll let the two of them take it away…
Fear of failure is a paralyzing emotion that oftentimes holds one back from pursuing what they are most passionate about.
Stacy here from Hello Cupcake! I’m recently back from a trip to New York City where I had the opportunity to meet and interview well known designer Jonathan Adler in his SoHo loft. In choosing what to ask the “Happy Chic” designer with stores across the US, his third book in production and having collaborated with an impressive list of big name companies, I wanted my questions to resonate with people who are looking to kick start a creative career or act on their ideas no matter how scary it may seem. Having an Etsy shop and recently quitting my full time job at a San Francisco nonprofit to start a boutique public relations agency I wanted to talk about fears, failures and successes in the pursuit of following ones creative passions.
Stacy Wichelhaus: At 27, you vowed never to have a “real job” again. What led you to this leap and how did you overcome your fear of failure to do this?
Jonathan Adler: Lucky for me, I didn’t have to make a choice. I once burnt down an office building from a kiln fire and I got fired from every job I ever had. I was totally unemployable, so I knew I needed to figure this out. Sink or swim. I honestly think there have been so many times along that way that I should have sunk but because there was a sheer sense of panic to make this work I did.
SW: Have there been any words of advice given to you early on in your career that have stuck with you?
JA: When people ask me for advice I usually say that there is a lot to be said for “panicked stick-to-itiveness”. I look at someone like my husband (Simon Doonan) and I who have both been doing what we do for quite some time. Neither of us has bounced around. He has been at Barney’s as a window dresser for 30 years, and I’ve been here for 18 years. I think there is a lot to be said for staying the course.
SW: How did you handle your nay sayers and doubters?
JA: When I was in school, I had a pottery teacher who I went to for advice and told her that I wanted to be a potter and she told me that I had no talent and couldn’t do it. I think it’s good to have someone who doubts you. Having the support of your friends and family is also important. My family has helped me get through some really tough times.
SW: Did you ever have a moment early on in your career where you were asked yourself “what the heck am I doing”?
JA: Every day. Every single day. I can’t count the number of times I would just lie in the fetal position on the bed. The numbers of screw ups that have happened over the course of my career are of such monumental scale and capacity. I’ve had so many of those terrible moments. I think doing your own thing, especially when it’s as weird a thing as a creative business, it’s a preposterous undertaking and you have to be slightly delusional and you need to fully believe that something as crazy as what you’re trying to do can work even though there is a possibility that it may not. You need to be incredibly resilient and hard working. But don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I wish people weren’t as hard on themselves as I was on myself.
SW: You’ve collaborated with a wide variety of industries. How has this helped you to expand as a designer?
JA: For me, my whole career has been improbable and I would say that I’ve always welcomed design challenges. Collaborations are something that people are doing these days. Once I understood what I was trying to say with my work, I thought that happy chic idea could be applied to so many areas and it made a lot of sense to take my design vocabulary and the spirit of what I do and spread it out. I love designing, it’s what makes me happy and I ALWAYS welcome a challenge!
SW: You and your husband, Simon Doonan are both creative. How do you fit two creative people into one household and where does Liberace (their Norwich Terrier) have a say?
JA: In Simon and my case, we’ve been together a very long time. We do things thoughtlessly and naturally and we’ve always been on the same page with one another. I feel that in a way, creativity is mostly logic anyway. It takes work and analysis and I think Simon and I both fully understand that. He’s a window dresser and a writer and you know the saying ‘writing is rewriting’? I think it’s so true. I can have an idea in my head of what something is going to be and then when I get it back it’s a disaster. So it’s the same thing. If you’ve seen that episode of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, it’s like when Sheree decided to start a clothing line and when she got the first prototype back she was like “this isn’t what I thought” and I’m like “hello, welcome to any design undertaking. It’s never what you think it’s going to be it’s always a disaster. It’s only on step 10 after you’ve been rigorously analytical and covered all the issues that anything can come to fruition as you hoped or imagined that it would. Once you surrender to that idea in whatever you do, whether it be medicine or a creative pursuit that’s when you end up being successful and that’s something that both Simon and I agree on”. And Liberace is an adorable idiot, he’s really dumb but oh so cute!
Stacy Wichelhaus is the owner of Hello Cupcake Public Relations - a boutique public relations firm for the Wedding Industry. Stacy is also a stationery designer for Hello Cupcake Creations and she, her husband and their furry baby Ginger live in San Francisco.
Thank you Stacy for choosing papernstitch as the blog to share this awesome interview. If you like this post, please “like” it or share this article using the buttons below.
This guest post was written by Jena Coray of Miss Modish.
You’ve probably heard people dishing out advice on how to pitch to blogs before- I know I’ve been shouting ’bout it for years now! 
It’s great advice that’ll get you to the point of hitting send, which is a big step!
But what do you do after you send your pitch? How long do you wait to hear back? What happens next?
If you’re feeling confused about the next steps, read on!
How long do I wait to hear back before I pitch another blog?
Out of the 28 editors I surveyed for my Tip-Top Pitch Kit, 96% said they get back to pitches that are a great fit within a week and most of them said they’ll respond in a day or two! So if your pitch is a fantastic fit, they’ll be sure to let you know, pronto!
That’s why I suggest waiting a few days to hear back, and if there’s no response, assume that it’s not quite a fit/not the right timing, and move onto pitching to the next blog on your list.
I also think it’s ok to send pitches to a few blogs at once if they don’t have heavily overlapping audiences. ie: if you make clutches and are from Melbourne, you could send a pitch to a handmade blog, a wedding blog & an Aussie focused one in the same day- wait a few days to hear back, and then send another pitch or two, and keep going.
Sending pitches to two design blogs with similar style/audiences at the same time tho? Not so kosher, unless it’s for an event/date specific thing you’re trying to get the word out about.
And what if I never hear back at all?
That silence on the other end can often be deafening and hype our critical self-talk into overdrive- believe me, I know!
But don’t start interpreting that silence as: “they don’t like it”, “my work’s not good enough”, “I’ll never get a write-up, anywhere!” Because if you’ve taken the time to do your research, write a personal pitch addressing them by name and include awesome photos of your work and you still don’t hear back?
Don’t sweat it at all! It’s not personal. It just means, it wasn’t the right fit for them right now. That’s it!
Should I follow up if I don’t hear back?
In a word, YES.
But following up to see if they read your email? And what do they think? And “if you could just please get back to me, I’d appreciate it!” Well, that isn’t the most effective way to go about it.
I think it’s best to “follow-up” by adding something new to the conversation. If you didn’t hear back on a pitch you sent regarding a certain line, but have something new coming out you think might fit the editor’s taste better? That’s a good opportunity to follow-up.
If you their blog recently mentioned their love of plaid vintage dresses, and, oh my! You happen to have a really cute one in your shop right now. That’s a good opportunity to follow-up.
If you don’t have anything new to add to the conversation, just take the lack of response as a no, and move right along.
What about you- have you pitched your products/shop to blogs before? What was the response? Did you continue pitching?
I’d love to hear in the comments below!
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image above by Amanda Blake “Every night she sent out messages and waited for an answer.”
Jena Coray is the mojo-maker behind Miss Modish, helping artists, makers and indie-prenuers create fulfilling businesses. She doles out biz advice 1-on-1 in her mojo sessions, and helps people self-promote with style and confidence in her Tip-Top Pitch shop!
This contributor post was written by Tiffany Moore.
There are a million resources out there written about how to grow your mailing list — contests, giveaways, promotions. All of these are great, and having an effective newsletter campaign can do wonders for your business.
The flip side that you don’t often hear about is how NOT to grow your newsletter list, but this is just as important in terms of fostering good relationships as what you do to grow it.
The #1 rule of how NOT to grow your list:
adding people who haven’t expressed direct interest in being added.
Meeting someone at a conference who says they like your jewelry or are curious about what you’re working on is not reason to take the liberty of adding them to your list. Neither is sitting next to someone at a dinner party or wanting to get the attention of an influential blogger.
In fact, there is no quicker way to sour a relationship than to effectively spam someone who already has more than enough email to handle.
It is bad form, it is rude, and it’s likely illegal. Don’t be that person. Your efforts are better spent reaching out to the people who actively want to hear from you, who have already given you money, and who have expressed major interest in the work you do.
Subscriber numbers are meaningless without the engagement of your audience.
An alternative is to send an email to the people you would normally add, saying something along the lines of:
Dear (lovely person I met/blogger/friend of a friend),
It was great meeting you recently at (conference/friend’s home/grocery store) and I wanted to follow up with you since you had expressed interest in my (shop/art/product).
I have a newsletter that I send out on a (weekly/monthly/regular) basis to announce new products and keep folks updated on what’s going on. You can sign up here if you’re interested: provide link.
Again, it was great meeting you!
Thanks,
Your Name Here
(link to shop)
A succinct, lovely email always goes farther. Always.
Tiffany Moore, co-founder of Teahouse Studio is a life and business coach. She helps creatives take their business (and LIVES) to the next level with her sparkly and sassy coaching and thinks that everyone in the world is beautiful, including you.
This contributor post was written by Genevieve of Lightbox SF.
I still get told quite frequently by clients, “I know I should be on social media, but I just don’t know what to say.” They struggle with feeling like they’re being too spammy only talking about their products, but not wanting to be too personal because they’re communicating with customers not just friends. This sentiment also seems to carry over to blogging.
Not only is there a fine balance to be found, but it’s also a level of sharing that isn’t immediately comfortable. Most of us don’t think our every thought and interest matters to others and generally we’re right, but as a business owner marketing your products there is a level of connection and engagement that customers are seeking. They really do want to know more.
So my advice?
Find information you would seek out or share anyway that fits with your brand image and would be of interest to your target audience.
A jewelry designer that I’ve worked with asked me this very question in regards to what to post on Twitter and Facebook. Right away I knew the answer. She loves clothing and shoes, she is always saving images and commenting on items she “must have”. I suggested she begin sharing these more regularly. Lusting after products is a great way to connect with people and share your style. It also gives her a way to connect with designers and style bloggers who might share her work with their audiences.
Because this strategy is easy for her, she’s looking for these items anyway, she has more of a presence on social media, she’s sharing things that people can comment on easily and it doesn’t feel too personal. She’s also able to connect with potential customers who have a similar style.
In finding content to share on your blog and via social media you need to pick something or a series of things that you feel inspired to talk about over and over again, most likely information that you already seek out.
It might be images that inspire you to create your work, or your hunt for materials or the music you listen to while you work. It doesn’t have to be hard.
By creating an overarching theme for your blogging and your posting you not only create consistency for your readers and followers, but you also establish yourself as a go-to source or expert on your topic.
You want your business to be known for a certain product or style, it’s the same with the information you share.
It’s more than just what you share though, you also need to consider the tone in which you share. Will you be funny, conversational, authoritative or informational? This voice or style should mirror or compliment the image of your business. If you make delicate metal jewelry with soft flowing shapes, most likely your tone won’t be short and quip or use a lot of slang. Your tone comes across in the words you choose, the phrasing of your sentences, and even the references you choose to link to.
Use a voice that feels natural, write and post the way you would talk to a friend and share information you love to talk about anyway.
What are your favorite things to share?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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image above: Can you hear me now tie tack by Mama’s Little Babies
Genevieve Robertson writes about creative marketing strategies over at Lightbox SF. She helps makers, artists, and crafters brand their businesses by telling their stories and embracing what makes them unique. Reserve your spot now for Ink Yourself: Discover Your Unique Story, a 5-week guided e-course designed to help creative business owners shape their story and define their ideal customer. Only 20 spots available!
Obsessing over your product photography? Not sure how to get the perfect shot with your point-and-shoot or DSLR?
Don’t worry! You can totally do this.
Great photos are just a couple of clicks away. And to make things a little less overwhelming and a lot more doable, here are nine photography articles that will help you turn your photo duds into total delights.
1. above Create a simple portrait setup with natural light + white reflector (via Savor Photography blog).
2. Ten (photography) things not to do from Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess.
3. Lindsay of Shrimp Salad Circus shares 5 secrets to great product shots.
4. Go behind the scenes with Lauren Elise in her studio while she shoots her latest diy.
5. Putting together a mini in-home studio (via Clickin Moms)
6. How to photograph your embroidery (via Stitch Punk)
7. Top ten tips for better product photography (from papernstitch – that’s me)
8. Photography school with Camille Styles – all about aperture.
9. Learn how to make an animated GIF using your newly awesome photographs with the help of my Seattle buddy Jenny from Hank & Hunt.
Want more? Visit my photography tips and tricks pinboards now.
This contributor post was written by Tiffany Moore.
I had the pleasure of attending the (first ever!) Craftcation Conference at the end of March in Ventura. There were so many amazing speakers, presentations, and classes, and I want to share my greatest hits with you today. So much great information!
“When people come to Etsy, they’re specifically coming to a handmade marketplace, knowing that a human made the items they’re buying. Remind them that you’re that human in everything you do with your shop and brand: talk about how you were inspired to make your item, included a personal touch when you mail their purchase.
Robots didn’t make your awesomeness, a human did!” – Steph Cortes (aka nerdJERK) from Etsy 101
Be a person, y’all, not a robot. If someone wants to buy something made by a robot, they’ll go to Wal-Mart.
“It’s not how many ideas you have, it’s how you make them work.” – Amy Tan of Amy Tangerine
Yes times a million! The primary difference between people who are running creative businesses and those who are just dreaming about creative businesses is the ability to get things done.
“Make something awesome!” – Melanie Harvey of Harvey’s Seatbelt Bags
This is the ultimate way to make sure your products sell. Start with the awesome, figure out the marketing later.
“Rule #1 of making the best of the media: DON’T BE HUMBLE…Reporters are waiting for your amazing story. You have to tell them who you are and what you’re up to…Brevity is critical: keep it short and sweet.” – Gustavo Arellano, editor of the OC Weekly
Gustavo’s talk was full of amazing advice for how to get into the media. It’s up to you (yes, YOU!) to show the world your brilliance. Don’t wait around for someone to notice.
“Making things is fundamental to being human.” – Evan Kleiman
I think that pretty much sums up why we’re all here doing what we’re doing. Keep up the good work, friends!
Tiffany Moore, co-founder of Teahouse Studio is a life and business coach. She helps creatives take their business (and LIVES) to the next level with her sparkly and sassy coaching and thinks that everyone in the world is beautiful, including you.
