building a business

…building a business: ’cause you gotta have faith

May 7, 2013 By christen 12 Comments

It’s no secret that I heart Jesus. And it’s also no secret that I try to be as authentic as I can in my musings. Here is one of the times that I tell you one of my vulnterable experiences and try not to judge myself. I’d rather be honest and move through the lesson instead of being stuck in any type of shame. I also heart my weekly yoga class where I continually practice letting thoughts come and go and not get stuck in feeling them so heavy all the time. Easier said then done, yea?

A selfie.

So, as many of you know I moved a few pieces into Stifel & Capra. Teresa & her husband, Bob let me camp a few pieces there to sell. I was nervous about the process because I had never done this before. I sell from my home, my site, shows & Etsy typically and it’s worked beautifully. But, I decided to try it. The deal was that if the pieces did not sell in a month than I would take them out to make room for other things. I had my mover take 2 larger pieces and one small piece over and there they sat. For 4 weeks.

I told myself what I preach to you, that a perfect piece requires it’s perfect owner to come along and buy it. I tried not to take it personally. And for the most part I didn’t. I know that pieces sit and sell at random times. I just felt a sense of responsibiliby since they were in someone else’s shop.

It was a tad painful to get my mover to go pick them ALL up again. I didn’t like asking him & paying him to do it. Of course when they landed back in my driveway I was happy to see them again. I love all the pieces I work on and if I need to foster them for a while then I’m happy to do it!

God had other plans. The very, VERY next day I sold the two larger pieces through my Etsy shop. The smaller piece that I always secretly wanted to keep found a home near my fireplace and I love it there! I even marked SOLD in my Shop section because I want to keep it.

I share this with you not to expose myself further, but in the hopes that you do not get discouraged. It may not be the right shop, right venue, right month, right price, right location for you to sell your wares. There is something to be said for timing. The biggest thing for me is to know that I love my product and these were amazing pieces that someone would be lucky to have. This had nothing to do with it. It was just waiting for the right time for them to find a home…and a bit of faith that they would.

If you have a great product of quality try to keep in mind that it’s not you, it’s them. Namaste.

Filed Under: building a business

…building a business: quiet time

April 30, 2013 By christen 4 Comments

I make all my kids do quiet time in the middle of the day as well as myself. I sit down…and it cannot be in front of the computer. I sit down with my book or to take a cat nap or to watch an episode of Downton Abby. If I miss quiet time then I am a bear at the end of my day. I need to recharge and us introverts do that by being alone & quiet. I go to my safe spot, my white room.

I think it is really important to quiet our minds as a creative people. I work/paint hard on the weekends because that is the time that my DH is here and can help with the kids. Hard. I know when it’s time to stop when I can’t really think clearly and see where I’m going with the next project. My eyes start getting a bit fuzzy and so does my brain. Things just need to marinate in there a while before becoming clear.

It really works too. I come back a few hours later or the next day and I know what I’m doing. I’ve allowed my brain to rest, think about other things and then typically, I end up dreaming about painting and things become clear. I mostly dream about projects or the reoccurring nightmare that I’ve missed history class for the entire semester and I’m not going to graduate!

The creative process is just that, a process. You can’t force it or it will become that dreaded word…WORK! In fact, I’ve noticed that if I try to finish something up and plow through my dizzy-brain I make mistakes that I have to remedy in the morning. And that is just frustrating and like working backwards.

There is no shame in taking a break and resting your brain and your limbs. In fact, it is healthy for this kind of work. It will make you more productive and energetic. Your ideas will flow a bit more easily after rest. It reminds me of writer’s block. Walk away for a bit because joy comes in the morning.

Ollie needs quite a few naps in his day.

Filed Under: building a business

…Building a Business: Vision

April 23, 2013 By christen 4 Comments

As in life, authenticiy is the greatest gift you can give yourself. I have more respect for people if they are who they are without shame or trying to cover up their person. I may not like every style I see out there, but I can respect it if it’s genuine. This is true of your business. I have said it before, it will show if you are not being true to your vision & style. You will be unhappy working extra hard to create a look that is not your own and people will notice that you are full of hot air if you can’t back up the look you are displaying or discussing.

At a very young age I had dreams of living in a cottage somewhere in England filled with textiles, old books, lanterns and other interesting objects. (Of course I also thought I wanted to be one of the Bronte sisters as well.) My dad and I used to shop at antique shops in New Hampshire during the summertime and I loved finding objects that were old and had a story behind them. He also showed me the love of design & creating things by hand as I used to watch him make hand-made jewelry as his dad did before him.

(This is actually my oldest daughter designing with Papa)

I hadn’t really developed my style or had the money to really develop it, but I knew what I liked.When I started Blue Egg Brown Nest, I loved that cozy, European feel, the vintage style like I was seeing in certain magazines, homes & shops. There were colors that I loved and as I started down the path of decorating my own home, I honed in on what I loved & wanted to create.

(This demi was my first piece of inspiration.)

If you are going to have a creative business, you need to spend every day working on it and thinking about it. If you are going to spend all that time & energy you need to know your vision and almost make a mental mission statement. Don’t divert from it. Be consistent. Start as you plan to go because as you get traction, clients will associate you with a certain style and aesthetic. They will recommend you to friends looking for that look. They will think of you when they want a particular item that suits their needs. If you are all over the place, it will seem confusing and people will not hold the same type of loyality to your shop & work.

Ask yourself these question:

What is my style?

What do I know?

What do I appreciate?

What do I gravitate towards?

What is my history?

What am I good at?

These will be very easy questions if you are attune to yourself and possibly difficult questions if you are still developing who you are. A creative business is so personal. It has to just fit together. Kind of like Fiona in a vintage dough bowl.

Your vision and your style need to be integrated into who you are and what you yourself love. If I went out and sold, say, contemporary ceramics I would not be any good at it. I don’t really gravitate towards that look; I don’t have it in my home & frankly it just doesn’t excite me. Now, if you put me in an old bookstore and told me I could pick anything I wanted I think I would have to take a few deep breaths out of excitment. That is me and I know what I like.

Your vision will come through your business. I you haven’t developed your style yet, keep experimenting until you find what suites you. You will know when you find it because you will be good at it, you will study it and educate yourself. The adventure of your own creative business will endure as long as you so stay true & consistent.