Motivation Monday

Summer Motivation

This time of year can be challenging to to stay motivated to work your Etsy shop and business. I know for me it has been really challenging because I want to be outside in the warm weather after our long cold winter.

Summer is also challenging to get sales in your Etsy shop, because everyone would rather be out enjoying all the fun summer activities then being online.

Well this is the perfect time of the year to work on your shop and business for when things really start to pick up during the last quarter.

Here is a short list of ideas to keep you motivated all summer long.

Build your inventory
Create those new pieces you have been thinking about and add them to your shop.
Start a new collection to launch in the fall.
Try out new materials.

Find new places and ways to promote your shop
Research blogs to be featured on or to advertise with.
Look for offline opportunities, such as stores to carry your work, shows to participate in, places to share your marketing materials.

Update your Etsy shop
Take new photos.
Update your policies and about page
Change your tags and titles to be found in more searches.

Educate yourself
Read blog posts about business, marketing, and social media.
Check out all the tips from the Etsy Seller Handbook.
Watch Creative Live webinars and TED Talks for ideas and inspiration.

Have Fun
Take Fridays off and explore your city or town.
Create art just for the fun of of it.
Spend a day doing nothing, just enjoy the warm weather.

When sales are slow during the summer months, don't lose momentum. Do things to keep your shop top notch and have some fun.

What do you like to do during the slower summer season to stay motivated and work on your business?

Embrace The Process

When I taught art classes to kids they were always so enjoyable to watch. Kids create what makes them happy, and express themselves without any thought of how their masterpiece will turnout.

We lose that freedom to express ourselves as we get older. Our art becomes a process, we become concerned if people like what we create, making a grade, or worrying if it will sell.

This especially is an issue when we experiment with a new medium or try new techniques. I enjoy the process of painting and creating collage, but I am not very good at either. I always want the finished product to look like it does in my head and I never spend enough time enjoying the creative process.

In order to truly express our artistic selves we need to permit ourselves to create without the worry of being evaluated.

Try sitting down and working with a medium you have never tried and just create. Don't worry about what it will look like or if it turns out just right, just create for the purpose of expressing yourself.

This is a great way to get out of a creative slump, or if you need a break from a big project to rejuvenate your creative well.

Do some creative playing, try some new techniques, use colors you don't normally use, experiment with new materials, let your exploration be the process and your completed project be the byproduct.

How often do you work in a new medium or stretch yourself creatively?

Motivation Monday

Ask:  What is precious? Of all the things that you hold, with everything tugging you in a hundred directions at once, what really matters?

Then consider:  What would it look like to live toward what matters with everything you have?

Begin immediately.

A Field Guide to NOW by Christina Rosalie

Stress Free Friday - 7 Ways to Reduce Stress

Our days are filled with family activities, running our business, dealing with things at home, and a variety of chores, and it's easy to get stress out. Reducing stress is important for your mind, body and spirit.

Fridays are perfect for enjoying stress free activities!

Here are a few suggestion to help you relax and recharge:

Take a nap - Sometimes just finding a quite place to close your eyes is all you need to recharge.

Listen to music - Even when you are working this is a great way to clear your mind.

Lay outside and watch the sky - Perfect if you just want to relax and do nothing and enjoy the warm weather

Light some candles - Choose lavender or vanilla two very relaxing scents.

Enjoy some chocolate - You can never go wrong eating a wonderful piece of decedent chocolate.

Get together with friends - Make sure it's not at your house, you don't want the stress of having to clean.

Look through old photo albums - This is a great way to get a good laugh and go down memory lane.

These are just a few ideas to help you reduce stress. Here is a list of 52 relaxing and stress free ideas.

What is your favorite way to de-stress?

Make a Commitment to Yourself

We make commitments to our significant other, our family, and our community, but rarely to ourselves.

When we set our goals for the year we create a plan of the things we want to achieve, but sometimes we get off track and lose sight of what we wanted to accomplish.

We are only a couple of weeks away from half the year being finished. This is the perfect time to pull out the list of goals you wrote at the beginning of the year and do a 6 month review. 

If you have gotten off track, this is the perfect time to regroup and start the second half of the year with a bang.

One way to get motivated and inspired to stay on track is to write down what you want and make a commitment to yourself.

Making a commitment to oneself is the foundation of success.

Download this simple contract of commitment. Its easy to fill out, just add your name, list your goal / goals, your action steps, and steps you can take to overcome and obstacles, sign and date it and then hang it up so you see it everyday.

Click here to download a copy

Are you ready to make a commitment to the next 6 months? Then download the form fill it out and keep it close to your workspace for motivation and to inspire you to achieve all your goals this year!

Are you on track with your 2014 goals?

Motivation Monday

Listen to the Birds

They link us with nature.

Take the time to observe them.

They manage to survive in our world.

And they do it joyfully.

they provide a gentle soundtrack for our lives.

Listen to their songs.

It's Never Too Late... by Patrick Lindasy

Make Everyday A Perfect Day

Want to get your day off to a good start?

Creating a habit of introspection as you rise in the morning will give you insight into the day you want to create.

Start by asking yourself these three questions before you get out of bed:

What will I accomplish today that will make me successful?

What incredible memories do I want to create today?

What three things can I focus on today to move me in the direction of my dream life?

Let the energy of the question guide you to having a successful day.


Not a morning person, then incorporate these three evening questions into your night time routine to inspire your morning planning. 

Overall, what worked for me today and what did not?

In what ways could I better spend my time tomorrow?

What will I apply more earnestly tomorrow no matter what?

These questions will give you an understanding of yourself and your working reality. 

Whether you do the morning or evening questions, asking yourself these questions will give you insight into your true self, helping you discover what you want and need for success in your business and personal life.

Try asking your question everyday for a week, if it feels right go another week, and then another, until it is a habit and a useful part of your planning and success.

Do you do any type of introspection during your day?

Motivation Monday

Don't Forget to Add the Items on This List to Your Expenses

Accounting is one of those things we as creative business owners wish we did not have think about. Unfortunately it is an important part of business.

As we about the half way point of the year, and it's a great time to make sure you have all your receipts to update your accounting forms.

There are things that we do in our business that we may not think of as a business expense, today I have a list of not so common items you want to make sure you are tracking in your business.

• Camera supplies
• Computer fees - hosting, domain names, software, website fees, graphic designs services
• Business and creative books, ebooks, or trainings
• Marketing materials
• Gas to and from shows and business related events
• Classes you take on and offline
• Labels 
• Travel expenses
• Advertising
• Coaching fees
• Show supplies and display materials
• Application fees
• Licenses
• Insurance
• Phone & Internet service
• Meeting expenses - such as food or drinks

When it comes to you creative business you want to track everything related to your business activities.

Tip: Tracking your business profits and expenses on a monthly basis will make preparing your taxes much easier at the end of the year.

Any not so common business expenses you can think? Please share. 

Cultivate Your Creative Voice

When learning our craft we research ideas, admire other artists work, and get inspired by what we discover.

It is so easy to take an ideas of another artist and recreate it to make it your own, but if you take the time to cultivate your own voice you can create designs that are all your own.

Try these simple ideas to get your ideas flowing:

Take the time to learn about what you enjoy creating. New ideas come out all the time, stay on top of all the new trends and ideas of your medium.

Explore your inner voice. A few minutes of mediation will help you connect with your inner voice. 

Listen to your intuition. Trust those ideas that come to you out of the blue, regardless of how challenging you think it will be to create.

Write / Draw out your thoughts and ideas. Keep a record of all your ideas good and bad, to help inspire future ideas.

Develop the ideas that make you happy. Learn what you need to learn, and take your art in a new direction.

Cultivating your own voice takes a little practice, but once you make it part of your everyday creative process you will discover that the piece you create will come from your heart and not just your head.

How have you cultivated your creative voice lately?

Motivation Monday

When you put out positive vibes into the universe you get positive results.

It's Monday and it's going to be a great day!