by Linda | Apr 26, 2012 | my creative journal
Last week, I talked about my newsletter blues and since then I’ve quickly realized that it’s more of a cleanse. It’s a good thing to clear out the air and really connect to those who resonate with you, instead of speaking to people who have their backs turned. In a way, I’m looking forward to unsubscribes from uninterested people.
I think of it as the socially responsible thing to do as well. I know from statistics that many people aren’t even opening my emails. I really would like to decrease digital pollution. It’s a waste of energy, space and money for everyone. So do yourself and others a favor today, go and unsubscribe from stuff you aren’t interested in anymore. Every once in a while, unsubscribe in your spam folders too… instead of letting that pile up… cleanse! On the other hand, if you really want to get my weekly emails of thoughts along with a new illustrated girl – sign up here.
In other creative business news, I’ve been mulling over my about me page and trying to rewrite it. It’s not even linked up on this blog anymore, because I don’t feel like it reflects who I am. Everyone talks about how that page is the most visited by new readers… but I can’t seem to present myself properly. It’s always difficult for me to write up an all encompassing blurb, when at times, I still feel pretty confused about things. I realize that life is ever changing, so there is no such thing as a “done” about me page. But I need to get something done…
Today, I also received a bunch of new books in the mail – yay! Although I have a kindle, I still want the physical printed book at times. I’m excited to dive in although I have so many different books in progress right now. It’s good chaos I suppose, just like inside my head! I have an “active bookshelf” where I keep books that are in progress or frequently flipped through. If you are interested, here are the latest books I bought (Amazon links below)
by Linda | Apr 19, 2012 | my creative journal
For all businesses, the email newsletter list is supposedly the holy grail. It’s a direct connection to your fans, so that you can communicate with them like friends. The idea is that your list should be your biggest fans, otherwise they wouldn’t sign-up in the first place. I realized the importance of building a list and started a while ago, even though I didn’t know what I was going to send out. I still haven’t figured it all out… but I’m grateful for all the sign-ups. It means people care!
Or do they?! This week I’ve had some newsletter blues, aka unsubscribes. I started sending weekly Wednesday emails introducing a new Girl With A Message along with my thoughts. It’s supposed to be short and direct, but a constant connection to my audience. Since my newsletter sign-up offers a printable girl, I thought it would naturally be the most pertinent news to the list right now.
When the unsubscribes started rolling in, I started questioning the purpose of everything (in life). It’s inevitable to sink into despair at some point – “Oh, what’s the use! I don’t even know what I’m doing. There’s no point…” I think it’s difficult to NOT take an unsubscribe as a personal rejection and nobody likes rejection.
After calming my nerves, I tried to look at the situation objectively. Unsubscribes are normal! The statistics show that all businesses have unsubscribes and the bigger your list grows, the more there will be. It’s actually a good thing because it means uninterested people are leaving. In fact, I was elated to learn that April from Blacksburg Belle actually encourages people to unsubscribe from her list when they sign-up, if they aren’t going to be a good match. The key is creating a true list of fans. Think of it as a natural cleansing of your email list.
It’s not personal. If you think of your own email subscriptions, it’s easy to come up with completely impersonal reasons of unsubscribing. Every once in a while, I go through a massive sign-up phase and massive unsubscribe phase. It’s just a cycle of exploring new things and then deciding that I have too much going on or that it wasn’t what I wanted. It doesn’t mean I hate the person behind the business!
Think of your fans! We all seem to dwell on what we’ve lost, but’s it’s way more important to concentrate on what you have instead. You still have loads of people on your list, so think about serving them. Those people want to connect with you, how cool is that?
I definitely felt better after thinking a bit about this week’s experience. Thanks to all those on my list and it’s okay if you need to unsubscribe – I won’t take it personally. On the other hand, you can totally sign-up for my newsletter if you’d like to get a free printable girl and weekly updates of what’s new!
Do you have thoughts about how to handle an email list? What do you send out to your fans?
by Linda | Apr 12, 2012 | my creative journal
Now for a real update of my creative business landscape. Things have not been fast paced and I’ve certainly been in a slump. Or perhaps, you could call it, research and find yourself phase.
- Girls With A Message (always taking suggestions) are being created and featured in my weekly newsletter. The latest is trust yourself. Bizarre how slowly it’s all moving. I have a set of 12 girls near completion, but that finalization step… I just can’t seem to plow through it.
- Got stuck a bit in the middle, in reflecting about my personal experiences. Still working through The Right-Brain Business Plan (Amazon affiliate link)
- Only add 3 new girls in the digistamp shop and another pack of papers into CatScrap shop
- Rebound / reworked 2 old journals
- Added to designapattern.com after discovering that there are many online courses for pattern design
- Started some paintings, drawings, a few other books and research topics…
- Been reading a lot and thinking a lot
Despite it all, no matter how slowly it is moving along. At least it is moving along. Onward.
by Linda | Apr 12, 2012 | my creative journal
I had to change the title of yesterday’s post, because it was not a business update and I suddenly felt that I was chickening out again. Having to report weekly about creative business 101 progress – well, it’s not always so easy.
I take another detour today as I continue to think about the perception of things and how they change over time. I started thinking about how everything around us changes who we are. Can we ever just be ourselves, truly? I had this moment of fear, when I thought that perhaps… I am trying to project as others that I admire, rather than me, myself, and I. What is my true self and identity really like? Who am I, really? Yeah, I know. Age-old questions…
Have you ever met people who seem to change themselves according to whoever their friends are at the time? Their likes and dislikes, interests, style… seem to morph with the group. It might be more apparent among young teenagers who are still growing up. But I thought, wait a minute, am I still doing that today? Something new and shiny attracts me and I think, I’ve found it! That’s what I like or should be more like. Or that’s what I really need to be shooting for. Is it really? Is it just another twisted view for today… that will inevitably change tomorrow?
Questions running in head as I wonder, who the real me is and what do I really want me to be? I’m reading an article on the Brave Girls Club website and this is what struck me.
you can’t have the life you want to have
if you haven’t taken the time to figure out what life that is…
***and***
you can’t have the life you want to have
if you don’t ask for it, work for it, and walk past everything else that distracts you from it
by Linda | Apr 5, 2012 | my creative journal
Continuing my efforts to talk about money without shame… I was thinking about how every year, tax time forces me to really see the big picture of my finances. I’m actually pretty good about keeping records and we all should be paying attention to financials quarterly, if not more often. But with the numbers all there in black and white – final for the year – ready to be mailed out to the IRS, you just can’t gloss over the facts.
I realize that I truly dread tax time, not for the numbers or paperwork required. It’s not the work that scares me, I actually get satisfaction from filling out forms and finishing such tasks. What bothers me, is facing the reality of my financial situation. It’s scary, frustrating, and depressing.
Perhaps we can never be 100% satisfied with our financial situation – or is that exactly one of the limiting beliefs that is leading me astray?
I know that is takes hard work to earn money. I suppose I really need to tend my garden of money. It’s in a very sad state. I think there’s potential for abundance – to grow and flourish – but right now, it’s a not-so-inspiring barren landscape.
Lately, I’ve been in the mode of not spending a dime (well, expect for books). I keep thinking that the frugal state will help in some way. But in the big picture, no matter how little you might be spending – you’ll still run out at some point. Instead, the well needs to be filled. It’s like adding nutrients to your garden, so the plants can flourish. Otherwise, the land is just used up and no good.
I need to concentrate on getting more money to flow in, not just limiting or blocking the money that flows out. It’s not a balanced way to think about it and would not create a sustainable ecosystem. In thinking about it in this way, I understand more why some gurus seem to be telling you to spend money – or not be afraid to spend money. It’s a state of mind for the whole landscape to function in balance.
Have you thought about your money landscape? (I hope you have done your taxes!)
How can we make our financial gardens sustainable and flourishing through the seasons?
