May your Goals Become Reality

> There's a quotation that says (basically): "Written goals have a way of transforming thinking. Turning can't into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality." I like the message. It emphasizes the fact that you have the ability to change your own reality, but it requires effort on your part.

> At this time of year, people start to think about the coming year, and about "resolutions" they will make on New Years Day. I've never been a big believer of making resolutions...but goals are a different thing. I found an article that does a good job of summing up how I feel.

> As you may know, each year, I design and create a promotional gift that I send out as a thank you to clients, vendors, friends and supporters of my business. This year, I designed 2 notepads because people make goals and/or resolutions around this time of year, so I'm giving them a place to jot down their ideas and notes, and another place to write down their goals and the steps they need to take to achieve them.

> I chose to not include my name or logo on them—but of course one is "maralee-green", and with typography as the main design element, they visually "say" they're a holiday wish from me.

Low-Price Leader?

> I recently put a design proposal together for a potential new client. I've got enough history that I know what a realistic time frame, and realistic costs are for certain projects. The would-be client came back saying he really wanted to work with me, but he had a proposal from another designer for a fraction of my price, under the same constrained timeline, and he wondered why mine was so much higher.

> I told him I could only account for my own price based on the information he had provided me. If someone was coming in THAT much lower, I suspect it was someone without the experience to know how much time would be required, or someone who was not very good and felt a like a low price would get him the project, or possibly a skilled person who was qualified, but very desperate for work. I suppose it could have a been the latter, but the odds are against it. 

> I've seen the other design projects this company has had done—it's good stuff! And I know with his last project, they went way past the deadline in order to make him happy. My experience tells me that by choosing to hire this other designer, he will run into a problem: he won't meet his deadline, or he will find out that the bid didn't include things that he thought were part of the job, or he won't be happy with the end result—maybe a combination of problems.

> I know I'm not the cheapest designer, nor do I want to be (check out this article that backs me up). I'm not high-priced either. I work hard to produce good work, and I don't say yes to something I'm not confident that I can deliver on. That's worth something. Maybe not to every business, but to the ones I work with, it is.

Logo or not?

> I sent my holiday promotion to production yesterday. A week ago when I was going over the details with my vendor, he was surprised to find out that I wasn't going to include my logo on it—anywhere. Typically on my promotions, I use some kind of brand reference—color, the letter m, etc. And I'm okay with only a minimal hint of my company's brand. After all, it's a gift to my clients, vendors, and to those who support me and my business. I find it a lot less likely that they would actually use it if there was a huge logo on it. 

> Is it somehow hypocritical to send a holiday self-promotion that doesn't have my name all over it? I don't know. But for a gift-promotion, I believe if the recipients like it well enough to use it, they will remember where it came from.

> Of course I will package it with a note, and my note will make clear who it's from, as well as the concept behind the gift. I guess for me, it's the golden rule of gift giving: if I receive a gift, I don't want someone else's name on it; so I do the same for them. I hope the recipients will appreciate that it is a true gift. Something they can use. Not something that is such blatant advertising that they feel like they should receive a royalty for using it. 

> Wondering what it is? Watch for a post in December with the big reveal!

Being Effective

> I received a great email newsletter today. This article explores the concept that it doesn't matter how efficient you are, it only matters how effective you are! A great concept, and it mirrors the way I work. If I was concerned more with efficiency, I'm quite sure my creativity would suffer. How does this concept translate to your work? Your life?

Sending un-Junk Mail

> As you sort through your mail and toss out all the undesired pieces, you call it "junk mail". If you're an advertiser, trying to reach your target audience by mail, hoping to spark some interest, you call it "direct mail". Whatever you call it, the results of a new survey tell us that 8 out of 10 households report visually scanning or reading the advertising mail they receive.

> When executed well, direct mail can deliver results that far surpass print ads or broadcast for virtually any kind of business, product or service—and these results and measurable, predictable, immediate, and cost-effective. The secret to all this wonderful success lies in one simple principle: Creativity rules (source: Neenah Paper promotion).

> Second only to the service or product you offer to your potential customers, remember that creativity is what can turn your mailing budget from being categorized junk mail, to direct mail.

> Good information for me as I begin working on my holiday promotion.

Childish Inspiration

> I live on a hill. And at the bottom, around the corner, is an elementary school. Every morning, I can hear kids on their way to school, wheels bump-bumping on the sidewalk cracks as they ride down the hill as fast as they dare, riding bikes, scooters, and anything with wheels. I love to hear the imagination in the happy screams, "I'm flying!", or "I'm Superman!", or my favorite from a grade-schooler, "I'm going faster than the speed of light!"

> Our deck overlooks the large playground, and sometimes my husband and I eat our lunch outside, and get a kick out of watching the kids play. It's amazing how imaginative they are. They decide "what they are going to be" during recess, a bunch of other kids join in the role-play, and they all have a great time.

> I've heard that children are able to create freely for a certain period of time, then they start creating based on others' expectations, or from learned application, and at that point, the "magic" is gone. 

> In witnessing the freedom in the way these kids play, I wonder: if we could all let go, and not care what others else think of our imagination, or how we play in our free time, would it enhance our creativity and inspiration when it comes time to be creative for work? Maybe I need to borrow a scooter and find out.

Good Enough to Eat

> I am jealous of some peoples' creativity. I think anyone who remembers how fun it was to make macaroni necklaces as a child will love the creativity, and how much fun designer Marian Bantjes had finding just the right pasta shapes to create this amazing work of "noodle-art". Deliciously beautiful!