In the Right Place

I was driving home from work today and it hit me that I am in a highly creative and encouraging phase of my life.  I have always been creative.  I have always encouraged others.  That is part of my creativity really - encouraging others to be creative, take risks, dream big, ask "What if?" and "Why not?"   It feels especially creative and encouraging right now to me.   I am not sure why exactly but it feels so very right.  I am going to go with it.

18 years ago, i was preparing to graduate from college with my Bachelor of Art Education from Drake University.  I had been exposed to some incredibly talented and creative people.  I had been encouraged to push boundaries, ask questions, and pay it forward.  I was ready to go out and encourage others to do the same.  I had a daughter who had been born March 29th.  I knew touching others' lives was nothing to be taken lightly and was excited to get into a classroom.

I was a creative teacher, one who paid attention to individual needs and strengths.  I am still proud to say I am not a cookie-cutter individual or teacher.  Individuality is key to my creativity and I highly encourage it in others, even when I just have a conversation with someone.  You never know when something you say will hit the right spot and motivate them to do something really incredible so it is my opinion that one should always be positive, encouraging, open and creative.

We all have unique talents that get called into action in different phases of our lives.  We don't always know those talents are there and they sometimes surprise us.  I have been surprised by the intensity I have when it comes to encouraging others to be creative and make their own mark on this world.  Sure, I always encouraged it and always will but the INTENSITY is so strong right now.  The timing for this is right too.

When I was younger, I was so busy trying to get everything done at home and in my classroom.  I was so busy trying to be creative for different reasons that did not always resonate with me.  I was not ready to handle this kind of intense creativity and encouragement.  I was too busy and I was too scattered.  But that has changed as the years pass.  I am glad I am ready for this phase of my life!

I don't always have time to MAKE new jewelry or art but I always have time to dream up ideas, tune into the world and notice tiny details that come out in a creation down the road, and to really appreciate the talent of the people I surround myself with regularly.  Making will happen.  It always does.  But AWARENESS.... that does not always happen.  Being aware makes creativity that much more intense.

A side effect of that is the intensity I have for encouraging others to be creative and go for the big dreams, whether they are art related or not.  I pay it forward as often as possible these days because I think it is important to help others.  Someone has helped me and I need to pay the universe back for those nudges that have led to my successes.  It has now grown to include helping friends  and other artists with fundraising drives, working on "marketing" strategies, and getting more resources when they need them.

(one of those friends said that I had to set up my own fundraising drive if I was going to help him, that I could not just do something for him but HAD to do something for myself and my business too.  And as soon as this divorce is done, I know what I am going to pursue.  I am excited for it!!!)

The more I help this friend, the more excited I am for him and for the things I am learning.  I am forced to be creative to work my way through these processes and I am intensely interested in it.  I want so much for it to be a huge success because I know what great things will come from it for my friend.  All of this feeds my creativity even more.  I start thinking of more art creations, jewelry designs and what I need to make those things a reality.  It is a great cycle and I look forward to what comes from it!

I am right where I need to be and the right people are in my life for great things to happen.  This creativity COMPLETELY resonates with me and it is incredible!  I hope that you will get to have that very same feeling yourself.  Encourage others to go after their dreams and make their mark on the world.  This world needs that.

Open Doors

I have had many doors open for me in my life as an artist.  They open when I need an opportunity to come along but I am not sure what opportunity I should be seeking.  They open when I trust that things are going to come along in the right timing.  They open when I give generously, not expecting anything in return.  The people I have met on this journey as an artist and a small business person have all helped to open doors for me.

I find myself in a good place, a really good place.  I have growth that seems to be steady and strong.  it feels..... RIGHT.  It feels like I should be doing what I am doing right now.  I have taken risks and tried new things because someone has asked me IF I can do them.  They trusted me enough to ask me, so I trusted myself enough to give it a try.  I did the research, planned my work, and went into the project with an open mind.  Success!!!!

I do know my limits though.  I watched the replays of the 2 week Right Brain Business Seminar and learned a lot from other creative business minds.  Several of them talked about knowing when to say "No" or "I cannot do that to the quality that you need right now" or "I recommend this person to deliver you the service you need".  It is often in my thoughts after this seminar that I need to remember WHY I do what I do and base my decisions on that.  I trust my instincts and just have to remember that important little fact when I feel stressed.  Just because there is a door in front of me does not mean it is always the right door to open.

I look forward to creating so much more now that I have gotten really clear about why I do what I do.  Now I need to make decisions that match that vision.  These open doors that have suddenly appeared recently make that even more clear.  I wish I could clone myself so I can do all the things I need to do - update website with new images, stay on top of all the social media sites I use to get the word out about my business (which is a very manageable number at this time), create more work, network with others, find supplies, get to all of the shops that carry my work, etc.  I work a day job to pay the bills and help me build my business like so many other small business people do but my mind is always spinning with ideas and things that need to be done.  The right door will open, the right people will show up, and things will fall into place as long as I keep my vision clear and work for it.  (That is what I hope and trust to happen anyway.)

Every person that has helped me, bought something I created, asked me to make custom work, or share space in an event keeps opening doors for me.  I cannot thank people enough for that.  Perhaps that is why I pay it forward as often as I can!  Speaking of which, I am starting to send out the pay it forward creations out to those that commented on my post in September 2012.  I really, really, really enjoy paying it forward that way.  I will have to do that more often.  Look for another blog with something like that in it this spring....

If you are interested in finding me and my work at shows, check out this calendar.  As events are added, I update my calendar on my website.  I also update my Facebook page.  Feel free to contact me at any time by emailing me here.

Here's to the open doors in your life and the possibility for all the open doors you need!

Returning to Routines

There is something really comforting about routines.   I know what to expect - roughly - and how I can change things around within them.  I know how to plan my time a bit better and seem more able to fit in custom orders when routine is what takes over, especially after the holidays and all the busy-ness they bring.  I like routine.  (I do love change and thrive on change but without routine there would be no change.) 

I look forward to building inventory for the days at the Iowa State Fair and to having time to create entries to be judged at the fair.  I look forward to using all the cool supplies that I have amassed during the holiday season in between custom orders.  I have ideas that have been brewing for quite awhile and it is exciting to have the time to make them concrete.

I look forward to tweaking my social media presence and exploring the capabilities of Google+, Twitter, Facebook and more.  You can find my new Google+ account here.  I read lots of articles about the changes Google+ has made and is making.  I enjoy exploring all my options.  I know that I need to look into the changes made at Goodsmiths and tweak my account there more.

I have not forgotten about my pay-it-forward blog that I did a few months ago.  I am getting those creations made and hope to surprise those who are getting something from me with something they will love.  Maybe I will do that again soon.....

Dilemmas of the Business Kind

Holiday shopping season hits me every year, just like I suspect it does so many of you, as a crazy time.  There are all of these blaring ads on tv and the radio announcing BIG DEALS and HUGE DISCOUNTS.  I read and hear COME IN NOW or COME IN DURING THESE HOURS to get a special deal.  We all love a deal.  And the people who create these ads and deals know that all too well.

My current dilemma has to do with the fact that I do not feel compelled to offer a drastic discount during the holiday shopping time.  I buy my supplies and put hours into designing and physically crafting them.  I am the secretary, custodian, accountant, marketer, and whatever-needs-done person running this whole show.  (I love being the one doing these things as I like to know what is going on where and when but there are times when I could really use a clone!)  If I create too big of a discount I could quite possibly put myself out of business.  Plus I feel like I would have to inflate my prices just to cut them down to make it seem like people were getting a huge deal. 

So with that being said, I wonder how people who do not know me or do not understand the nature of hand-crafted items and art view my sales tactics during the holiday season.  They don't change one bit from during the rest of the year.  I am not flashy and I am not screaming that you need to come get some ridiculously crazy deal from me.  Do they think that I do not have what they might want for themselves or to give to someone else? (Just one wonder among many in this category.....)

Good thing I don't think about it too long. One could go crazy doing that!  (I have been informed by my teenaged daughters that I am already crazy enough. LOL)  I do think, though, that I should explain myself a bit better and have set a goal to do that more often throughout the year so people will understand how I think about deals and pricing.

I set my prices taking into account the price of the materials, the time I have spent working on the idea and the actual physical time creating, and the price it might cost to ship the item.  I shop wisely  when I can and buy things at great prices.  Some things are just more costly than others and that comes with the territory.  I also ask myself, "How much would I pay for something like this?"  I don't comparison shop to set prices in an active way.  I just pay attention to what I have seen and make mental (or paper) notes about that.

I offer Buy One, Get 1/2 Off all year long because I think people like to be able to get a good deal all year long.  It is terribly difficult for me to choose just one beautiful or interesting hand-crafted item so being able to get more than one at a great price is always a draw for me.  I love to bundle prices when I can - more sparklies for a good price - so I price my earrings 1 pair for $12, 2 pairs for $20, and 3 pairs for $25.  I give repeat customers a special price break to thank them for returning to shop with me.  There are so many custom orders that come out of that first sale of a necklace or bracelet.  Thanking people for that is important to me!

I sometimes offer specials at the shops that carry my work to help business grow in those places.  It is nice to be able to do that.  If they have events, I always give a door prize or create a special deal for just that event.  Supporting small business is very, very, very important to me!  Without these small businesses, I would not be as successful as I have been.  Their support of my small business is priceless!!!  You can find me at Main Street Market in Knoxville, IA; Treasures and More in Polk City, IA; Fusion in Clive, IA and Finders Keepers in Urbandale, IA.

I participate in vendor/craft shows when it works out for me to do so.  The Buy One, Get 1/2 Off always is appreciated at those events.  I may price things a bit lower at those shows so that I can make room for new creations.  My goal really is for my creations to find new, loving homes so I price things to hopefully help them move.  I love the look on people's faces when they find just the right thing and the price is just right too!

So back to my dilemma - to have Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday specials or not....  I do not think they fit with what I currently do.  I aim to be authentic in my business and if the choice is to have higher prices with deep discounts at one time of the year or to have great prices and a regular discount all year long, I will take the latter option.

I would love to hear your opinion on this!  Comment on this post and give me your thoughts.  And to thank you for your thoughts, I will give anyone who comments on this post 15% off any item.  I have a huge amount of photos to look through at http://www.facebook.com/JKLARTJewelry and http://jklartjewelry.webs.com/.