If something makes you feel incredibly happy, chances are that you feel really passionate about it. When it comes to work, why does passion matter?
Passion matters, because passion is your growth point!
If you're feeling passionate about your work, times flies by; more work gets done; you're curious to try new techniques, or take an idea in a direction that no one ever thought to before. That's when you'll grow, and that's when your work will be uniquely yours.
Here's an exercise for you. Sit down, and try to list everything you've done in the last 24 hours. Start from the moment you woke up, to making the coffee, getting the kids dressed, answering emails, exercising, reading to the children, working on orders, packaging, running errands, cooking dinner, playing on Pinterest, etc.
Now, be honest with yourself. When did you feel happiest? What activities brought out the best in you? When did time seem to just fly by?
If you want to take this exercise a step further, document every activity you do for the next 24 hours, carefully monitoring how you feel throughout the day.
As a work-at-home creative, there are things you're obligated to do - print shipping labels; wash the dishes; write product descriptions. But looking back at your day, when do you shine? What are you actually looking forward to?
Again: why is this important?
Once you've found your growth point, you're one step closer to finding your own unique edge.
Here's an example:
Let's say that when you look back over your day, you got really excited when it was time to package orders. You love the labels you picked out for your products, you love wrapping the orders up and placing a hand-written note in each order.
You're so happy when you're packaging orders, why not go further? Create really special packaging! Paint, stamp, or illustrate your own wrapping paper. Use really special washi tapes or ribbons; use luxurious stationery with lined envelopes for your thank you notes. Make each customer feel like they are opening a special gift from a friend - they will remember it! This is experience branding, and it would be a win-win for you because:
1. You feel so passionately about packaging, and enjoy doing it, and
2. The customer will remember how special you made them feel, and hopefully become a repeat customer, or recommend you to their friends
Alternatively, maybe you love the packaging process SO. MUCH. that you realize you want to discontinue your line of stationery, and focus solely on selling handmade packaging.
There are so many ways you can incorporate your own passions into your work to help you stand out. Maybe you love answering emails - make customer service the cornerstone of your business, and go above and beyond what the competition offers; Or maybe you LOVE science - can you incorporate any of your knowledge into your products? Periodic table-themed lip balms? Geology-themed baby toys? Art prints featuring quotes from great scientists? The possibilities are pretty endless.
You don't have to brainstorm how you're going to incorporate your passions into your business just yet; rather, focus on how you feel for now - be really honest about your activity log and when your true passions are shining through.
Tomorrow we're going to dig even deeper into your passions to discover how you can expand your business and make money outside of your current line of products. I'd love to know - how is the course going for you?
credits: quotes clip art by The Ink Nest (affiliate link)
So true, this has totally inspired me today! happy Valentines
ReplyDeleteAwesome Tereza! Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day, too!
DeleteHi Ashley, I'm absolutely loving these posts! they are so inspiring and a wake up call for me. As I mentioned before in other comments in your blog, I'm currently working on finishing my online portfolio (I'm a graphic designer) and also in the process of opening (at some point this year) an online shop. For me personally it's been a very long journey after becoming a mum a year ago, although it's been amazing I felt I lost myself as a creative person, not only the demands of a baby where priority but also I was an emotional disaster so I didn't have time neither mind to think and let myself grow. But as my little one is older and my life more structured I think I this is a good time to start working on my shop.
ReplyDeleteYour posts had help me to understand priorities and also cleaning all the "noise" around, what's not very important and what I should be focusing on. I have a question for you and for all the amazing creative people I admire out there, how did you find your niche? (in your case paper goods), was a trial and error, was something you always wanted to do? I do love to do so many thinks! I have learn lots of skills (crochet, embroidery, sewing, screen printing and obviously graphic design) but I can't chose one thing and I have way too many ideas, that change every day, I'm struggling a little bit with that, please help!
Sorry for the long post, but again thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge and experience so others can feel equally inspired.
lots of love xx
Jess
Hey Jess, great to hear from you! And thank you for sharing your story. I connect so much with where you are coming from. Having a baby completely knocks your whole world off its axis, but I think you're doing the right thing. I wasn't really able to put the whole creative business thing on hold when I had my girls, and I really wish I had. I try not to regret it, because I wouldn't be where I am now if I had closed up shop... but there sure was a lot of guilt involved.
DeleteOne tiny piece of advice I have for you is: once you've decided you're ready to start your business, don't wait until everything is perfect to open up shop.
Time is expensive when you have a baby, so if you only have time to work on one new piece per week, so be it! Nobody says you have to have a full page of items in shop to do business - if you only have 1-3 items ready to list, then that's fine. It's getting yourself out there, and getting the ball rolling that is important. Once you do build up a large stock, you can always to a re-launch or grand re-opening, and people might already be familiar with you and your work when you do it.
Since you have so many talents and interests, you could try an experimental phase for your business. Try listing a few crocheted items, a few screen printed items, and a few embroidered pieces. See what gets the best response, or the most sales. If you feel equally passionate about all of your techniques, sometimes the market will let you know what your niche should be.
To answer your question, I kind of just settled into the paper goods market. I have a lot of interests - needle felting, painting, sketching, etc. - but I had just gotten married when I opened my shop. I made all of my wedding invitations, the programs, the signs, the thank you notes, place cards... and when it was over, I missed it! So I started making cards for fun. I did screen printing, stamping, lino cuts, felted cards... and finally when I tried paper cutting I really enjoyed it. It also got a great response, so I stuck with it.
There are some people out there who manage to combine all of their creative passions into one store. They find a way to do the graphic design, the embroidery, and what ever else they like - but what holds their business together is one over-arching theme.
Examples:
Davis Main sells perfume, soap, lip balm, and wooden jewelry, but everything works together in shop because they all have a very natural look to them, and Adria has a uniform photography style: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DavisMain
HRUSKAA has a blend of vintage items and handmade mobiles, but what brings it all together is that everything has a slightly industrial feel, and the product photography is extremely uniform: everything is clear and bright on a white background. http://HRUSKAA.etsy.com
Snug has a few different mediums in shop - wooden jewelry and home goods, and paper art and home goods. I think it all works because their designs are bold, graphic, and blocky. Each product stands alone on its own, but when everything is together in shop, it looks cohesive. http://Snug.etsy.com
Eggagogo sells ceramics, watercolor prints, screen printed fabric goods, stuffed animals, etc. - and what holds it all together is a uniform aesthetic and illustration style: http://eggagogo.etsy.com
The Great Northern (currently on vacation, but you can look through their sold items) sold knitted items, embroidery, jewelry, keychains, coasters - and what tied all of the different products together were themes from the TV show Twin Peaks: http://www.etsy.com/shop/thegreatnorthern/sold?page=9
I know that's a lot of info, but I hope it helps! Just take it one day at a time :)
Hey Lovely Ladies, it is so nice to read other people's stories and thank you so much for your extensive advice, Ashley! I love the posts too. I noticed I was putting myself under a lot of pressure comparing myself to others who are amazing at building up a business, at social media, etc. and seemed to be so successful in what I wanted to achieve... And a good friend of mine asked me why I did that to myself. None of these people have young children and a husband who needs all his time and dedication for his work, so they do have more time and resources, and even if they were in the same situation, what's wrong with doing it at a slower pace if we can manage financially? Besides, I probably didn't always get to see the downs with those people. So I'm learning to let go and stop looking at others (still don't find that easy), follow my heart, do what I love to do and stick to doing it my way. My webshop could do with a lot more input to get more output, but I've found by fluke that the wholesale side works better, and so I focus my time more on that than on the shop now. I feel better for it and the slower pace suits our family lifestyle at the moment. I will up the pace later when the children are less needy, I just have to stop making excuses when people ask me about my shop! Trinske x
DeleteAshley I don't have enough words to thank you for your response, advice and examples you've written. I appreciate the time you dedicated to it and I'm very grateful. I loved the Etsy shops you posted, they are a great example of brand consistency, something I'm aware of and will keep in mind for the future, all of them without exception are so beautiful. Also I appreciate your advice about not waiting to have the perfect shop to launch, which I'm pretty much guilty at the moment, I'm a perfectionist and in very few occasions I'm100% happy with what I do ,which is not great.
ReplyDeleteI read from one the Danielle LaPorte videos you posted a few weeks ago, something about "Launching and learn" and I think that's a great advice right now. In another note, I finally launch my website today (yay!!)(www.jessicarebelo.com) and there's a few samples of handmade goods I've done :)
I will be reading your post to keep myself going and make this happen.
Thank you again so much
x
Jessica
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI mentioned you on my blog this week :) I'm still on my way to find my way and niche, I don't consider myself a blogger, but it's quite therapeutic and fun to share the creative process with my friends and family.
Tthank you again for being an inspiration.
x
Earth & Pastel colours post
Jessica