Graduation invites I’m currently working on
As my grandmother used to say when we skipped several weekend visits: INTRODUCE YOURSELF!!
I’ve been terribly MIA, so MIA that I even wondered if I should pop by to say Hi! and run off again…
Remember my post on finishing my spring break project, yeah the First Communion invites…when I was all freaky about THE END and if I would get another commission and if I’d do as good a job on it as I had on this one, etc, etc… well while under that scarcity mentality and huge self-doubt I did what many well-meaning people have recommended I do: I opened up a facebook page, I know, ghastly!!! I still have trouble talking about it… I know, most people like it, love it or are even addicted to it, me, I avoided it, till now.
My right brain needed to be a bit left brained and think about the numbers that represent the people I can reach through FB, and so I did it and asked my sister, to be my PR person… because I am not only right-brained, I am also introverted…both at a 100% intensity, so I needed help to find a bit of balance…
So there I was, uploading INSPO pic from my favorite sites and a few collages from previous work just to get some mouths watering when suddenly 4 commissions appeared in my message inbox… WHOA!!! could it be real? will FB work for me and my endeavour?
From there I was offered the task of designing and assembling my school’s Graduation invite and event program…
So yes, I’ve been busy and have fallen behind on my MOOC updates 😦 nevertheless, I am happy and infinitely grateful for having a new project follow the one I finish.
I learned a couple of very interesting life lessons during this terrifying time of going into the FB world with my work:
the first lesson and maybe the most important is that it is not the best idea to start a business when you are having money troubles/difficulties… a new business, just like a new baby, has some basic needs for which you need money but that won’t happen if there’s money needed in the other areas of your life, for example, just when I got paid for the 1st communion invites, my car insurance expired… I had planned to buy some paper punches and a guillotine/paper cutter but the insurance came higher in the list of priorities so no punches or guillotine (later my mom sponsored 🙂 some punches and a fabulous booklet stapler, thanks mom)
and it’s been like this, as I get paid, I hardly savor the fact before there’s something due in our family budget… so, just like they say QUIT WHILE YOU’RE AHEAD… START WHILE YOU’RE AHEAD… start your new biz when the income will come in as an extra and not as a must!
Another thing I learned/ discovered is how un-savvy I am at all of this and it’s all due to my extreme right-brain-ness… for us right-brainers, it is difficult to talk about our art, our creations, much less promote them to be sold… we want/ hope/ expect that word of mouth publicity will take care of it and that our craft will speak for itself and people will come and ask for our input and not the other way around, God forbid, where we’d go out and show our work and be a sales person persuading people to let us work with them…
Quite the task, as complicated as marriage and raising a teenager… yes, it compares!!! 🙂
Anyway, my posts might get much shorter but I hold blogging dearly in my heart and don’t want to leave… I just hope my blogosphere friends are still there to read me and throw me a line back to their blogs!!
xo lovely people
ACT. REACT. or just THINK about it! 
Wow!!! Vectors!!! that’s soooo cool 🙂 You sold it well $$$, right?! I have this huge problem with the value of my work, you know, the time invested, the originality, (and my husband would add) energy bill, internet connection, jajajaaa… everything adds up however, the creativity put into it is what gives it the most value as a very dear friend, photographer/copywriter pointed out!! I LOVE GRAPHIC DESIGN, in fact, I’ve had my eye on a 4 week course to learn how to use some of the tools pros use, I do my thing on regular publisher, ja! you must use fab design programs… Logos are a wonderful challenge! I made my blog logo and my business logo… It is such a relief to have something to fall back on when life throws us these curve balls, right Mame?! Please let me know if you decide to set up a webpage, I’d love to see your work 🙂 te mando un gran abrazo amiga y mucha suerte!!! xo
I sold a logo! A vector graphic design. I got started doing it a few years ago when I was responsible for my own article illustrations at a newspaper. From there I did a few church/friend/nonprofit graphics and logos, and just by word of mouth have started to get more requests. Your Fb page is a good idea. I may have to get a website, too, since design pays and writing doesn’t. =*) (Punk is quitting his job and we’re moving, so having a bit of income on the side will be welcome. And who wouldn’t want to get paid to draw pictures?!)
Thak you Marina for sharing your journey with me… You get this complication and I will embrace both brains… I can’t believe the courage it takes to offer ones work to others… I am happy for doing it and even happier for the acceptance my designs have had… Dreaming Big my dear friend 🙂 xoxoxxo to you
Thank you Mame!! but, tell me more about your commission 🙂 Art! Paint? collage? like the one you did for your friend? I really truly want to know more… and yes, the blog will wait, though the followers will not, I can not blame them… big hug and please tell me more!!
I am so glad you are finding success! You’re one step ahead of me on this path to creative fulfillment (I just got my first commission this week! Paid to do art, can you imagine?!) and I LOVE that it’s working out for you. Gives me hope!
Our blogs will wait for us! But I know the feeling of “should I even bother? What do I say, it’s been so long?!” Thanks for sharing your projects and popping in to let us all know how you are. The invites are gorgeous!
Ah, my right and left definitely not balanced but what’s balanced is my attitude towards that fact, I’ve happily accepted it! No, I cannot sell my own stf. I suck at it, but that’s ok! I tried some years ago when I opened my own little workshop selling art candles. Customers [all ended up friends!] were begging me to speak out the prices! After blushing and sweating I ended up speaking some funny vowels vaguely resembling numbers! Nope, not for me! That’s when I decided I’m going to give my work to others to do the commercial bit. Not being a millionaire [understatement of the year] I began with Imagekind, Cafe Press and Society6. So don’t feel bad about your brains! Smile at them both and you’ll see they’ll find a …balanced way to communicate and work well together!
A very very big loving hug back to you! 🙂 xxxxx
Kareeeennnn! HI! How are you? Your trip is fast approaching, right?! Yeah, the need for more income is a good incentive for starting a new biz, but not the ideal moment
nevertheless all is going so good, thank God!! After I finish the Grad invites I’m starting the back to school supplies/books and notebook name tags & stickers YAY!!! So, God willing, I’ll be busy during the Summer… Think of me when you breathe the air of every new city you visit!! thanks for your heartfelt encouragement my dear friend, hope to catch up over at your part of the neighborhood 🙂 soon, many hugs and bon voyage
Great to hear how you are doing! I agree, it often helps to have money before you start a new biz. Hope your commissions keep coming in, while your business grows steadily. Sounds like a good start!
Blessings to you,
Karen
Marinaaaaaa! aaahhh! so lovely to read you my dear friend… I’ve been MIA AGAIN!! thank you for giving me a few minutes of your day 🙂 I suspect you’ve got your right & left brain in the ideal balance now, you are a natural artist and have become a savvy business woman! Yes, it is quite a challenge to find balance or at least learn the trade of the left-brained needed for a new biz… i still get all flustered when it comes to the numbers and to the value of my work & time… I am practicing patience and self-compassion plus not forgetting to breathe 🙂 thank you for your encouraging words, I have come to know I can count on them, you are an artist that believes in other artists potential and you let us know, thanks again my dear friend, I pray all is well with you and your creative business, please receive a loving hug, xo
Jennifer! so happy to read you… Thank you for your lovely wishes 🙂 I’ll post a pic of the finished product, tomorrow’s my deadline and I’m right on time, yay!!! There’s something weird happening between me and anxiety/worry, we have, some how, ended our realtionship, it was doomed since the beginning but recently, with our money ups and downs I considered summoning worry and anxiety to be by my side through this but I just couldn’t…weird! Some huge part of me refused to, declaring in avery decisive tone: this is not beyond you, you can work this out, don’t drain yourself with worry and anxiety, invest your energy in focusing on the solution, not the problem! How about that?! I was so surprised I wanted to blog about it but instead i kept working 🙂 I hope to blog about it soon… I want to click over to your blog and catch up, meanwhile I do pray everything is lovely and well with you and your beautiful family…sending you a warm hug my dear friend, xo
Those invitations are stunning, Alexandra! Congratulations on the booming business. Sending warm wishes for productivity, creativity, and success achieved with the minimum amount of anxiety!
Oh, I can relate to those challenges but I know you’ll pull through victoriously, my dear Alexandra …it’s in your nature! 😉
Hugs xxxxxx