Want a Stress Free Weekend - Make a List

Want to have a stress 

free weekend? 

Make a list of everything you need to do for the next week. Include everything you can think of, even the little things. Once you have your list complete hang it up in your work area and then forget about the list till Monday.

Having all those pesky business issues off your mind and on your list, will make it easier to let go and have a stress free weekend. 

Knowing you have your list ready to review on Monday, you can enjoy all the fun activities you are going to do all weekend long.

When Monday rolls around, pull out your list and start creating your to-do list for the week.

Enjoy your Weekend!

Your Dream Business

When you close your eyes what does your dream business look like?

I always thought I wanted my business to be big with employees and I need to do is run things, but when I close my eyes these days I see myself creating my inventory and running my business with just a couple of people.

I will never be a big company or make tons of money, but now my goal is to make enough money to enjoy life and the creative process.

When was the last time you closed your eyes to visualize what your dream business looks like. 

Has the vision of your business changed?

Success requires dreaming, planning, and a lot of hard work. Visualizing your dream business will guide you to setting your goals, making plans, and deciding how much time and money to invest your business.

July is a great time to regroup. If you need to start over or add a few new ideas, then today is the day to make sure you are living your dream business.

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?

7 Things Successful People Do Each Night

What you do before going to bed impacts your mood and how you feel the following day. It also determines how well and how much sleep you get.

Your mental health as well as your physical health play an important part in how you feel when your are working and how much actual work you get done. Not getting enough sleep can really effect how you feel the next day.

These 7 simple ideas are for relaxing your mind and your body, and preparing you for the next day.

Read
This is a good time to catch up on your business reading, check out your favorite blogs, and to get inspired by reading inspirational stories. If you really want to unwind then reading fiction or other topics you are interested in, will give your mind a break from work.

Reflect on your day
Journaling is a great way to track your progress, to get you motivated, and clear your mind of all the unnecessary work clutter. Try writing down 3 positive things that happened during the day, and thing your are appreciative of.

Make your to-do list
This is the best way to clear your mind for a good night sleep. Listing all the things you need and want to get done the next day will put your mind at ease knowing that you have a plan for the next day.

Disconnect from work
Right before bed is not a good time to check your email or messages. Let all that wait till you start your work the next day. Not dwelling on work related items before bed will making getting the rest you need easier.

Meditate
Take 10 minutes to relax your body and quite your mind this will put you in a positive frame of mind and help you sleep better.

Lie down on a positive note
Don't let the negative situation of the day keep replaying in your head. Remind yourself of the positive things you listed in your journal and celebrate the successes you had in your day.

Picture a positive tomorrow
Picture yourself having a great day, achieving all the things on your to-do list, everything working out as planned, and a positive day all around. This will not only give you good dreams, you will wake up in a positive frame of mind.

Reading, making my to-do list, and meditating are my favorite things to do before bed. I am working on keeping a journal and disconnecting from my work, but they are both a work in progress.

Being in a positive frame of mind before I go to sleep really does help with waking up in a ready to have a great day. 

Give these ideas a try. Having a great night sleep makes for a productive day!

Which of these ideas do you find challenging?

Now that you know what you need to do for a good night sleep that will help you be successful for the next day, check out what you can do in the morning to keep you motivated.
7 Ways Successful People Start Each Day

Sit in the Sun

I hope it is warming up, and things are starting to bloom in your part of the world!

It has finally started to warm up here in Chicagoland and I am excited to be able to go out for my daily break in the sun. No matter how warm it is, I always take time to sit in the sun.

I am not talking about sunbathing, but finding a few minutes out of your busy day to enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face. 

Sitting in the sun not only feels good, it's good for you. 
It can boost your mood
Give you energy
Relieve aches and pains
Helps you think more clearly
Makes you more productive
Increase your concentration

Add a few minutes of relaxing in the sun to your day, and don't forget the sunscreen.

Do you enjoy sitting in the sun?

4 Easy Steps to Reinvent an Idea

This is the perfect time of year to evaluate your business, your creative path, and even yourself. Do you need to change things up for the new season, is there something you want to learn, or are you adding a new collection? Then it's time to consider making some changes and reinvent your ideas.

Reinventing yourself can be exciting and scary, and making changes can be uncomfortable. But a new path will help you grow as an artist and a person.

Here are some easy tips to follow to reinvent yourself and your ideas:

Go at your own pace - You are doing this for yourself, take your time, find the best possible solutions for yourself, and then make changes slowly.

Do your research - There are many options, ideas, and opportunities, learn everything you can so you can make good choices.

Listen to yourself - It is easy to let outside influences distract you, but you know what is best for you, you know the answers, let your gut guide you in your new direction.

Ease into your new direction - You don't have to make all your changes all at once, try a few things until you know exactly what you want to do.

These steps are easily translated into starting a new project or even new product development. Go out and discover something new about yourself, and enjoy all the new things you will learn.

When was the last time you reinvented some aspect of your business?

Attitude Makes a Difference

Your attitude effects every part of your business, relationships, health, self-image, and life.

Would you be surprised to know that there are more then two kinds of attitudes, besides positive and negative. There are actually many different type of attitude, such as confident or insecure, cheerful or depressed, peaceful or destructive, appreciative or ungrateful are just a few examples.

All of these attitudes are reflected through the tone of your voice, expression on your face, body language, and how you relate to and treat others.

You attitude affects how people see you and in most cases deciding whether they are going to like you or even want to do business with you. 

I have done many art shows that were slow and everyone complained. When you have all that negativity around you it makes it challenging to have a good show. I try not to get sucked in to the negativity at shows, and most of the time I have pretty good shows.

Customers can feel the negativity at shows and then they don't want to look or even buy. Negative comments are felt by your customers as well. That's why I stopped hanging out in the forums. A lot of the time it was very negative, making it challenging to to be excited about having an online shop.

One thing that I vowed to myself this year is to respond to the question "how are you?" with good or great and smile. I figured even on the days I don't have a good attitude it will help me get in a better mood. So far it has worked. I have not had that many days where I feel negative, and most of the time I actually feel good.

Having a positive attitude is a choice, and completely within your control. Making good positive choices will make a big difference in how you feel about your work, health, relationships, and life.

Dose your attitude effect your work?

Read For Relaxation

When life starts to get a little crazy, it's important to find time for yourself. Try taking 30 minutes out of your day to relax and enjoy reading a book.

We spend so much time on our computers, pads, and phones, I think people have forgotten all about how it feels to read a book.

I love books, as I have told you before, I am a big fan of the library and the bookstore. Some of my best dates have ended at the bookstore over a cup of tea and a stack of books.

I have a ritual of reading each night before I go to bed. It's my time to just sit and enjoy some peace and quite at the end of my day.

If you take a little time each day for reading you will find that you are more relaxed as you move to your next project. 

If its hard to get some reading in everyday, on your next rainy or snowy weekend pullout one of your favorite books and indulge in an afternoon of lounging and reading.

How often do you get to enjoy reading a good book?

Change is Possible

It's a new year, and we have new goals and resolutions that we set for ourselves. Did you know there is one key ingredient to achieving your goals and forming new habits.

That ingredient is believing change is possible.

Believing you can have a successful business, take on new tasks, or form a new habit is what will make the difference in starting something and giving up after a couple of months.

Once you envision what you want and start making steps toward achieving it, believing in yourself and your ability is what will make the changes you need for success a permeant part of your lifestyle.

Add in group accountability and your success level rises. Having that group support to help you stick with your goals, will also help new habits form.

The more positive reenforcement you incorporate into your life, the greater chance you have to reaching your goals.

Believe in yourself, and in no time you will be exactly where you want to be in your life.

Are you planning big changes in your business and life in 2014?

Make A Gift - Give A Gift

As artists we often create gifts for family and friends. Today create something for someone you don't know and donate it to a favorite charitable organization.

Making a donation not only feels good, it's also has an impact on your physical and mental health. So give often!

Why not share your creative gifts with someone in need this holiday season.

Take a Break Today

Find some time to relax today.

Maybe with a fury friend or two.

Have a great Sunday

Don't Forget the White Space

I don't know where the time went, but the holidays are here again and it's that time of year our calendars start filling up.

We have our creative work like craft shows, online sales, and marketing, as well as all the things we do to prepare for the holidays.

It is important to remember to make time for yourself by adding some "white space" to your calendar. A small block of time to relax, read, and do those thing you never give yourself time for this time of year.

So, as you are planning your next couple of months, don't forget to add in some daily "white space" just for you. 

Do you have a full calendar during the holiday season?

Share this Self-Love Saturday tip to your social network.

Don't Wait for Inspiration

There are times during the creative process when you don't feel inspired, and that is OK.

Sometimes the ideas are not flowing, and we are not inspired to create new pieces over and over again. But there are times when we need to be creating, so it's important to have a list of ideas to help start the ideas flowing.

Here is a list of simple ideas to help you get started:

When you need to be working and the ideas are not flowing, what do you do to get inspired?

A Simple Idea for Me Time

Some of my best ideas happen when I am out on a walk. Having that time to myself to process ideas and to relax my mind of everyday thoughts is essential to my creative process.

Finding a few minutes to yourself for a quick walk around the block, or an adventure on a nature trail is the perfect way to have some me time.

When you go out for a walk with the idea of having me time and processing ideas, you get to enjoy some time to yourself and you get the added benefit of it being good for you too.

Try taking a walk daily even if it's only for 5 minutes, to clear your mind and enjoy spending time with yourself.

Do you enjoy taking walks?

Share some Self-Love Saturday with your social community.

Sometimes You Have to Say Good-bye

In business and in life there are things that need to end. 

You may need to retire a product that you love but is not selling, or change your branding because it's does not reflect your style anymore, or stop working with a group because it's not benefiting you or your business. Whatever it is at some point in time you will have to say good-bye.

Saying good-bye does not mean it's over, in reality it's really just the beginning. You are entering a new phase and you need to acknowledge that change to move forward. 

Even though making the change will be difficult, because you are used to the way thing work and things flow easily, it may be time to say good-bye.

Whatever the reason is you have to say good-bye it is important to say the words even if it's to yourself. The ritual of saying the words releases us from our present situation, and shows respect for what just ended.

Trust that what ended was good and useful, and now that you have let it go you can now move on with freedom.

Is there something in your business that you need to say good-bye too?

Share!

Be Good to Yourself

As women we are programed to take care of others. We always put ourselves at the bottom of our to-do list, and at times take on more then we can really accomplish.

Taking the time to self-nurture should be on your list everyday. It should be time that is not practical, or has not purpose, but to just give you pleasure.

It can be as simple as shutting the door to close your eyes and enjoy the peace, taking a bath, reading a romance novel, or taking that class you have been wanting to do.

This time you create for yourself may feel selfish, but it's not. It's rest for your soul and brings you a sense of renewal.

What is your favorite way to self-nurture?

This post is part of Self-Love Saturday, if you enjoyed it share it with your social network.

Fun Ways to Enjoy Summer

It's the time of year to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.  Take a day off and get away from your work, remember a relaxed mind is a creative mind.

Today I am sharing a list of fun things you can do as a family, a couple, and or even by yourself.

Family Fun

Spend an afternoon playing with your kids - blow bubbles, play with sidewalk chalk, have a water balloon fight.

Go on a picnic - pack up a few snacks and head for a park near you, and enjoy an afternoon under a shade tree.

Be a tourist in your hometown - visit local shops, stop at places you drive by everyday, find new sites to check out.

Have a family craft day - perfect for a rainy day. Break out some art supplies and spend some time creating. Maybe make a family collage, having each person create their own piece and bring them all together on one canvas.

Start a summer family journal - encourage everyone to write or draw something about what they did each day.

Couples Fun

Get away for a long weekend - you don't have to go far, just enjoy spending time away from home.

Bike around town - stop at places you have never been before.

Attend a free summer concert - in a town near you.

On a rainy day spend the day snuggled together watching movies on TV

Spend a day exploring flea markets, antique shops, and garage sales.

Alone Time

Do a fun art project - work with materials you don't usually use, explore new ideas.

Create your own art day - visit a museum or gallery, window shop, take your sketchbook to a park.

Spend a rainy day reading you favorite art book or flipping through magazines.

Pamper yourself - polish your nails, wash your hair and let it air dry outside.

Do nothing - don't make plans, just spend the day sitting outside.

These are just a few ideas for having fun this summer.

What are some fun things you like to do when the weather is warm?

Dream One Size Bigger

What does your dream business look like? Do you have a large studio space, employes, making lots of money?

Have you taken the time to sit down to picture what you want your business to look like in 5 year or even 10 years? Most people don't plan beyond a year, which means that they are dreaming too small.

It's time to dream one size bigger! 

Have a planning session with yourself, or some journal time. Imagine what you want your business to look like in the future, write it all down everything you imagine, and then start a list of goals and action steps that will get you where you want to be.

If you push yourself to dream big, to make your goals one step beyond what is comfortable, it will force you to grow and believe in the greater possibilities.

How far in the future have you planned out for your business?

Embrace the Bad Days

We all have those days when we wake up and were not in a good mood, or life feels heavy, and you just don't want to get out of bed.

I have those day as well, I can't stop stressing about money, my to-do list, and sometimes I just don't have the desire to do anything. I have come to accept these days as a normal part of life and learned that if I embrace them rather then try to act like everything is OK they it gives me time to regroup.

Embrace those bad days. Start by taking inventory of your blessings, and the good things around you. Then let the day just happen. The day will pass before you know it and soon you will feel like yourself again.

You can't know happiness if you don't know sadness, and those bad day show you your strengths and weakness and what you need to move forward.

Once you realize that those bad days come and go and they are a normal part of life, you can take the steps needed for it to pass quickly, leaving you ready to take on the world!

Do you embrace your bad days?

Step Outside

When you are having a busy day or just need a break, if the weather permits, step outside and for some fresh air and warmth from the sun or a cool breeze and a glance at the stars.

Even if you just have 5 minutes, spending those few minutes outside is a great way to recharge, regroup, and get inspired.

Enjoy your day!