Showing posts with label Join the Conversation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Join the Conversation. Show all posts

5.23.2013

Join the Conversation

Join The Conversation is a series, of community conversations about inspiration, creativity and business. Every new post will have a question and responses from bloggers in our community. Then, you the reader, will have the opportunity to answer the question in the comments. I look forward to having you Join The Conversation!

With Embracing Harmony week ending tomorrow, I would love to hear your thoughts. Take a few minutes and Join the Conversation.

Question: When you are able to find a little time for yourself, what do you like to do?

Annette - It depends how much time I have as to what I like to do. If I have a couple of hours, I enjoy thrifting, hitting the antique mall, or wandering through a fabric store. Sometimes I'm looking for something specific and sometimes I'm just looking to see what catches my eye. When I don't have that much time, I like to fix a cup of tea, put my feet up, and browse through my latest magazine. It's relaxing and often inspiring.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Meeling - I love this question! Life is so busy for everyone these days, I think it's really important to take a little time for yourself. I try to take a few minutes everyday and just "escape" to a quiet corner to either read a little, play a favorite word game or maybe even close my eyes for 5 minutes. I always end up feeling refreshed after. I also love to cook, so thankfully for me preparing dinner is usually a fun and relaxing end to my day. Once in a while when I need an extra treat, you'll find me getting a pedicure - in California we live in flip flops nearly year round, so that's my excuse for keeping my toes in tip top shape! :-)

Life is delicious...come follow me and eat it up! 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gloria - One of the things I do is listen to sparks that I have tucked away. They are ideas, feelings, nudges ... that want me to notice them and give them consideration. All the hours I am awake, I listen to, focus on, and serve others and their needs. In my quiet hours I can be busy, but I listen to, appreciate, and reflect on those sparks.

 If I can get away for a few hours and want to feel refreshed, I take a drive and stop to take photos along the way, walk in a public garden or museum, find someplace totally new to me and have a meal, or see a play. More often for a break at home, music, tea, chocolate, and a big yellow furball are at
hand.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rachel - When I find a little time for myself, I like to work on what I've started to call my "muse projects." they're long ridiculous projects that won't make me any money, are a bit out of my comfort zone, but I feel compelled to try out. So I might choose out a really tough song on the piano and spend a couple of months to half a year diving into it in my spare time (although no one will hear it except the people who live with me ((who will have to forgive me))) and I might not even finish it, (in fact I usaully don't).

 But the beauty of the project isn't really the end-goal, but the half-way there, where I learn how to play piano a little better, or how to compose a story a little better (I've written some terrible books for muse projects, for instance), or how to use photoshop better and more efficiently (I've also made some pretty awful comics), or how to tailor clothes (and there's a half-tailored ugly jacket in my closet I've experimented on), or learned some facts I didn't realize before (like from the huge books on Russia I got from the library but didn't quite finish ((Ps don't ask me anything about Russia I've forgotten already))).

Also, if I felt like I had to finish it, then it would become work, and the last thing I'd do for myself is more work. Without a deadline, it becomes an uplifting part of my day.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now it's your turn to answer the question. Share your thoughts in the comments section.


Add To Google BookmarksStumble ThisFav This With TechnoratiAdd To Del.icio.usDigg ThisAdd To RedditTwit ThisAdd To FacebookAdd To Yahoo

Pin It

3.14.2013

Join The Conversation...

Join The Conversation is a series, of community conversations about inspiration, creativity and business. Every new post will have a question and responses from bloggers in our community. Then, you the reader, will have the opportunity to answer the question in the comments. I look forward to having you Join The Conversation!

Question:
What single experience has transformed your business?

_____________________________________________________________

Cynthia from Antiquity Traveler - For me, probably the most influential has been joining the blogosphere. Talking to other artisans has encouraged me to consider other options or angles to making jewelry or how I go about selling it. But even more so... joining all the various bead 'hops' has pushed me to try new things. We have a saying at our office (my day job) where we start meetings saying 'let's get uncomfortable.' Which means if we're comfortable then we're doing things the same old way and not trying anything new. But to explore new areas and learn new things you have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. So I might moan a bit about trying something new because I'm a perfectionist, and I hate when my piece looks wonky. But I wouldn't be trying all these new techniques, and pushing my creativity without having met all of you out there blogging. And for that, I am so grateful.

ShopBlog
_____________________________________________________________

Duni from Duni's Studio - Although I've had a number of pivotal experiences concerning my business, the one that made the most impact was a remark a client made about my professionalism. It boosted my confidence in such a way, that I took the plunge and started selling my own clothing designs internationally. It still amazes me that people from Singapore to Sidney wear my designs!

ShopBlog
____________________________________________________________

LeAnn - Pounderings -My involvement in Etsy teams has been the single experience that has helped me transform my business from a floundering "Lost In the Crowd" shop with less than 10 sales, to a growing and evolving shop with steady sales.

I'd especially like to thank the leaders of the Lost In the Crowd, Etsy Success, Baby Boomers and Blogging Business Artisans teams.

Each team has its own personality, but each provides a sense of community, challenges, information sharing, promotional opportunities, and, most importantly, support and encouragement.

ShopBlogFacebook
___________________________________________________________

Sharon from Knot Cha Cha - No one single experience stands out for me. That I even have an online business is the result of so many different jobs I had throughout my career which gave me a variety of skills. I am still searching for that one thing that will transform my business to a higher level.

ShopBlog
_____________________________________________________________

Now it's your turn to answer the question. Share your answer in the comments.


Add To Google BookmarksStumble ThisFav This With TechnoratiAdd To Del.icio.usDigg ThisAdd To RedditTwit ThisAdd To FacebookAdd To Yahoo

Pin It

2.13.2013

Join The Conversation

Join The Conversation is a new series, of community conversations about inspiration, creativity and business. Every new post will have a question and responses from bloggers in our community. Then, you the reader, will have the opportunity to answer the question in the comments. I look forward to having you Join The Conversation!

Question:
What do you enjoy most about the creative process?
___________________________________________________________

Val from Miss Val Creations - For me, I enjoy the relaxing feeling that goes along with being creative the most. It is great for maintaining sanity. The days can be filled with stress and craziness and making jewelry feels like my "me time"!
ShopBlog

___________________________________________________________

Edi from Memories for Life - I love coming up with new ideas and making them a reality! When I new idea comes together just as I had imagined it, it just makes my day!

These little Owl Earrings are one of those ideas. I engraved the owl before, but never cut it out completely. I just LOVE how these turned out!
ShopBlog
___________________________________________________________

Janell from Dancing Mooney - I love to do a variety of things, and am always looking for new ideas. Which means my favorite part of the creative process is often somewhere in the area product development. I get excited when I connect with a new trend, or an idea I've found, that I can't get out of my mind. For me, creating is a journey of exploration, so trying new things, and putting new ideas to the test is always where I am most excited to spend my time.

 I am a visual person, so I love design-seeds.com for color inspiration, and searching Pinterest and Google/images for project ideas, once I have something in mind that I'm wanting to explore.

ShopBlog
___________________________________________________________

Now it's your turn to answer the question. Share your answer in the comments.


Add To Google BookmarksStumble ThisFav This With TechnoratiAdd To Del.icio.usDigg ThisAdd To RedditTwit ThisAdd To FacebookAdd To Yahoo

Pin It