Archive for the ‘My Creative Thoughts’ Category

Image credit: Capture Queen on Flickr

Fear. The feeling inside you of no control, absolute terror, deep anxiety, complete and utter confusion of what you should do.

Ever want to feel fear? Like you have no idea what is going on or when things will turn around? Start a company and wait. You’ll feel it.

It’s the feeling of being a solo business owner.

Starting my business was terrifying. It wasn’t just signing papers and saying “I am a business owner”…it was knowing that every day from now until I retire, I will have to work my butt off to make business happen, and that being successful would not come easy. It would take hours, very long hours, working to figure out how to get clients, keep current clients happy and keep my life in focus. I knew this going in, but that didn’t make it easier. I have ever fiber in my body dedicated to making my business awesome, but that doesn’t make it happen.

Some days are awesome…in fact some weeks and months are awesome too. And then there are those days I am praying to anything and anyone for them to end and for the next to be better. I am at the mercy of the public – and their vacations, budgets and realities. I don’t know if the phone will ring, emails will come in, clients will hire me. I can’t force someone to have the budget to hire me, and I can’t combat all excuses. I can’t fix every problem, and there are some clients that just won’t fit with me. No matter what I do, I can’t (and won’t) be everything to everyone at every budget. Which means that I will never have every client. Sometimes the fear lasts a couple days, sometimes it’s longer.

Luckily, I know I am not alone. I have many friends and contacts who own their own companies, and have had many talks about fear. We all get it. Never in the same way, but we all get it. Some get it when they are too busy, others when they aren’t busy enough. We get it on projects that scare us,  and clients that torture us. We get it just because it is Monday and the start of a new week. Or we get it on Friday because the week didn’t end right. The fear is in every solo business owner just waiting for the moment to pop out and yell surprise…to scare you so badly that you wonder if you made the right decision. You contemplate getting a “real job” again, no matter how much you love what you do and loathed working for other people. You can’t help it – you’re terrified. You dream about the security of a steady paycheck, a 401K and the clients just waiting for you. You even think sitting in commuter traffic wouldn’t be so bad. You would get to listen to musci, right? You think that the decision you made to abandon security and go on your own was crazy, and you don’t even know what made you do it. You may even look at job postings in your industry and think…maybe? Fear makes people do, think and say crazy things.

But, instead of giving into the fear, we must tackle it. Rise above it. Show it who’s boss and kick it’s sorry little butt. To do that takes a lot of strength, a lot of courage, and a lot of knowing that you can.You have to be able to know that even if your week/month is bad, that it will get better. Or, a tough client is just pushing you to learn something (even if it is just how to swear under your breath while smiling). Side note, I feel a bit like Stuart Smalley at the moment…”I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me”… Anyway, the point is that while fear can be debilitating and downright torturous, what would be even worse would be to give into the fear and let it take us over.

So what do we do? We stand up and shout “Fear can kiss my butt”.

Then, we start working harder, and more effectively and soon, the fear has gone away and we are back in the spot where we love to be – loving our businesses. We remember why we started it, why we enjoy it and that even if the days are long and times get tough, it is still our business. We are our own boss, don’t have to sit in commuter traffic, can pick our own clients and can work in our p.j’s. Being a solo business owner is never going to be easy, and we all know that. So as long as we remember why we started it in the first place, the fear can’t stick around for long.

When is the last time you felt fear? Share your stories of how you’ve dealt with this demon…

Oh, and thanks to @antony511 for the awesome headline! BTW readers, I’ll think you’re even awesomer than you already are if you can name to what the headline is in reference.

This year, I am finally getting to attend two conferences I have wanted to attend for a very long time – Blogworld in October and PubCon in November.

Even more exciting? I will be speaking at PubCon on a panel – November 10th – Navigating The Complex Social Media Marketing World. I will be discussing the different key social media tools and the best ways to get the most from them – and which tools to use depending on your industry. I will be on a panel with some brilliant minds and am very excited to be a part of this event! If you’re coming to the event – I really hope to see you at my panel!

I am still waiting to hear if I will be speaking at Blogworld…but should know soon. *Update: I will not be speaking but will still be there…*

Either way, since I’m very Type A -  even 3 months out, I am already putting together my “must do, must see and must meet” list for both events!

1. For Blogworld, I am attending with @Vetlovingpetshb and staying at THEhotel, flying in the day before and leaving the day after. Have you been to this hotel before? Recommendations of places to eat/shop visit?
2. For Pubcon, I am not sure where I will be staying – that one is left to be determined. So if you have connections for this one, let me know
3. If you have been before to either event – what are the must see and do’s? I want to know what events are the best, which areas of the expo I can’t miss and if there are any other secrets I should know!
4. Are you going this year? If so, let me know so that I can plan time to meet as many people as possible. My readers are on the top of my list. Just add a comment and let me know which event you are attending

Finally, I am still looking for a sponsor for the hotel/flight for each event – so if you are interested in talking with me about what that means, send me an email and we can chat

Image from Failbook.com

Despite the multi millions on twitter, there is a huge percentage of that number who have no idea what they are doing – add in those who have never tried twitter, and there is a large chunk of the population that has never sent a tweet, typed the @ symbol before a twitter handle, used a hashtag or RT’ed something.

Twitter is still in its infancy, and has a lot of room to grow, change and develop. Businesses are still trying to discover why (or if) it is beneficial for them to use, and how to use it if it is. Unfortunately, many of them feel that social media can be a solve all – that adding in facebook, twitter and a blog will skyrocket sales and change the face of their business. Reality: it won’t. It may open new doors, create conversation and down the road, increase sales, but it is not something that works over night. Or even over a couple weeks.

Most of you reading this probably have a twitter account, may have came here through a tweet and follow me on twitter. You know everything I said above to be true. You may use twitter for your business, yourself or a combination of the two. You have gotten involved with the community and have learned to appreciate what twitter can and can’t do. You understand its value but also understand that it is not a super power. You are the ones that are doing it right. But, at one point, you were the person in red in this situation. You had no idea what you were doing, how to start the conversation, or how to benefit from using social media.  You struggled to think of things to tweet, who to follow and what links to share. Twitter was a wild jungle and you were ill-prepared to take it on. Luckily, you had help from other friends in the twitter world who gave you advice and helped you along the way. Maybe you even hired someone to come in and talk with you about how to set up lists, what to talk about and how to use tweetdeck and twellow. Either way, you had support and you learned how to survive in the jungle. Because of your struggles and accomplishments, you are part of the twitter “we”.

“We” are of the group that is active in the web world – connected in many ways to our audience and are on the forefront of the newest technology. “We” lead the way, sharing conversations, having tweetups and building yet another way to create more conversation. “We” know the news before anyone else and “we” are the proud who share it, brag about it and love it. “We” are unique in the fact that “we” have serious contacts and friends spanning the globe, all created through a simple tool and a lot of work and effort. “We” are the people that the news talks about when social media is a trend, and “we” are the victims of the social media scammers.

And now, “we” need to take a moment and think about what we are involved in – and how what “we” know can help the rest.

So now…yes, right now…I want you to share something about twitter – anything you think a first time user needs to know. Let’s make this list awesome, and then let’s share it.

Let’s open the “we” to everyone else…

taken by dimnikolov - from flickr

<rant>I have a serious issue with the lack of formality that has become acceptable in recent society.

Less than 15 years ago, if you attended a play, dined at a 4 star restaurant, flew first class, etc; you dressed for the occasion. Last year, I went to see Wicked at the Pantages theater in LA. It was an amazing performance – moving and very well done. But I was rather annoyed with some of the attendees. They technically did nothing wrong, but seeing more than a quarter of the attendees in t-shirts, jeans and tennis shoes or flip flops seriously ticked me off. Why? Because just 12 years prior, I attended Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco and casual was not there…women in cocktail dresses, men in suits…the theater oozed glamor. Now, it’s like going to the movies, with a much pricier ticket! Dinners are the same way. Restaurants like Ruth Chris, Morton’s and Maestro’s all have signs out front – proper attired required. This used to mean, at a minimum, dressy jeans and a nice blouse for women and dress jeans and a button up for men. But, in the last few times my husband and I went to dinner at these restaurants, it seemed that shorts and flip flops were now “proper attire”…and I was properly appalled.

Dressing up for an event or a dinner has a reason: it shows respect for the performers, the other guests and the location. It says that you appreciate the value and that you respect where you are and what you are doing. Now it seems that “casual” is an acceptable attire no matter the venue, and I am both bothered and confused.

Let’s take a step back and look at this from a business perspective: Imagine if a client of yours walked into your office, where the  dress was business formal, in their sweats. What would you think? You would probably think they either had zero respect for you and your time, or that they just don’t care about why they were coming to see you. You would be bothered and probably lose some of the desire to work with them.

The way that you dress speaks volumes about who you are – and how you feel about yourself and society. And, there is absolutely zero reason that you can’t dress appropriately. Almost every clothing store, from Target to Barney’s caries business and formal dress clothes, which means that there is something for every budget. And, if you can afford a play ticket or a 4 star restaurant, you can certainly afford to dress up a bit. You don’t need designers and overprices closed to say “I care”, you just need a little more formality.

Does anyone else see this trend? What do you think of the casualness that has taken over society?</rant>

<rant begin> I understand that with age comes wisdom, but age is not the only factor to consider when determining someones experience. I can’t count the number of times that I have talked with people over twitter, email and phone, then met them in person and had the same reaction – shock at my age.

I am young, 25, and as I have learned, this can be a serious disadvantage. In fact, it has been such an interference that I am looking forward to the day I turn 30. When I speak with people over the phone or they read my work, most assume that I am in my early 30′s (I guess I come across older in voice/writing?)…but, when they meet me in person and see that I am not in my 30′s, it is as if a cold wind has blown in and all of a sudden their mood changes. They start asking about my experience again, wonder when I graduated college, how I learned what I learned…all questions that my portfolio and site answer, but they begin to doubt me. Their entire belief towards me shifts in one fell swoop. I can’t prove that this has lost me business – as no one has ever come out and told me “we want someone older”, but I feel like it has been a serious interference, and is definitely frustrating. I hate having to try and explain myself – to try and clarify that yes I am young, but I am the same person that just a day ago you were enamored with and loved my work.

Why should my age matter? If what you are looking for what I would do well, and you had faith in me based on my portfolio, writing and conversation – why does my age change any of this? </rant over>

What do you think about age? Have you had an experience where your age was a problem?

104 weeks, 730 days, 470 blog posts and a lot of lessons later… writing this blog has been one of the most challenging and rewarding pieces of my business, and life. I love this blog, and every single person who has commented, read and lurked here. It is a place for my ramblings, thoughts and business advice. Even more, it is a place for learning. Especially for me. So in honor of my 2 year anniversary, here are the 24 lessons I have learned in writing Wright Creativity (one for every month I’ve had it):

1. Spellcheck doesn’t always work. Six looks a lot like sex when you are reading quickly…proofread closer!
2. If you are getting rude comments, you’re doing something right.
3. There are at least three sides to every topic – and it’s guaranteed you’ll get to hear all of them!
4. Just because you find the topic interesting, doesn’t mean your readers will.
5. The posts that become the most popular will surprise you.
6. The more you write, the easier it gets, but the easier it is to repeat yourself.
7. Use pictures. People like pictures. Especially of cute animals…like this:
   
8. Being funny is not easy. Neither is being clever. So if it doesn’t come naturally, don’t try it.
9. It is okay to decide you never want to write about a topic again…and then change your mind.
10. Archives are forever.
11. Linking to another bloggers site is the sincerest form of flattery.
12. I am never going to be famous from my blog, but that’s perfectly okay.
13. If I can help one person with what I write each day, I did my job.
14. Getting comments is like Christmas morning. Seriously.
15. Ask questions. A lot of them.
16. Narrowing your categories will improve your writing and focus.
17. Take a notepad or your phone everywhere, just in case you think of a blog post.
18. Use plugins.
19. Make sure you save while writing, even if you think wordpress auto saves.
20. Posting 5 days a week is easier said than done. But, it is worth trying every week.
21. Formatting in posts is imperative, and it makes it easier to read.
22. Titles, while they may be obnoxious to come up with, are helpful and needed.
23. If you can make it into a list, it will get more traffic.
24. I will probably keep writing this blog as long as people keep reading it.

Creativity.

There are two kinds of creativity.

There is the creativity that you need to fill your bucket, the one that is what you use to get work done. This is the kind I talked about a few weeks ago. That kind can run out for anyone, even the most creative can reach that breaking point. This is the creativity it takes to do good work, and to create something successful. This is the stuff that can be replenished by a good night sleep, a strong cup of coffee and some revitalizing.

Then there is the innate creativity. This is the creativity to entertain at a party, to tell a joke, or to decorate a house. This is the creativity that is exhibited when someone is least expecting it, it is what happens when they do normal activities. This is the kind of creativity that most of us think of when we think someone is “creative”. And this creativity can’t be replenished, because it can’t go away. It is always there, sitting and waiting to be used. It is just part of a person. And this is what I want to talk about today.

Some people just have innate creativity naturally. But some of us don’t. Most of us don’t. Most of us get frustrated daily with the lack of innate creativity.

For those of you who are always creative (you know who you are), stop reading. Go be perfect somewhere else.

This post is for the rest of us…the ones that don’t have it naturally and need some help. The good news? Innate creativity, despite the technical definition that innate things can’t be learned, can be learned over time.

How do I know? Because I didn’t have it naturally. (trust me, I really didn’t) I had to work unbelievably hard at being creative every day.  But over time, over a lot of effort, I have been able to increase my innate creativity. And since I knew it would come in handy, I started a list of what works. So here it is…the list of many of the things I have done that have helped me to increase my innate creativity. Remember, these are things that increase innate creativity not what will replenish your creativity when it is gone.

• Create a space that stimulates you with the colors you find to be creative (I love pink, black and white in my creative space).
• Read something completely fun before bed every night (I prefer romance novels, trashy chick lit and historical fiction).
• Learn to focus on one task at a time (splitting your mind between many tasks ruins your ability to build creativity. I close all other programs).
• Take classes in different areas (trying something new will increase the space you have for creativity. I took a wine class).
• Spend time doing something different (Adding a hobby increases your capacity to think outside the box. I am working on a romance novel).
• Listen to an argument (Hearing other people discuss things can open your mind to how you can discuss things).
• Watch mindless TV (mindless TV isn’t mindless if you let the creativity in. I love Disney channel still).
• Have friends who are more creative than you (osmosis does work with creativity. I swear!).
• Go to the movies. (Movies are a wonderful form of creativity and open your mind to what’s possible. I love action and comedy movies).
• Ask a lot of questions. (The more you know about things, the more creative your mind is).

What have you done to increase your innate creativity. Or do you disagree with the thought that it can be increased?

I want to hear you shout from the rooftops, brag your little hearts out and share with the world:

• What was your biggest accomplishment through the first half of 2010?
• What is your goal for the 2nd half of 2010?

Ready…GO!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog posts from Wright Creativity to fill you in on a couple new things going on!

1. I have officially moved my facebook business page from being under Kirsten Wright to Wright Creativity. So please, click on over and “like” my page…you know you want to! Oh, and by the way…there is a special offer over there you won’t want to miss
2. I have submitted a proposal to speak at blogworld and am very nervous, but will let everyone know the minute I find out.
3. Phone Photo Friday is in full swing, so if you are a reader and haven’t sent in one of your favorite pics you’ve taken with your cell phone…well, why not? You don’t have to fill out the form, just snap the pic and email it to me (kirsten(at)wrightcreativity.com)
4. I have an opening for a new blog management client starting in July. Because I work so in depth with each client, I haven’t had the time available to take on a new client until now! If you or someone you know is looking for some extra help getting started or keeping moving with their blog, you know where to go
5. Coming soon, I will be running a very special contest for all of my subscribers. It involves a 15% discount and one of my design services…so be sure to stay tuned, and make sure to send your friends so they can participate too (it might just be around an upcoming holiday in July).

…Tomorrow we will be back to your regularly scheduled content

What wall did you break through?

What mountain did you climb?

What did you do that they said couldn’t be done?

Go ahead, brag, boast and share…I want to know!