Creativity vs Burnout

> I can't remember where, but I remember reading once that there's no such thing as "creative burnout". For a creative person, creativity happens when everything's in balance, and when you're not feeling creative, it really means that other things in your life are not going well.

> Interesting concept, isn't it? I think to some extent it's true, but I have to wonder if it's that black and white. I had a particularly "imbalanced" period in my life, when things were pretty rough. I've looked back at many of the projects I worked on during that time, and I don't think my work suffered. Maybe it took more for me to come to a good solution during that time, but I do know I was glad for being busy, and for the work, because it allowed me to keep my mind off the hard things I was going through. I put my energy and focus into my work. I guess I honestly can't remember if I felt creative or not, but isn't it also about focus and effort?

> I'm going to have to test the theory for myself. But it's a win-win, right? Things are good and in balance, OR things are good and in balance, AND I stay creative.

Sweet Valentine's Day

> When I was in grade school, I LOVED Valentine's Day. I have fun memories of choosing the right card for each of my classmates, the excitement of taking all my cards home from school, and reading the messages from my friends (I'm pretty sure I was a big fan of the classroom party and all the treats too).

> I don't know when it lost its excitement...but as an adult, I've never purchased any decor for my home, or really given much thought to Valentine's Day other than purchasing a card for my husband (as a designer, what is wrong with me that I haven't made him a card every year??) 

> I have a wonderful memory that always makes me smile. My brother and his wife were out of town for a week, (over V-Day), and I went to their home to stay with their 4 young children. Unfortunately, sometime between leaving for the airport and arriving at their house, I got laryngitis. And when I get laryngitis, it's not simply a hoarse voice, it's a complete absence of one! Luckily, the kids are awesome and well-behaved, so not having a voice was mostly only inconvenient. The morning of Valentine's Day, my sweet niece, who was 9 at the time, sequestered me to my room for a little while, rounded up the other kids, and when they let me out, it was to a front room filled with paper hearts and streamers and decorations that they had made. Isn't that the sweetest thing? To this day, that's probably my favorite Valentine's memory.

> Since then, I've given more thought to the holiday and have tried to do more thoughtful and creative things for my husband. Kids are such great inspiration, aren't they?

> I'm making a few valentine cards this year—that's progress for me! If you want to make a pop-up heart card like mine, check out the other blog I write for and you can make one for your sweetheart.

Inspired By...Paper

> I think print designers are paper-lovers by nature. I can't tell you how many sheets of handmade papers, scrapbook paper, stationery, and other paper items I've bought...but I can't bring myself to use them, because then I won't HAVE them anymore (What's that saying about having your cake and eating it too...)

> One of the blogs I follow—All Things Paper—is a really great resource that shares all kinds of projects that are made with paper. And while there are great examples of things you'd expect like stationery, art, and invitations, there's also a lot you wouldn't expect too—like huge retail store displays, jewelry, clothing, ornaments and decor—I'm constantly amazed.

> Seeing the things that artists are creating with paper makes me love it even more. It inspires me to try something new, like quilling (sample above—no, I didn't do it. Artist Yulia Brodskaya did. Isn't it gorgeous??) I'll have to go out and buy some paper! (you didn't think I'd use what I already have, did you?)

> I was approached a couple weeks ago about presenting to the local Rotary Club (eek!) The business-person in me said "This is a great opportunity! I get to show my work, and meet some other local business owners." The shy-person in me secretly hoped there would be something on my calendar to give me a good reason to bow out. Checked my calendar and...completely empty that day...so the business person in me agreed and got the details.

> It was a fairly small group—less then 20 people—but that was fine with me. I shared the experiences that brought me to where I am and what I do, as well as several examples of different types of projects. I got lots of positive feedback, and answered several questions including these three:

>> How do you advertise, or get more work? Typically, most of my clients come through word of mouth/referrals, so the most effective advertising I do comes from sharing what I do with everyone I know. I send out a monthly email newsletter that highlights projects. I've been contacted more than once from someone saying "I knew you designed (insert project here) but I didn't know you could (insert another type of project here)." Any chance I get, I ask new acquaintances if they would like to receive it. It's a free, non-intrusive way to put my work in front of prospects on a regular basis.

I also send out a holiday promotion every year. My personal goal each time, is to make sure the item is more useful to the recipient than it is an advertising piece for me. If it's done well, it can accomplish both things. The Rotary members were very excited as I handed out my latest promotion—wooden calendar cards—to each of them (seize the opportunity to advertise for free!)

>> Is it difficult to stay motivated when no one is there to make sure you work? I rarely have a hard time being motivated. First of all, I love what I do. I love the people I work for, and the people I work with to complete projects. I still get excited about every part of the process—from coming up with concepts, to getting final samples of a completed project, to getting it ready to share in my email newsletter. It's not hard to get up each morning when my day is filled with work that I enjoy doing.

Also, I realized in college that I am not a procrastinator (obviously it wasn't a newly developed trait, but I didn't know how unusual it was for me to be self-motivated to stay on or ahead of schedule compared with others I had classes with).

>> Do you work in sweats? I suppose I could, but no, I don't. I dress pretty much the same way as I did when I went to an office (Except I put on slippers instead of shoes unless I'm going outside). I believe my appearance is a reflection of how I want others to see me. If I get sloppy and don't care how I look, how much of that attitude would eventually slide into the way I work? I'm not willing to take the risk to find out.

> I took the allotted 30 minutes, and feel good about how the presentation went. Only part of me was excited to say yes in the beginning, but when it was finished, all of me was glad I had done it.

Finding Peace During the Holidays

> I started my holiday promotional gift in the Fall, and it's a good thing! I knew it would take a long time, but I didn't realize just how long. Most were mailed a week before Christmas, which is really late for my "normal", but in all the feedback I got, no one complained about the timing (or about anything else—yay!) 

> Here are several photos of the process of making the wood block perpetual calendars.

> I made 50 of the production-heavy wood block calendars, but that quantity didn't come close to how many people I enjoy send promotions to, so I needed to come up with an alternate. I was so excited when I found a vendor who prints on thin sheets of wood. I designed a business card sized calendar, and placed my order. Everyone got an mGraphicDesign custom calendar, on wood. Happiness! And now that they're finished, peace.

Branding It All

> I just received the printed pieces for some of my holiday promotion recipients. Ever since I got the proof in the mail a couple weeks ago, I was SO excited. They're cards—printed on thin wood. And they look fantastic!

> I'll share pics of the actual pieces soon. (I want the recipients to have them in their hands before they see them here) You'll have to wait a little longer!

> The thing I want to share here is this company's brand. Every email I get, whether it's a sales promotion, or the response from a customer service rep; even down to their packing tape is branded thoroughly. Not just logos all over the place—that's not a brand—but a true extension...what the world would look like if they had created everything in it...the language, the expressions, even the name of the state they're located in. I just love it. This is a company who "gets" what branding is "owl" about.

> And the quality of their products is something else for them to be proud of. Check them out: Night Owl Paper Goods.

It Wanted to be Green

> Not too long ago, I posted an in-progress photo of the perpetual block calendars I'm making for my holiday promotion. At the time, I wanted to let them be "natural"—letting the wood show through, and using natural earthy colors. 

> And they were okay, but they were just "there". They needed some pop! I tested out a few color combinations and taped the colored squares onto the blocks. Wow...hands down, the green looked the best. I admit I'm biased, so without saying anything, I took the color combos to my husband and asked his opinion. And guess what, he chose the green! Now, he knows I have an obsession with a certain shade of green...so you might think he's an unfair judge, but if he thought one of the other colors looked better, he'd have told me so. I promise!

> Here's an updated look at the blocks. See? Don't you agree the green is so much better than the natural wood? 

> Because this gift promotion is so labor-intensive, I'm only making a small number of this type of calendar, and I have a super-cool alternative that I'm sending to the rest of my client/vendor/friend list. 

> I've got one more step in the process, then I'm going to post with photos of the whole process, so once again, this is just a teaser...stay tuned!